Sfermion's Collider #42
Curated news from the world of web3, gaming & entertainment, AR/VR, AI, macro, and more
Mo Patel
5 min read·
gm 👋
gm, everyone! After a long six month hiatus, we are glad to welcome you all back with #42 of Sfermion’s Collider - where we highlight the latest & greatest news in the world of web3, gaming & entertainment, AR/VR, AI, macro, and more!
Every two weeks, we aim to drop a curated list of the most exciting stories & updates that we believe are enabling the emergence of the metaverse.
If you're looking forward to reading this edition of Sfermion’s Collider, please don't forget to subscribe below, share within your network, and follow Sfermion on Twitter to get the latest! Check out our Seam (💰) bio here :)
Web3 Updates
Uniswap receives a Wells Notice from the SEC, drops “Fighting for DeFi” (link, link)
HashKey finalizes infrastructure for spot bitcoin ETFs amid anticipated approval (link)
Coachella Launching Avalanche NFT Quests Game at Music Festival (link)
Coinbase to Integrate Bitcoin Lightning with Lightspark (link)
Google Cloud, Coinbase join EigenLayer as operators (link)
DeFi Firm 1inch Introduces Web3 Debit Card in Partnership With Mastercard and Baanx (link)
MetaMask now lets users check if they are eligible for airdrops and NFT claims (link)
Tether Strengthens Its Reserves with 8,889 Bitcoin (BTC) Acquisition (link)
Sony Bank to conduct a stablecoin trial on Polygon (link)
US PayPal customers will be able to use stablecoin for international payments (link)
Goldman Sachs named as authorized participant on BlackRock bitcoin ETF (link)
The SEC investigated NBA Top Shot developer Dapper Labs, but decided to close case in September (link)
Coinbase secures restricted dealer license in Canada, pushing expansion abroad amid SEC crackdown (link)
Crypto exchange monthly spot volume doubled in March, reaching nearly $2.5 trillion for first time since 2021 (link)
Syndicate announces Degen Chain (L3 on Base for $DEGEN) and “Deploy on Degen” Week with over 10M $DEGEN in grants (link)
a16z Crypto Launches Jolt zkVM (link)
Chainlink launches Transporter bridging app for moving crypto cross-chain (link)
Mocaverse and CoinList to co-launch MocaList, token launch platform exclusively for Mocaverse community (link)
Restaking protocol EigenLayer heads to Ethereum mainnet (link)
Tensor Foundation launches governance token $TNSR (link)
Introducing $NFTFI. Advancing NFT Finance, together (link)
Binance Ends Support for Bitcoin NFTs (link)
Bitcoin is suddenly cool again for VCs (link)
Gaming Updates
Roblox’s $35M Creator Fund to support short-form video content (link)
Disney Games expands leadership team to invest further in games (link)
Microsoft, NetEase to re-launch Warcraft and other games in China (link)
Introducing Immutable Nexus - The Ecosystem of Gaming Chains (link)
Web3 dev platform Mirror World launches first gaming rollup chain on Solana (link)
Solana Move-to-Earn Game 'Stepn' (💰) Launches $30 Million Airdrop (link)
Illuvium x Samsung: Bridging the Digital and Physical Worlds (link)
Mon Protocol (💰) Partners with Web3 Metaverse Platform ZTX (link)
Xterio and AltLayer Collaborate to Launch Gaming-Oriented Blockchain (link)
Introducing gemz Points: Unlocking the future of play and earn (link)
OpenSea Adds Support For Gaming Chain GUNZ (link)
Meet the Team Bringing AI Agents to Minecraft (link)
AI Updates
OpenAI and Meta ready new AI models capable of ‘reasoning’ (link)
Anthropic says its AI models are as persuasive as humans (link)
Nvidia, Google Expand Partnership With Nvidia Blackwell Coming to Google Cloud in 2025 (link)
Google’s new Arm-based CPU will challenge Microsoft and Amazon in the AI race (link)
US to award Samsung up to $6.6 billion chip subsidy for Texas expansion, sources say (link)
TSMC Gets $11.6 Billion in US Grants, Loans for Chip Plants (link)
Canada Unveils Billions for Artificial Intelligence (link)
Microsoft pitched OpenAI’s DALL-E as a battlefield tool for U.S. military (link)
Oracle partners with Palantir to jointly sell cloud and AI services (link)
