UAE MEmob Blockchain entity partners with Artifact Labs to develop metaverse fashion house

UAE MEmob Blockchain entity partners with Artifact Labs to develop metaverse fashion house

UAE based MEmob+, a  Blockchain data intelligence and mining platform has partnered with Artifact Labs, a premier provider of 360-degree support for brands and creators in the Metaverse, creating a metaverse fashion house, and digital art platform. 

Together, the two companies will leverage the expertise of leading projects under the Artifact Labs umbrella, such as the Metaverse fashion house Ninzoou and the digital fine art platform Materia, delivering cutting-edge projects and services to brands and organizations in the MENA region. 

MEmob+, along with Artifact labs, will be offering brands and companies strategic advisory for the Metaverse, utilizing Artifact’s NFT & Metaverse focused products in addition to MEmob+’s blockchain consulting for clients. 

Artifact Lab’s  advanced NFT platform has all the essential components; user-friendly processes without the need for external wallets, trading tools, royalties for content creators, integration with play-to-earn games, and fiat and crypto payment processing. Having their own PoS blockchain (FBA, BFT) that complies with Eco-NFT and Clean-NFT trends to provide extra control over the system, the Artifact NFT platform allows creators the benefit of zero fees while enabling them to mint NFTs on any public blockchain such as Ethereum, Flow, and Solana.

Falling under the umbrella of Artifact, Materia, one of the company’s contemporary art NFT platforms created by art collectors, art professionals, and blockchain experts, will also be collaborating with MEmob+ to provide opportunities for brands to develop art projects in the Metaverse in conjunction with leading artists, curators, and institutions. 

Materia also drives Campus Art Dubai (CAD) 9.0 Blockchain 2022 Edition, which is part of Art Dubai’s fair program catering to changing needs of the UAE’s creative community and is aimed at providing artists with an in-depth overview of the NFT world, and blockchain applications pertaining to art and cryptocurrencies.

“There should be no doubt in today’s times that the Metaverse is here to stay. Brand marketing has become more consumer-led and thus it is essential to understand and utilize the growing adoption of blockchain and Web3 technologies. Consumer behaviors are changing, and brands now need to create robust Metaverse strategies to reach their audiences. We have witnessed demands for more engaging and innovative experiences and we feel technology can be used for enriching virtual capabilities. We are very excited about our collaboration with Artifact which will enable us to help companies develop their digitized products, assisting them from start to finish in building and marketing their assets,” commented Ihab El Yaman, CEO, and Founder of MEmob+.

“We want to ensure that we help our clients easily navigate the virtual world to future-proof their assets. Artifact was founded to provide advanced NFT and Metaverse content Launchpad and ensure 360-degree support for companies. We look forward to working with MEmob+ and mutually helping brands with their Web3 content development, as well as easing the creation and execution of digital assets for clients. MEmob+ as a pioneering data intelligence and marketing platform will further help us reach potential clients,” said CMO of Artifact Labs Bobo Delice.

UAE emirate offers Soul NFT Plaques to honor partners

UAE emirate offers Soul NFT Plaques to honor partners

UAE’s government of Sharjah has honored its partners with the first Soul NFT (Non Fungible Token) plaque. Sharjah became the first in the world to introduce NFTs with SBT technology as its Higher Committee of the Government of Sharjah at GITEX Global 2022 honored the participants, supporting entities, departments, and media outlets for their contribution in the success of Sharjah’s participation in the global event with Soul NFT plaques.

Sheikh Saud bin Sultan Al Qasimi – Chairman of the Higher Committee for the Government of Sharjah at GITEX Technology Week 2022, Director of the Sharjah Digital Office, gifted the supporting entities non-fungible tokens digital trophies (NFTs) using Soul Bound Tokens (SBTs) technology, replacing traditional appreciation plaques for the first time ever in the world. A trophy is an NFT stored in a digital ledger, whose identity can be verified via the blockchain system.

SBT’s are digital identity tokens that represent the traits, features, and achievements that make up a person or entity. SBTs are issued by “Souls”, which represent blockchain accounts or wallets, and cannot be transferred or sold.

Sheikh Saud bin Sultan Al Qasimi said: “Based on the vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, our efforts continue to focus on the development of sustainable growth across all sectors. In line with the technology evolution that we are witnessing in all aspects of daily life, we have – for the first time ever in the world – replaced traditional appreciation plaques with sustainable digital assets to honor our partners”.

