Connect with us
MARE BALTICUM Gaming & TECH Summit 2024

Blockchain

MELON, Metaverse Brand Experience Experts, Raises $5M Seed Round

Published

on

 

MELON is announcing a $5M seed round. The game development team is behind numerous major music events on Roblox, as well as experiences for partners and clients including the NFL, Chipotle, Mattel, Clarks, and PacSun.

The seed round includes Crush Ventures, the investment arm of Crush Music whose management clients include Miley Cyrus, Sia, Green Day, Lorde, Weezer, Panic! at the Disco, and Fall Out Boy, as well as GaingelsComcast Spectacor, and a large SPV led by Matt Finick who has also joined MELON’s board. Finick was formerly CFO at Roblox and at Marvel Entertainment.

The round also includes notable strategic angels such as Paul Yook, health tech pioneer; Deborah Dugan, CEO of Beyond Type 1 and, former CEO of Product (RED) and The Recording Academy of Music; Spencer Baim, Chief Brand Officer at Kinship, former CCO of VICE Media; Ernie Pomeranz, former CFO of Moderna; Jason Ve, Head of BD/Brand Partnerships at 88rising; and Gene Salomon, partner at leading entertainment law firm Gang, Tyre, Ramer, Brown & Passman.

“At Comcast Spectacor, we’re always looking for new ways to engage fans with great events and memorable experiences, and that’s what this investment is all about,” says Tucker Roberts, President of Spectacor Gaming, a gaming and entertainment company connected to Comcast NBCUniversal. “MELON is on the cutting edge of bringing experiences directly to where Gen Z lives–their phones–and we’re looking forward to the continued innovations that Josh and his incredible team will make at MELON.”

“MELON is at the forefront of the creative explosion happening in the metaverse,” notes investor/board member Matt Finick. “They are perfectly positioned to build some of the most impactful experiences across music, film and TV, fashion, and sports over the next few years of critical growth on these developing platforms.”

“We’re extremely fortunate to have such a strong collective of early strategic investors in MELON,” explains Josh Neuman, co-founder/co-CEO of MELON. “The Metaverse and platforms within it are ripe for disruption and we’re looking forward to evolving our creativity and storytelling in collaboration with our partners, as well as via our original IP. With this group, we’re going to be able to strategize and navigate the evolving landscape at the highest level.”

Neuman’s extensive experience at the intersection of media, brands, pop culture, and technology reflects the expertise that has allowed MELON to set the standard for activations and events in Roblox. Before becoming MELON’s co-CEO in 2021, he was a co-founder and key executive of several multi-million dollar music media, branding, and talent companies, including 88rising, Recreation Worldwide (acquired by VICE Media), Control Management (former management of superstar DJ, Tiësto), and Crush Music. He architected a multifaceted partnership between Red Bull and Skrillex, landed Kanye West for Samsung’s launch of the Galaxy Note II, and worked closely with Bono’s Product (RED).

Neuman’s cultural savvy and branding experience complement the extensive gaming and development know-how of company founder/co-CEO Devon Thome. A wunderkind in his mid-20s, Thome has been creating jaw-dropping experiences and innovation in open-world and metaverse environments for years. He made a name for himself in Minecraft before mastering the art of creating games in Roblox, where most of MELON’s work is currently focused.

They lead a team at MELON that has attracted talent from major game studios (EA, Pokémon GO) and lifestyle brands (Urban Outfitters, Marketing Arm, Honda’s former agency of record).
Award-winning executive producer and marketing mastermind Heather Healy is MELON’s SVP of Partnerships and Operations, with nearly two decades of experience running high-profile campaigns. Healy helped launch the careers of Bruno Mars and Foster the People and developed award-winning marketing campaigns and strategic partnerships for Fortune 100 brands. MELON’s VP of Entertainment Partnerships Becky Wilson previously worked at Urban Outfitters where she led key music initiatives, including in-store events, collaborations, and partnerships with notable artists such as Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa, SZA, Khalid and LANY.

MELON’s multifaceted team has honed a keen sense for what works in the metaverse, and brands have taken note. In addition, MELON has perfected the art of virtual music events, working with major labels and attracting millions of visitors to events for Tai Verdes, Ava Max, KSI and Zara Larsson. Larsson’s event won the studio a Clio this year.

