🇯🇵 Japan Web3 Weekly: August 4th, 2024 Digest #1
Welcome to Japan Web3 Weekly, your 5-minute recap of the Japanese web3 market’s pulse every Sunday! 🚀
This week, corporate giants like Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd., Sony, and Kirin Brewery made waves in the web3 space. Meanwhile, Metaplanet, despite its modest $100 million market cap, is turning heads. Will they continue to follow in MicroStrategy‘s footsteps? Let’s dive in! 🏊♂️
This Week’s Highlights:
1. 🌟 Japanese Listed Company Joins MicroStrategy’s Bitcoin Initiative
– Metaplanet (market cap ~$100M) now holds 245.992 BTC, with stock up 400%+ YTD
– Secured exclusive rights to operate “Bitcoin Magazine Japan”
– Joined “Bitcoin for Corporations” as a founding member with MicroStrategy
– Committed to promoting Bitcoin adoption in Japan and globally
Link🔗: https://lnkd.in/gNMBBBrj
2. 🎮 DMM.com Subsidiary Rebrands for Web3 Push
– DM2C Studio renamed to DMM Crypto
– Token name changed from “DM2P” to “Seamoon Protocol (SMP)”
– Plans to launch DM2 Verse on Oasys Layer2, issue SMP tokens, and release blockchain games
– Raised $2.4M in private round led by Galaxy Interactive
Link🔗: https://lnkd.in/grzCRXKp
3. 🏍️ Yamaha Motor Launches VTuber Collab NFTs
– Dynamic NFTs available at Yamaha E-ride Base showroom in Yokohama
– Features 4 VTuber designs and “Nyaiken” (cat version of NIKEN motorbike)
– Soul-Bound Tokens (SBTs) – non-transferable
Link🔗: https://lnkd.in/g37b_NKf
4. 💹 Major Crypto Exchange Bitbank Prepares for Potential IPO
– Second-largest shareholder 株式会社MIXI (26.99%) announced IPO preparations
– Timing undecided, subject to regulatory approval
– Bitbank: Established 2014, popular among pro traders
– Raised $70M from Mixi and Ceres in 2021
Link🔗: https://lnkd.in/gtqH4WcY
5. 🏦 Sony Bank Launches Web3 Entertainment App
– “Sony Bank CONNECT” app released on July 31, 2024
– Integrates with SNFT marketplace for NFT display on home screen widgets
– Sony Group expanding web3 presence (acquired licensed crypto exchange Amber Japan, exploring stablecoin with Polygon Labs)
Link🔗: https://lnkd.in/gM4ByykR
6. 🍺 Kirin Brewery Taps IBM Japan for Blockchain Traceability
– New “Hyoketsu mottainai” series utilizes blockchain for food waste reduction
– Uses fruits unsuitable for retail sale in products
– Donates JPY 1 per sale to fruit farmers
– Leverages IBM’s “IBM Supply Chain Intelligence Suite”
Link🔗: https://lnkd.in/giwibbff
That’s a wrap for this week! 🎬 Wakyodo will continue to bring you timely updates on Japan’s web3 market. Follow us for more insights and stay tuned for next week’s digest! 🔔
