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

Forgotten Runiverse secures development approval for Nintendo, PlayStation, and Xbox

Forgotten Runiverse, a fantasy MMORPG from indie web3 studio Magic Machine, is coming to Nintendo, PlayStation, Xbox, and mobile, making it one of the first web3 games to hit all major platforms.

Based on a 2021 collection of Forgotten Runes Wizard’s Cult NFTs, the game thrives on community-driven storytelling. Players shape the storylines by adding their own stories to The Book of Lore, a fictional collection only collectors can contribute to. There, holders can drop their own ideas and artwork, helping to build out the world and shape the adventure as it unfolds.

Bringing player ownership and fan-driven creativity to mainstream consoles is a major leap for blockchain gaming. As chief operating officer Bearsnake told OpenSea, “It’s a fantastic moment for us because we need to reach an inflection point.”

Bearsnake sees console and mobile adoption as a way to push web3 beyond early users: “Expanding our IP through video games and major platforms is key, not just for us, but for the [web3] space as a whole.”

Magic Machine believes blockchain gaming should extend beyond the NFT niche. Since launching its first collection in 2021, Forgotten Runes has partnered with legacy brands, including a comic book deal with Titan Comics, to foster family-friendly engagement across all levels of “degen.”

While the team prioritizes its core web3 audience — the “thousand true fans” — they also see the value in reaching further.

“Let’s move beyond the half-million people in NFTs and reach the eight billion out there,” Bearsnake said. “Not everyone will own our NFTs or read our comic, but many play video games. This is a chance for them to experience blockchain-enabled products without the technical hurdles.”

Treeverse brings blockchain gaming to Epic Games and Google Play Store

Treeverse, the MMORPG from web3 gaming studio Endless Clouds, is now live on Epic Games and the Google Play Store. The game is built on Immutable’s zkEVM, a blockchain scaling solution that enables faster and cheaper transactions within the Ethereum network.

Players in Treeverse can own and sell in-game items as NFTs, meaning digital objects such as weapons, skins, and land can be transferred between players with verified ownership.

By launching on mainstream gaming platforms, Treeverse is bringing blockchain-powered economies to a wider audience.

Azuki’s Stephen Fung and Michael Lau release ‘Bucket Man’ vinyl figure

Hong Kong-based filmmaker and Azuki creative partner Stephen Fung is bringing his NFT character to life. “Bucket Man,” originally based on Fung’s Azuki Elemental #15813 PFP, is now evolving into a physical collectible and multimedia IP.

Created in collaboration with toy designer Michael Lau, “Bucket Man” is launching as a PBT-enabled vinyl figure, meaning it contains a verification system known as a Physical Backed Token (PBT). The PBT links the physical toy to a digital token on the blockchain.

The Bucket Man figure will debut at ComplexCon Hong Kong on March 21. It will come in three editions: Prototype Grey, Original, and Red. The Red edition will be available exclusively to Azuki holders for pre-order on crazysmiles.com starting March 21. 

Coinbase introduces Verified Pools, requiring identity verification for on-chain liquidity providers

Leading crypto exchange Coinbase has launched Verified Pools, a new way to buy and sell on chain with liquidity providers with vetted identities. The system integrates know-your-customer (KYC) verification with smart contracts, which reduces the risk of unknowingly interacting with bad actors or untrustworthy liquidity providers. 

Built on Uniswap v4 and Base, Coinbase’s layer-two (L2) network, Verified Pools was designed to let users engage with verified liquidity pools without intermediaries. Institutional participants can buy and sell online through Prime Onchain Wallet, Coinbase’s custodial wallet. Retail users, meanwhile, can connect with Coinbase Wallet.

Taproot Wizards to auction Bitcoin ordinals collection March 25

Taproot Wizards, a Bitcoin ordinals project, will launch its 2,121-piece collection on March 25, starting with an allowlist sale at 0.2 BTC and followed by a public Dutch auction.

Each NFT, permanently inscribed on the Bitcoin blockchain, references the 2013 Bitcoin Wizard meme and has been locked for two years, simply building anticipation among collectors.

The project recently secured $30 million in funding from venture firm Standard Crypto and is also driving the development of OP_CAT, a proposal to restore an early Bitcoin feature that could enable more advanced smart contracts on Bitcoin (more similar to Ethereum’s capabilities today).

