Duncan MacRae, Author at The Block

Metacask and BitPay make investor-grade spirits available to wider crypto audience

Metacask, the online marketplace which allows users to buy, sell and collect investor-grade spirits using the blockchain, has teamed up with crypto payment processor BitPay in a partnership that will allow spirits collectors to buy and store premium casks and bottles more easily using cryptocurrency.

The partnership with BitPay, the world’s largest provider of cryptocurrency payment services, makes it simple and secure to use crypto currencies on the Metacask marketplace when...

18 September 2023 | Blockchain

SushiSwap is a community-driven decentralised exchange

SushiSwap, a community-driven decentralised exchange, is expanding to Aptos, the Layer 1 blockchain bringing users scalability, reliability, security and usability.

This integration is a milestone as it marks Sushi's first expansion onto a non-EVM chain. With the integration of Sushi v2 AMM and SushiXswap, Sushi’s cross chain swap, Sushi further strengthens its leading position in the cross-chain/multi-chain landscape.

Aptos is a Layer 1 blockchain created for safe...

13 September 2023 | Blockchain

Web 3.0, the metaverse and NFTs are capturing UK consumer interest

Toluna, a global insights technology and panel provider, today revealed key UK insights from its worldwide consumer study, 'A new age of the internet: Web3, the metaverse, and NFTs'.

With blockchain technology ushering in a new digital era in the form of Web 3.0, the research study explores consumer perceptions of emerging Web 3.0 concepts – such as non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and the metaverse. Toluna’s research aims to decipher how consumers view and interact with these...

5 September 2023 | Banking

Casper Network first Layer-1 blockchain to enable native smart contract debugging

The Casper Association, the Swiss-based organisation that oversees the Casper blockchain and supports its continued decentralisation, has announced the successful 1.5 protocol upgrade.

This upgrade introduced a host of new and improved features, making Casper the only Layer-1 blockchain to enable the debugging of live, composable smart contracts on mainnet.

“The 1.5 upgrade is a major landmark in our path to creating a blockchain environment that fosters innovation...

4 September 2023 | Blockchain

Benno Schmitzer, KURZ Digital: The NFT revolution and future of Web3

Can you tell us a little bit about Kurz Digital and what the company does?

KURZ Digital Solutions is the digital incubator of the KURZ Group which is a leading global expert in thin-film technology with more than 5,500 employees and numerous international locations. Its customers include the world's biggest brands and companies - from the automotive industry to consumer electronics, health & beauty, and product and anti-counterfeit protection.

The tasks of KURZ...

23 August 2023 | Blockchain

N3twork Studios commits to elevating entertainment in Web3 gaming

Blockchain gaming studio, N3twork Studios, has outlined its commitment to delivering the next generation of sustainable and player-centric Web3 RPGs.

With the goal of bringing Web3 games to the mass market, the studio is prioritising the player experience. Leveraging the development teams’ history of building deep, social F2P (free-to-play) titles, N3twork Studios is committed to creating games that stand up against leading Web2 counterparts.

In contrast to a number of...

22 August 2023 | Blockchain

nChain partners with Universal Plastic to accelerate sustainable innovation

nChain, a specialist in Web3 solutions, has signed a strategic partnership agreement with Universal Plastic, to achieve common sustainability goals towards ocean protection: regenerating the marine ecosystems by taking out plastic, giving agency to locals by fairly rewarding them for their efforts and making companies act upon their footprint, getting a step closer to the ESGs.

In this partnership, nChain is investing €2,000,000 and acquiring a 20% stake in the equity of...

22 August 2023 | Blockchain

Surrey school becomes first in UK to conduct Web3 & NFT digital safety workshops

Seren Kids, in partnership with Rydes Hill prep school in Guildford, Surrey, has conducted a Web 3 & NFT workshop for 7- to 11-year-olds, in what is thought to be the first education program of its kind in the UK.

Seren Kids, which runs workshops and summer camps to educate children in digital skills, delivered the training which covered E-safety workshops, Web3 and NFT workshops during the digital skills clubs.

The first session occurred on June 20, 2023, at Rydes...

17 August 2023 | Blockchain

TSB and FinTech Scotland open applications for annual Innovation Labs programme

TSB is taking applications for fintechs to participate in its third annual TSB Innovation Labs programme – as the bank and Fintech Scotland encourage a new round of fintech collaboration.

Under the programme, winning fintechs will officially partner with TSB to offer innovative services and money-saving solutions to customers, as the Bank expands its fintech partnership programme.

The scheme also helps boost the UK’s fintech sector – as between...

15 August 2023 | Banking

Microsoft and Aptos Labs partner to develop blockchain AI tools

Aptos Labs has teamed up with Microsoft to accelerate global web3 adoption using Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service.

Onboarding new users to web3 can be time-consuming and complex, which may deter people from exploring the ecosystem. There's a common perception gap between the utility of blockchain and user skepticism around how simple it is to use. Some challenges new web3 users face once they've started engaging with the ecosystem include understanding how blockchain and...