Focusing on TBW peripheral activities: OKX Ventures held an invitation-only event “NIGHT OF THE FUTURE” to discuss new trends in Web3

Focusing on TBW peripheral activities: OKX Ventures held an invitation-only event “NIGHT OF THE FUTURE” to discuss new trends in Web3

Taipei Blockchain Week is bustling this week, gathering blockchain experts and pioneers from around the world to discuss the development trends of the next generation of the internet. On the evening of the 12th, an invitation-only event titled “NIGHT OF THE FUTURE” was co-hosted by OKX Ventures along with several internationally renowned Web3 projects and investment institutions such as SUI, Spacenation, Kronos Research, Orderly Network, Memecore, UXLink, Yei Finance, and Copex. The event featured keynote speeches and fireside chats, delving into the future development directions and trends of the cryptocurrency industry and Web3.

In addition to cutting-edge industry discussions, OKX Ventures also organized various fun activities on-site, showcasing the latest blockchain games from well-known GameFi international projects like Memefi and Spacenation for attendees to experience. A tech-themed opening dance and a fun food and drink menu were also prepared for guests to enjoy. The event attracted over 500 participants, making it the most attended invitation-only event on the first day of TBW.

During the event, OKX Ventures partner Jeff Ren emphasized in his opening speech “NOW and FUTURE of OKX Ventures” that the mission of OKX Ventures is to explore and invest in innovative blockchain projects globally, promoting sustainable development across the industry. As an investment institution deeply rooted in the blockchain industry for many years, we adhere to the strategy of “Innovation + Empowerment.” By integrating OKX’s core resources—including traffic support, trading services, public chain technology, and comprehensive technical support—we have built a complete resource ecosystem that provides comprehensive support to invested projects from early stages to critical development milestones. More importantly, OKX Ventures is not just a financial investor; we also play the dual roles of “discoverer” and “enabler.”

Mr. Jeff Ren, with nearly twenty years of investment experience, stated in his speech that since its establishment, we have invested in over 300 projects across various fields including Layer1, Layer2, DeFi, AI, and GameFi. The year 2024 is expected to be a year of gradual recovery for the blockchain industry, and OKX Ventures has completed over 80 investments this year, covering areas such as the Bitcoin ecosystem, AI, and DePIN (Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks). OKX Ventures will continue to allocate resources and capital to projects focused on blockchain infrastructure, GameFi, DeFi, NFTs, and more, to drive technological innovation and industry progress.

Ryan He, Head of Industry Sales at Space Nation, showcased the model and data of Space Nation games in his keynote speech “The Metaverse: A Journey Beyond Gaming,” discussing the future development of the gaming industry.

Vincent Liu, CIO of Kronos Research, discussed the evolving landscape of the cryptocurrency market and the important role of market makers in shaping its future in his keynote speech “Envisioning Crypto in 2025: The Role of Market Makers in Shaping the Future.” Vincent emphasized innovations such as decentralized order books and AI tools that are bridging the gap between centralized and decentralized systems. He also explored the growing collaboration between traditional finance and DeFi, which he believes paves the way for enhanced liquidity and efficiency in centralized models. As cryptocurrencies enter mainstream portfolios, clearer regulations and smarter infrastructure will create a fairer and more accessible market for everyone.

Additionally, Ran Yi, co-founder of Orderly Network, pointed out in his speech “DEXs 3.0: The CEX to DEX Transition” that there is still significant room for optimization in current Web3 trading. By combining the advantages of CEX and DEX to address existing pain points, user trading experiences can be significantly improved. As a cloud liquidity infrastructure project, Orderly Network focuses on integrating cross-chain derivatives liquidity, unifying orders from different chains into an on-chain order book, and creating a unified liquidity ecosystem across chains. This initiative not only effectively addresses the issue of fragmented liquidity across chains but also enhances trading efficiency, provides deeper liquidity pools, and significantly narrows trading spreads.

