With April in full swing and Easter fast approaching, it’s been another fascinating week in the world of crypto with some incredible developments that are sure to dominate talk amongst crypto circles. Epic Games secures $2 billion funding for child-friendly metaverse; Colombian food delivery company accepts crypto; Vanuatu set to launch crypto island; and South African wine producer jumps on the NFT bandwagon.
Epic Games secures $2 billion funding for child-friendly metaverse
Epic Games, creator and publisher of popular video game — Fortnite — has secured $2 billion in a fresh round of fundraising in an effort to spearhead the development of a child-friendly metaverse. The bulk of this massive investment was led by the Sony group and KIRKBI — owner of the LEGO toy and entertainment brand.
This stunning development is part of a strategy to fast-track Epic Game’s objective of making a solid presence in the metaverse. Both Sony and LEGO have shelled out $1 billion each, while the CEO and founder of Epic Games — Tim Sweeney — will retain control of the private entity. Sony — maker of the highly-successful Playstation gaming consoles — is no stranger to investments in Epic, having contributed over $200 million to their cause last year.
Epic says that this $2 billion boost will be used to advance the company’s mission of building the metaverse and to support its sustained expansion. Epic Game’s is committed to molding the metaverse’s future to make it safe and enjoyable for kids while also creating an immersive and digital environment for children to play in.
This is fantastic news for those who are looking forward to the new immersive internet finally arriving. Wisly will keep you in the loop with the latest developments on this.
Colombian food delivery company accepts crypto
Colombian food delivery company, Rappi, is set to accept crypto payments from its Mexican customers. The Latin American platform hopes that this new offering will attract a greater market and intends to tap into crypto’s untold potential in the region.
The food delivery company has collaborated with crypto platforms like Bitso and Bitpay to allow users to convert crypto into credits and then buy within the Rappi app. President of Rappi — Sebastian Mejia — beamed with delight as he said, “This project is the company’s first step into the cryptocurrency world. We are studying the crypto world with interest and believe that the future is the intersection of the crypto with traditional non-crypto businesses, with easy and uncomplicated user experiences.”
Rappi currently operates in 9 Latin American countries and started offering online payments in Mexico with the launch of “Pay with Rappi”. The company hopes to soon compete with other online payment platforms like PayPal and MercadoLibre in the region and has started offering financial services in countries like Brazil, Peru, and Chile with a digital banking service soon to be announced.
This is great news for crypto lovers who love to have their food delivered while concentrating on their crypto trading activities. Wisly will keep you up to date with the latest on this story.
Vanuatu set to launch crypto island
An 800-acre private island in Sanma Province, Vanuatu — Satoshi Island — has grand plans to become the official home for crypto professionals and enthusiasts across the globe. The largely deserted island gets its name from Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto and is owned by a company that wants to create a crypto paradise in the middle of the Pacific.
The company in question — Satoshi Island Holdings Limited — described the location as “a real private island dedicated to the crypto community. The island is already owned by our company and located in Vanuatu, tucked between Australia and Fiji.” on its Twitter page.
The company’s website features futuristic designs of homes made of modules that were designed by Hong Kong-based architecture firm — James Law Cyberstructure — and are due to go on sale in the second quarter of 2022.
For those early supporters who show an interest in the project, there will be 5,620 Citizenship NFTs granted as a token of the company’s gratitude. Exciting times indeed as crypto lovers around the world wait for this paradise crypto island to finally be unveiled. Wisly will keep you posted on the latest developments with this.
South African wine producer jumps on the NFT bandwagon
South African wine producers are looking to capitalize on the digital hype with their first NFT on auction to boost the industry’s sales and investment. Five highly-respected wine producers in the region have partnered with world-renown auction house — Strauss & Co — to offer Africa’s first wine NFT on auction this coming week.
Research has proven that NFTs are highly efficient ways to package a collection of wines for investment and trading, appealing to these wine producers in South Africa. Strauss & Co says that each NFT in the auction will hold between 20 and 50 vintages with collections from 66 to 288 bottles — simply amazing!
These unique digital contracts will contain vertical collections of Klein Constantia Vin de Constance, Kanonkop Paul Sauer, Meerlust Rubicon, Mullineux Olerasay and Vilafonté Series C, capturing past, present and future vintages. In addition, the digital contracts will include all the provenance, pricing, transaction, sensorial, and ageing information.
These vital details will authenticate each of the wine bottles within the NFT as all the wines are selected from the estate’s library stocks, and each will correspond to the bottle’s seal code.
The auction will be a joint venture between leading fine wine merchant — WineCellar.co.za — leading auction house — Strauss & Co — and acclaimed sommelier — Higgo Jacobs.
The auction intends to generate awareness for South African wines on the international scene and will certainly have crypto enthusiasts looking at the glass half full. Wisly will keep you informed of the latest on this.
