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

Doodles’ new AI tool turns photos into its signature cartoon style

Doodles introduced Doodles AI this week, a new tool that turns everyday photos into illustrations in the project’s signature style.

Announced on X, the “Doodle Me” feature lets users upload an image and instantly transform it into a Doodles-style cartoon, no drawing or design skills required. Fans quickly put the tool to use, sharing illustrated versions of their selfies across social media.

The release signals a broader push into AI-driven creativity. In a post on X, Doodles founder Burnt Toast described Prism as the beginning of “a new era of dynamic world-building,” powered by an image model that can reinterpret “anything and everything through the Doodles lens.”

He added that this is only the first iteration. Future updates could expand into turning creations into physical objects, as well as adding video, sound, real-time AR, and gaming integrations.

“Doodles AI aligns us with the speed and scale of the AI industry at large,” Burnt Toast wrote. “Our colourful world can now be plugged into new tech as it unfolds. Create with us.”

HV-MTL holders can now upgrade their mechs or trade them for pets

HV-MTL introduced a new evolution system this week, giving holders two paths forward.

Owners can burn their activated HV-MTL along with six AMPs to upgrade to Evo2, a more advanced version that includes Otherside activations, 3D file drops, and complete ecosystem support. Alternatively, they can burn just their HV-MTL to receive a unique digital pet companion. According to the announcement shared on X, pet rarity is tied to how many HV-MTLs are burned through this second path.

With the launch of this system, Evo1, the original version, are now effectively retired.

Azuki TCG presale opens with hand-drawn cards and $100K tournament backing

Azuki is bringing a physical trading card game to market, with presales for its first set, Gates Awakened, now live following an announcement on X.

The drop includes six presale tiers, giving collectors and players multiple entry points, with purchases capped at one per customer. Presale boxes will also feature exclusive all-holo foil packs that won’t be available at retail.

Every card is hand-drawn by professional illustrators, including Arnold Tsang. The set is expected to arrive in local card shops in summer 2026, with cards compatible with standard grading services like PSA.

Azuki has assembled a team of veterans from companies including Pokémon, Blizzard, Riot Games, and Warner Bros., and is backing the launch with a $100,000 prize pool for its first competitive season, along with a companion app for discovering tournaments.

The TCG brings Azuki’s digital universe into physical form, giving collectors a new way to engage with its characters and lore.

Mastercard payments giant acquires stablecoin infrastructure builder

Mastercard announced March 17 it's buying BVNK, a company that builds payment infrastructure for stablecoins. 

The deal reportedly lets traditional banks and financial services companies tap into blockchain networks where BVNK already operates across 130+ countries. 

By connecting BVNK's technology into Mastercard's existing payment system, customers would be able to pay with either traditional money or blockchain-based digital currency on the same rails. 

In the press release, BVNK co-founder and CEO Jesse Hemson-Struthers described the partnership as creating "unprecedented infrastructure for digital currency-based financial services."

POAP shifts gears to refocus on digital collectibles infrastructure

POAP, the blockchain platform for event attendance badges, will stop accepting new creators March 16 so the team can rebuild digital collectibles from the ground up, according to co-founder Isabel Gonzalez's announcement March 12. 

According to the post, seven years of running the platform taught the founders exactly what works and what doesn't, so they're moving existing operations to maintenance mode while focusing on creating what Gonzalez called "a standard for open collectibles" with stronger technical foundations. 

During its time, the POAP platform attracted crypto communities and brands like Adidas and Porsche, reportedly minting 6.7 million badges by 2023. The team says that success revealed what the next version needs to support a permissionless environment. 

Existing POAPs will stay intact with the possibility of the current platform connecting to whatever infrastructure comes next.

PayPal payments company expands its stablecoin to 70 countries

PayPal announced March 17 it's bringing PayPal USD to 70 markets worldwide, expanding a stablecoin that's only been available to US users since 2023. 

People in supported regions can now buy, hold, and send the digital token directly from their PayPal account, with the option to convert it back to local currency. 

The expansion makes a regulated stablecoin available to a much wider audience through a mainstream payments platform than it has been before.

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