🎮 Web3 Gaming and Tech

• Limit Break introduces Apptokens, programmable token smart contracts for the next-generation digital economies

  • Example: “App-linked apptokens - with logic requiring all token interactions take place within a client-side application,…”

  • These new ERC721-C and ERC20-C token standards will give developers greater control over their token economies

• Playember announced they’re building a Pudgy Penguins-licensed game: Pudgy Life

  • It will likely be a mobile and casual title, considering Playember’s game library

• Sonzai Labs debuts as a new studio that builds on the convergence of AI, social gaming, and crypto

  • Their first title Telemafia, is a social game on Telegram where “Respect” is your main objective

• XAI Games and Aethir Cloud announced a $10M grant program for AI builders

• Seraph launched its SERAPH token this week, which surprisingly opened at a $700M FDV

  • Unsurprisingly there wasn’t enough demand at this token prices, which led to a dump of 50%+ a few days post TGE

• CARV introduces the CARV SVM chain, an AI agentic infrastructure, extending SVM’s capabilities to Ethereum

  • CARV plans to build an AI chain ecosystem to enable data sovereignty at scale

• Sonic SVM, the Solana-based gaming infrastructure project, also launched its token this week and is trading at a $2B FDV

  • The token’s opening strength was again surprising, however, Sonic did have strong institutional backing and launch partners

• Super Champs introduced Agent Kiku, an AI Agent that can live stream games on TikTok and Youtube

  • “…games could bid for stream time with Agents using $CHAMP, unlocking a new core token utility.”

• The gaming-focused L2, ZKcandy, announced they raised $4M in a Seed round

  • ZKcandy is an initiative coming from ZKsync and ICandy Interactive. ICandy is one of the largest game developers out of SEA

• Infinigods’ GOD token is launching this January

• Avarik Saga announced they partnered with Virtuals to become an “anime x gaming x AI powerhouse”

  • They are working on bringing 24/7 agentic streamers, who can live stream games and comment on them in real-time

• ReadyGamers is a new joint venture between Virtual and Sovrun

  • “Redefining Gaming with AI-powered Experiences, powered by GAME framework. “

• Lastly, we had XTERIO’s token launch this week, which is trading at a $380M FDV

  • Xterio managed to screw over their community by giving 1) the snapshot issue and 2) giving NFT holders the bare minimum allocation

• Nakamoto Games announced they secured a $10M investment from the Make It Fund

• Virtuals announced they partnered with Illuvium, which will be powered by GAME

🚀 Nexus V1 Launch

Welcome to edition #61 of the Nexus Power Up Newsletter. Despite the market seeing a major correction, we remain bullish on Q1 crypto.

From now on you can pay for your Nexus subscription in SUPER.

You can try the free features (game database, crypto market overview, and token and NFT charts) of the platform without having to log in 👇

You can also get access through:

• Getting a Nexus Pass NFT now for exclusive lifetime access

Don't miss out—follow our journey on Hustle's Twitter, YouTube channels, and Nexus Twitter.

📈Macro Cryptocurrency News

• Gemini Trust Company, the cryptocurrency exchange founded by the Winklevoss twins, has agreed to pay a $5 million civil penalty to settle charges brought by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).

  • The settlement avoids a trial that was scheduled to begin later this month. As part of the agreement, Gemini did not admit or deny wrongdoing.

• Coinbase has secured a significant victory in its legal battle against the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

  • A U.S. District Judge granted Coinbase's request for an interlocutory appeal, effectively pausing the SEC's lawsuit against the cryptocurrency exchange. 

• Coinbase is exploring the possibility of offering tokenized shares of its stock (COIN) to U.S. users on its Ethereum Layer-2 network, Base. 

  • While tokenized COIN shares are currently accessible to non-U.S. users through platforms like Backed, Coinbase is actively considering expanding this access domestically.

• Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has announced a significant shift in its content moderation policies, moving towards a more free-speech-oriented approach.

  • CEO Mark Zuckerberg declared that the company has "reached a point where there's too much censorship" on its platforms. This announcement came shortly after the appointment of Dana White to Meta's board of directors.

• Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang used his CES 2025 keynote to unveil the company’s next generation of GPUs and declare the rise of "Agentic AI"—a shift he says will create a multi-trillion-dollar industry and redefine how people work.

• MicroStrategy, the software company known for its significant Bitcoin holdings, plans to raise $2 billion by issuing preferred stock. 

  • This move supports founder Micheal Saylor’s ambitious goal of acquiring $42 billion worth of Bitcoin over the next three years.

• Do Kwon, founder of Terraform Labs, pleaded not guilty to U.S. fraud charges stemming from the $40 billion collapse of the Terra Luna cryptocurrency ecosystem. 

  • Kwon was extradited to the U.S. from Montenegro in December 2023 and faces securities fraud, wire fraud, and commodities fraud.

🌟Token Spotlight by Hustle

• Coin of the Week: $MLG

• Market Cap: ~$93M

• What is MLG? MLG is a gaming token on Solana that taps into OG gaming culture, such as “360noscope”, “420blazeit”, Doritos, Mountain Dew, etc. Recently, Faze Banks got involved with the token (even had the logo tattooed on himself), which led to a massive pump.

• Delve into Hustle's market wisdom with his “Daily Watchlist” and deep-dive analysis available on the TTOO Discord server and through his “In the Game" show. 

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See you next week!