A Blockchain enabled Food Metaverse launches in UAE with OneRare

A Blockchain enabled Food Metaverse launches in UAE with OneRare

Food Metaverse, OneRare, the world’s first food metaverse, known as Foodverse has launched in the UAE. The Foodverse is bringing the Global F&B Industry to Web3 for the first time ever – allowing them to create virtual experiences, food NFTs and games, & interact with foodies from across the world built using the blockchain.

In UAE, partnerships with food brands such as Foodlink UAE, The Bhukkad Cafe, Cali Poke, Farzi Cafe, Papa John’s and more have been signed in only a few months.

Created while in lockdown, Supreet Raju, co-founder and CEO of OneRare states, “I have long said that food has a language of its own and makes the world a happier place. It is what connects us and the metaverse only brings us closer together in a unique way in which we can share our culture and our food. Now with the launch of the foodverse, there is no reason why brands and consumers can’t come together in this safe, virtual setting.” 

The Foodverse developed by OneRare will feature various zones where users can discover Celebrity Chefs, Food Brands and Virtual Restaurants. Designed like the real world, the foodverse features various geographical areas like the beach, forest and lakeside, and you can explore the open world at your will. There is also an exclusive Gaming zone, with activity areas for players to explore, earn, collect and battle. “The platform is incredibly unique and offers the end-user with so many opportunities to explore food,” adds Gaurav Gupta, co-founder of OneRare. 

OneRare will also allow users to claim Dish NFTs from across the world, by collecting Ingredients and following Recipes to mint exclusive NFT artworks. Dishes include global cuisines, festive specials, keto and vegan-friendly recipes, as well as signature recipes from celebrity chefs and restaurants. Raju explained, “As we grow, users will also be able to swap these NFTs for real meals & deals – amalgamating our real & virtual lives.”

UAE-based F&B group Foodlink released NFTs for its award winning sustainable cloud kitchen brand, Art of Dum’s signature Dish’s Dum Handi ka Gosht’ & China Bistro’s Vegetable Crystal Dumplings in food verse,  and  the street food inspired cafe The Bhukkad Cafe in collaboration with OneRare is all pumped up to release three unique Vada Pav NFTs — Cheeseburst, Schezwan, and Classic on 19th February . The Vada Pav NFTs  will be available to mint in the OneRare Kitchen.

Sanjay Vazirani, Founder and CEO of Foodlink Global restaurants & catering services, “My endeavor – Foodlink, operates a variety of verticals in the F&B industry. I’m thrilled to be a part of Web3’s transformational journey and am looking forward to seeing it in its full potential soon, complete with innovative functionalities, cutting-edge user experience, and ease of use that will make it easy for our expanding customer base to adopt. I wish OneRare the best as they work to revolutionize Web3 and raise awareness of and interest in what the future may hold for all of us.”

“We’re extremely excited to announce our collaboration with OneRare on developing the world’s FIRST EVER VADA PAV NFT! When OneRare reached out to us with the idea of developing our own series of NFTs, we were excited because we’re a very crypto friendly brand & have always supported our growing Bhukkad community with all things crypto, from hosting free crypto workshops to accepting payments in crypto. Our vision with this collaboration is to educate our followers & customers on use cases of crypto & ease them into adoption with fun, unique solutions & features. We look forward to engaging with our food community to create even more fun experiences in the Metaverse with the expert help of OneRare.”  — Reshmi Mukherjee, co-founder, The Bhukkad Cafe

UAE Venom invests $5 million in Everscale to scale the blockchain

UAE Venom invests $5 million in Everscale to scale the blockchain

UAE based Venom Ventures Fund, a Web3 and blockchain innovation fund managed by Abu Dhabi-based investment fund manager Iceberg Capital Limited, has invested $5 million in Everscale, a premier blockchain platform that aims to solve the scalability issues bogging down the Web3 industry.

The $5 million will be used by Everscale to expand its development teams and boost the number of projects.

Everscale has been diligently working on expanding its reach and integrating its technology solutions in Asian countries over the past two years, while also building a strong community. Its dynamic sharding technology enables it to efficiently adapt to varying workloads, thus making it an easy and practical option for creating large-scale Web3 and other types of applications.

Venom Ventures Fund Chairman Peter Knez, ex-CIO of BlackRock, said, “For us, this is a strategic investment aimed at the technological development of projects and teams around technologies that we focus on and actively develop. In particular, we are talking about the Venom blockchain project and its ecosystem, which is planned to be launched soon and for which Everscale is a potential Layer 2 solution.”

