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

Anichess introduces $CHECK, a new token that connects play, learning and creation

Anichess, the chess inspired project created by Animoca Brands and partnered with the global platform Chess.com, introduced a new token called $CHECK to link its games, creator tools and educational programs, according to a new litepaper shared on X.

The team describes $CHECK as a “strategy token” with a fixed supply of one billion units that tracks participation in tournaments, creative work and other on-chain activity so players and builders can see their progress in a measurable way.

Anichess plans to add $CHECK to its main game in stages so people can access exclusive cosmetics and participate in governance and community-led events.

The litepaper also points to future uses across new titles such as the new survival game titled “King’s Gambit.”

Animoca to pursue Nasdaq listing via reverse merger

Animoca Brands, the Hong Kong-based open metaverse venture firm, plans to enter U.S. public markets by merging with Currenc Group, a digital remittance fintech company, in a deal that gives the combined entity an expected valuation of about $2 billion, according to a company statement. 

The merger structure, known as a reverse merger, allows a private firm to become publicly traded by joining an existing public company, which in this case is Currenc Group, a business already registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission. 

Animoca says the goal is to reach a Nasdaq listing and expand its reach across gaming, blockchain based items that function like digital memorabilia, and related technology investments.

MoonPay adds onramp tools to Pump Fun app

MoonPay, the global payments company known for converting everyday money into crypto, said it has integrated its checkout system into the Pump Fun app so users can buy tokens with Apple Pay, PayPal, Venmo, Revolut, Interac and Google Pay, according to a Nov. 4 post on X.

Pump Fun, the meme token creation app run by the Pump Fun development team, now connects directly to MoonPay’s payment rails so users can move from a standard tap payment to a token purchase in one place. 

The announcement said the new integration is live worldwide and allows people, with the exception of U.K.-based users, to complete an onramp via MoonPay without leaving the Pump Fun interface. An onramp is a payment flow that turns traditional funds into crypto.

Iggy Azalea joins Thrust as creative director for its new token platform

Iggy Azalea, the Australian rapper known for chart-topping singles like “Fancy” and “Black Widow,” joined the token launchpad Thrust as its creative director, according to a press release published Nov. 5.

Azalea entered the crypto world last year with the launch of her fan token $MOTHER, on the Solana blockchain.

Now, the musician will be helming the creative direction of Thrust, a platform that helps public figures create digital tokens that fans can collect or use inside organized community spaces, with built-in tools for minting and participation. 

Azalea, who told Decrypt she is an equity holder in the company, will be tasked with helping artists, creators and celebrities develop sustainable communities around their tokens. She described the new role as being “like a godmother” and expects actor Megan Fox to release a token on the platform in December.

Adam Weitsman joins community effort to take control of CryptoDickbutts

Adam Weitsman, the New York-based collector, and a group of community members have taken control of the CryptoDickbutts project. 

The announcement did not detail next steps, but community members tweeted in support of the handover, describing it as a positive move for the project’s legacy.

A few days later, Weitsman added 229 Meebits to his wallet, according to a separate post from the Meebits account. Meebits are a set of voxel characters created by the Larva Labs team.

Virtuals Protocol and Pudgy Penguins introduce new tool for custom videos on X

Virtuals Protocol, a company that builds AI tools for digital communities, introduced a new tool called Pudgy AI that turns simple user requests into short Pudgy Penguins videos directly on X, according to posts shared Nov. 4.

To use it, someone tags the official Pudgy Penguins account and Butler Agent, an automated video-generation bot, which then creates an animation based on the prompt. Each request is recorded as an “x402 transaction,” a technical term the company uses for a logged action that confirms a request was made and processed on its system. Once logged, the Butler Agent will notify the requester that their video has been generated.

Virtuals Protocol said the tool is now live for everyone on X, giving fans an easy way to turn ideas into cartoon-style clips.

Franklin Templeton launches tokenized money market fund for Hong Kong professionals

Franklin Templeton, the global investment manager, launched a tokenized U.S. government money market fund for professional investors in Hong Kong.

The fund uses Franklin Templeton’s blockchain-based recordkeeping system, which means each share is represented as a digital token rather than a line item in a traditional database. In practical terms, that setup can potentially make it easier for investors to track their holdings in real time and can speed up how money moves between participants, according to the press release shared with OpenSea.

The product is reportedly the first tokenized money market fund available to professional investors in Hong Kong that is registered under Luxembourg’s Undertakings for Collective Investment in Transferable Securities (UCITS) framework, a European set of rules designed to protect investors, and it holds short-term U.S. government securities.

OpenSea sponsors Art Basel Miami Beach 2025 Zero 10 exhibition

Art Basel has announced the launch of Zero 10, a new platform dedicated to art of the digital era, debuting at Art Basel Miami Beach 2025. Presented with the support of OpenSea, an official partner of the fair, the initiative connects the growing digital art community with the established frameworks of the global art market.

Curated by Eli Scheinman, the inaugural presentation will feature Art Blocks, Beeple Studios, Visualize Value, and more. It will run December 5–7, 2025, before expanding to select global fairs in 2026 including Art Basel Hong Kong 2026.

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