In the first fireside chat, DA Capital COO Tim Shen, CopeX co-founder Paul, and Alvin from Elite Trading Academy discussed the topic “How Can Communities Become a Strong Support for User Trading?” Tim Shen believes that a good trading community, as demonstrated by the DA Traders Alliance, provides different methods and tools for community users to learn based on their trading levels and experience. For beginners, timely insights from analysts are crucial; we utilize systematic tutorials to help newcomers avoid scams and correctly use cryptocurrency tools, supplemented by daily live broadcasts to build trust within the community and familiarize them with the cryptocurrency market. For community users with a foundational understanding, we provide market hot topics and project research filtered and observed by our investment research personnel, thereby eliminating information asymmetry in cryptocurrency.

CopeX co-founder Paul stated that professionalism is fundamental in building a community; KOLs must have a certain level of understanding of trading to lead users effectively. Education and interaction are also very important, as trading often involves a lot of downtime, making the process tedious and boring. Finding ways to make this process interesting and continuously providing content to users is a challenge for every community. Finally, tools are also very important; for example, CopeX can facilitate smoother trading for users, quickly obtain market information, and make it easier for KOLs and teams to manage communities while also generating additional income, which can be a significant incentive for users to join the community.

Alvin from Elite Trading Academy believes that a valuable trading community is centered around providing reliable information, professional guidance, and valuable discussions. In our Elite Trading Academy, leaders must have practical experience to provide accurate market analysis, helping users understand the essence of the market. The community should focus on learning, understanding user needs, and providing systematic content tailored to beginners or experienced investors. More importantly, the learning environment is a key factor influencing the community; given the fast-paced market changes, it should provide timely answers and perspectives to help users view the market correctly. I also believe that the core of managing a community lies in positioning and structural design; only with clear positioning can we attract the corresponding demographic.

The value of a community lies not just in providing information, but in establishing a complete knowledge system through good management strategies, structured learning, long-term practical exercises, and the integration of data and analytical tools, helping each user find their growth direction and making the community itself a long-term partner they can rely on.

The second fireside chat, hosted by Alex from Blocktempo, titled “What’s the Future of Gaming and Mini Apps,” discussed the future of GameFi and mini apps in the context of current popular Telegram discussions.

Anndy Lian from Memecore believes that in the past few years, many developers have tried to bring Web2 users into Web3 through gaming. He believes that MEME culture has untapped potential to accelerate this transition. Through MemeCore, our goal is to leverage the power of MEME to drive mass adoption, spark creativity, and expand the possibilities in the Web3 space. We aim not only to achieve product development but also to reimagine how people interact with blockchain networks.

CashCashBot founder “Sabi Ge” stated that MiniApps have already been validated in the Web2 market on platforms like WeChat and Douyin, and will soon be replicated on TG, LINE, TikTok, and other platforms. Mini-games previously seen on WeChat and Douyin will migrate to new platforms to capture new traffic and monetization opportunities. There are already professional studios developing Tap to Earn mini-games, which are just the initial, most basic steps. Interactive games, social mini-programs, and AI application mini-programs will definitely emerge in the future, all infused with Web3 value empowerment.

Darren from Space Nation delved into the future of MMORPGs and the role of virtual economies. He explained how Spacenation simplifies existing gaming models using blockchain technology rather than reinventing the wheel.

“We’re not inventing something new; we’re just simplifying what already works.”

He cited examples like “World of Warcraft,” where players have been trading assets and accounts for years. He believes that blockchain provides a more efficient and secure way to manage these transactions.

Darren also emphasized the importance of a strong in-game economy for the success of MMORPGs. He pointed out that many games fail due to economic collapse, leading to decreased player engagement.

As Bitcoin is expected to surpass $100,000 in 2024, more countries and industries are purchasing and storing Bitcoin, and research on international blockchain applications and payment tools is accelerating, showcasing the broad prospects of blockchain technology on a global scale.

 

Source: https://www.chaincatcher.com/en/article/2158286

 

Anndy Lian is an early blockchain adopter and experienced serial entrepreneur who is known for his work in the government sector. He is a best selling book author- “NFT: From Zero to Hero” and “Blockchain Revolution 2030”.

