Blockchain technology and cryptocurrency continue to redefine industries worldwide, driving innovation and creating new opportunities. In today’s edition of “Blocks & Headlines,” we explore major developments across the blockchain space, highlighting new projects, partnerships, and emerging trends.

Blockchain as a Catalyst for Innovation

The blockchain industry’s transformative potential was the focus of a recent report detailing how decentralized technologies are driving innovation in finance, healthcare, and supply chain management. Blockchain’s transparency and immutability are key factors enabling its adoption across diverse sectors.

In particular, the report noted the technology’s ability to enhance trust and efficiency in processes, reducing costs while improving security.

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Analysis: Blockchain’s role as a catalyst for innovation is becoming more evident as industries beyond finance embrace its capabilities. The growing interest underscores the need for continued research and development to unlock its full potential.

Source: Cape Gazette

EVIANCX Enhances Cryptocurrency Usage in Latin America

EVIANCX, a leading blockchain platform, has announced new initiatives aimed at increasing cryptocurrency adoption in Latin America. The company is rolling out solutions to address challenges such as accessibility and education, targeting both businesses and individual users.

By simplifying blockchain technology and expanding infrastructure, EVIANCX seeks to empower communities and drive financial inclusion across the region.

Analysis: Latin America’s growing interest in cryptocurrency is fueled by its potential to address issues such as inflation and limited access to traditional banking services. EVIANCX’s initiatives could significantly enhance the region’s blockchain ecosystem.

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Source: GlobeNewswire

Abstract: A Consumer Blockchain for the Masses

The launch of Abstract, a highly anticipated consumer-focused blockchain, marks a significant step toward making cryptocurrency more accessible. Abstract aims to simplify blockchain use cases, offering tools and applications designed for everyday users.

By prioritizing user experience and scalability, Abstract is positioning itself as a gateway for mainstream adoption of blockchain technology.

Analysis: Abstract’s approach to consumer-centric blockchain solutions highlights the industry’s shift toward usability and mass appeal. Simplifying complex systems is crucial for bridging the gap between blockchain enthusiasts and the general public.

Source: PR Newswire

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Venice Launches VVV Token to Bridge Blockchain and AI

Venice, a pioneering blockchain project, has unveiled the VVV Token, designed to integrate blockchain with artificial intelligence. The token facilitates data exchange between AI systems and decentralized networks, promising advancements in predictive analytics, automation, and decision-making.

The initiative also includes partnerships with tech companies focused on AI and machine learning, ensuring robust support for the token’s ecosystem.

Analysis: Venice’s innovative fusion of blockchain and AI represents a significant trend in tech convergence. By combining these technologies, the project aims to unlock new possibilities for intelligent, decentralized systems.

Source: CoinSpeaker

KPMG India Partners with Hashgraph Group to Drive Blockchain Adoption

KPMG in India has teamed up with the Hashgraph Group to promote enterprise adoption of Hedera’s distributed ledger technology (DLT). The partnership will focus on delivering blockchain solutions tailored to industries such as finance, healthcare, and supply chain management.

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This collaboration aims to leverage Hedera’s high-performance DLT to address scalability and efficiency challenges faced by enterprises.

Analysis: Partnerships like this highlight the growing interest in enterprise-grade blockchain solutions. By collaborating with established firms, blockchain projects can accelerate adoption and address real-world business needs.

Source: PR Newswire

Key Trends and Insights

1. Consumer-Centric Blockchain: The launch of Abstract underscores the importance of user-friendly solutions in driving mainstream adoption of blockchain technology.
2. Blockchain-AI Convergence: Projects like Venice’s VVV Token highlight the potential of integrating blockchain with artificial intelligence to create smarter, more efficient systems.
3. Regional Focus: EVIANCX’s initiatives in Latin America demonstrate the growing importance of localized blockchain solutions that address specific regional challenges.
4. Enterprise Collaboration: Partnerships such as KPMG India’s collaboration with Hashgraph Group emphasize the role of established enterprises in accelerating blockchain adoption.
5. Broader Adoption: Blockchain’s application across industries continues to expand, showcasing its versatility and potential to drive innovation beyond cryptocurrency.

