Hackathon showcases diverse Move-based projects, from DeFi to GameFi, accelerating ecosystem growth

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 10, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Movement Labs, a web3 company and core contributor of the Movement Network, today announced the results of its highly anticipated “Battle of Olympus” hackathon. The two-month event attracted an impressive 2,100 project submissions from developers worldwide, with 85 exceptional projects advancing to the final round. This overwhelming response underscores the growing interest in Move-based blockchain technology and its potential to reshape the future of decentralized applications.

The Battle of Olympus hackathon produced 10 standout projects across six critical categories, each demonstrating innovative applications of Move-based technology:

1. Titan

StakedMove: Premier Liquid Staking Token for Movement, enhancing network security and user yield opportunities.

2. DeFi

Gasyard: Cross-network gas optimization protocol, streamlining DeFi transactions and improving user experience.PicWe: Omni-chain liquidity infrastructure, facilitating seamless asset transfers across the Movement ecosystem.

3. AI

RNDM: AI-driven modular liquidity solution, potentially revolutionizing automated market-making in DeFi.

4. SocialFi

Podium: Web3 social audio platform enabling community-moderated discussions, bridging social media and blockchain.Movewiffrens (MWFs): Decentralized social media platform, reimagining online interactions with blockchain-based identity and content ownership.

5. NFTs/GameFi

Seekers Alliance: Skill-based trading card game with innovative NFT mechanics, showcasing advanced smart contract capabilities on Movement.Simemes: Meme-powered social gaming platform, blending viral internet culture with blockchain gaming.

6. Infrastructure

Movide: Advanced online IDE for Move, accelerating development on the Movement network.Scaffold Move: Comprehensive toolkit for building dapps, lowering barriers to entry for developers in the Movement ecosystem.

The Battle of Olympus winners will receive substantial support, reflecting Movement Labs’ dedication to fostering blockchain innovation:

Grants of up to $100,000 from the Movement FoundationExclusive access to the newly launched Move Collective accelerator programIntroductions to Movement’s network of top-tier venture capital firmsOngoing technical support, resources, and expert mentorshipEligibility for the MoveDrop program from the Movement FoundationSponsored trip to Devcon 2024 in Thailand, covering flights and accommodation, courtesy of 280 Capital, an investor in Movement Labs

“We’re truly amazed by the caliber and talent of developers from around the world who competed in The Battle of Olympus,” said Ali Shiekh, Lead Strategist, Movement Labs. “This event is just a glimpse of the Movement we’re building, and we’re incredibly proud of all the builders who took part.”

The success of the Battle of Olympus hackathon signals a significant shift in the blockchain landscape, highlighting the growing developer interest in Move-based blockchains. As Movement Labs progresses towards its mainnet launch, these innovative projects will play a crucial role in strengthening its ecosystem and demonstrating the versatility of Movement’s modular architecture.

For more information about the winning projects and Movement Labs’ upcoming initiatives, please visit: movementlabs.xyz, follow on X @movementlabsxyz and join the community on Discord.

About Movement Labs
Movement Labs is the innovative force behind the Movement Network, an ecosystem of Modular Move-Based Blockchains that enables developers to build secure, performant, and interoperable blockchain applications, bridging the gap between Move and EVM ecosystems. The organization is developing the first Move Virtual Machine L2 for Ethereum, alongside open-source tooling and protocols to facilitate the adoption of the Move programming language across blockchain ecosystems. With Movement, developers can launch high-performance Move VM rollups with ease. Backed by $38 million in Series A funding led by Polychain Capital, with participation from Binance Labs, Hack VC, Placeholder, OKX Ventures and Archetype, Movement Labs aims to revolutionize blockchain interoperability and advance Move-based technologies in the Web3 space.

About 280 Capital:

280 Capital is the Web3 venture arm of the Huang Liu and Chen Family Office, with $2.5 billion assets under management. The family has been in the Web3 space since 2014, and has built a crypto portfolio anchored by a large early accumulation of BTC. To learn more, visit https://www.280.xyz/ 

For further information:
Carmen Pearson
carmen.pearson@movementlabs.xyz

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/move-based-blockchain-innovators-unveiled-movement-labs-battle-of-olympus-hackathon-rewards-top-projects-with-up-to-2m-in-prizes-302273279.html

SOURCE Movement Labs

TORONTO, Oct. 10, 2024 /CNW/ – The Government of Canada is supporting Canadian utilities and system operators that are working to clean their electricity, integrate clean solutions such as utility storage systems and micro grids, and meet the demands of increased electrification at the least cost to rate payers. These measures are enabling clean growth and ensuring a healthier environment for our communities. Canada’s electricity systems will be the backbone of Canada’s clean economy and central to our efforts to fight climate change and build a more prosperous economy for Canadian workers and businesses. 