Currently, he is appointed as the Chief Digital Advisor at Mongolia Productivity Organization, championing national digitization. Prior to his current appointments, he was the Chairman of BigONE Exchange, a global top 30 ranked crypto spot exchange and was also the Advisory Board Member for Hyundai DAC, the blockchain arm of South Korea’s largest car manufacturer Hyundai Motor Group. Lian played a pivotal role as the Blockchain Advisor for Asian Productivity Organisation (APO), an intergovernmental organization committed to improving productivity in the Asia-Pacific region.

An avid supporter of incubating start-ups, Anndy has also been a private investor for the past eight years. With a growth investment mindset, Anndy strategically demonstrates this in the companies he chooses to be involved with. He believes that what he is doing through blockchain technology currently will revolutionise and redefine traditional businesses. He also believes that the blockchain industry has to be “redecentralised”.

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TMRW Conference Dubai: NFT in 2023 should be about utility and not (only) collectability

TMRW Conference Dubai: NFT in 2023 should be about utility and not (only) collectability

NFTs or non-fungible tokens have been creating a buzz in the crypto world lately. The world of NFTs is constantly evolving, and many are wondering what the future holds for them. Should they be about collectibility, utility, or both? This was the topic of discussion in a recent panel that featured some well-known faces in the NFT space.

The panel, moderated by Jenny Zheng, brought together experts who shared their experiences and insights on the future of NFTs. The panelists included DaVinci Jeremy. DaVinci Jeremy stressing that people needed to understand the underlying technology before investing in it.

Anndy Lian recalled how he had predicted that NFTs would become the next big thing in August 2020 when the market was valued at a quarter of a million dollars in volume per day. He believes that NFTs are not just a way to purchase art or collectibles but also a way to connect with communities and make them feel like they are part of the artwork.

Stephanie Bretonniere believes that NFTs hold the key to bringing more impact to organizations. She thinks that there are different use cases for NFTs, and the ones that bring utility are the most interesting. She believes that NFTs can be used to break down silos in organizations and create more efficiencies.

Mate Tokay shared their experience, stating that they used to work for a private NFT marketplace, but now work for Web 3, which is similar. They mentioned that when NFTs first started, they were mostly about collectibles such as PFPs (profile pictures) and art, but now we are seeing more NFTs with utilities.

NFTs will likely experience a transformation in focus from solely collectability to utility. Although NFTs have recently become popular as a means of owning unique digital assets, their potential applications extend far beyond collecting and trading.

The advent of NFTs has the power to spark a paradigm shift across numerous industries by enabling validation of ownership, genuineness, and exclusivity for digital assets. Take the gaming industry, for instance. NFTs can be utilized to represent in-game assets, including weapons, skins, and characters, providing a new level of authenticity and scarcity.

In addition, the art industry can leverage NFTs to authenticate the ownership of digital artwork, ensuring its originality and uniqueness. Beyond these applications, NFTs can be employed for digital identity verification, allowing individuals to establish their identity and ownership of personal data without relying on centralized authorities.

NFTs also have the potential to revolutionize digital contracts by providing secure and immutable records of agreements. These novel use cases of NFTs can create new business models and generate fresh opportunities across multiple sectors.

By shifting the focus to utility, the complete potential of NFTs can be realized beyond their current use as collectible digital assets. The implications of NFTs extend far beyond the hype and hold the key to unlocking new possibilities in the digital landscape.

Anndy Lian is an early blockchain adopter and experienced serial entrepreneur who is known for his work in the government sector. He is a best selling book author- “NFT: From Zero to Hero” and “Blockchain Revolution 2030”.

Currently, he is appointed as the Chief Digital Advisor at Mongolia Productivity Organization, championing national digitization. Prior to his current appointments, he was the Chairman of BigONE Exchange, a global top 30 ranked crypto spot exchange and was also the Advisory Board Member for Hyundai DAC, the blockchain arm of South Korea’s largest car manufacturer Hyundai Motor Group. Lian played a pivotal role as the Blockchain Advisor for Asian Productivity Organisation (APO), an intergovernmental organization committed to improving productivity in the Asia-Pacific region.