OpenAI-backed Ghost Autonomy shuts down (link)
OpenAI undergoes significant restructuring, Sam Altman no longer controls Startup Fund (link)
Other Updates
Chase Bank to Let Advertisers Target Customers Based on Spending Data (link)
Intel discloses $7 billion operating loss for chipmaking unit (link)
Tiktok launches new rewards app to boost growth (link)
TikTok’s Instagram competitor likely to be named TikTok Notes (link)
LinkedIn moves in on TikTok's turf with video option (link)
Instagram overtakes TikTok in app downloads in race for new users (link)
Facebook’s new full-screen video player looks a lot like TikTok (link)
Google to destroy billions of private browsing records to settle lawsuit (link)
Google Settles for $5 Billion, to Destroy Data of 136 Million U.S. Users (link)
Google parent Alphabet weighs offer for HubSpot (link)
Tesla's bet on robotaxis is a long way from paying off (link)
Apple Explores Home Robotics as Potential ‘Next Big Thing’ After Car Fizzles (link)
Spotify Is Raising Prices Again in the U.S. and Some Overseas Markets (link)
Amazon cuts hundreds of jobs in cloud computing unit (link)
Microsoft and Quantinuum say they’ve ushered in the next era of quantum computing (link)
Research & Interesting Reads
Bitwise | Crypto Market Review (Q1 2024) (link)
Konvoy | Gaming Industry Report - Q1 2024 (link)
Galaxy Research | Exploring the Evolution and Growth of DeSoc Apps (link)
Reflexivity Research | Overview of Decentralized AI (link)
Vitalik.eth | Degen communism: the only correct political ideology (link)
Paul/Pantera | What Do You Meme? (link)
The year for Digital Fashion is 2024 (link)
Eigenlayer: The blackhole for Ethereum? (link)
Arthur Hayes | Heatwave (link)
OpenAI | Navigating the Challenges and Opportunities of Synthetic Voices (link)
Notable Raises
XION (💰), a consumer-focused blockchain from ‘BurntBanksy,’ announces $25M in Series A funding (link)
Today (💰) Raises $5M Seed for Web3 Social Simulation Game with AI NPCs, co-led by Sfermion and Big Brain Holdings (link)
Legitimate (💰) Raises $4.3M, led by Lemniscap, to Spearhead the Future of Phygital Retail Applications (link)
Paradigm seeks to raise up to $850M for new fund (link)
Bitkraft Ventures launches third gaming fund with $275M to invest (link)
Monad Hits 10K TPS & Raises $225M, led by Paradigm (link)
Social Commerce Platform Flip Raises $144M, Adds AI Advertising Engine (link)
Layer 1 blockchain developer Berachain raises $100M in Series B funding (link)
Popular YouTube channel Dude Perfect scores more than $100M investment (link)
Galaxy Digital to launch $100M fund for early-stage crypto companies (link)
Brevan Howard Digital, Galaxy Digital invest in crypto accelerator Alliance aiming to raise $100M for new fund (link)
Bitcoin miner manufacturer Auradine raises $80M Series B ahead of halving (link)
IoTeX Raises $50M from SNZ Capital and Foresight Ventures for DePIN (link)
Laton Ventures Launches $35M Global Gaming VC Fund (link)
Andreessen Horowitz to invest $30M in tech-fueled gaming startups (link)
Ritual has closed a strategic investment from Polychain to accelerate decentralized AI (announced a $25m Series A in Nov. 2023) (link)
Bitcoin Layer 2 Mezo Emerges From Stealth With $21M Raise Led by Pantera (link)
Ellipsis Labs Raises $20M Series A from Paradigm (link)
Van Eck heir to launch new USD stablecoin with $12M raise, led by Dragonfly (link)
Azuro raises $11M for Web3 prediction business (link)
Alpen Labs raises $10.6M led by Ribbit Capital to build a zk BTC L2 (link)
Modular Blockhain Sophon Secures $10M in Funding, led by Paper Ventures and Maven11, from Renowned Investors While Shrouded in Mystery (link)
DePIN Platform Uplink Raises $10M Led by Framework Ventures (link)
Gomble Games Raises $10M for Boosting Web3 Gaming Vision (link)
USA-based BORED SLOT raises $10M in funding, led by PlutusVC and LD Capital (link)
Hytopia raises $8M via Hychain node sale and nears beta launch (link)
Solana interoperability layer Zeus Network raises $8M token round at $100M valuation (link)