“Crush Ventures looks to invest in teams that are building the future of how creators and fans will interact. Josh, Devon, and the MELON team have proven to be uniquely capable of building one-of-a-kind games and experiences. We’re thrilled to invest in and partner with MELON as we explore opportunities together for Crush’s talent in the metaverse,” notes Andrew Kahn, Head of Crush Ventures.

Blockchain

P2 Ventures Commits $50M Via Hadron FC to Startup Founders in Polygon Ecosystem

Published

on

p2-ventures-commits-$50m-via-hadron-fc-to-startup-founders-in-polygon-ecosystem

Last year, P2 Ventures emerged as a distinct entity from Polygon Labs, with a focus on blockchain investments. Now, it’s earmarking funds and providing mentorship to bolster project founders, particularly those concentrated on the Polygon blockchain ecosystem. A contributor from Hadron FC remarked that the community offered the perfect blend of “capital and vibes.”

P2 Ventures, a venture capital firm with a blockchain emphasis, was established late last year as a separate entity from developer Polygon Labs. It has pledged $50 million to support startup founders, potentially igniting fresh initiatives within the Polygon ecosystem.

The investment from P2 Ventures will be channeled to founders via Hadron FC, a program tailored for founders with hubs in Dubai and New York, according to a press release. This program encompasses mentorship, legal and regulatory guidance, networking opportunities, and “comprehensive assistance in navigating the complexities of startup development and fundraising,” the release stated. Among the initial 36 projects onboarded, several participated in a week of collaborative efforts at the Dubai facility. Shreyansh Singh, head of investments at P2 Ventures, expressed confidence in Hadron Club’s unparalleled capacity to nurture the aspirations of forward-thinking founders within the Polygon ecosystem.

Ajit Tripathi, a core contributor at Hadron FC, noted that the community provided the ideal mix of “support, capital, and ambiance.”

Initially part of Polygon Labs, the principal developer of various Polygon layer-2 networks built on Ethereum, P2 Ventures transitioned into an independent unit with its own 10-person team late last year, rebranding itself as P2 Ventures.

Source: coindesk.com

The post P2 Ventures Commits $50M Via Hadron FC to Startup Founders in Polygon Ecosystem appeared first on HIPTHER Alerts.

Continue Reading

Blockchain

Blockchain sleuth uncovers identity of PrismaFi’s hacker, who stole $11m

Published

on

blockchain-sleuth-uncovers-identity-of-prismafi’s-hacker,-who-stole-$11m

Blockchain investigator ZachXBT uncovered the purported perpetrator behind the PrismaFi breach, which resulted in the protocol losing $11.1 million worth of cryptocurrency. Through a series of posts, ZachXBT disclosed that the individual behind the attack, identified as 0x77 (or Trung), may be connected to several other breaches.

The Prisma team initially detected a sequence of transactions on the MigrateTroveZap contract in March, ultimately resulting in a loss of 3,257 ETH (equivalent to $11.1 million at the time). Initially, the attacker communicated with the Prisma deployer, claiming the attack was a white-hat initiative. However, all funds were subsequently transferred to Tornado Cash, a sanctioned cryptocurrency mixer.

The attacker then made audacious demands, including a $3.8 million (34%) white-hat bounty, significantly higher than the industry standard of 10%, as noted by ZachXBT, who highlighted that this demand was essentially extortion, given the insufficient assets in the treasury to reimburse users.

Further investigation revealed that the attacker’s address received funds via FixedFloat and was subsequently traced to Arbitrum, a layer-2 solution on Ethereum. By analyzing timing, ZachXBT determined that the attacker’s address was linked to withdrawals on TRON, including those from the Bybit cryptocurrency exchange.

The investigation also unveiled connections to prior breaches, such as the Arcade_xyz breach from March 2023 and the Pine Protocol breach from February of the current year. The attacker, utilizing the alias 0x77 on Telegram, remained active and had ties to the deployer of @modulusprotocol, further solidifying the connection between each incident.

Furthermore, the investigator disclosed conducting an analysis of the attacker’s personal information, including phone numbers and emails, which indicated a proficient technical background. All collected personal data has been forwarded to the Prisma team, who are pursuing legal action against the hacker in Vietnam and Australia, ZachXBT added.

