Blockchain
Creepy Crawlers Meets Battle Brawler with the Official Launch of Gala Games’ Spider Tanks
First Web3 PvP Esports Brawler Available Now
Jackson, Wyoming–(Newsfile Corp. – October 31, 2022) – Gala Games, the leading pioneer in web3 entertainment and blockchain gaming, today announced that Spider Tanks, the first Web3 PvP esports brawler, has launched and is available at https://www.spidertanks.game
“Spider Tanks is a great example of how Gala is redefining the game and blockchain space by merging Web 3 and esports into the first Web3 PvP esports brawler,” said John Osvald, President of Gala Games. “Once you get into the battle arena, Spider Tanks is nonstop. It really puts the power in the hands of the players and gives them the ultimate control of their own success.”
Developed by award-winning Netherlands-based GAMEDIA, this futuristic esports tank game is free-to-play, but also incorporates a variety of play-to-earn mechanics that center around skill-based competition, resource collection, and a player-driven upgrade cycle to earn real rewards. In Spider Tanks, players create their own unique crawly contender by assembling tank bodies and weapons in their garage. Once their “Spider Tank” is complete, it’s on to mech mayhem as the mechanical monsters battle it out in Spider Tanks arena maps.
This esports brawler lets you play with a close group of friends or test your skills in high-stakes competition. Almost 25,000 players participated weekly in a recent public playtest, which resulted in a total of more than 600,000 matches. Fully tradable and upgradeable weapons, tanks and bodies can be found in the Spider Tanks store. Players wanting to earn regular rewards can purchase Planetary Nodes on the Gala.Games site.
Game Features:
- Build Your Army – Experiment with unique combinations of tank bodies, weapons and special items in the battle arena. There are more than 30 hero tanks, 45 weapons, and 45 bodies in different levels of rarity to mix and match
- Upgrade Your Army – With each level upgrade, the tanks part’s power increase will vary depending on a random chance. Players can grind out upgrades that increase the scarcity and value of their Spider Tanks. The levels of the upgraded items are random, making each item unique and special in its own way while the chances for a fully optimized item are slim.
- Game Modes – There will be more game modes coming to the game.
- Team Deathmatch: In this all-out brawl style match, the team with the most kills gets the victory.
- Capture the Chicken: Your team’s goal is to capture as many moving chickens as possible.
- Capture the Flag: There is only one flag, and the team who holds it in their possession the longest will be victorious in this match.
- Ways to Play – There are a number of ways to play:
- Pilot: Jump in and control your Spider Tank directly, to fight in the PvP Maps, engaging in exciting moment-to-moment combat.
- Captain: Build out your own army of Spider Tank pilots that fight for YOU on the PvP Maps.
- Baron: Own a PvP Map and receive rewards from the battles that take place in your map.
- Ways to Earn – The game’s blockchain reward token system allows participants to earn Victory Points in a number of ways including winning matches, owning maps/land that host battles, and running Nodes.
- Choose Your Battleground – There are currently six maps, with more available after launch:
- A safe haven with old mines
- Trepidatious tracks
- Rickety boardwalks
- A jungle temple with wild and ancient ruins
- A death canyon for a wild west showdown
- A subzero arctic base.
About GAMEDIA
GAMEDIA is an award-winning game studio from the Netherlands with an extensive track record and history. The long list of games they have developed are mostly based on well-known entertainment IP’s and have seen the light on a wide range of platforms and hardware. Currently they are focused on creating their own high quality multiplayer games for PC and consoles, as well as mobile.
About Gala Games
Gala Games is a pioneer in Web3 games that uses decentralization, player ownership and reward economies to create a revolutionary new way of gaming. With dozens of games on the horizon and several already in various stages of presale or beta play, Gala is quickly becoming the world leaders in own-your-experience gaming. Learn more at Gala.Games.
For more information please visit
Join the conversation Discord @ GalaGames.Chat
@GoGalaGames
#GoGalaGames
Media Contacts:
Susan Lusty: [email protected] 415-269-0226
Lori Mezoff: [email protected] 201-637-2895
To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/142373
Blockchain
Blocks & Headlines: Today in Blockchain – May 5, 2025 – Arkham, Blockchair, Worldcoin, Maldives

In an ecosystem defined by perpetual innovation and high-stakes regulatory scrutiny, the blockchain and cryptocurrency industry never pauses. Today’s briefing—“Blocks & Headlines: Today in Blockchain – May 5, 2025 – Arkham, Blockchair, Worldcoin, Maldives”—dives into five compelling stories shaping the narrative: a transformative $9 billion blockchain hub in the Maldives; Sam Altman’s Worldcoin orbs arriving stateside; AI‑enhanced onchain visibility via Arkham and Blockchair; the Blockchain Association’s plea for flexible SEC oversight; and Telegram’s blockchain‑inspired encryption for massive group calls.
