Connect with us

News

NPP: The First CBDC Platform Consolidating Banking, Payment, and Merchant Services

Team Bitcoin Daily

Published

4 years ago

on

The financial system plays a significant role in the economy. Merchants form one of the greatest clients of financial institutions, and for years, merchants have been following bank policies religiously. Furthermore, the banking sector has been dormant, with banks operating conventionally with no notable innovation. Although most of them adopted mobile transactions, they were still heavily dependent on traditional systems. Besides, the transactions still have their share of setbacks, especially on fees and unsupported international transfers, making them inefficient. 

However, financial technology gurus are waking up to the realization that the financial industry and, more so, banking systems are due for a change. Apollo Fintech, a blockchain company based in North America and Africa, seems to be the new hope for the industry. The company utilizes modern technology, blockchain to revolutionize the banking service experience, including central banks, merchants, and people. Apollo Fintech has successfully integrated banking, payment, and merchant services in a single platform, dubbed the National Payment Platform (NPP), through blockchain technology capabilities.  

NPP Banking Service

Merchants have been content with traditional banking procedures and policies as they had no decent alternatives. According to most of them, the challenges associated with traditional banking were a cost they had to pay in their business. The system was generally characterized by slow transaction processing, high cost, limited usability, and inaccessibility. Apollo Fintech is changing the game in banking services and adding some value by giving central banks the ability to introduce a new currency, a digital currency. 

Several central banks have, in the past, attempted to launch a digital currency, CBDC, although none of them has been successful. However, the National Payment Platform is providing the necessary infrastructure. The platform will allow any central bank to issue a digital currency and onboard commercial banks, agents, merchants, and the people. That way, banking services will be accessible to all populations provided they own a phone. The digital currency will be held in an online wallet, and users only need to sign up online. 

Under traditional banking, over 1.7 billion adults had no access to banking services by 2017. The situation could be blamed on banks’ conditions on opening accounts and the accessibility of commercial banks due to their characteristic of concentration in urban centers. The NPP makes all banking services available on mobile phones, including phones utilizing outdated technology. Deposits and withdrawals will be instant through the online wallets, and they can also link the wallet with bank cards as an additional option for funds top-up or withdrawal. People will have banking services with them wherever they go as long as they have their phones, and all through the day and night. Further, authorized agents will be spread across countries to make the digital currencies and banking services available for the people.

NPP Payment Service

Among the significant challenges with payment services in conventional banking include payment processing speeds, especially for payments made abroad, and transaction fees. The National Payment Platform will solve these problems with the platform’s online wallet, the platform-compatible Apollo Knox Pay, and the CBDC. Users will be able to make peer-to-peer payments using digital assets in their wallets, at reduced costs. The payments will be frictionless, and users can even make payments abroad in minutes.

The platform offers different ways of sending payments, including SMS, its app, offline codes, and QR codes. It will allow economic players to save significantly on waiting times and resources, 

NPP Merchant Services

Aside from banking services, merchants utilize other platforms to advertise their goods to catch the eye of potential customers. Some make use of free social media, while others pay for slits in advertising platforms. However, Apollo Fintech’s new payment platform is providing merchants with this functionality. 

Merchants using the platform can publish a catalog of their goods and services directly on the payment platform. Interested users can buy the goods and make payments to the merchant directly through the platform. It also features a point of sale system that will allow users to sell their products and services directly and receive payments, although locally. 

Summing Up

Apollo Fintech has been among the top companies utilizing blockchain technology to revolutionize various sectors. While this article focuses more on the integration and added capabilities and functionalities in banking, payment, and merchant services, platform users will benefit from blockchain characteristics. 

Part of the benefits they will all enjoy is the quantum-resistant data encryption mechanism on an immutable ledger. The immutable and distributed ledger ensures that no more action can be taken once a transaction is complete and recorded. It will be the ultimate platform that solves cybersecurity threats all at once.