Raiinmaker Closes $7.5M Funding to Advance Decentralized AI (link)
Kiki World, a beauty brand that uses web3 for customer co-creation and ownership, raises $7M from a16z (link)
Lumoz yields $6M funds and closes its Series B round, at a valuation of $120M (link)
Sanctum Raises $6.1M In Seed Extension Round (link)
GPUnet Raises $5.25M in Series-A round (link)
Privasea Raises $5M to Pioneer Depin with FHEML Technology (link)
Sapien raises $5M for data labeling with AI applications (link)
Lil Snack raises $3.1M for snackable games built by devs with AI tools (link)
Tomo Raises $3.5M in Seed Funding Led by Polychain Capital, Announces Tomoji Launchpad and TomoID for a Revamped Social Wallet Experience (link)
JARS AI raises $3M to build interactive shows, led by Gradient Ventures (link)
Zulu Network (BTC L2) Raises $3M in Pre-Seed Funding (link)
Moongate Raises $2.7M Seed Round, Led by CMCC Global, to Develop a Modular Web3 Engagement Layer for Real-World Activations (link)
Zoth Raises $2.5M in Funding to Provide Sustainable RWA-Backed Yields (link)
OpenTrade Raises Over $1.5M, Led by Sino Global Capital, for Building Crypto Structured Financial Products (link)
Arrow Markets Announces Summer Seed Raise of $1.4M from Leading Web3 VCs (link)
AI-Powered Crypto App Sharpe AI Secures Seed Funding (link)
Mo & Andrew's Curated
Macro
Today @Uniswap Labs received a Wells notice from the SEC.
I’m not surprised. Just annoyed, disappointed, and ready to fight.
I am confident that the products we offer are legal and that our work is on the right side of history. But it’s been clear for a while that rather than…
I’m not surprised. Just annoyed, disappointed, and ready to fight.
I am confident that the products we offer are legal and that our work is on the right side of history. But it’s been clear for a while that rather than…
21.3K
JUST IN: 
Donald Trump says when he wins the presidential election "you are all getting tax cuts" and a new "economic boom."
Donald Trump says when he wins the presidential election "you are all getting tax cuts" and a new "economic boom."
JUST IN: $4 trillion asset manager State Street says Federal Reserve will cut interest rates by 50 bps by June and 150 bps by end of 2024.
$4 trillion asset manager State Street says Federal Reserve will cut interest rates by 50 bps by June and 150 bps by end of 2024.
Web3
EigenDA Mainnet Launch
ord 0.17.0, which includes the final implementation of runes, has been released!
It includes the hard-coded genesis rune, UNCOMMON•GOODS.
It includes the hard-coded genesis rune, UNCOMMON•GOODS.
github.com
Release 0.17.0 · ordinals/ord
Added Allow pausing and resuming etchings (#3374 by raphjaph) Seed index with genesis rune (#3426 by casey) Add ord wallet batch command (#3401 by casey) Return effective content type in JSON API ...
Runes were built for degens and memecoins, but the protocol is simple, efficient, and secure. It is a legitimate competitor to Taproot Assets and RGB.
The protocol is self contained and has no dependencies on ordinals or inscriptions, making it extremely simple.
Balances are…
The protocol is self contained and has no dependencies on ordinals or inscriptions, making it extremely simple.
Balances are…
from 0 to $2m weekly revs with no token emissions
real profits
@pumpdotfun winning memecoin season by being z picks + shovels
real profits
@pumpdotfun winning memecoin season by being z picks + shovels
1/ We’re excited to announce our upcoming support for Web3 Services on @Solana!
Stablecoins like $USDC are creating a more open and inclusive financial system. We’re committed to enabling enterprises and builders with the tools needed to make USDC accessible to all.
Stablecoins like $USDC are creating a more open and inclusive financial system. We’re committed to enabling enterprises and builders with the tools needed to make USDC accessible to all.
The daily tx count on @base is up from 500K to 3.1M over the past 30D, while the avg tx fee has come down from $1 to $0.2.