Source: crypto.news

The post Blockchain sleuth uncovers identity of PrismaFi’s hacker, who stole $11m appeared first on HIPTHER Alerts.

Continue Reading

Blockchain

Bybit CEO: “Institutions Driving Today’s Crypto Bull Market” – At Blockchain Life 2024 Dubai

Published

on

bybit-ceo:-“institutions-driving-today’s-crypto-bull-market”-–-at-blockchain-life-2024-dubai

During a discussion among industry leaders at the Blockchain Life conference in Dubai, Bybit CEO Ben Zhou emphasized the preparedness and sophistication of contemporary cryptocurrency exchanges (CEXs). Zhou, who co-founded Bybit in 2018, now stands at the helm of one of the world’s top three exchanges by trading volume.

At the event, Zhou shed light on various facets that underscore the current era of crypto maturity. “From Bybit’s standpoint, this ongoing bull market has been primarily propelled by institutional involvement… Our collaboration with third-party custodians like Copper and Fireblocks led to a 186% increase in institutional capital flows last year,” Zhou noted. He highlighted the pivotal role of enhanced infrastructure and the approval of Bitcoin spot ETFs in facilitating institutional participation in the crypto market.

Zhou has overseen meticulous upgrades to Bybit since the previous crypto bull run in 2021, enabling institutional investors to deploy larger capital pools. “Bybit boasts a highly versatile trading system that accommodates trading of any token against any other,” Zhou remarked during his live address on the main stage. “This affords our institutional clients a plethora of tools, enabling them to engage in spread trades, arbitrage funding rates, and various sophisticated trading strategies. This capability has facilitated the influx of new capital into the crypto space.”

Furthermore, Zhou highlighted the evolution of service reliability amidst market volatility. “Our risk management and system resilience have undergone continuous enhancements,” he affirmed. “Even during turbulent market conditions, Bybit maintains its stability.” This stability serves as a testament to the advanced infrastructure supporting both institutional investors and the exchange’s 25 million retail users.

Zhou also emphasized Bybit’s efforts to empower retail clients with access to products that simplify sophisticated trading strategies. “We offer a unique product known as perpetual protect, which utilizes options contracts to safeguard perpetual positions from losses,” Zhou explained. “Additionally, our advanced Unified Trading Account (UTA) design provides traders with a competitive edge in the market.” These initiatives aim to demystify derivatives and options, making complex financial instruments more accessible and comprehensible to a broader audience.

As the crypto market continues to mature, Bybit remains at the forefront, spearheading innovations that align with evolving market trends and regulatory standards. This proactive stance not only signifies a significant milestone for Bybit but also underscores the overall advancement of the crypto exchange industry.

Source: prnewswire.com

The post Bybit CEO: “Institutions Driving Today’s Crypto Bull Market” – At Blockchain Life 2024 Dubai appeared first on HIPTHER Alerts.

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Advertisement

Latest News

Recent Listings

  • Global Payout, Inc.

    Since the Company’s inception in 2009, Global Payout, Inc. has been a leading provider of compreh...

  • MTrac Tech Corp.

    MTrac Tech Corporation, a Nevada Corporation, is a privately held, wholly owned subsidiary of Glo...

  • Net1

    Net1 is a leading provider of transaction processing services, financial inclusion products ...

  • uBUCK Technologies SEZC

    Based in Georgetown, Cayman Islands, uBUCK Tech is a fintech enterprise that specializes in digit...

  • LiteLink Technologies Inc.

      LiteLink is a major player in developing world-class enterprise platforms that utilize ar...

  • Good Gamer Corp.

      Good Gamer Corp. is a privately-held technology company focusing on gamers and streamers....

  • BitPay

      Founded in 2011, BitPay pioneered blockchain payment processing with the mission of trans...

  • About Net1

      Net1 is a leading provider of transaction processing services, financial inclusion produc...

  • Blockchain Foundry Inc.

    Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, Blockchain Foundry (CSE:BCFN)(FWB:8BF)(OTC:BLFDF) is a global b...

  • Sixgill

    Sixgill provides a full suite of universal data automation and authenticity products and services...

Trending on TBE