The post Blocks & Headlines: Today in Blockchain – January 28, 2025 (EVIANCX, Abstract, Venice, KPMG, Hashgraph Group) appeared first on News, Events, Advertising Options.

Announces Cornucopia: A Multi-Asset Liquidity Program for Public Mainnet Beta

GRAND CAYMAN, Cayman Islands, Jan. 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The Movement Network Foundation, the organization dedicated to fostering innovation and advancing the adoption of MoveVM technology, today announced the Developer Phase of its Public Mainnet. This phase continues the momentum from December’s initial mainnet release and establishes the foundation for Movement’s Public Mainnet Beta, scheduled for launch in mid-February.

As part of this milestone, Movement Network Foundation also announced Cornucopia, a multi-asset liquidity campaign that will launch alongside Public Mainnet Beta. This comprehensive liquidity program aims to accelerate ecosystem growth by providing the essential foundation for DeFi applications, enabling deeper market efficiency, and fostering increased protocol adoption from day one.

Developed in partnership with Concrete, Veda Labs, Echelon and Canopy, the program will feature several specialized vaults: The BTC vault will feature Lombard, Lorenzo BTC and SolvBTC. The ETH vault will feature EtherFi and Renzo (ezETH). The $MOVE vault will feature Movement’s liquid staking protocols, Thunderhead, Movernance and Meridian. Anchoring the program is a $100M Ethena stable vault, demonstrating significant institutional commitment to Movement’s DeFi ecosystem.

On December 9, 2024, Movement Network’s initial mainnet beta launched with limited functionality, including permissioned smart contracts and commemorative  NFTs. It also allowed foundational components to begin deploying, including follower nodes and indexers.

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Today, the Developer Mainnet enables ecosystem partners to begin deploying their protocols and apps on Movement’s network. From now through mid-February, development teams will systematically implement core infrastructure and test integrations, ensuring a robust environment for Public Mainnet Beta.

MOVEMENT’S KEY MILESTONES:

Developer Mainnet (January 28):

• Core infrastructure deployment begins
• Selected partners and DeFi protocol implementation window opens
• Technical documentation and developer resources release

Public Mainnet Beta (mid-February):

• Complete network functionality goes live
• Bridge support via LayerZero integration
• Permissionless DApp deployment

“The deployment of Movement Developer Mainnet and Cornucopia marks the beginning of a new era for blockchain development. By structuring our launch to include both technical infrastructure and day-one DeFi liquidity, we’re creating an ecosystem where developers can leverage Move’s robust security features while accessing Ethereum’s massive scale. This coordinated approach ensures we’re delivering immediate value for both developers and users,” said Cooper Scanlon, Co-Founder of Movement Labs.

For more information about Movement’s Developer Mainnet, visit movementnetwork.xyz or follow @movementlabsxyz, @movementfdn, @moveecosystem  @Move_Collective on Twitter.

About Movement Network Foundation
Movement Network Foundation is the driving force behind the Movement ecosystem, dedicated to fostering innovation and advancing the adoption of MoveVM technology. The foundation oversees the development of Movement Network, a next-gen solution built using MoveVM that settles to Ethereum. Through its MoveDrop program and ecosystem initiatives, the foundation supports developers, projects, and community contributors building decentralized applications. Learn more at movementfdn.xyz or follow @movementfdn on X.

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Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2J-JCHspYc

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/movement-network-foundation-launches-developer-phase-of-public-mainnet-302361649.html

Mercari Users Can Now Use Mercari to Buy and Sell Popular NFTs Listed on OpenSea

TOKYO, Jan. 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Mercari, Inc. (“Mercari”) announces that on January 28, 2025, it has launched Mercari NFT, an online marketplace for NFTs^[1] on Mercari. The new service allows users to use Mercari to buy and sell popular NFTs^[2] available on OpenSea, a major NFT marketplace based in the US. This change kicks off the expansion of Mercari’s business from a marketplace for buying and selling physical items into a digital marketplace for buying and selling NFTs.