Venom and Everscale teams will be working together on the further development of the core and the ecosystem bringing the adoption of blockchain closer to real business use cases. Current initiatives such as digital asset tokenization platforms, a full framework for CBDCs and stablecoins and payment solutions with crypto to fiat gateways are already making good headway.

Commenting on the investment, Everscale Foundation Board Member Moon Young Lee said, “This is a milestone for both the Everscale and Venom networks. The technological capabilities of Everscale are immense but they have been underappreciated by a wider audience. Now, Everscale will be able to operate as an experimental network where updates and complex technical solutions can be introduced before they are brought to Venom. This investment will allow Everscale to gain the recognition that it deserves.”

Designed as a network of blockchains, Venom has no limit to the number of other auxiliary networks at the Layer 2 level and no limit to the economy type or operation at the Layer 2. This particular architecture means that mass adoption is now achievable on the Venom blockchain.

Everscale is ideal for hosting high-scale web3 and other load-intensive projects. Over the past two years, Everscale has emerged as one of the leading blockchains in Asia, with a thriving community and robust ecosystem of DeFi platforms.

US based Tykhe Block Ventures to allocate $10 million USD to Blockchain start-ups in MENA

US based Tykhe Block Ventures to allocate $10 million USD to Blockchain start-ups in MENA

US based Tykhe Block Ventures which recently raises $30 million for its Blockchain growth fund is allocating $10 million of that to Blockchain and Web3 start-ups in MENA region.

Tykhe Block Ventures (part of Heru Finance) is a blockchain-centric multi-strategy fund established in Wyoming, USA. The fund invests in ventures within the Web 3.0/ blockchain sector with a focus on decentralization technologies, digital assets, and their key enabling infrastructure. The fund has invested in 25+ blockchain projects including dWalletLabs, Trust Machines, FanTiger, and RMRK.

The fund is led by Prashant Malik, well-regarded in the technology world as the Inventor of Cassandra (Now Apache Cassandra). He is also one of the top angel investors in SEA (50+ investments, 8 unicorns).

As per their LinkedIn post the company states it is thrilled to announce the first close of our $30 Mn Blockchain Growth Fund.

In addition, Tykhe is also in the process of setting up an office in Dubai UAE and plans to launch a $100 million fund later in 2023.

The company was founded in 2021 by tech investor Prashant Malik. Malik believes that the blockchain sector will prove resilient to the fallout from the bankruptcy of crypto exchange FTX, stating that the companies that have imploded of late are all centralised entities and, therefore, not related or correlated to the decentralisation ethos of blockchain technology.

Prashant Malik in a press release published on Cointelegraph MENA Arabic stated, “ In 2021 My partners and I launched a Blockchain Fund which did well, which led us to believe in the importance of funds to grow the Blockchain sector. We launched $30 million fund because investors are interested just like the interest was in social media when it first started.”

Investors in MENA region tend to increase their investments in Blockchain sector as per a recent survey by LaraontheBlock.

KSA NFT marketplace NuqtahNFT sponsors KSA LEAP event

KSA NFT marketplace NuqtahNFT sponsors KSA LEAP event

KSA Web 3 NFT Marketplace, NuqtahNFT sponsors LEAP tech convention that will be taking place in Riyadh Saudi Arabia from February 6th-9th 2023. 

LEAP is one of Saudi Arabia’s biggest annual tech events. A yearly 3-day tech convention held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It is the largest debut tech event as of 2022, with over 100,000 attendees worldwide. It is co-organized by the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, Informa Tech, and the Saudi Federation For Cybersecurity, Programming, and Drones.

Wajd Badawi, Head of Operations at NuqtahNFT, commented: “We are very excited about this partnership. Part of our mission is to enable individuals and institutions in Saudi with Web 3.0 technologies, and LEAP is a great platform for us to showcase the different use-cases through the NFTs activations we are providing.” 

This agreement is pushing the current boundaries of the Saudi NFTs scene with various activations powered by NuqtahNFT. Such as Digital Collectibles to be gifted to VIP attendees as Photography NFTs of a curated collection of photographs by Saudi photographers’ that showcases the beauty of Saudi Arabia’s landscape from all around Saudi. NuqtahNFT are also providing LEAP with variety of NFTs to be displayed at the exhibition. Additionally, NuqtahNFT developed a “Community Pass”, an exclusive collection with variety of utilities for LEAP’s community in which they can benefit from at LEAP 2024.