An avid supporter of incubating start-ups, Anndy has also been a private investor for the past eight years. With a growth investment mindset, Anndy strategically demonstrates this in the companies he chooses to be involved with. He believes that what he is doing through blockchain technology currently will revolutionise and redefine traditional businesses. He also believes that the blockchain industry has to be “redecentralised”.

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Anndy Lian Interviews Pavel Matveev, CEO of Wirex: “Our industry does not respect tradition — it only respects innovation.”

Anndy Lian Interviews Pavel Matveev, CEO of Wirex: “Our industry does not respect tradition — it only respects innovation.”

Blockcast.cc: The payment tech industry is growing and one of the main player in my opinion is Wirex. My name is Jenny Zheng, Cofounder of Blockcast.cc. We are based in Singapore and have presence in South Korea, China and the USA. This afternoon, I have the chance to speak to the man himself, CEO of Wirex, Pavel Matveev. We have brought Anndy Lian into the house as well for this interview. He is an inter-governmental blockchain advisor, book author for “Blockchain Revolution 2030”, investor and recently took on the role as Asia CEO of DECENT Group, previously he founded the world first blockchain supply chain solutions for fast consumer goods. He will be the one posting the questions to Pavel and facilitate this discussion.

Jenny: Dear Pavel, good to meet you. Can you give an introduction of yourself?

Pavel: Hi Jenny, thank you for the interview. Hi Anndy, thanks for being here as well despite your busy schedule.

My name is Pavel Matveev. I am the co-founder and CEO of Wirex. As well as ensuring that the company is constantly pushing the boundaries of payment tech, I believe that my role includes facilitating and evangelising the mainstream adoption of distributed ledger technology across a number of industries.

Jenny: Our readers would like to know more about you, your past and current experiences or even your hobbies too. Can you share that as well?

Pavel: Sure. Before Wirex, I helped top-tier investment banks like Morgan Stanley, Barclays Capital and Credit Suisse build trading platforms and algo-trading strategies. During this time, I recognised that the cost and inconvenience of off-boarding digital currencies was an impediment to their use by both consumers and businesses, despite the latent potential in a tokenised economy. Dmitry Lazarichev and I founded Wirex to solve some of these problems and allow people to use their cryptocurrencies in everyday situations.

In my free time, I like to swim, ski and play video games. Not all at the same time!

Anndy: Impressive background. Tell us more about Wirex. We would like to know more on the progress and the future roadmap. For your information, Blockcast.cc did the PR work for OKEX during your IEO stages for the South Korea market. I was in South Korea during that period of time and we know so much about your company. How was the last 12 months for WireX?

Pavel: It’s an exciting time at Wirex and we’ve recently hit some major milestones. Over the last 12 months, we have partnered with Stellar — preparing 26 fiat-backed stable coins to revolutionise international remittance.

The Wirex Token (WXT) — our own native utility token, built on the Stellar network was also released. We then launched our next-gen, multi-currency Wirex Visa travel card in APAC.

We went on with our development work and have completely overhauled and re-designed the Wirex platform and card in early 2019, including the introduction of interbank and OTC rates for fiat and crypto exchanges respectively.

Lastly, we have received JVCEA Type II membership in Japan.

Anndy: You must have great plans ahead after obtaining the Type II membership, maybe Type I? What geographical expansion plans do you have right now?

Pavel: In terms of geographical expansion, we will begin operating in Japan, Canada and the U.S this year. We’re currently working towards acquiring our Type I Licence from Japan’s Financial Services Agency (FSA) — this will establish the platform as a legal Crypto Asset Exchange Service Provider (only 19 companies have achieved this to date) and allow us to offer our full range of services to Japanese customers.

We’re also continuing to develop our business product, including merchant offers that will allow companies to circumvent traditional payment channels run by Visa or Mastercard and Stablecoin-powered remittance.