PressRelease URL：https://about.mercari.com/en/press/news/articles/20250128_mercarinft/
Mercari NFT URL: https://campaign.jp.mercari.com/pages/nft-2501-org-lp/index.html
 (available only in Japanese)

1. Non-fungible token (NFT): A unique digital asset that cannot be falsified or replicated.

2. Users can only list NFTs purchased on the Mercari NFT platform. Advertisement

Background

In order to realize Mercari Group’s mission of “circulate all forms of value to unleash the potential in all people,” Mercari has continued to grow its marketplace app, which now boasts approximately 23 million monthly active users as well as a cumulative total of over 4.0 billion listings^[3]. In addition to the items and money that circulate on Mercari, the company has expanded the circulation of value by increasing payment locations, creating new credit through Merpay, the Group’s payment and credit business, and by making it possible to trade cryptoassets through Mercoin.

In order to further expand the circulation of value, the company has launched Mercari NFT, a marketplace for buying and selling NFTs. Users will now be able to seamlessly purchase NFTs using their Mercari sales balance without having to apply to create a cryptoasset wallet or open a new account. In addition, users will also be able to easily list the NFTs they purchase on Mercari NFT.

From day one of the service launch, Mercari users will be able to buy and sell NFTs from popular projects on OpenSea, a major NFT marketplace. Going forward, Mercari plans to issue and sell NFT contents together with businesses and IP holders in Japan and overseas in a variety of categories including art, trading cards, and entertainment to further expand Mercari NFT as a digital marketplace.

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Mercari NFT Information (as of January 28, 2025)

Item	Details
Features	– Buying NFTs Advertisement Users can buy NFTs using the familiar payment methods they use when shopping on the Mercari marketplace, such as Merpay balance and Mercard. Note: Some payment methods are not available. Reference: How to make purchases on Mercari NFT https://help.jp.mercari.com/guide/articles/1902/ (available only in Japanese) Advertisement – Collecting NFTs Users can view a list of the NFTs they own on the “My items & listings” screen. – Listing purchased NFTs Just like when selling physical items on Mercari, as soon as an NFT sells, the seller receives the profits as sales balance. Advertisement Reference: How to list items on Mercari NFT https://help.jp.mercari.com/guide/articles/1900/ (available only in Japanese) Note: There is no comment feature on Mercari NFT listing pages and no transaction message feature when buying and selling items.
Payment methods Advertisement	The following payment methods are available for buying items on Mercari NFT. – Mercari points – Merpay balance – Merpay Smart Payments (lump-sum payment only) Advertisement – Mercard (lump-sum payment only) Note: For details on payment methods, see the following guide. https://help.jp.mercari.com/guide/articles/1903/ (available only in Japanese)
Payments fees Advertisement	Buying – Users are not charged transaction fees when buying NFTs. – Users are not charged payment fees when using the payment methods currently available on Mercari NFT. Regarding price listings that include handling fees: The displayed prices include handling fees. The amount a buyer pays is the amount displayed on the details screen of the item. There is no need to calculate other handling fees. Note: The amount displayed on the details screen of the item includes the item’s price, gas fees, consumption tax, and selling fees. Listing There are no fees for listing NFTs. Advertisement Note: Once a listed NFT sells and the transaction is complete, the seller pays a selling fee of 10% of the NFT’s listing price.
How to access Mercari NFT	1. Open Mercari through the Mercari marketplace app or a web browser. 2. Go to My Page and select Mercari NFT. Advertisement (Alternatively, open a web browser and go to https://nft.jp.mercari.com/.) (available only in Japanese)
Note: This information may be subject to future change.

For detailed information on this feature, see the following guide.
https://help.jp.mercari.com/guide/articles/1896/ (available only in Japanese)

Overview of Mercari

Company Name: Mercari, Inc.
Location: Roppongi Hills Mori Tower, 6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-6118
Main Business Activities: Planning, development, and operation of the Mercari marketplace app
Representative: Shintaro Yamada

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For information about using the Mercari logo and icon, please see the page below.
https://about.mercari.com/en/press/press-kit/mercari/

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/mercari-launches-new-marketplace-mercari-nft-302361735.html