Badawi commented: “Our main objective from this partnership is to give a platform to the Saudi and regional Originators, educate global and local attendees about Saudi Arabia’s heritage and support tourism through art and technology and increase the adoption of Web 3.0 applications such as NFTs in the Kingdom. And for that, we want to express our thanks to LEAP for allowing us to be the first Saudi company to provide these solutions.”

South Korean gaming giant creator of Intella X establishes its Blockchain entity in the UAE

South Korean gaming giant creator of Intella X establishes its Blockchain entity in the UAE

According to the Korean news site Newsis, Neowiz Holdings one of South Korea’s leading game giants, the creator of Web3 gaming platform Intella X which recently raised $12M because of its upcoming launch on Polygon, has established its Blockchain entity Neofly in the UAE.

As per the Korean News site, Oh Seung-heon, CEO of Neowiz Holdings, is visiting Abu Dhabi as part of Korea-UAE economic delegation to seek cooperation with local government agencies and companies in the blockchain business.

Neofly the subsidiary of Neowiz has developed a public blockchain platform called NEOPIN.

Neofly issued its own virtual asset Neopin (NPT) which connects to its ecosystem of games, metaverses, services, non-fungible tokens (NFT), etc., centering on DeFi (Decentralized Finance) services.

An official at Blockchain entity Neofly also headed by Seung Heon, stated that they had established a local presence in UAE.

“We have been seeking to enter the global blockchain market based on the UAE, and after completing the establishment of a corporation in Abu Dhabi, there is a part of close consultation with UAE-related organizations. Visible results will come soon.”

Former CEO of Bahrain Fintech Bay joins Fasset digital asset exchange for MENA

Former CEO of Bahrain Fintech Bay joins Fasset digital asset exchange for MENA

Fasset digital asset exchange has appointed the former CEO of Bahrain Fintech Bay as General Manager for MENA region. Fasset digital asset exchange seeks to empower the next billion with new ways to own connect and share digital assets.

Khalid brings a track record of success as the former CEO and board member of Bahrain FinTech Bay, where he led the development and growth of Bahrain FinTech Bay into a leading fintech hub in the Middle East. Prior to his appointment, Khalid held various leadership positions in the financial services industry, focused on investment banking, market risk management and technology, where he was previously Vice President at J.P. Morgan and Barclays Capital in London.

Fasset announced a partnership with Mastercard, which has chosen the company for its Start Path program to promote the adoption of crypto and blockchain technology, the firm announced on Nov. 3.

“We are thrilled to welcome Khalid to the Fasset team and are confident that his experience and leadership will be invaluable as we continue to drive innovation and growth in the digital asset space” said Daniel Ahmed, COO, Fasset.

Khalid added, “I am thrilled to be joining Fasset at this pivotal time in the evolution of finance through digital assets. I look forward to driving our vision and building out the web3 ecosystem by creating opportunities for digital asset ownership, utilization, and ultimately empowering the region..”

UAE Abu Dhabi gaming government initiative to put gaming on the metaverse with AA Meta

UAE Abu Dhabi gaming government initiative to put gaming on the metaverse with AA Meta

As Abu Dhabi strives to become a global gaming hub through the AD Gaming government led initiative it is accelerating the growth of the region’s gaming industry with its recent partnership with AA Meta a local Metaverse and Web3 Development Company. The company will deliver cutting-edge Web3 solutions to the emirate’s game development eco-system.

Fostering an environment of innovation and knowledge, AD Gaming provides a support system for the next generation of game developers and players, businesses, and fans alike. AD Gaming is powered by the collaboration of multiple Abu Dhabi-based government and commercial organizations, as well as content creators and gamers, all with the shared passion to see locally produced content on the world’s gaming stage.

AD Gaming has signed a partnership agreement with AA Meta which provides metaverse infrastructure and Web3 technology solutions that enable next-generation gaming.

Alongside using this technology for its own projects, AA Meta provides its offering to other gaming businesses as well. Metaverses and blockchain gaming allow gamers to interact in new, community-driven worlds, whilst providing businesses with new payment solutions to power new in-game economic models and innovative ways to deliver immersive experiences to audiences across the world.