ChainUp Blockchain solutions provider sets up in UAE offering digital asset solutions

ChainUp Blockchain solutions provider sets up in UAE offering digital asset solutions

Singaporean ChainUp Group, a global blockchain technology solutions provider, has expanded its operations into the UAE and MENA region with a sales office in Dubai. The company aims to provide blockchain solutions to businesses across the Middle East region.

The new sales office in Dubai has since begun operations and seeks to form new partnerships with enterprises in the region. The team will work to curate blockchain solutions to fulfill the needs of prospective clients for them to operate more efficiently and securely.

ChainUp Group has a foothold across multiple locations around the world including Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, and the United States.

The company  offers a suite of blockchain solutions covering infrastructure development and ecosystem support including digital asset trading systems, NFT trading systems, wallet solutions, liquidity solutions, Web3 infrastructure, digital assets custody, and more.

Ms. Tan Bin Ru, Deputy CEO & COO of ChainUp Group commented, “The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has one of the fastest growing cryptocurrency ecosystems in the world and is a key strategic region of our global expansion plan. We are excited as ChainUp has a complete suite of Digital Assets Exchange Solutions to support the needs of these business requirements.”

The company has served more than 1,000 clients in 30 countries, reaching over 60 million end-users.

Egyptian Blockchain Pravica messaging startup receives investment from Cardano’s Blockchain accelerator

Egyptian Blockchain Pravica messaging startup receives investment from Cardano’s Blockchain accelerator

Egyptian founded and UAE based Pravica, a blockchain company offering decentralized private messaging and community group solutions, has secured a funding investment from Adaverse Cardano Ecosystem Accelerator and venture capitalist. Adaverse aggregates entrepreneurs, strategists and mentors building its most robust foundation in Africa and Asia.

The investment will be used to support the company’s growth and development, including its efforts to expand its chain-agnostic web3 messaging platform that enables users from different blockchains to communicate in a truly end-to-end encrypted (E2EE), open source and decentralized environment.

“Pravica empowers users to take control of their own encryption keys and protect their privacy on the new user-owned Internet” said Mohamed Abdou, CEO of Pravica. “This investment from Adaverse will help us bring our unique approach to secure communication to a wider audience.”

In September 2022, Pravica launched the first DcFi ( Decentralized Communications and Finance platform) under the name Pravica Club. 

Adaverse, a leading investor in blockchain technology, sees the potential for Pravica’s chain-agnostic platform in the market. 

Adaverse is a collaborative initiative between EMURGO and Everest Ventures Group to support blockchain founders with funds, mentorship, and tech infrastructure to scale Web3 Solutions. 

Shogo Ishida, Co-CEO for the Middle East & Africa at EMURGO Africa, commented “Adaverse and EMURGO are excited to support Pravica’s vision of a decentralized, secure communications system built on the blockchain. Both in Africa and across the world, recent market events have highlighted the importance of security and confidentiality in the Web3 space. Pravica provides one of the first tangible solutions to this issue, and Adaverse is glad to be joining their journey with strategic mentorship and tools for growth on the Cardano blockchain.”

The funding from Adaverse will enable Pravica to continue to develop and expand its chain-agnostic messaging platform, enabling secure communication for users across different blockchains.

Prior to the investment from both EMURGO Africa and Adaverse Pravica had received investment from 500 Startups fund. 

In addition Pravica had made some impressive new hiring announcements. Bedie Moran has joined as the Chief Operating Officer of Pravica. Bedie brings a wealth of experience in Fintech working as a management consultant for KPMG Consulting and as head of the strategy team for E-trade Financial. More recently Bedie has focused his attention on supporting digital startups in Africa and the Middle East.

Pravica also announced the appointment of Alejandro Criado-Pérez as their new Chief Technology Officer. Alejandro Criado-Pérez brings a wealth of experience and expertise in the field of blockchain, having previously worked as Tech lead at Stacks Foundation.

One of the key projects that Alejandro will be working on is Pravica Club. 

MENA based Arts DAO NFT community partners with Crypto wallet provider Ledger

MENA based Arts DAO NFT community partners with Crypto wallet provider Ledger

MENA based Arts DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization) and NFT and Web3 community with presence in UAE, has partnered with Ledger, a digital asset storage provider, to offer hardware crypto wallet solutions to its members. 