Together, these developments spotlight five interlocking themes: diversification of traditionally tourism‑dependent economies, identity and trust models in Web3, the fusion of AI with onchain data, the evolving policy landscape, and privacy‑centric encryption. Across these stories, recurring SEO keywords—blockchain, cryptocurrency, Web3, DeFi, NFTs, tokenization, decentralized identity, onchain analytics, regulation, and privacy—underscore the connective tissue binding today’s headlines.
1. $9 Billion Blockchain Hub on Track to Transform Maldives
Source: U.Today
The Maldives, an archipelagic nation whose economy is heavily tethered to tourism (approximately 30 % of GDP) and fishing (around 10 %), is confronting mounting fiscal challenges: public debt has breached national GDP levels (circa $7 billion), and deficits threaten sovereign stability. In a strategic pivot, Maldivian authorities signed a joint venture with MBS Global Investments—a $14 billion UAE family office—earmarking an $8.8 billion investment in a cutting‑edge blockchain hub. This initiative aims to catalyze a 200 % GDP surge within four years, spawning thousands of jobs and potentially averting sovereign default.
On the surface, relocating blockchain infrastructure to paradise may seem incongruous. Yet by repurposing the country’s geographically dispersed islands into a decentralized Web3 nexus, the Maldives could host data centers powered by renewable oceanic energy, attract DeFi startups, and incubate NFT marketplaces catering to affluent tourists. This diversification blueprint underscores a broader trend: small economies leveraging blockchain to transcend traditional growth constraints. However, critical questions loom—regulatory clarity, environmental footprint, and cybersecurity resilience will determine whether this hub becomes a scalable model or a stranded asset.
Implication: If executed judiciously, the Maldives’ blockchain hub could set a precedent for emerging economies seeking to harness decentralized infrastructure. But success hinges on transparent governance, sustainable energy sourcing, and robust legal frameworks.
2. Altman’s Eyeball‑Scanning Worldcoin Orbs Land in the U.S.
Source: The Register
On May 1, six Worldcoin “Orb” retail locations opened across the United States—Austin, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, and San Francisco—offering biometric iris scans in exchange for WLD crypto tokens. Co‑founded by Sam Altman (OpenAI CEO), Alex Blania, and Max Novendstern, Tools for Humanity champions World ID, a blockchain‑based proof‑of‑personhood system designed to authenticate humans versus bots or AI‑generated avatars. Users who scan their irises receive roughly $16 in WLD, enabling them to later verify identity on participating platforms.
While touted as a breakthrough in decentralized identity, the initiative has incited privacy regulators worldwide: South Korea fined the project over $800,000, Hong Kong prohibited operations, and legal probes are active in Germany, Kenya, and Spain. Yet Worldcoin maintains that biometric data is encrypted on-device and purged post‑scan, and with 26 million users globally (12 million scanned), the network seeks to deploy 7,500 Orbs in the U.S. by year’s end.
Opinion: Worldcoin’s retail push exemplifies the friction between innovative identity solutions and privacy norms. The on‑chain distribution of WLD tokens may democratize crypto access, but it also risks normalizing biometric collection without exhaustive regulatory guardrails. The debate between security and civil liberties intensifies as Web3 projects blur lines between voluntary onboarding and pervasive surveillance.
3. AI and Blockchain Explorers ‘Arkham’ & ‘Blockchair’ Reshape Onchain Visibility
Source: Bitcoin News
Blockchain explorers have evolved from static transaction trackers to dynamic investigative platforms, especially with generative AI integration. Two frontrunners—Arkham Intelligence and Blockchair—are pioneering tools to render cryptographic ledgers comprehensible. Arkham’s AI correlates onchain flows with off‑chain entities, enabling analysts to dissect a Binance transaction involving 0.3065 BNB routed through WBNB and Pancakeswap in seconds. Blockchair’s AI assistant, Cuborg, fields natural‑language queries (e.g., “Which Bitcoin address dormant since 2017 just moved funds at block 895,197?”), surfacing actionable intelligence with remarkable speed.
The convergence of machine learning and onchain analytics promises unprecedented transparency for DeFi protocols, NFT markets, and compliance teams. Yet this visibility shift also rekindles the age‑old privacy dilemma: as attribution sharpens, users may flee to privacy coins (e.g., Monero, Zcash) or sophisticated mixers, fracturing onchain provenance. Thus, the community must strike a balance—leveraging AI for due diligence without undermining pseudonymity, a bedrock of decentralization.
