Core Insights - Startale Labs has successfully closed a $63 million Series A funding round, significantly increasing its valuation since early 2024, with major investments from Sony Innovation Fund, Samsung Next, UOB Venture Management, and SBI Holdings [1] - The funding will primarily support the global rollout of the "Startale Super-App" and the integration of the USDSC stablecoin, positioning Startale as a leader in the "Creator Economy 2.0" [1] - Soneium's mainnet has achieved over 500 million transactions and 5.4 million active wallets since its launch in January 2025, indicating strong performance and user engagement [2] Funding and Strategic Goals - The $63 million capital will enhance the "Soneium Spark" incubation program, which has onboarded over 250 decentralized applications in various sectors including gaming and music [2] - Startale aims to develop "entertainment-native" blockchain tools to facilitate direct interactions between traditional media companies and global fanbases, eliminating traditional distribution barriers [2] - The partnership with Sony is focused on testing high-fidelity digital twins and NFT-based ticketing systems, enhancing the integration of physical events with digital ownership [2] Financial Sector Expansion - Backed by SBI Holdings and UOB, Startale is developing "JPYSC," a Japanese Yen-pegged stablecoin, to establish a primary liquidity pair on Soneium for cross-border settlements [3] - The Series A funding supports the vision of a "unified settlement layer," aiming to integrate financial and creative assets on-chain, particularly within the Asia-Pacific region [3] - Startale's strategy is to create a compliant innovation zone that bridges Japan's regulatory framework with the global DeFi ecosystem, attracting institutional capital and grassroots developers [3]

Core Insights - Metaplanet, a major corporate Bitcoin holder with 35,102 BTC, is expanding its operations by launching two new subsidiaries [1][3] - The subsidiaries include Metaplanet Ventures K.K., a venture fund, and Metaplanet Asset Management, a Bitcoin capital markets platform [3][7] Metaplanet Ventures K.K. - The venture fund plans to invest ¥4 billion (approximately $25 million) into startups focused on Bitcoin-related financial infrastructure in Japan [4] - Targeted segments for investment include lending, payments, custody, stablecoins, derivatives, and compliance technology [4] - The first planned investment is up to ¥400 million into JPYC, Japan's licensed yen stablecoin issuer, coinciding with recent developments in the Japanese crypto ecosystem [5] Metaplanet Asset Management - This subsidiary will focus on building digital credit and Bitcoin capital markets products, including yield strategies, equity and credit exposures, and volatility/derivatives instruments [8] - The platform aims to bridge capital flows between Asian and Western markets, addressing fragmentation in global cryptocurrency trading [8] Additional Initiatives - Metaplanet Ventures will also launch an incubator program for early-stage Japanese founders and establish a grants initiative to support open-source Bitcoin developers, educators, and researchers [7]

From private payments to tokenized funds and AI standards, Ethereum builders kept shipping.Here are 25 things the ecosystem delivered this month.0/ @payy_link announced Payy Network, a privacy-first Ethereum enabled EVM L2.It features default private token transfers and a cheaper way to build privacy-preserving applications, strengthening Ethereum’s privacy ecosystem.1/ @RobinhoodApp launched the public testnet for Robinhood Chain, an Ethereum L2 powered by @arbitrum.Institutional settlement on Ethereum rol ...

RT Startale 💿 (@StartaleGroup)🇯🇵 Startale Group and SBI Holdings introduce JPYSC, the first trust bank–backed JPY stablecoin issued by Shinsei Trust & Banking, with Startale Group building the technical foundation for regulated digital yen infrastructure.Here's what makes JPYSC a landmark moment 👇🏻 https://t.co/HbWGVIO3nR ...