Anndy: One reason why I stepped up to be part of a government advisor for blockchain is that I do see that there are a lot of scams in the market and it is not getting any better, depending on how you see it. Of course in my line of work, I do see many companies trying their best to navigate this unregulated space to get the best-commercialised value for their business. How do you see the blockchain and cryptocurrency market in general?

Pavel: Blockchains first use was for the movement of money, e.g. — cryptocurrency or digital currencies. I believe digital currencies are the biggest thing to happen to the financial sector since the Bretton Woods agreement. Not only do they allow for a system of money that sits outside the authority and oversight of central banks and governments but they also enable businesses and consumers to circumvent conventional financial infrastructure.

Legacy banking rails are slow and expensive; cryptocurrencies allow for near-instant transactions at a fraction of the cost, with none of the fees associated with Mastercard and Visa payment infrastructures. Even cryptos market volatility can be mitigated through the use of asset-pegged stable coins such as Dai.

I certainly wouldn’t agree that it is ‘not getting any better.’ The introduction of the 5th Money Laundering Directive (5MLD) means measures are being taken to prevent digital assets being utilised for ransomware purpose. Generally, procedures in line with the regulatory requirements of the traditional financial service sector are being implemented across the industry — an important step in a previously unregulated space.

Anndy: How do you see the term decentralisation in the blockchain space? Do you think it is feasible? Or is there a need to “re-decentralise” it, giving a new meaning.

Pavel: It is feasible. In 2019, we’ve seen a lot of existing and new DeFi (decentralised finance) projects get traction and create real value for real users. Notable examples include MakerDAO launching its multi-collateral DAI upgrade. We expect this trend to continue and are keen on supporting and cooperating with the best projects in the space.

Anndy: What is the future of blockchain? How do you visualise it? Where are the breakthroughs?

Pavel: The future of blockchain is bright, as highlighted above. I believe it has positively changed the world and there are more industries it will have an impact on.

Whether blockchain will become mainstream is a question of when, not if. Cryptocurrencies and stable coins are already revolutionising payments, lending and other areas of finance. Blockchain overall holds huge potential in other areas, too — decentralised data storage, smart contracts and so on.

The overall quality of projects in the space is consistently improving. Real-life use cases beyond investment and trading are increasing and creating real value — this trend will continue.

Jenny: We have reached the end of the interview Pavel. Can you share an inspiring quote for our readers?

Pavel: A quote I admire from another giant in the tech space is:

“Our industry does not respect tradition — it only respects innovation.”

– Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft.

Jenny: Yes innovation is the key to the technology industry. Thank for your time Pavel and thanks Anndy for being here with us today.

For more information about Wirex, please go to www.wirexapp.com. You will discover a new way to pay, giving you total control of your crypto and traditional currency, wherever you are in the world.

Original Source: https://blockcast.cc/interviews/blockcast-cc-exclusive-interview-with-pavel-matveev-ceo-of-wirex-our-industry-does-not-respect-tradition-it-only-respects-innovation/

Anndy Lian is an early blockchain adopter and experienced serial entrepreneur who is known for his work in the government sector. He is a best selling book author- “NFT: From Zero to Hero” and “Blockchain Revolution 2030”.

Currently, he is appointed as the Chief Digital Advisor at Mongolia Productivity Organization, championing national digitization. Prior to his current appointments, he was the Chairman of BigONE Exchange, a global top 30 ranked crypto spot exchange and was also the Advisory Board Member for Hyundai DAC, the blockchain arm of South Korea’s largest car manufacturer Hyundai Motor Group. Lian played a pivotal role as the Blockchain Advisor for Asian Productivity Organisation (APO), an intergovernmental organization committed to improving productivity in the Asia-Pacific region.

An avid supporter of incubating start-ups, Anndy has also been a private investor for the past eight years. With a growth investment mindset, Anndy strategically demonstrates this in the companies he chooses to be involved with. He believes that what he is doing through blockchain technology currently will revolutionise and redefine traditional businesses. He also believes that the blockchain industry has to be “redecentralised”.

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