Blockchain technology will provide unprecedented safety in the financial sector and foster privacy in an individual transaction. For now, people only have to wait for the first central bank digital currency based on Apollo Fintech’s National Payment Platform and enjoy a seamless experience.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

News

WEMIX3.0 welcomes Sygnum as Node Council Partner “WONDER 18”

sky0x.eth

Published

2 months ago

on

February 8, 2024

By

  • Sygnum will contribute its digital asset expertise and operational experience as a regulated bank to further enhance the reliability of the WEMIX3.0 Mainnet
  • The banking group will also participate in its protocol governance and contribute to the expansion of the WEMIX ecosystem

Leading global web3 developer Wemade is proud to announce that Sygnum, a global digital asset banking group, is joining the WEMIX3.0 Mainnet’s Node Council Partners as “WONDER 18”. The NCPs, known as 40 WONDERS (WEMIX On-chain Network of Decentralized Ecosystem Regulators), validate transactions and blocks on the blockchain, while maintaining connections with newly added nodes to ensure the stable operation of the Mainnet. Each new NCP, assigned a number between 1 and 40, plays a critical role in upholding the integrity and security of the WEMIX3.0 Mainnet.

Sygnum will contribute its digital asset expertise and operational experience as a regulated bank to further enhance the reliability of the WEMIX3.0 Mainnet, participate in its protocol governance and contribute to the expansion of the WEMIX ecosystem.

Sygnum is a global digital asset banking group, founded on Swiss and Singapore heritage. It empowers professional and institutional investors, banks, corporates and DLT foundations to invest in digital assets with complete trust. The Sygnum team enables this through institutional-grade security, expert personal service and a portfolio of regulated digital asset banking, asset management, tokenization and B2B services.

More information on Sygnum (www.sygnum.com) and 40 WONDERS (www.40wonders.wemix.com) can be found on their official websites.

About Wemade 

A renowned industry leader and innovator in game development, WEMADE is leading a once-in-a-generation shift as the gaming industry pivots to blockchain technology. WEMADE aims to accelerate the mass adoption of blockchain technology, and is building through its WEMIX subsidiary, an experience-based, platform-driven, and service-oriented mega-ecosystem that will offer access to a wide spectrum of intuitive, convenient, and easy-to-use Web3 services. www.wemade.com / www.wemix.com/communication 

Continue Reading

Crypto

Multiplayer Strategy Game “RoboHero” Featuring Seamless Integration of Tokens and NFTs to Launch on WEMIX PLAY

sky0x.eth

Published

3 months ago

on

February 2, 2024

By

  • One of the first mobile games with an ecosystem designed to bridge the Web2 and Web3 worlds
  • Set in an immersive metaverse, Robot Factions intensely battle for control over vital resources in a post apocalyptic world
  • Tokens and NFTs are seamlessly integrated into the gameplay, with unique DeFi tools offering a new dimension in Web3 gaming

Leading global game developer Wemade today announced that Estonian game developer DevDream House OÜ will be launching Multiplayer Turn-based strategy game “RoboHero” on the world’s biggest blockchain game platform, WEMIX PLAY (www.wemixplay.com). Set to be launched in the first quarter of 2024, RoboHero is one of the first mobile games with an ecosystem designed for players in both the Web2 and Web3 worlds, available on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.

In “RoboHero”, the action unfolds in the post-apocalyptic metaverse 31337, where warring robot factions battle for resources. Players choose from one of three factions – ETER, DEUTER, or PLASMA – and three character classes – Tank, Shooter, or Sniper with different fighting styles. Each RoboHero will have unique characteristics that combine base properties, attributes, factions, classes and corresponding bonuses. “RoboHero” also features a meticulously designed character development system in which characters gain experience in battles and, upon meeting specific conditions, evolve to acquire increasingly better statistics.

Players defeat opponents in a duel by inflicting more damage or by taking control of the majority of buildings on the map. Enter story mode (Player vs Environment) and win successive missions to collect NFT items, or join multiplayer mode (Player vs Player) to fight opponents for $ROBO. “RoboHero”, a Web3-based game, offers the following key features:

  • Players can purchase RoboHero robots in RoboHero LootBoxes using $ROBO tokens.
  • Players can choose from two modes of play: Story Mode (PvE) and FightClub Mode (PvP).
    • In Story Mode, players explore new territories, battle bosses, and earn in-game tokens to upgrade their robots and equipment.
    • In FightClub Mode, players can create or join fight rooms to compete against each other for $ROBO tokens.
    • Players can participate in tournaments to compete for additional $ROBO tokens.
  • Players can purchase NFT items, such as energy boosters, helmets, legs, weapons, and grenades, on a special marketplace using $ROBO tokens.
  • Players can create an account on the Marketplace and pair it with the game to manage their robots and NFT items.