Arts DAO is currently investing in blue-chip NFTs, supporting major corporations with their Web3 strategy, and backing great founders building in Web3.

France-based Ledger, which employs more than 800 people has sold more than five million devices to customers in 200 different countries and is responsible for securing 20 percent of all crypto assets stored globally as of today.

‘100 Ledger NFTs,’ the first Ledger NFTs ever released, were part of a limited-edition collection created by Arts DAO to honor this groundbreaking partnership. Additionally, Arts DAO provided community members with branded ledgers, allowing NFT owners to claim a physical Ledger hard wallet.

“Ledgers are a so-called ‘cold storage’ solution,” explains Danosch Zahedi, Co-Founder of Arts DAO. “People are always looking for safer places to store their cryptocurrency, and thanks to decentralized finance, anyone with a cold storage wallet may basically act as their own bank. This is crucial in light of recent market volatility in the cryptocurrency space as well as future-defining events like the FTX collapse.”

According to Anas Bhurtun, Co-Founder of Arts DAO, “Dubai has constantly shown its dedication to the virtual economy, with historic regulatory developments providing a framework for companies dealing with digital assets like cryptocurrencies and NFTs.”

As explained by Ledger, what you actually own when you purchase a cryptocurrency is a “private key,” a vital piece of data required to approve outgoing transactions on the blockchain network. Anyone who is aware of this key may use the related funds. There is no bank or other organization to back you up or provide you with a replacement if your private keys are lost, stolen, or if you keep them on a device that malfunctions. As a result, you lose access to your cryptocurrency.

Arts DAO advises clients to use a hardware wallet solution, where your private keys are kept offline in a hardware wallet so only you have access to them. As a result, your wallet is no longer at risk of being compromised by hackers who can’t get to the device or the private keys inside. Even if a hacker manages to take over your computer, they won’t be able to access your crypto assets by stealing your private keys if you have a hardware wallet. The risk of hacking is reduced because your private key is stored offline.

Arts DAO is looking to expand into many more avenues with their clients, including blockchain gaming, blockchain streaming and music, and digital fashion. The two main pillars of Arts DAO are community and consulting. With hundreds of members as of today and rapidly growing, the community is bringing together the Middle East’s largest Web 3.0 community.

UAE MorningStar Ventures Invests $5 million in Dubai based NFT art gallery

UAE MorningStar Ventures Invests $5 million in Dubai based NFT art gallery

UAE investment firm specializing in digital assets and blockchain technology, MorningStar has invested 5 million to open its first interactive and immersive digital art gallery, called ‘37xDubai.

The NFT digital art gallery is located in the Burj Daman Tower (DIFC area), 37xDubai will be at the heart of Dubai’s business and lifestyle center as it opens its doors in Q1 of 2023.

As per the press release, the global NFT market is projected to reach 23.9% between 2022 and 2028. In the UAE, 23% of people own at least one NFT, ranking the region first compared to Europe (8%) and the U.S. (2.8%). MoMa, Sotheby’s, and other institutional players in the art scene have also opened NFT or Metaverse-related initiatives or shown interest in the space over the past years.

37xDubai aims to be a bridge across Art and Technology, thereby bringing a new concept to the market focused on web3 education, traditional art, digital art, entertainment, and community.

Featured artists will be able to leverage Morningstar Ventures’ and 37x’s network and expand their reach by engaging with a new trip of web3 enthusiasts. Furthermore, the modular technology behind the 37xDubai gallery allows for frequent changes in exhibited collections, keeping the creative space ever-changing and adaptable to various concepts.

Clemence Cazeau, CEO 37xDubai stated, “The design and architecture of our gallery are highly sophisticated, filled with state-of-the-art equipment, interior, sound, and lighting infrastructure. We hand-picked and meticulously selected every element of the space to ensure that the 37xDubai gallery and its exhibitions could be presented in an unforgettable fashion to every one of our visitors” 

In January 2022, MorningStar  launched its first project out of its Elrond Dubai incubator. The Open Metaverse data platform, Itheum seeks to transform personal data into tradable asset. UAE Morning Star will be leading Itheum’s 1.5 million USD seed fund round and help to built the team for the project on Elrond Blockchain.

Then in February 2022 the investment firm  partnered with Deep-tech startup Humans.ai . As per the press release, the move will deepen Humans.ai’s presence in the Middle East region and advance the company’s mission to establish the first framework for ethical AI with blockchain technology. Humans.ai also partnered with UAE Deca4 consultancy. 

