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

Imogen Heap joins forces with AI music platform Jen

Grammy-winning artist and tech innovator Imogen Heap has partnered with Jen, an AI music platform focused on copyright-compliant, fan-generated music creation. A pioneer of the “folktronica” genre and known for hits like “Hide and Seek,” Heap contributed songs to Jen’s ethically trained AI tool, which enables users to create their own unique compositions using filters and prompts. 

Heap described the process as offering a “song as a service.” Fans and musical collaborators can now remix the song through the KORUS platform and mint an NFT. The collection, “What Have You Done To Me?”, is now live on OpenSea.

Phantom acquires Blowfish 

Phantom, a top crypto wallet for Solana (and now Ethereum and Polygon), announced that it had acquired blockchain security platform Blowfish to strengthen transaction protections and user safety. 

Blowfish specializes in detecting phishing attacks and fraudulent activities, which will ideally improve on-chain experiences for Phantom users. The news hit just days before Phantom became the No. 2 most-popular free utility app in the Apple App Store.

Toledo Museum of Art announces the acquisition of ‘Abyssinian Queen’ by Yatreda

The Toledo Museum of Art made history this week by purchasing “Abyssinian Queen,” a video sculpture by Ethiopian art collective Yatreda, using USD Coin (USDC), a stablecoin pegged to the U.S. dollar. While this marks the museum’s fifth digital artwork, the sale stands out as its first acquisition completed with cryptocurrency.

MoonPay Launches Balance

Crypto payment infrastructure company Moonpay introduced Balance, a new platform designed to streamline fiat and crypto payments. Its features allow users to top up their cryptocurrency wallets directly using their preferred payment methods without the need for third-party exchanges. 

Balance is currently available for users in the UK and EU (except for Germany) and is live on Uniswap, Phantom, and Bitcoin.com.

Project Dragon: Season 2 kicks off Nov. 23 

Yuga Labs’ metaverse Otherside is launching Season 2 of “Project Dragon” at 12 pm ET on Nov. 23. The new season will bring new avatars and freshly updated team rules to the immersive virtual world. 

Built with the Otherside Developer Kit (ODK) created by London-based metaverse studio Improbable, “Project Dragon” is an online multiplayer experience designed for epic team battles. The new season teases 3D playable Koda avatars and updated player roles that enhance strategic coordination among teams.

Joe Pease auctions 30 video artworks to wrap up his Glitch Marfa show

Australian-born video artist Joe Pease concluded his residency at the visionary Glitch Marfa gallery with a 24-hour auction of 30 one-of-one video artworks from Nov. 19 to 20. 

Entitled “everything vs nothing,” the collection showcases Pease’s signature surrealist imagery interwoven with experimental narratives. The works were on view during an in-person exhibition in Marfa, Texas on Nov. 16, which offered collectors and art enthusiasts a rare IRL glimpse into his creative exploration.

OpenSea and Art Blocks announce Art Blocks x OpenSea Artist Residency Program

Art Blocks and OpenSea are proud to announce the Art Blocks x OpenSea Artist Residency Program, committed to nurturing the next generation of generative artists in the heart of the Marfa, Texas art community.

Each quarter, ArtBlocks will welcome one artist to Marfa for a four-to-six-week residency. Artists-in-residence will have access to a fully furnished casita, a stipend, an Art Blocks Studio contract, and the space and time to push their creative boundaries. Accepted artists will be surrounded by the stark beauty of the desert, the rich history of minimalism, and the vibrant Marfa art community.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and will be reviewed quarterly based on innovation, impact, engagement, and exposure. Learn more and apply here.