Coinbase’s New Blockchain Testnet, Spotify’s Token Enabled Playlists, 3AC’s NFT Sale, Metaco’s Partnership with DZ BANK AG

Get your daily, bite-sized summary of cryptoassets and blockchain-related news – examine the stories that fly under the radar of today’s crypto news.
__________

Exchange news

• Coin base announced the test web launch of Base, an Ethereum L2 network “that offers a secure, affordable, developer-friendly way to build dapps onchain,” it said. No network token will be issued with Base. According to the announcement, Base is built to be decentralized, permissionless and open to all, powered by the open source OP Stack, created by Optimismand it is optimized for interoperability with Ethereum L1, other L2s, as well as other L1 ecosystems such as Solana.
• Bitfinex securitiesa fully regulated central operated by Bitfinex, which enables the issuance and trading of tokenized securities, including stocks and bonds, announced the opening of a new regional office in Astana, Kazakhstan. “The opening of the new office in the heart of Astana International Financial Center (AIFC) marks an important milestone for Bitfinex Securities as it strives to advance the development of the security token industry, the press release said.

Adoption news

• Spotify is set to roll out a feature called Token-Enabled Playlists, which will allow users who hold Creeps non-fungible tokens (NFT) to access exclusive content and interact with the app in a new way. Per a Twitter thread Spotify is working on a startup Overlordwhich said the pilot would be available in the US, UK, Germany, Australia and New Zealand, and for now only on Android.

Legal news

• NFTs belonging to the bankrupt hedge fund Three Arrows Capital (3AC) will be sold by the liquidators Teneo, according to a recent announcement. The document said the sale would be made to “realize the value of the NFTs in connection with the liquidation” and would begin 28 days after the notice.

Banking news

• Technology company Metaco announced its collaboration with DZ BANK AGthe central institution to Volksbanken Raiffeisenbanken collaborative financial network. DZ BANK is one of the largest German custodians, with €297 billion of assets under custody at the end of 2022, the announcement said. Metaco’s custody and orchestration platform, Harmonizewas selected through an extensive proof-of-concept and due diligence process to help the bank build an offering to institutional clients in crypto-securities (German eWpG) and digital currencies – fully integrated into its current asset management services, it added.
• Ethereum scaling solution zkSync Era announced a collaboration with Sygnum, a digital asset bank with banking licenses in Switzerland and Singapore. Together, the press release states, they will work on several areas, including a proof-of-solvency solution, providing custody options for users of zkSync Era via Sygnum-run validator nodes on the protocol, and building on-boarding and off-boarding infrastructure for Sygnum’s customer base, as well future possibilities such as a Sygnum HyperChain on zkSync Era’s EVM-compatible Hyperchain prototype.

Blockchain News

• Low networka protocol for decentralized blockchain Remote Procedure Call (RPC) and Application Programming Interface (API), launched its public testnet after more than seven months of private testnet monitoring, the announcement said. “The protocol represents a one-stop shop for decentralized access to any chain,” it added. Lava Network includes support for over 15 networks, and although omnichain designed, it is also focused on providing RPC to underserved and emerging blockchain ecosystems.
• Aptos Foundationwhich supports the growth and development of Aptos protocol, a layer-1 blockchain powered by Move and Outlier Ventures, announced launch of Aptos x Outlier Move Accelerator. The program will take a cohort of promising early-stage startups, support them with access to subject matter expertise, as well as mentorship from Aptos Labs and Outlier Ventures, with funding of $100,000. The program will start in May 2023 and last for 12 weeks. Applications are now open and close in mid-April.

Investment news

• Polybasea privacy-focused decentralized database, announced that it raised $2 million in pre-funding, led by 6th Man Ventureswith participation from Protocol Labs, Orange DAO, Alumni Ventures, NGC, CMT Digital, Advance bets, and others, “conceptualize, research, and build a new frontier for decentralized technology: ‘Web3 SaaS,'” the press release said. It will use the funding to expand the team and develop additional technical capabilities, including completing a mainnet release, funding ecosystem growth and launching a payment token for its encrypted Web3 native database.

Career news

• The Astra Protocola decentralized KYC platform for Web3, previously named Samsung electronics President and Chief Strategy Officer Young Sohn to its advisory board to “guide Astra Protocol’s focus on real-world applications as the firm streamlines decentralized compliance within the digital asset industry,” the announcement said. This news follows the partnerships with several law and audit firms, including the global audit giant KPMGit added, saying that this alliance forms part of Astra Protocol’s Decentralized Legal Network (DLN) of legal and compliance experts that help de-risk crypto applications.
• Web3 infrastructure company MoonPay announced the appointment of Asiff Hirji as President and Chief Operating Officer of the company. Prior to joining MoonPay, Hirji had an extensive career in fintech as the former President and Chief Operating Officer of Coin base and worked on A16Z, TPG Capital, TD Ameritradeand Bain & Co.the press release states, among other things.