Issue #9: SXSW, Superstar Xchange, Misfits Gaming Group, Dogamí
Stay up to date with the latest news, updates and activities within the Tezos ecosystem and community.
Welcome to the March edition of TZ APAC’s Fresh Out The Oven. This month, NFTs continue to shape the legacy of musical giants and even find their way into the world’s largest centre for film production — that’s right, we’re talking about Bollywood — and meaningful inroads are made to boost female participation in the blockchain ecosystem in celebration of International Women’s Day. It was a busy month, so get ready for another round of Tezos highlights.
Redefining culture and creativity in Web3 at SXSW
SXSW, the iconic festival that sees the convergence of film, music, tech, and all things modern culture, was seemingly all about blockchain and Web3 this year. BLOCK/SPACE, an interactive exhibition space, celebrated all of the creativity taking place across the Tezos ecosystem — from comic book NFTs to a virtual sneaker NFT marketplace. A corresponding speaker series, BLOCK/TALKS, also featured representatives from McLaren Racing, The Gap, Pantone, and many more.
Celebrating a ‘Very Peri’ year with colour innovator Pantone
Pantone, the global authority for colour communication and inspiration, announced its colour of the year, PANTONE 17-3938 TCX Very Peri, with its very first foray into the NFT space. In partnership with Paris-based artist Polygon1993, the NFTs were minted on Tezos and the first 5 were up for grabs this month on Objkt.com.
The last 4 NFTs were unveiled at the end of the month at BLOCK/SPACE, an exhibition celebrating the cultural movement unfolding around the Tezos ecosystem, at SXSW.
Honouring the legacy of the one and only The Notorious B.I.G.
To commemorate the 25th anniversary of iconic Brooklyn rapper The Notorious B.I.G.’s passing on March 9th, entertainment NFT platform OneOf announced that it partnered with Biggie’s estate to celebrate his life and legacy with an NFT collection that will be minted on Tezos. A portion of the proceeds will be distributed into the Christopher Wallace Memorial Foundation — the philanthropic organization established in his memory.
Sign up here to get updates on when the collection officially launches.
NFTs come to Bollywood with Superstar Xchange
Calling all Bollywood fans: Jhund, starring megastar Amitabh Bachchan and directed by the iconic Nagraj Manjul, got the NFT treatment this month with Superstar Xchange. Ahead of its theatrical release, two unique film posters were minted as NFTs on the Tezos blockchain. Superstar Xchange is specifically designed for Bollywood’s film memorabilia market and is set to redefine the future of fan engagement for India’s film industry.
Esports meets blockchain gaming with Misfits Gaming Group
Global esports and entertainment company Misfits Gaming Group selected Tezos as its official blockchain in a multi-year technical partnership. Beyond marquee branding and sponsorship rights, MGG will also be launching its new blockchain gaming platform Block Born on Tezos which is dedicated to growing the blockchain gaming ecosystem through tournaments and by identifying promising talent as the space continues to mature.
The Petaverse comes to the Metaverse with Dogamí’s entrance into The Sandbox
Tezos-powered play-to-earn augmented reality game Dogamí announced a partnership with The Sandbox this month to bring its dog avatars into the metaverse through a cross-chain interoperability bridge between Tezos and Ethereum. By the end of this year, Dogamí NFT holders will be treated to a ‘pet-friendly experience’ in The Sandbox, allowing them to walk around with their Dogamí voxel avatars and engage in social activities with other Dogamers.
Celebrating Women’s History Month with SheCrypt
To celebrate Women’s History Month, Tezos India launched SheCrypt, a month-long education and awareness program, to celebrate the achievements of and encourage greater participation among women in the blockchain ecosystem. Launched on International Women’s Day on March 8th, SheCrypt consisted of virtual masterclasses, panel discussions, and AMAs to showcase the myriad of opportunities and avenues for women to get involved in the world of Web3.
13 years on since the birth of Bitcoin, it’s now blockchain’s time to shine
TZ APAC Head of Marketing and Operations Katherine Ng reflects on how far the blockchain ecosystem has come with e27, highlighting the staggering growth of NFTs, growing discourse around environmental sustainability, and of course, the rise of Asia’s digitally-native generation and what this has meant for the future of blockchain adoption in the continent.
SweatyNFT makes its debut to empower artists to create generative collections
Minting NFTs is now simpler than ever with the launch of SweatyNFT, an NFT toolset that enables artists to create “Generative Collections” on Tezos, as well as Ethereum and Polygon. With its cross-chain functionalities, SweatyNFT makes it simpler for creators to generate images using a single .PSD, create smart contracts (all without needing to write a single line of code!), and sell their collections whether via a marketplace or a personal storefront.
Giving users a front row seat to all things DeFi and NFTs, Frontier announces support for the Tezos blockchain
Frontier, an intuitive DeFi, NFT, and crypto wallet announced that it has now integrated the Tezos blockchain onto its iOS and Android mobile app. Users can now create a non-custodial Tezos wallet and send, store, and receive tez and FA1.2 and 2.0 tokens. Expect new features on the horizon, including the ability to track, send, and receive Tezos-based NFTs, DEX functionalities, and staking within Frontier’s seamless in-app environment.
Building the entertainment capital of the metaverse with Tezotopia
Renowned Las Vegas entrepreneur Gavin Maloof joined Tezotopia to build Meztopia that’s set to be the new entertainment capital of the metaverse. Tezotopia, the open-world NFT game built on the Tezos blockchain, will see its very own “Virtual Vegas” consisting of clubs, casinos, events, shows, and exclusive NFT drops.