It seems, after all, that people are already accepting the metaverse as part of their daily lives. Programs that are traditional known to hold in physical spaces are gradually moving to the metaverse. In fact, metaverse-hosted programs seem to have more attendance and participation – and guess what – people are leveraging it without second thoughts. Below are some interesting metaverse events for August.
China Proposes Permanent, Unique ID for Everyone in the Metaverse
As the world is embracing the metaverse, China thinks it necessary to develop a tracking system for users across all metaverse platforms. This way, every person would be uniquely identifiable and it will be easier to deal with miscreants within the space. China plans to achieve this by issuing every metaverse user with a unique ID that will be easy to track and that would also be shared with law enforcement agencies. This plan isn’t just for the metaverse but for all online worlds that’s in operation in China. A Digital Identity System proposal has been drawn by state-owned telecom company, China Mobile and reviewed by Politico.
The ID would be permanently stored and would include a range of “identifiable signs, natural characteristics, social characteristics,” and personal details. China Mobile includes an example in the proposal of how a user named Tom could be promptly identified and punished after he “spreads rumors and makes chaos in the metaverse.” So what this is all about is that China is looking to replicate in its online worlds what they already have running in the real world. China has a system called the Social Credit System which ensures that every individual, business, and government institution has a record created that can be tracked and evaluated for trustworthiness. There are currently many different forms of this system being used within China, but eventually a unified version operating on a national scale is expected to roll out.
The Digital Identity System proposal, which was submitted on the 5th of July, is still under discussion at the United Nations’ telecom agency, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), which created a metaverse focus group in December. Within the group, regulators, academics, non-governmental organizations, and tech companies review ideas and vote on them. As may be expected, this proposal is already breeding concerns about potential privacy and freedom violations online. Within China, that may be acceptable, but for other nations not under the rule of a communist government, it may not fly.
Singapore’s DBS Bank Aims To Tackle Food Waste by Launching ‘DBS BetterWorld’ Metaverse Experience in The Sandbox
In a world with an ever-increasing population, there’s a need to increase food production and minimize wastage as much as possible. It’s in view of this that the largest bank in Singapore, DBS Bank, has developed a novel metaverse experience within The Sandbox that is aimed at reducing food waste. Plans for the project is in motion already but it will not be made available to the general public until the end of the year. This project, named “DBS BetterWorld,” is designed as an interactive game-like adventure in the metaverse, aiming to showcase the positive applications of virtual experiences.
Participants in the event will need to finish a number of tasks that were inspired by five firms that the DBS Foundation supports. The DBS Bank emphasized that this programme is in line with their dedication to leveraging virtual spaces for good. The time proposed for the launch of DBS BetterWorld is not accidental as it is planned to coincide with the availability of The Sandbox’s Alpha Season 4, which is set to occur later this year. DBS Bank has consistently showed growing interest in exploring the metaverse’s potential for a variety of uses. Recently, they have purchased a virtual property within The Sandbox’s metaverse. It is worth noting that DBS is not the only banking player that is expressing interest in the metaverse. It should be recalled that HSBC, another major banking player, also ventured into The Sandbox’s virtual space last year, purchasing land to develop an engaging virtual experience tailored for sports, esports and gaming activities.
BLACKPINK Opens an Immersive BLACKPINK THE PALACE Experience on Roblox for Fans
BLACKPINK, a girl group from YG Entertainment consisting of JISOO, JENNIE, ROSÉ and LISA, is setting up a new platform to improve the user experience of its fans. This first persistent immersive platform, which is dubbed BLACKPINK THE PALACE, was launched on August 25. Fans who access the experience within 24 hours of its opening will receive a special badge that can be displayed on their Roblox profiles. The platform is designed to enable BLINKs (BLACKPINK fans) around the world to come together and enjoy some of BLACKPINK’s favorite digital fashion, choreography, interactive spaces, and more. The palace will allow fans to meet, socialize, and enjoy content from the band, visit various spaces designed around BLACKPINK’s iconic music video scenes, and enjoy some of the artists’ favorite things – from digital fashion to signature choreography. BLACKPINK THE PALACE was built by the ingenuity of the metaverse studio, Karta and it will be updated with new content year-round for BLINKs to enjoy together any time, any day.
This new project also offers interactive experiences and challenges to its visitors. For example, BLINKS can take pictures with the band members’ avatars, explore a majestic throne room, and earn in-experience currency to decorate and host BLACKPINK-themed parties for their friends. In the caverns below the palace, users can pick up a hammer shaped like a BLACKPINK lightstick to smash crystals and gain more power to upgrade their in-experience items. Finally, BLINKs can also purchase BLACKPINK’s signature outfits and emotes for their avatars to channel their favorite artists’ style and practice their iconic choreography. Commenting on the launch of BLACKPINK THE PALACE, Hyojung Lee, Head of IPX Division at YG PLUS has this to say:
“We look forward to welcoming fans from all over the world to a beautiful virtual palace where they can party, connect, and experience everything BLACKPINK beyond the constraints of time and space. Fans will be surprised to see and have an opportunity to take selfies with avatars of all four members of BLACKPINK – JISOO, JENNIE, ROSÉ and LISA.”