MoonPay acquires Iron to improve fiat-to-crypto transactions in web3 applications

Crypto payment company MoonPay has acquired Iron, a stablecoin infrastructure platform specializing in cross-border payments, to expand its payment and treasury management services. 

Iron’s technology allows businesses to manage multi-currency treasures, move funds across borders instantly, and integrate stablecoin payments into their platforms.

This acquisition follows MoonPay’s recent purchase of Helio, a Solana-based payment processor. 

'The Sandbox' teams up with Jurassic World

Ethereum-based metaverse game The Sandbox is launching Jurassic World: Dinosaur Preserve, a new in-game experience as part of its upcoming Alpha Season 5, created in partnership with Universal Studios and Amblin Entertainment.

In this limited-time, six-week event, players can explore over 40 new experiences, including both branded collaborations and user-generated content. Participants will be able to take on the role of Dinosaur Protection Group members and raise NFT-based dinosaur hatchlings by caring for them, feeding them, and cleaning up after them.

The season will also feature content collaborations with other entertainment brands like Attack on Titan, The Smurfs, and The Terminator.

Players can pre-register on The Sandbox website.

New documentary on Ethereum’s origins available for preorder on Apple TV

“Vitalik: An Ethereum Story,” a documentary about Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin, is set to premiere soon and is now available for preorder on Apple TV. The film traces Buterin’s evolution from a young programmer to the face of decentralized technology and highlights Ethereum's role in blockchain hitting the zeitgeist.

The film weaves together interviews and archival footage to explore the challenges of building an open, trustless internet and the impact of Ethereum’s smart contract innovation. As crypto adoption grows, the film offers a closer look at the tech underpinning web3, decentralized finance (DeFi), and NFTs.

My Pet Hooligan builds on Arbitrum-based blockchain to support web3 game development

The Karrat Foundation, a web3 gaming initiative, is partnering with the Arbitrum Foundation to launch Studio Chain, a blockchain network designed for video games and entertainment. 

My Pet Hooligan (MPH), a battle royale-style multiplayer from AMGI Studios, will serve as the network’s flagship title and use Arbitrum’s L2 scaling capabilities to enable faster transactions and tokenized in-game collectibles.

News of the Studio Chain launch comes on the heels of MPH’s expansion to Xbox. However, while the game will be playable on the Xbox console, all crypto transactions, NFT purchases, and blockchain interaction will happen through the MPH web portal. The game will reportedly use backend relays to sync blockchain-based items with in-game content. 

In other words, players will be able to own and manage NFTs on the web while still using them inside the Xbox version. 

NBA Top Shot moments can now be bought and sold on OpenSea using Flow blockchain

NBA Top Shot moments are now live on OpenSea, expanding access to the officially licensed basketball collectibles beyond Dapper Labs’ native platform.

This integration is powered by Flow blockchain, which was designed for low-cost, high-speed transactions that support mainstream adoption of NFTs among consumers. 

"Flow’s technology enables brands to form more meaningful relationships with their communities," said Matt Nofi, head of growth at Flow, in a press release shared with OpenSea. He added that when brands understand fans’ passions, reward engagement, and create interactive experiences, they build deeper connections. “This is the future of fandom,” he said.

Art Blocks x OpenSea artist residency launches with generative artist, Jiwa

Art Blocks and OpenSea have announced Jiwa as the first artist selected for the Art Blocks x OpenSea Artist Residency program in Marfa, Texas this spring.

The Art Blocks x OpenSea Artist Residency program supports generative artists with 4-6 week individual residencies in Marfa, Texas. The program provides participating artists with accommodations, a stipend, an Art Blocks Studio contract, and dedicated time to focus on developing their artwork while being surrounded by the inspiring Marfa environment and community.

Beginning this April, Jiwa will spend 4 weeks living at the Art Blocks casita, immersed in the unique environment of Marfa’s art scene, while developing a new generative project.

As an artist and coder creating generative narratives about inner worlds, Jiwa brings 15 years of experience in creative technology to this residency. With a background as a senior-level full-stack software architect/engineer specializing in smart contract and web3 development, Jiwa builds and manages all technology for the ntent collective and ntent.art.  At the conclusion of the residency, Jiwa will present his work to the local Marfa community, sharing the results of this focused creative period.