Zynga Growing Its Web3 Team

GM GM. Welcome to Lootbox, the ice cream on a hot summer day keeping you cool in the midst of chaos.

The gems

• Zynga web3 is growing

• Avalanche launches Arcad3

• Big companies continue in crypto

• The Sneakies

Zynga Growing Web3 Team

Zynga hasn’t shied away from its intentions to be in web3.

Even their CEO talked about web3 in November 2022, saying, “The next cycle of gaming would be built on blockchains.”

And right now, they are backing up their intentions by actively hiring senior-level positions for blockchain roles.

Here’s what we found on LinkedIn.

Avalanche Launches Arcad3

Ava Labs, the guys behind the Avalanche blockchain, announced a new program called Avalanche Arcad3.

Their goal?

Helping traditional game devs dip their toes into the world of blockchain game integrations.

What we know

• Arcad3 aims to connect traditional game creators with existing esports organizations, blockchain gaming guilds, and web3 game studios building on Avalanche.

• And they’ve brought some big partners like Gree and Gumi to help.

• They say it’s like a mentorship program and support network where studios can explore what blockchain gaming could mean for them.

• The program will focus on strategies for everything from regulatory compliance to how to use NFTs, prize pools, esports marketing, and in-game tokens on-chain.

• So far, they’ve got games like Shrapnel, DeFi Kingdoms, and Gunz, as well as the Blitz gaming platform from esports organization TSM. 2dao3, Republic Crypto, and Avalaunch are also on board.

Big Co Still Want A Piece Of Crypto

Last week, the SEC went full assault on crypto with lawsuits against centralized exchange giants Coinbase and Binance.

But that hasn’t stopped big companies from stepping in or expanding their presence in the space.

So who made some big announcements lately?

• Louis Vuitton revealed a new NFT collection for its signature trunk called Treasure Trunks. It’s a Soulbound token that acts as the key to VIA, LV’s digital portal and the opportunity to purchase the physical equivalent of the NFT.

• a16z is expanding its presence with an office in London led by Sriram Krishnan. They cited the UK's clear regulatory regime for crypto as a reason for the move and would be hosting the next Crypto Startup School there.

The Sneakies

• Web3 infrastructure company, Thirdweb recruits Atif Khan, a former Meta executive, as its Global Head of Gaming to ramp up its gaming strategy.

• Decentraland releases its no-code world-building tool, SDK-7, to the public, and they have set up a Game Jam to show off its capabilities, with a full announcement expected June 19th.

• KryptoGO, YGG Japan (YGGJ), and Infinity Ventures Crypto (IVC) come together in a joint venture, StickeyGO, to create a wallet designed for GameFi.

Miscellaneous Title - Funded Gems, Tweet of the Day

Love what you just read?

Forward to a friend or share it on social media using the social media buttons at the top of this email.

Follow us on Twitter with the bird on the footer.