In 2021 MorningStar acquired porfolio tracking application CoinFy. 

UAE blockchain enterprise entity bags Pakistan New City deal

UAE blockchain enterprise entity bags Pakistan New City deal

UAE based Blockchain enterprise, Shaariq.com, an end-to-end real estate platform of Vision Tech has partnered with Pakistan-headquartered JK&S Developers, a real estate arm of the renowned Saif Group. to facilitate sales in JK&S Developers’ highly anticipated project D.I. Khan New City.

Shaariq.com will leverage its enterprise blockchain capabilities to ensure secure, transparent, and seamless transactions. Shaariq.com will also ensure D.I. Khan New City becomes an early mover in adopting blockchain at an enterprise level. Shaariq.com will create a digital twin of the project in the metaverse to enable efficient urban planning and optimize the delivery of public services such as healthcare and groceries. NFT linked transactions on the blockchain will bring greater security, transferability, and future readiness. D.I. Khan New City will also characterize AR-VR and AI applications on multiple fronts.

Dubbed the “Crown of Pakistan”, the D.I. Khan New City is a hybrid development in Saiduwali, Paharpur, an area with close proximity to Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Islamabad, and Balochistan. The development, which spans an expansive area of 4.1 million sq. m, is valued at a whopping $233 million U.S., making it one of the most ambitious projects of its kind in Pakistan.

Rajab Ali Virani, CEO of Vision Tech stated,  “Shaariq.com ventured into Pakistan with a grand vision: Enhancing transactional efficiency and reducing the trust deficit by leveraging cutting-edge technologies such as blockchain. D.I. Khan New City is the ideal avenue to turn that vision into reality. We are determined to make this project an archetype of Pakistan’s real estate excellence while reinforcing our competitive edge in tech-enabled services.”

 “The Saif Group has nearly a hundred years of multi-industrial pedigree in Pakistan. At every juncture, we have exemplified the latest innovations of the time. D.I. Khan New City is a totem of our future-proof strategy and a legacy of our people-centric worldview. The MoU with Shaariq.com complements both these priorities,” said Jehangir Saifullah Khan, Chairman, JK&S Developers. 

Vision Tech is planning an expansion into African countries, where, through Shaariq.com, it intends to digitalize land records with the support of local authorities.

Crypto.com and Coca Cola offer Fans of World Cup FIFA 2022 from GCC and MENA NFT collection

Crypto.com and Coca Cola offer Fans of World Cup FIFA 2022 from GCC and MENA NFT collection

Coca-Cola and Crypto.com, sponsor of Qatar World Cup 2022, have teamed up to launch an NFT collection inspired by the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup. The collection, created in collaboration with digital artist GMUNK, is based on “heat maps” that visually represent the movements and highlights of the tournament’s players. GMUNK has created 10,000 NFTs based on these heat maps, which will be available to fans on the Crypto.com NFT platform from May 1 to July 31, 2022.

To access the NFT collection, fans will need to create an account on the Crypto.com NFT platform and visit Coca-Cola’s fan zone page to mint a token. The Coca-Cola fan zone is a digital hub for the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup that offers fans the opportunity to experience thrills, excitement, games, and moments to remember during the tournament.

 In addition to the NFT collection, the fan zone includes leaderboards, pledges, and predictions, allowing fans to compete with each other and interact with the tournament in real-time.

As per some news websites the registration sites for the NFTs are offered on either Coca-cola Middle East or the fan zone links officially provided for residents living in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, or the United Arab Emirates.

Just after the announcement Crypto.com’s CRO token (CRO) gained value this week. CRO climbed as much as 10% after the press release hit, and though it slipped to a 8.5% advance at press time CRO remains one of the top performing digital assets on Monday 5th of December. Despite this, CRO token remains lower by about 50% over the past month in the FTX-related crumbling in the cryptocurrency markets. CRO is down nearly 90% year over year.

This is the first World Cup that has not only features Blockchain and crypto sponsors but tokens and NFTs, growing the interest in both in the MENA region.

Algorand Decipher conference kicks off in UAE with leading MENA Blockchain entities

Algorand Decipher conference kicks off in UAE with leading MENA Blockchain entities

The second annual conference Decipher, by the Algorand Foundation is being held today until the 30th of November at Madinat Jumeirah Conference & Events Centre in Dubai, UAE.  The Algorand Foundation’s mission is to grow and empower the ecosystem around Algorand-the leading carbon-negative Layer-1 blockchain-and Decipher’s programming will highlight top founders and investors from both within and beyond the Algorand network.