NFTs
a groundbreaking storytelling experience from Doodles x Pharrell Williams
coming summer 2024
coming summer 2024
nfts on @monad_xyz 
i just accepted the biggest position of my life
feeling grateful, inspired, and like i’m going to contribute to a team that will change crypto forever
never been more excited to work on anything in my life
i’ve also never had an opportunity to work with a company that has a…
feeling grateful, inspired, and like i’m going to contribute to a team that will change crypto forever
never been more excited to work on anything in my life
i’ve also never had an opportunity to work with a company that has a…
The MocaList returns 
1+ year ago, tens of thousands joined MocaList, which marked the beginning of Mocaverse NFT
Today, the name has taken on a new meaning
Launching MocaList - a new co-branded token launchpad by Mocaverse x @CoinList
MocaList in a nutshell:
Curate…
1+ year ago, tens of thousands joined MocaList, which marked the beginning of Mocaverse NFT
Today, the name has taken on a new meaning
Launching MocaList - a new co-branded token launchpad by Mocaverse x @CoinList
MocaList in a nutshell:
Curate…
We're excited to announce that creators can now use ERC721-C from @limitbreak to set and enforce their own creator earnings on OpenSea.
What is ERC721-C? ERC721-C is a standard that enables creators to implement programmable and enforceable creator earnings on-chain. It also…
What is ERC721-C? ERC721-C is a standard that enables creators to implement programmable and enforceable creator earnings on-chain. It also…
Gaming
TODAY is excited to announce its partnership with @HLV_XYZ, the advisors behind ApeCoin, Pixelmon, and Shrapnel.
We look forward to where this exciting partnership leads us as we build out the future of AI Gaming together
We look forward to where this exciting partnership leads us as we build out the future of AI Gaming together
Immutable is officially the infrastructure partner for @GAM3Sgg_
Millions of players will come to the Immutable ecosystem via GAM3S.GG’s discovery platform, content & growing community. Learn more about the partnership:
immutable.com/blog/gam3s-gg-…
Millions of players will come to the Immutable ecosystem via GAM3S.GG’s discovery platform, content & growing community. Learn more about the partnership:
immutable.com/blog/gam3s-gg-…
NeoPass is here! 
We’re excited to announce that NeoPass—your all-access gateway to an enhanced Neopets experience—is now available to everyone! As we evolve, we're integrating our registration process into NeoPass.
Ready to dive in? Head to:
account.neopets.com
I'm delighted to share the exciting news of our exceptional success in the $WELL Public Sale! @well3official
We have set a new standard in web3:
Raised 10 million in just 1 minute.
Achieved 10,000 ETH ($35m) in 26 minutes.
Secured 15,236.8 ETH ($55m) within 24 hours.…
We have set a new standard in web3:
Raised 10 million in just 1 minute.Achieved 10,000 ETH ($35m) in 26 minutes.Secured 15,236.8 ETH ($55m) within 24 hours.…
AI
Today, we are introducing a new economic framework for AI agents ownership. It is driven by new standards for AI agents, which can play, transact, and generate income. We are starting with a first-of-its-kind AI gaming experience, TITANS.
You can create your first AI player…
You can create your first AI player…
In official partnership with @pudgypenguins, we've brought every Pudgy Penguin to life with AI!
Activate here: holoworldai.com/pudgypenguins
Now let's see your Pengu's new tricks
Activate here: holoworldai.com/pudgypenguins
Now let's see your Pengu's new tricks
In February, I made a $19M investment in @Figure_robot
It’s the largest venture check I’ve written and it’s also the most excited I’ve been about a world changing technological revolution since diving into Bitcoin/crypto
The human labor market is arguably the biggest in the…
It’s the largest venture check I’ve written and it’s also the most excited I’ve been about a world changing technological revolution since diving into Bitcoin/crypto
The human labor market is arguably the biggest in the…
$NVDA is worth over $2.7 trillion
The entire decentralized compute sector is only worth $7b
This is by far the most obvious 100x opportunity in crypto. Here's every project you need to pay attention to in the decentralized compute category
0/6
The entire decentralized compute sector is only worth $7b
This is by far the most obvious 100x opportunity in crypto. Here's every project you need to pay attention to in the decentralized compute category
0/6
💰 = Sfermion Portfolio Company
Curated by @mopat1214 + @AndrewSteinwold
If you enjoyed reading this edition of Sfermion’s Collider, please subscribe below, share within your network, and follow Sfermion on Twitter to get the latest! Check out our Seam (💰) bio here :)
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Sfermion does not offer investment advice/analysis and makes no recommendations on how to act. Information regarding any company or investment in this Newsletter, including any links to information on our website, should not be viewed as an endorsement or recommendation of that company or investment for any purpose whatsoever. Any person receiving this Newsletter is encouraged to consult with their own financial advisor, or relevant personnel, before making any investment decision.