Based in Abu Dhabi’s purpose-built creative industries campus, Yas Creative Hub, AA Meta is part of a booming community of businesses that span all forms of interactive media and entertainment, including gaming. By partnering with AD Gaming to offer Web3 solutions to Abu Dhabi’s gaming ecosystem, AA Meta is empowering metaverse users as the global gaming industry capitalizes on the advanced capabilities of a Web3-based environment.

In partnership with AD Gaming, AA Meta aims to grow the local metaverse industry, providing job opportunities for UAE residents looking to forge careers in this expanding sector. The global metaverse industry, of which the MENA region is a leading investor, is expected to generate revenues of USD 966 billion (AED 3.55 trillion) worldwide by 2030.

“By providing expert solutions for gaming businesses looking to leverage Web3 technologies, AA Meta is able to fully support the development of a blockchain gaming community in Abu Dhabi. This new avenue of interactive media presents an exciting career path for aspiring gaming industry talent, and for gamers across the world, it offers a new way to play-to-earn in the metaverse,” said Hussain Al Omaeirah, AA Meta Co-founder, Chairman & Managing Director. 

James Hartt, Director of Strategic Initiatives and Business Development at AD Gaming, added: “Abu Dhabi offers a comprehensive ecosystem for the gaming industry, with AA Meta adding yet another string to our bow. The increased immersion and focus on community-building provided by Web3 technologies makes this an incredibly exciting area for gamers and game developers alike, so we’re proud to be pioneering it in Abu Dhabi.”

 AA Meta’s platform recently saw the launch of the highly anticipated MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game) Thunder Lands. Available on both on PC and Android, Thunder Lands allows gamers to be rewarded for the time they spend playing the game by earning cryptocurrencies through in-game activities. 

Following the success of Thunder Lands, AA Meta plans to us its expertise in the areas of Game Fi technology and decentralised apps (DApps) to grow its active user base to over 50,000 by Q2 2023. It will achieve this by building out its portfolio through the addition of new, immersive games.

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.

1,650 Blockchain crypto entities in the UAE a 13.8 percent growth YOY

1,650 Blockchain crypto entities in the UAE a 13.8 percent growth YOY

According to a Crypto Oasis at the end of 2022 there were 1,650 blockchain and crypto entities in the UAE. Crypto Oasis notes that the ecosystem has been growing faster than previously anticipated.

As per the release, the Ecosystem has witnessed a sturdy 13.8% growth that proves that the Crypto Oasis is expected to continue its robust growth in the coming months as regulators in the region welcome innovation and disruption, making it easier for blockchain-related companies to secure licenses and operate.

At the forefront of this is Dubai Multi Commodities Centre(DMCC) which is home to over 500 of these native Blockchain organizations, representing the largest concentration of crypto and blockchain companies in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

Crypto Oasis has added 200+ new organizations in Q4 2022 that have brought in 1,300+ new professionals to the burgeoning Ecosystem, bringing the total number of individuals working in this industry to 8,300+. This 19% growth in employment numbers can be attributed to the UAE being a force to reckon with in the global Blockchain landscape. 78.2 percent (approx. 6,500) of these individuals work in native blockchain organizations, i.e. those which are focused on blockchain and related decentralized technologies. 21.8 (approx. 1,800) percent work for non-native companies, i.e. those that offer blockchain related services or products but do not have blockchain as their primary focus.

Ralf Glabischnig, Founder of Crypto Oasis, stated, “We’re thrilled to have identified these new organizations in our ecosystem that are contributing to a diverse community of stakeholders. The possibilities for Web3 technology are vast, from finance and supply chain management to gaming and social media. However, as it’s a relatively new and emerging technology, its full potential hasn’t been reached yet and the industry is facing challenges such as scalability, security, and user adoption. It’s an exciting and rapidly evolving field to watch and we’re eager to collaborate and learn from each other as we work to improve Web3 and decentralized technologies.”

“The UAE is the perfect amalgamation of Talent and Capital built on a world class Infrastructure,” said Saqr Ereiqat, Co-Founder of Crypto Oasis. “The Ministry of Economy (MoE) has become one of the first Government entities in the world to be active in the metaverse. In 2022 the MoE published its Digital Economy Strategy which aims to double the contribution of digital economy from 9.7% to 19.4% in the next decade. The inception of regulators like VARA and various industry events like the Abu Dhabi Finance Week and Dubai Fintech Week, as well as the launch of the Dubai Economic Agenda “D33″, demonstrate UAE’s commitment in taking an active step to becoming the center of digital economy globally.”