The event will witness more  than 120 speakers across four stages and 50 sessions. Registrants will also be able to sign up for one-on-one mentoring with blockchain leaders, learn to set up wallets and experience play-to-earn games, explore a high-end curated NFT art gallery, take part in hands-on workshops designed for developers and led by the engineers and product leaders behind the Algorand protocol, and more.

Topics include Financial Inclusion at Scale: A World Tour featuring Sanzar Kakar, Founder of HesabPay; Victor Mapunga, Co-Founder & CEO of FlexFinTx; Abhinav Sinha, Cofounder, Eko India Financial Services; and Matt Keller, Head of Social Impact at the Algorand Foundation.

Also is the topic of Building the Next Crypto Capital featuring Basil Al Askari, CEO & Cofounder of MidChains; Benjamin Ampen, CEO MENA at Kraken; and Jehanzeb Awan, Chairman of the Middle East, Africa and Asia Crypto and Blockchain Association.

As well as the topic of payments revolution featuring  Khaled Moharem, President Middle East at WadzPay; Eduardo Novillo Astrada, CEO & Cofounder of AgroToken; and more to be announced.

In addition topics include Safer Bridges to a Multichain Future featuring Nico Arqueros, Primary Contributor, Milkomeda; Adi Ben-Ari, Founder & CEO, Applied Blockchain; and Hugo Philion, CEO & Cofounder, Flare Network

Venture Perspectives Across the Crypto Landscape featuring Terry Culver, CEO & General Partner at DFG Group; Mona Hamdy, Chief Strategy Officer at Sino Global Capital; Abhinav Pathak, Research Partner at Woodstock Fund; and Ryan Terribilini, Head of Ecosystem Funding at the Algorand Foundation

View the full agenda and speaker lineup at https://www.decipherevent.com

Dubai VC Helion Ventures partners with metaverse VMeta3

Dubai VC Helion Ventures partners with metaverse VMeta3

Dubai VC Helion Ventures has partnered and invested in VMeta3, the First High-Poly Modeling Technique Metaverse to provide a life-like experience with “Any-Fi” economic incentive into the new mindset of Behavior to Earn. 

VMeta3 is the first metaverse related project to be part of Helion Ventures. VMeta3 envisions a world where users can freely create and explore digital worlds, own virtual property, conduct business, buy and sell goods, interact with the AI of their digital avatars, and much more.

The Co-Founder and CEO of Helion Ventures Oliver von Wolff stated,  “The metaverse is the next big thing in web3 and it is exciting to get on board its growth by investing in an interesting and creative project such as VMeta3”.

Jobs Chang, Founder and CEO of VMeta3  adds,  “The Dubai Metaverse Strategy aims to turn Dubai into one of the world’s top 10 metaverse economies as well as a global hub for the metaverse community, and we are pleased to receive investment and partner with Helion Ventures to take this vision forward and be present in Dubai. I always say: Never predict the future, instead create the future! Through our cooperation, this is exactly what we aim to do”.

Muhammad Hamza, MENA CEO, explained, “VMeta3 aims to provide the First High-Poly Modelling Technique Metaverse to provide a lifelike experience for its users and provide standards such as protection of IP for artists that is challenging the industry today. VMeta3 will be launching its Alpha by Q1 2023. The token sale is now open for potential partners and pioneers who want to be a part of our eco-system via Helion Ventures, Dubai”.

Helion Ventures is a venture capital based in Dubai, to be regulated by DIFC. They focus on investing in early-stage tokens/coins, Fintech/Blockchain projects, Metaverse, and DeFi in the MENA region and Africa.  They have been a part of the region’s Ecosystem with strong connections and roots in the Middle East ever since 1999.

VMeta3 provides unique NFT standards that ensure the IP of the actual artist is protected by the encrypted file in the blockchain whereas each NFT that is minted from VMeta3 will be initiated from VMeta3 timestamp. The project envisions a world where users can freely create and explore digital worlds, own virtual property, conduct business, buy and sell goods, interact with the AI of their digital avatars, and much more. By building and providing a life-like experience in the digital world, VMeta3 allows their users to strive and live in a digital ecosystem in the comforts of their computer and mobile devices.