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This Week in Web3 and NFTs: NBA Top Shot, Anime, MoonPay & more!

Sotheby's x NBA Top Shot
This Week in Web3 and NFTs: NBA Top Shot, Anime, MoonPay & more!This Week in Web3 and NFTs: NBA Top Shot, Anime, MoonPay & more!

News

This Week in Web3 and NFTs: NBA Top Shot, Anime, MoonPay & more!

Sotheby's x NBA Top Shot
News
This Week in Web3 and NFTs: NBA Top Shot, Anime, MoonPay & more!
Sotheby's x NBA Top Shot

Welcome to the OpenSea digest. Let’s look back through the biggest NFT and web3 news of the week.

Anime announces $ANIME

Anime just announced that $ANIME is launching on January 23. The token, backed by the anime-themed PFP community Azuki, will go live on the Ethereum and Arbitrum blockchains. The team says the token is meant to turn the anime ecosystem into “a community-owned creative economy.”

“For decades, anime has shaped global culture — from art to fashion, music to gaming,” wrote the team on X. “What started as a niche subculture has evolved into the most passionate fandom in the world with over 1 billion fans,” the tweet goes on. Yet until now, fans haven’t had a way to help shape the future of anime.

With 50.5% of tokens allocated to the community, the tweet says  $ANIME is meant to engage fans — including early contributor Azuki holders those from Hyperliquid, Kaito, Arbitrum, and others — in building an open anime universe.

Sotheby’s launches NBA Top Shot auction

Sotheby’s kicked off its NBA Top Shot auction on January 14, showcasing one-of-a-kind digital collectibles tied to NBA rookie debut moments. The auction, running until January 21, highlights rookies like Bub Carrington, Pacôme Dadiet, and Jaylen Wells.

Each NFT includes a highlight clip of the player’s first-ever NBA game, which gives collectors a chance to own officially licensed digital artifacts from the NBA’s rising stars.

NBA Top Shot remains one of the fastest-growing platforms for sports collectibles. According to a press release shared with OpenSea, the platform has processed over $1.25 billion in transaction volume since Dapper Labs launched it to the public in 2020. 

MoonPay acquires Helio

Crypto payment infrastructure provider MoonPay acquired Helio, a platform specializing in recurring decentralized finance (DeFi) payments. This decision positions MoonPay to streamline subscription services and micropayments for decentralized applications (dApps). The acquisition also reflects a potentially growing demand for frictionless payment tools across blockchain ecosystems.

The Forgotten Runiverse hosts Crash the Runiverse

The Forgotten Runiverse invited users to “Crash the Runiverse,” a four-day stress test to check servers ahead of the Q1 2025 global launch.

Through 5 p.m. ET on January 17, participants can collect pieces of four exclusive cosmetic armor sets during the event. The gameplay includes dungeon runs with dynamic difficulty adjustments, using the new “Omen System” to scale challenges and loot rewards.

Whether servers crash or not, playing the game will contribute to critical launch tests to ensure the Runiverse ecosystem is ready for launch.

Sony rolls out Soneium mainnet for decentralized entertainment

Sony has officially launched the Soneium Mainnet, an Ethereum layer-two (L2) blockchain designed to support decentralized entertainment and empower creators with tools for collaboration and monetization. 

Built using Optimism’s OP Stack, the platform reported over 14 million active wallets and 47 million transactions during its testnet phase. The Soneium ecosystem includes partnerships with Sony Pictures, Sony Music France, and Sony Music Publishing Japan.

Read the full press release for more information.

Note: The mention of a token is for informational purposes only nor is it intended as financial or investment advice. 

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