Takeaway: Enhanced onchain visibility emboldens regulators and institutional custodians to adopt crypto, but it simultaneously pressures privacy advocates to innovate. The trajectory of DeFi scalability and AML compliance will pivot on how explorers calibrate the transparency‑privacy spectrum.
4. Blockchain Association Urges SEC to Adopt Flexible Crypto Regulation
Source: The Block Binance
On May 2, the Blockchain Association—representing heavyweights such as Coinbase, Ripple, and Uniswap Labs—submitted formal comments urging the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to embrace an “incremental, flexible approach” under new Chair Paul S. Atkins. The association argued that equity‑style rule frameworks ill‑fit blockchain’s decentralized architecture, and that overly restrictive policies risk ceding global leadership in Web3 innovation. Key recommendations included:
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Modernizing “best execution” by prioritizing diligence over prescriptive equity norms.
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Leveraging public exchange APIs for oversight, eschewing bulk personal data collection.
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Convening public‑private roundtables to iteratively refine tokenization guidelines.
As the SEC grapples with litigation against major crypto firms, the association’s plea underscores a broader policy shift—from adversarial enforcement to collaborative rulemaking. If embraced, this could catalyze a regulatory renaissance, aligning U.S. competitiveness with nascent markets such as the EU’s MiCA and Singapore’s digital asset frameworks.
Analysis: A flexible U.S. regime could anchor global capital flows in American markets. However, in the near term, ambiguity may persist, prompting projects to seek out friendlier jurisdictions. The evolution of DeFi, tokenized securities, and NFT financialization hinges on whether the SEC transitions from litigation‑driven oversight to principles‑based governance.
5. Telegram’s Blockchain‑Inspired Encryption Empowers Massive Group Calls
Source: CCN.com
Messaging titan Telegram has rolled out a major security upgrade: blockchain‑inspired encryption for voice and video group calls, scaling to tens of thousands of participants. Published May 5, 2025, the update employs a distributed architecture reminiscent of blockchain’s consensus model, paired with end‑to‑end encryption and a novel four‑emoji verification system. Users can join calls via links, QR codes, or invites, accommodating up to 200 guests in peer‑to‑peer calls and vastly more in server‑mediated group sessions.
This enhancement cements Telegram’s Web3 orientation—from in‑app NFT galleries to integrated crypto wallets and June’s Grok AI chatbot. By emphasizing decentralized encryption, Telegram seeks to differentiate itself from legacy platforms and curry favor with privacy‑minded Web3 users. The $100,000 unclaimed bounty for encryption breaches further testifies to the platform’s confidence.
Perspective: As social channels become conduits for DAO assemblies, token launches, and remote governance, Telegram’s upgrade anticipates Web3 ’s communal demands. Secure, large‑scale calls could host multichain hackathons, decentralized grant panels, and NFT minting drop parties—ushering in an era where encrypted communications seamlessly integrate with onchain action.
Conclusion: Charting Tomorrow’s Web3 Horizon
Today’s headlines—from island‑wide blockchain sanctuaries to AI‑powered explorers, from biometric orbs to regulatory overtures and encrypted megacalls—illustrate the multifaceted momentum driving blockchain and crypto into mainstream orbit. Key takeaways include:
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Economic Diversification via Blockchain: Smaller nations can pivot from tourism to tech‑led growth, provided they embed sustainability and legal clarity.
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Identity & Privacy Trade‑Offs: Worldcoin’s iris scans provoke essential dialogue on biometric ethics versus Sybil‑resistance in decentralized networks.
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AI‑Driven Transparency: Arkham and Blockchair spotlight the accelerating fusion of AI and onchain analytics, demanding new privacy paradigms.
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Adaptive Regulation: The Blockchain Association’s SEC proposal signals burgeoning alignment between policymakers and innovators—critical for U.S. leadership.
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Web3‑First Infrastructure: Telegram’s encryption upgrade underscores the imperative for platforms to bake decentralized security into every layer.
As the industry hurtles forward, stakeholders must navigate these cross‑currents with pragmatic vision—embracing decentralization, protecting user sovereignty, and fostering constructive policy engagement. Tomorrow’s decentralized economy may hinge as much on robust encryption and AI transparency tools as on visionary regulation and sustainable infrastructure projects.
The post Blocks & Headlines: Today in Blockchain – May 5, 2025 – Arkham, Blockchair, Worldcoin, Maldives appeared first on News, Events, Advertising Options.
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