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

Yuga Labs launches Koda Nexus with Amazon NFT collaboration

Yuga Labs, the company behind Bored Ape Yacht Club, will launch a new virtual world hub called Koda Nexus inside its Otherside metaverse on Nov. 12, according to Decrypt.

The Otherside is an online metaverse game world where people can interact with each other and collect digital characters, which are NFTs recorded on a public blockchain to verify ownership. 

The launch includes a partnership with Amazon Gaming to promote the project on Amazon’s homepage and introduce an exclusive avatar named “Boximus” that users can purchase for use inside Otherside.

Yuga Labs also worked with artist Daniel Arsham on a limited 300-piece digital art series that combines fine art with interactive NFTs, Decrypt reported.

Pudgy Penguins teams up with Kung Fu Panda

Pudgy Penguins announced a collaboration with the Kung Fu Panda franchise and DreamWorks Animation to to feature its characters alongside the animated martial-arts series.

Pudgy Penguins shared the news in a post on X. In that announcement, the video shows Pengu in a bamboo dojo setting, opening up a scroll as dramatic music plays and scene cuts build anticipation for Kung Fu Panda’s face filling the parchment.

Polymarket confirms plans for POLY token and airdrop

Polymarket, a prediction market platform where people predict on the outcomes of real-world events, confirmed it will introduce a POLY token and a future airdrop once its U.S. app rollout is complete.

According to Blockworks, Polymarket Chief Marketing Officer Matthew Modabber said on the Degenz Live podcast that the team waited until the platform returned to the United States to focus on long-term use inside the product. 

Modabber said the company’s goal is to build a lasting product and that the token will launch after the app is fully relaunched, Blockworks reported.

Hilton Anaheim launches Disney digital scavenger hunt with Dapper Labs

Hilton Anaheim will debut an in-hotel scavenger hunt on Nov. 1 that lets guests collect Disney-themed digital pins made by Dapper Labs, according to a company announcement. 

The month-long activation invites visitors to scan QR codes at four spots around the property to unlock digital collectibles through the Disney Pinnacle app, which uses blockchain tech to verify each pin’s authenticity. 

Anyone 18 or older can join at no cost, and completing all checkpoints earns participants four mystery pin capsules tied to Disney characters. Hilton Anaheim framed the activation as part of its renovation and a push to give travelers interactive, memory-building moments.

Circle rolls out Arc public testnet for global developers

Circle, the company behind the USDC digital dollar token, launched the public testnet for Arc, a new blockchain network designed to help businesses and developers test digital payments and applications in a controlled environment.

According to the company’s Oct. 28 announcement, Arc is described as a system for moving money and building apps directly on the internet, and the testnet lets engineers experiment with tools like stablecoins, cross-chain transfers, and smart contracts. 

Circle said major banks, payment companies, crypto platforms, and tech firms are already participating, with names including Visa, Mastercard, Coinbase, AWS, and Deutsche Bank. 

MMERCH debuts HommeGirls collaboration featuring its Wearable Wallet tech

mmERCH, the fashion-tech studio known for garments that double as “wearable wallets,” has launched a platform for brands to build tap-to-unlock digital experiences tied to clothing and accessories. Last year, the company gained notice for its Seedphrase CryptoPunk-inspired hoodie drop, which included 22 pieces with Swarovski crystal and lab-grown diamond detailing and NFC chips. 

Now, mmERCH said in an email it is partnering with New York fashion publication HommeGirls, and the only way to view the digital edition of HommeGirls Volume 14 is by tapping the NFC chip inside a limited hat sold by the brand on its website. 

In a separate post on X, mmERCH also reminded holders that its “genesis” hoodie claim period ends Dec. 31 and instructed buyers to connect their crypto wallet on its site to redeem before the deadline.

Museum of the Moving Image renews partnership with Tezos Foundation for blockchain art series

The Museum of the Moving Image (MoMI) in New York is partnering with the Tezos Foundation for a new two-year program exploring blockchain as an artistic medium, according to an Oct. 21 announcement. 

The initiative will reportedly run from November 2025 to January 2027 and include artist commissions, a fellowship for developers and creators, microgrants, and performances. Artists will use the Tezos blockchain to produce interactive works displayed on the museum’s 50-foot Media Wall. 

The collaboration expands on last year’s successful program and treats blockchain as a creative material for experimentation, not as a marketplace, curators said.

Phantom adds web experience for token discovery

Phantom, the crypto wallet best known for supporting the Solana blockchain, announced a new web tool that lets anyone search and find trending tokens directly from a browser, according to the company’s recent LinkedIn post. 

The update makes it possible to look up tokens across networks like Solana, Ethereum, and Sui without opening the wallet app. 

Phantom noted that the feature is not currently available to users in the United Kingdom.

Western Union prepares dollar-backed stablecoin launch in 2026

Wire service Western Union will launch a dollar-backed digital currency called the U.S. Dollar Payment Token, or USDPT, in 2026.

The token will reportedly run on the Solana blockchain and be issued by Anchorage Digital Bank, with plans for customers to access it through partner crypto exchanges. 

A stablecoin is a type of digital currency designed to hold a steady value tied to government money, such as the U.S. dollar, and can be used to move funds online across borders. 

Western Union said the project aims to help people send money quickly and at lower cost, reflecting the company’s shift toward digital payments building its brand running global telecom and money-transfer rails.

“The idea of connecting people and using technology to do it is deeply in our roots for 175 years,” Devin McGranahan, president and chief executive of Western Union, told WSJ.

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