More about NFTs – Equipment, Lands, Mines, BillboardsThe game includes numerous NFT implementations, such as lands, billboards, mines and items. 

  • Equipment: Each RoboHero faction has unique equipment NFTs that increase the power, vitality or range of affiliated RoboHeroes that can be found in chests scattered around the RoboHero world. Each RoboHero has three interchangeable pieces of equipment including Helmet, Limbs Armor and Corpus Shield. Legend has it that after completing the entire set of 3 items, RoboHeroes can evolve to a higher form.
  • Lands: Lands play an important role since mines can only be generated on them, while battles and gameplay also take place on lands. They can be purchased and freely traded on the market, with landowners entitled to pooled tokens for every fight that takes place on each land NFT.
  • Mines: The game requires the use of copper, iron, titanium and precious metals (gold, silver, and platinum) in crafting equipment and weapons. As the only sources of these materials, mines play an important role in RoboHero and can be purchased or traded on the market. 
  • In-game billboard ads: RoboHero introduces a new billboard advertising model with 1,000 billboards located on buildings throughout the game landscape. Billboard owners can advertise their own social media accounts and products, or choose instead to rent the advertising space for a predetermined amount per week/month,  or sell the billboard for a profit.

“WEMIX is a great partner for us and its vast gaming industry experience will be a key factor in helping RoboHero deliver new innovations in the Web3 gaming space,” said Jakub Stefanek, CEO of RoboHero mobile game. “As developers we are very excited about the opportunity to work with such a well known company and can’t wait to create the future of Web3 games together.”

Resources:

About WEMADE

Part of the first generation of Korean PC online game developers and Korean mobile game developers, Wemade is at the forefront of the next wave of Web3 game developers that are innovating with blockchain technology. Based on the WEMIX3.0 Mainnet, the WEMIX PLAY blockchain game platform is the world’s biggest with millions of users and a wide range of game genres from card, puzzle, simulation and strategy games; to first-person shooters, battle royale, MOBA, MMORPG, SNG, sports games and more. Visit www.wemix.com/communication for more information. 

Continue Reading

Financial

Web3 Investors from 16 nations converged to witness these 6 Graviton-backed Indian startups make their pitch.

redfly.eth

Published

9 months ago

on

July 26, 2023

By

Graviton Web3 Accelerator’s digitally simulcast Demo Day event saw participation from VCs and angels around the world, focused on a cumulative raise of $10Mn for their first cohort. 

Graviton, a web3-focused accelerator for emerging markets backed by global VCs such as Hashkey Capital, Moonrock Capital, NGC Ventures, 369 Capital, Ascensive Assets, Stacker Ventures, MH Ventures, G1 Ventures, Infinity Ventures Crypto (IVC), and GravityX Capital, recently organized its first-ever digitally simulcast Demo Day.

The event saw participation from over 70 global investors from 16 countries, with all eyes converging on what the six teams at Graviton are busy building and scaling. These teams have emerged as outliers from a pool of 300+ startups that had applied to get accelerated through the Graviton ecosystem.

Graviton’s uniquely designed accelerator program arms a limited cohort of promising early-stage web3 founders with a healthy infusion of institutional capital (marked by a seed investment into each team), technical grants and integrations from a vast partner ecosystem, mentorship from proven industry experts to help the teams with business strategy, tech fundamentals, growth marketing, and fundraising, as well as expanded networking opportunities to help them raise serious capital in the long run. 

“While the ongoing ‘bear market’ sentiment fosters a conservative investment mindset around the world for crypto platforms, we at Graviton believe that world-class technology products led by visionary founders are always ahead of the curve, and always lucrative to serious investors”, remarked Arpit Nik (Founder & CEO at Graviton and a General Partner at GravityX Capital). Arpit and team have been hard at work since December last year, to identify India’s strongest founders with a penchant to build for the decentralized web. 