Since the release of their first single in August 2016, BLACKPINK has captivated the world. Seven years later in 2023, they marked a milestone for K-pop becoming the first Asian artists to headline the Coachella Festival in 2023. As it stands now, BLACKPINK boasts more than 90 million subscribers on their official YouTube channel, putting them among the topmost artists on YouTube. As a group and as solo artists, they have collaborated with global pop stars and all four members are active ambassadors for famous fashion and beauty brands. The goal of this innovation is to bring artists closer to their fans.
Julian Assange Campaign Launches First Ever Virtual Political Rally against Extradition in the Wistaverse Metaverse
The first ever virtual political rally was held on Saturday, 26th August 2023 on Wistaverse. The rally was part of the effort to prevent the founder of WikiLeaks from being extradited to the US where he could face a 175 year jail sentence for revealing information about the Iraq and Afghan wars. The rally was being organized by the Don’t Extradite Assange Campaign which is the official campaign of the Assange movement, working with Assange and his family. Building up to the rally date, John Rees from the Don’t Extradite Assange campaign said:
“This event in the Wistaverse is a valuable opportunity to unite people across the world who believe in freedom of speech and freedom of the press to show their support for Julian and set a signal that will be an important precedent for human rights everywhere. No matter where you are in the world, you can virtually join this event.”
The event included the participation of and speeches by Julian Assange himself (pre-recorded), his wife Stella Assange, Kristinn Hrafnsson, the co-founder and editor-in-chief of WikiLeaks, and other high profile guests, including British politician Jeremy Corbyn. As you may have known, Wistaverse is the world’s first global platform for protest in the metaverse. It is a not-for-profit protocol located in the Sandbox on the Polygon blockchain. The protocol enables a platform for protest for causes with universal importance and gives access for everyone to participate, regardless of geographical location or possible physical disabilities. In the words of Jules, one of the founders of Wistaverse:
“We are excited that the Don’t Extradite Assange campaign has decided to use the platform to host such a key rally shortly after the launch of the Wistaverse this May. At that time, the inaugural protest was an event organized by Amnesty International in support of abortion rights worldwide. Now, we trust that the event this Saturday will set a signal and focus all eyes on freedom of speech to support that cause. The new Web3 technologies are enabling unprecedented participation and the opportunity for everyone to shape worldwide governance.”
The rally took place in a virtual auditorium designed to look like the Royal Courts of Justice in London where Assange is set to face his final appeal in the UK court system. The aim was to build for a real life protest at the same venue when the court date is announced. Wistaverse used metaverse technology to allow each individual attendee to be represented by an avatar that can hear the speeches and watch other material inside the virtual rally and interact with other attendees. Users’ identities were protected and this helped to encourage a universal participation. The rally was open to anyone with a computer.
STELSI Receives Strategic Investment from NGC Ventures’ $100 Million Metaverse Fund
NGC Ventures, a global virtual asset fund dedicated to investments in the Web3 and Metaverse sectors has initiated a $100 million funds for grabs. STELSI, a metaverse architectural project, has successfully attracted a part of this fund. STELSI is a web3-based lifestyle platform built upon blockchain technology, primarily focusing on revolutionizing the architecture and real estate industry. This innovative endeavor operates as an architectural metaverse project, overseeing everything from architectural planning and design to construction and building management. The central goal of the STELSI project is to take a leading role in the creative metaverse architecture industry. This objective is accomplished by implementing a decentralized tokenomics system, ensuring creators receive continuous, transparent rewards, and providing market participants with access to verified, high-quality content. STELSI has built useful collaborative bridges with other global enterprises such as Korbit, Lambda256, Weple, enzyme, Betwin Space, and Korean Institute of Architects. It has garnered significant attention in the blockchain market, with a recent NFT auction achieving a winning bid of approximately 25 ETH. Expressing his excitement, CEO of STELSI, Sanghoon Sim, said:
“Following our previous successful investments, we are delighted to have secured strategic investment from NGC Ventures. This investment will serve as a catalyst, propelling us to actively pursue mass adoption, product launches, and global expansion.”
NGC Ventures, with its headquarter in Singapore, has a history of investing in significant blockchain projects like Polkadot, Algoland, and Avalanche. In the words of Roger Lim, Founding Partner of NGC Ventures, who led this investment:
“STELSI’s pioneering efforts in 3D architectural design and the metaverse ecosystem hold the potential to diversify and expand the metaverse market. We have high expectations for their various initiatives. Collaborating with STELSI, a team with significant expertise in blockchain and metaverse markets, holds special significance for NGC Ventures.”
Expert Opinion
The 3D virtual world of the metaverse has proven to not just be a puff of smoke as people thought it was at the beginning. It doesn’t look like $100 million is an amount that someone would be willing to stake for a course he doesn’t believe in. NGC Ventures keeps shocking the world with its moves. STELSI has cashed out on it now; only time will reveal who would be next.