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

Pixelmon signs Avalanche deal, announces flagship RPG and idle game

Pixelmon, the pixel-art NFT brand turned game publisher, has partnered exclusively with the Avalanche blockchain to launch its flagship role-playing game (RPG) Warden’s Ascent and a follow-up idle game called Nova Thera Chronicles.

Both titles will debut on Avalanche’s C-Chain, a fast, low-fee blockchain that supports gaming applications. The team cited Avalanche’s scalability and successful track record with web3 titles like Off The Grid and MapleStory Universe as key factors in their decision to go with the blockchain.

An early-access version of Warden’s Ascent is already live on the Google Play Store, with a full launch expected later this year.

FIFA officially launches digital collectibles on new blockchain

FIFA has officially migrated its digital collectibles platform, FIFA Collect, to the newly launched FIFA Blockchain. In the announcement, FIFA said the move enhances the association’s ability to deliver immersive fan experiences at scale.

The FIFA Blockchain is a custom, EVM-compatible layer-one (L1) built in partnership with Avalanche and developed by infrastructure firm Modex. 

The move comes ahead of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup and 2026 FIFA World Cup and follows the recent announcement of FIFA Rivals, an upcoming mobile game from Mythical Games that will reportedly feature its own integrated NFT marketplace.

Seedphrase launches AI assistant for digital art collectors

Digital art collector and influencer Seedphrase has launched Seedphrase AI, a custom large language model (LLM) designed to help collectors and researchers analyze digital art markets using a mix of on-chain data and real-world social signals.

The tool, which Seedphrase says was created in collaboration with AI development studio ReadyAI, aims to provide instant, nuanced insights for both newcomers and seasoned collectors. 

Long term, Seedphrase mentions the custom LLM could “become a fully autonomous intelligence, potentially even a collector itself one day.”

British Museum links historic Dürer's 'Rhinoceros' art to Bitcoin blockchain

The British Museum has partnered with luxury design firm Asprey Studio to create 11 sterling silver sculptures based on Albrecht Dürer’s 1515 woodcut, “The Rhinoceros,” each paired with a permanent digital inscription on the Bitcoin blockchain via Ordinals.

The 40-centimeter solid silver sculptures are digitally sculpted, then cut into pieces and welded by specialists in a months-long process. Buyers receive the digital inscription first, while the physical artwork is produced to order. An inscription ties both Asprey Studio and the British Museum to each piece, serving as a blockchain-based record of provenance.

Pudgy Penguins partners with Random House for first children’s book

Pudgy Penguins, the Ethereum-based NFT brand turned multimedia franchise, is releasing its first children’s book in partnership with Random House Children’s Books. 

Titled “Worst Birthday Gift Ever,” the picture book features Pongo, a character from the Lil Pudgy sub-collection. It’s aimed at readers ages 4 to 8.

Written by author Michael Leviton and illustrated by Kuma Labs, the hardcover will debut on Nov. 4 and is available for preorder now at $9.99. 

Claynosaurz to launch Popkins NFT collection on Sui

Claynosaurz, the character-driven web3 brand known for its stop-motion-inspired dinosaur collectibles, has announced its latest project. 

Popkins is a 25,000-edition NFT collection slated to debut on the Sui blockchain. The collection will be released through a tiered booster pack system delivering randomized digital rewards and a chance to receive one of three types: Escape Packs (with a full refund but no guaranteed NFTs), Legendary Packs (containing a guaranteed Popkin), or Rat Packs (a special edition).

The public mint is open to everyone. Each booster pack is priced at $200. Select holders of previous Claynosaurz collectibles and NFT NYC “Pizza” collectibles are eligible for guaranteed access to a Popkins pack.

Vitalik Buterin proposes ‘partially stateless nodes’ to simplify Ethereum participation

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has proposed a new node model that would allow users to run Ethereum nodes without storing the full blockchain, which currently exceeds 1.3 terabytes. 

Called “partially stateless nodes,” the design lets users keep only the blockchain data most relevant to them, thereby reducing hardware requirements and making it easier for everyday users to help secure the network.

Data outside a user’s chosen scope would be verified on demand using cryptographic proofs, described similarly to checking out a book from a shared library.

The proposal builds on Ethereum’s existing plans to reduce historical data storage through the Ethereum Improvement Proposal, EIP-4444.

Solana shooter 'Nyan Heroes' shuts down after funding falls through

Nyan Heroes, a Solana-based game featuring cat pilots in mech suits, is shutting down after developer 9 Lives Interactive was unable to secure the funding needed to complete the game.

Despite reaching over 1 million players and quarter of a million players having wishlisted the game on Steam and Epic Game Store, the team announced it will wind down operations.

While discussions about acquiring the studio or intellectual property (IP) are ongoing, no near-term plans are confirmed. “I suspect it may take some time to finalize a decision,” CEO and creative director Max Fu told Decrypt.