The six teams that emerged frontrunners amidst a plethora of applicants, include:

Spydra – An enterprise grade blockchain solution that is helping large organizations migrate their existing tech stack from web2 to web3, making the transition as frictionless as possible. Led by the seasoned and suave Manish Tewari (with massive previous exits at Koovs.com and Pokkt), Spydra is powering the largest status-quo migration in enterprise tech, since the advent of AWS and cloud-computing. They’re already clocking an annual run rate of $100K in revenue, servicing clients such as Raymond, Myntra, and the National Payments Corporation of India. 

Wall – This team is solving one of the most significant challenges of web3, i.e. community building. Wall helps businesses acquire and take community members through beautifully mapped custom user journeys, helping them claim rewards (such as Airdrop tokens), while completing platform-mandated tasks across multiple touch points (such as Twitter, Telegram, Discord, etc). It offsets the community moderation costs for emerging web3 platforms, and after helping 40+ projects design custom reward pathways, Wall is fast emerging as the go-to community building solution for L1 and L2 ecosystems.  Wall is helmed by Anuj Kumar Kodam (ex IIT Kharagpur, IIM Calcutta, and formerly part of the founder’s office at Ola Cabs). 

Strive – Global opinion on the utility of NFTs is divided, and Strive is here to change that. With a proprietary layer that facilitates the sharing and trading of NFT utilities, the team is expanding the possibilities of what one can do with NFTs today. Using Strive, any business, brand, or artist-led community can monetize their audience and influence with ease. Kartik Mehrotra (ex UC Berkeley) leads the show at Strive Network. 

Zoth – Crypto users of today are struggling to find secure and passive income generating opportunities, despite the total value of crypto finance having breached $1Trillion as of 2022. Pritam Dutta (ex Ab-InBev, Mahindra & Mahindra) and team Zoth are on a mission to democratize global access to affordable capital, through the tokenization of real world assets. They’ve already deployed $500K in capital, and have a little under $10M in their managed assets pipeline. 

Fetcch – The motto and creed at Fetcch is to make web3 payments as simple as Venmo or Paypal. Mandar Ray, CEO at Fetcch, explains that they’re building an abstracted middleware layer that removes the complexities associated with wallet addresses, which in turn is a giant leap towards the mainstream adoption of web3. Recently, the team has opened up beta access to Fetcch Pay, their flagship payments product. 

GG Nation – eSports is booming, and team GG Nation has done a stellar job of capturing the mindshare of student gamers across 250+ Indian colleges in 18 cities. Today, GGNation has more than 200,000 gamers on its roster, with an aim to onboard India’s first million gamers. Abhinandan, the founder and CEO, has a remarkable track record with two of India’s biggest sports IPs, Indian Racing League and Premier Futsal, achieving impressive media value, viewership, and live attendance.

Over the last 16 weeks, these teams have been immersed in interactive workshops with a team of 50+ remarkable mentors – all of whom are established thought leaders in their respective domains. And in exchange for their time and imparted wisdom, Graviton has created a circular rewards model, with each mentor acquiring nominal equity in these teams, proportionate to the time they spend nurturing each product. Arjun Kalsy (ex-Growth lead at Polygon), for instance, has a vested interest in the success of each of these six teams, as one of their growth mentors. The same is true for Parth Chaturvedi of Coinswitch Ventures, Vijay Pravin of bitsCrunch, and many others who have become an integral part of the growth journeys of all 6 teams.

The success of Graviton’s Demo Day is owed largely to the efforts of Program Director Jeffrey Broer, who is a seasoned web3 investor at Mulana Capital, and a highly sought-after blockchain mentor and speaker. 

“Supporting visionary entrepreneurs on their transformative journeys in the web3 realm brings me immense joy. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the nurturing Graviton ecosystem for promoting an inclusive culture of progress. May the six teams embark on a remarkable path of growth and achievement!”

– Vijay Pravin (CEO, bitsCrunch & Growth Mentor at Graviton)

“All hands aboard is the philosophy that drives us to help startups and founders. We’re glad that this team of web3 disruptors came together at Graviton, and forever indebted to our invaluable mentors, who have helped craft this journey together. With everyone’s hearts set on building sustainably for the decentralized internet, we’re just really excited about what the future holds for the Indian web3 space”

– Vishal Sanap (Head of Portfolio Growth & Development at Graviton)

Continue Reading

Trending