The First MENA grown $1 billion fund for Web3 and Blockchain launches

The First MENA grown $1 billion fund for Web3 and Blockchain launches

In what seems to be a great start for Blockchain and Web3 ecosystem in the MENA region, the first $1 billion fund was announced by UAE based Venom Foundation and Iceberg Capital under Venom Ventures Fund.

As per the press release, Venom Ventures Fund is allocating $1 billion to invest in Web3, blockchain and cryptocurrency projects and services. This is the first $1 billion fund for Web3 and Blockchain to originate from the MENA region. Prior to this UAE Cypher Capital had announced its allocation of $200 million for Blockchain, Web3 and Crypto at the end of 2022 and Shurooq Partners had allocated $150 million for the same.

Venom Foundation is the first Layer-1 blockchain licensed and regulated by the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM). In October 2022, Venom Foundation added a regulated virtual asset exchange to its roster. The UAE based exchange formerly known as Yoshi Markets was re-names to Venomex. Venomex had received financial services permission from FSRA at ADGM allowing it to operate as a multilateral trading facility and custodian for virtual assets.

As for the blockchain-agnostic fund, it will invest in innovative protocols and Web3 dApps, focusing on long-term trends such as payments, asset management, DeFi, banking services, and GameFi. It aims to become the leading supporter of the next-generation digital technologies and entrepreneurs.

Venom Ventures Fund (VVF) will leverage Iceberg Capital’s network, expertise, and capabilities to offer incubation programs and access to an extensive industry network. Furthermore, it will assist the investee projects with marketing, exchange listing, technical, legal, and regulatory support.

The fund’s leadership team consists of experienced traditional finance and blockchain professionals; including Peter Knez, ex-CIO at BlackRock and Mustafa Kheriba, a seasoned and well-known investment professional with an impressive track record in the MENA region. Mustafa has served on the Board of Directors of several financial services and insurance companies in the Middle-east and Europe.

As per the announcement, the fund operated by Iceberg Capital, will be investing in projects and teams from pre-seed to Series A rounds. It will strive to accelerate the adoption of blockchain, DeFi, and Web3 while generating long-term value for investors.

Mustafa Kheriba, the Executive Chairman of Iceberg Capital, stated, “We are thrilled to partner with Venom Foundation, launching their new $1 billion fund. Even though the blockchain industry is witnessing a steep correction in prices, we believe that builders will continue to build and innovate. With Venom Ventures, we will be providing financial, technical, and marketing support to the most promising teams and projects in Web3 space to help them bring their visions to life.”

Peter Knez, Chairman of Venom Ventures, added, “I am delighted to be a part of the launch of our new Venture Capital fund here in Abu Dhabi. I am excited to work with a team of experienced investment professionals and talented people from the crypto industry, and we are ready to allocate strategic investments in the most innovative web3 start-ups that are poised for mass adoption. Our mission is to transform digital asset management and make a lasting impact on the industry. Venom is the ideal platform for us to achieve this goal.”

With regards to investments, already Venom Ventures Fund (VVF)  has led a $20 million funding in Nümi Metaverse.  Nümi Metaverse is a universal platform for creators, innovators, and followers. Nümi will launch its ‘Visual Novel’ in 2023, a mini-game experience with a range of special prizes for players.

Nümi will also launch VR metaverse by the end of this year, followed by a PC and mobile version in 2024. The Nümi investment showcases the fund’s investment strategy. Developers and builders working on innovative Web3 projects are invited to apply for funding through the Venom Ventures Fund website.

In an interview with Cointelegraph, Venom Ventures chairman Peter Knez noted that the Venom Foundation, its founders and regional institutional and private investors had seeded capital for the fund. The fund will support companies and projects with a global footprint and is not limited to Abu Dhabi-based firms.

The investment fund will look to attract startups and technology firms to use Venom’s scalable, proof-of-stake-based blockchain solution. Knez highlighted key services that could operate on top of its ADGM-regulated blockchain:

“Payment systems, central bank digital currencies (CBDC), stablecoins and remittance are core services that Venom can provide a solution for due to our unique blend of technology and enterprise.”Knez also believes that the platform could power a multitude of use cases, highlighting the potential for micropayment solutions driving Web3 business models and financial inclusion.