CoinVoice reports that on May 14, Japanese emoticon manga NFT company Minto announced a 6.6 billion yen (≈¥35 million) investment led by Kakao Piccoma, with participation from existing shareholders including Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Capital, Mizuho Capital, and OLM Ventures. This brings Minto’s total funding to 14.6 billion yen.
Key Highlights:
- Background: Formed via the merger of Quan (emoticon character firm) and Wwwaap (manga studio), Minto operates in three sectors: content solutions, IP development (emoticons + webtoons), and Web3 innovations.
- Collaborations: Partnered with The Sandbox to launch Minto Character Land (formerly QuanLAND) in November 2021.
- NFT Success: Achieved ¥250 million sales within 4 minutes for one NFT collection.
Fujian Authorities Expose "ORG Coin" Ponzi Scheme Involving ¥700 Million
On May 14, Fujian police unveiled a virtual currency pyramid scheme during a press conference for National Economic Crime Awareness Day. Key details:
- Scheme: From 2017, criminals led by Wu某 promoted "ORG Coin" under blockchain pretenses, requiring purchases for membership and recruiting下线 (downlines).
- Scale: Accumulated ¥700 million from victims; case now under judicial review.
Nansen Hints at Token Launch Timeline to Boost User Growth
Nansen CEO Alex Svanevik polled users on May 14 about interest in a potential token release:
- 73.8% expressed intent to register if a timeline were announced.
- 8.5% were existing users.
Visual China’s NFT Sales Surpass ¥10 Million by March 2022
As of March 2022, Visual China’s Chang’an Chain-based NFT platform Meta Vision:
- Collaborations: 41 artists/IP agencies.
- Sales: 126 NFTs sold, totaling ¥10 million+.
- Outlook: NFTs enhance B2C engagement, with potential expansion into audio/video NFTs.
Anchor Protocol TVL Plummets 98.25% to $345 Million
DeFiLlama data (May 14):
- Terra’s Anchor Protocol TVL crashed to $345 million, a 98.25% weekly drop.
Do Kwon Apologizes, Proposes Terra Revival Plan
Key statements from Terra founder Do Kwon:
- No Insider Sales: Denied selling LUNA/UST during collapse.
Rebuild Proposal: Suggests minting 1 billion new LUNA:
- 40% to pre-depeg LUNA stakers.
- 40% to UST holders.
- 10% each to post-attack LUNA holders and ecosystem developers.
- Inflation: 7% annual rate for new tokens.
Outlier Ventures & Polygon Launch Accelerator for Web3 Startups
Announced May 13:
- Focus Areas: NFT utilities, interoperable gaming, DeFi protocols, cross-chain solutions, and ESG-compliant Web3 projects.
- Deadline: First applications close June 19, 2022.
👉 Learn about Polygon’s ecosystem
GBTC Negative Premium Hits Record 30.79%
OKLink data: Grayscale Bitcoin Trust’s discount widened to 30.79% on May 13.
SOLARR Raises $2M to Enhance NFT Liquidity
Seed Round: Funded by All In Ventures, JY Cap, and MD2 Digital.
- Mission: Solve NFT liquidity issues via a multi-chain platform.
FAQ Section
Q: Will existing LUNA holders receive new tokens?
A: Only pre-depeg stakers and UST holders qualify per the proposal.
Q: How does Anchor’s TVL drop affect Terra?
A: Highlights systemic risks in algorithmic stablecoins.
Q: Is Visual China’s NFT platform decentralized?
A: It uses Chang’an Chain, a permissioned blockchain.
Q: What’s next for Minto?
A: Expanding Web3 integrations and IP monetization.