Issue #08

We keep you up to date with everything you need to know about the Metaverse

Tiffany is selling custom CryptoPunk pendants for $50,000

Tiffany & Co. is releasing handcrafted pendants with diamond or gemstones based on CryptoPunk NFTs. The exclusive offer is limited to the 10,000 CryptoPunk NFTs and includes an NFT version of the pendant. This is Tiffany’s latest involvement with Web3, having previously purchased NFTs and jokingly advertised their actual TiffCoins as a new cryptocurrency. Read more

Hong Kong university to inaugurate mixed reality classroom in Metaverse

Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) is planning to virtually connect its campuses using a digital learning environment. A virtual campus called MetaHKUST will be built in the Metaverse to promote immersive and interactive learning while helping students overcome geographical constraints when attending classes. Read more

European Parliament: Metaverse Opportunities, risks and policy implications

The European Parliament Research Service has issued a briefing on the Metaverse and the risks it poses for selected policy issues. The briefing not only discusses the background of the Metaverse, focusing on technology, usage and economics, but also highlights possible issues relating to competition, data protection, cybersecurity and health. It also discusses various liability issues such as the presence of illegal or harmful content online and the protection of intellectual property rights. Read more

Hackers drain nearly $200 million from crypto startup in ‘free-for-all’ attack

Hackers have taken $190 Million USD from Nomad, a so-called blockchain bridge which allow users to transfer tokens from one network to another. A routine update to Nomad’s code made it possible for hackers to forge transactions and drain millions worth of crypto. This incident highlights yet another weakness in the decentralized finance (DeFi) space, as it remains unclear how the attack was orchestrated and if users will be reimbursed. Read more

Starbucks Teases Web3 Updates to Its Popular Rewards Program

Starbucks has announced a new digital initiative for its loyalty rewards program. It will build on the existing model and introduce new features by expanding its "digital third place community" approach. The program promises one-of-a-kind experiences and digital collectibles in order to attract new customers and reward existing ones. Read more

Pearson plans to sell its textbooks as NFTs

Pearson, a textbook publisher, is planning to turn its digital textbooks into NFTs. Students often buy and sell used textbooks once they are no longer required, resulting in publishers being unable to make a profit from any secondhand sales. Person therefore aims to track ownership of digital textbooks by selling them as NFTs in order to be involved in every sale and help combat the growing costs of producing textbooks. Read more

Johan Cruyff’s “Phantom Goal” Immortalized in the Metaverse

The iconic aerial goal scored by Johan Cruyff, better known as “The Flying Dutchman”, during a match between FC Barcelona and Atlético de Madrid in 1973 has been immortalized as a single-edition NFT. FC Barcelona commemorated this moment by auctioning off this NFT at the Sotheby's auction for $693,000, which has been created by forty Hollywood digital and visual artists over ten thousand hours. Read more