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

Chris Wahl and Josh Blaylock create Post Punk Productions to run MetaHero and PUNKS Comic

Veteran Marvel illustrator Chris Wahl and indie publisher Josh Blaylock have launched a new company, Post Punk Productions, to lead MetaHero and PUNKS Comic. 

Both projects originated under the Pixel Vault umbrella: PUNKS Comic launched in May 2021 as a digital comic series tied to 16 CryptoPunks, turning NFT characters into narrative figures and offering readers both a visual story and collectible benefits. And shortly after, MetaHero emerged as a superhero-style NFT collection, for which early supporters received MintPasses to mint characters in that universe.

Now, with support from Pixel Vault’s investors, both creative leads who helped shape the IP are taking the reins under their own banner.

Animoca Brands adds $20 million to MocaPortfolio

Animoca Brands’ Mocaverse network has expanded MocaPortfolio, formerly known as MocaDrop, into a $20 million program that lets $MOCA Coin and Mocaverse NFT holders stake their tokens to access a growing pool of projects backed by the company.

Instead of treating each project separately, MocaPortfolio lets collectors take part in Animoca’s wider ecosystem in one place.

Holders can now stake, or temporarily lock up, their tokens and NFTs to earn Staking Power, which is later used to register for token distribution events. 

According to the announcement, the first allocation is planned for late 2025 and will connect to other projects across Animoca’s web3 ecosystem.

Ethereum Foundation proposes interoperability layer to unify L2 chains

The Ethereum Foundation (EF) has announced plans for the Ethereum Interoperability Layer, or EIL, a new system designed to make using Ethereum’s many layer-two (L2) networks feel like operating on a single chain.

Today, when users move funds between L2s like Optimism or Base, they often wait days for transactions to finalize. 

According to the proposal update, EIL would allow trustless transfers across these networks, preserving Ethereum’s core principles such as censorship resistance and open-source design.

GameSquare signs $2 million agency deal with Rekt Brands

GameSquare Holdings, a Texas-based media and gaming company that owns esports team FaZe Clan, has signed a $2 million agreement with Rekt Brands. Rekt is the parent of Rekt Drinks, which has gained traction in its first year, and the Rektguy NFT collection.

Under the deal, GameSquare will reportedly help Rekt shape both physical and digital products, build experiences for gaming and crypto-native fans, and expand awareness around its currency. 

As part of the agreement, Rekt branding will also appear on FaZe Clan jerseys, putting the label in front of youth gaming audiences.

Avalanche and Toyota Blockchain Lab design on-chain robotaxi infrastructure 

Avalanche, a multichain blockchain network developed by Ava Labs, and Toyota Blockchain Lab are working on the Mobility Orchestration Network (MON), a proof-of-concept for managing future robotaxi fleets. 

The system would reportedly use blockchain to handle payments, leasing, insurance, financing and even carbon credit tracking, while making ownership transfers easier in secondary markets. 

Ava Labs executive Roi Hirata told CoinTelegraph the long-term vision is that entrepreneurs could raise funds on chain and operate robotaxi services directly on the network.

Pudgy Penguins’ new game hits No. 1 in Apple’s App Store as the brand partners with Lionel Racing

Pudgy Penguins’ new mobile game, Pudgy Party, has become top-ranked on Apple’s App Store racing charts three days after its late-August release. The game includes six solo and multiplayer modes where players can compete for leaderboard rankings and unlock in-game skins.

Beyond mobile racing, Pudgy Penguins has partnered with Lionel Racing to release a die-cast race car tied to NASCAR driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr., thereby expanding the brand’s reach into motorsports collectibles.

This collaboration adds to Pudgy’s broader push under CEO Luca Netz, which already includes toy lines in Walmart and Amazon, and a children’s book with Random House.

PayPal’s ‘Pay With Crypto’ is now live

PayPal has officially launched “Pay with Crypto,” a settlement tool that lets U.S. merchants accept over 100 cryptocurrencies while still getting paid in dollars or PayPal’s stablecoin, $PYUSD.

This means shoppers can now connect a wallet such as Coinbase Wallet or MetaMask at checkout and pay directly in BTC, ETH, SOL, stablecoins or other tokens, with PayPal saying it will convert the payment to help merchants avoid price swings.

The company also says merchants benefit from lower fees, faster settlement and all-around smoother cross-border transactions, with a promotional transaction rate of 0.99% until mid-2026.

Jack Ma’s Yunfeng Financial buys $44 million in Ethereum

Yunfeng Financial Group, the Hong Kong-listed company co-founded by Alibaba’s Jack Ma, disclosed it has purchased nearly 10,000 ETH worth $44 million. 

The firm said the buy was approved by its board as part of a July 2024 roadmap that prioritizes web3 services, real-world asset tokenization and digital currency initiatives.

Funded from internal cash reserves, the ETH holdings will reportedly be listed as investments on Yunfeng’s financial statements and are expected to support blockchain applications in areas such as insurance and client services.

Note: The mention of a token is for informational purposes only nor is it intended as financial or investment advice.