Today, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources announced up to $500 million in funding for the Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways program (SREPs) Utility Support Stream. SREPs was recapitalized with nearly $2.9 billion in Budget 2023 and supports clean electricity infrastructure — such as renewable energy technologies, energy storage and grid modernization technologies — that strengthen the electricity grid. Through the program, the federal government will support even more clean electricity projects.

This latest round of the SREPs program is launching its first of several intake processes today. The Request for Expressions of Interest for the Utility Support Stream (USS) is now open to utilities, system operators and industry organizations seeking to modernize to enable greater renewable energy integration or expand transmission and distribution systems while maintaining reliability and affordability. This represents an additional step in the Government of Canada’s work to support provinces and territories, as well as electricity operators, to achieve a clean grid in line with industry and government goals. This work — which reflects mutual objectives reached through the Regional Energy and Resources Tables — is injecting much-needed funds into the Canadian electricity sector to modernize and future-proof grids as they withstand growing populations, high demand and increasing extreme weather events.

Projects funded under the USS will:

improve the utilization and efficiency of existing assets;increase the reliability, resiliency, and flexibility of the power system;increase the integration and use of renewable resources and non-conventional infrastructure solutions;generate economic and social benefits; andhelp accommodate growing demand for clean and affordable electricity.

More intake processes for other types of projects will be launched over the next few months.  

Today’s announcement took place at the University of Toronto, host of Canada’s future first grid modernization centre that previously benefited from $10 million in federal government funding, where the Minister also took the opportunity to announce the YMCA of Greater Toronto’s Energy and Climate Strategies Project, which previously received $768,750 in SREPs funding to complete studies and to explore renewable technologies, including geothermal, solar photovoltaic (PV), solar thermal, microgrid and battery storage. Investments like this lead to renewable energy projects that clean the air in our communities.

The Government of Canada is taking every step to build a clean, reliable and affordable electricity system across the country.

Quotes

“By making historic investments in clean electricity, this government is positioning Canadians to take advantage of the economic opportunities presented by the clean economy, now and into the future. The Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways program is already providing Canadian communities across the country with affordable and clean power while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. I am pleased to celebrate the ongoing successes of this program and to announce the opening of the Utility Support Stream as of today. This next step will allow us to support even more projects as we work with provinces, territories, Indigenous governments and non-governmental partners as we work toward our common goal of an energy-efficient and money-saving clean grid. I look forward to seeing the results of this new funding as it improves energy infrastructure from coast to coast to coast.”

The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson
Minister of Energy and Natural Resources

“The support from the Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways program has been pivotal in helping the YMCA of Greater Toronto enhance our charity’s sustainability efforts. The funding allowed us to complete critical studies that will lead to the implementation of renewable energy solutions across our facilities, including geothermal energy. This marks a major step in reducing our carbon footprint and building a more resilient future.”  

Lesley Davidson, President and CEO
YMCA of Greater Toronto

Quick Facts

Launched in 2021, SREPs works with provinces, territories and Indigenous Peoples to support critical regional priority projects that reduce dependence on fossil fuel generation and create pathways for a stronger electricity grid system. The program also incorporates transmission and distribution infrastructure and continues to support grid modernization activities, energy storage and Indigenous-led clean energy projects. The SREPs critical regional priorities stream (CRP) identifies projects through continuous engagement directly with the provincial or territorial representatives and existing work being done by the Regional Energy and Resource Tables.

Since 2021, SREPs has approved funding for 72 projects, enabling the deployment of approximately 2,700 megawatts of new renewable energy capacity, which will produce enough electricity to power 700,000 homes annually and displace over 3.1 megatonnes of CO2e per year. 

Budget 2023 re-capitalized SREPs with an additional ~$2.9 billion over 13 years starting in 2023–24. This builds on $1.56 billion (from Budgets 2021 and 2022) to support the de-carbonization of the electricity sector and enable a clean grid. This approximately $4.5-billion program is designed to significantly reduce emissions and create sustainable jobs by continuing to support the deployment of grid modernization, energy storage and renewables in every region of Canada. 61 percent of approved deployment projects to date have Indigenous ownership.SREPs is actively supporting Canada’s ongoing transition to a net-zero economy by 2050.Last year, the Government of Canada released Powering Canada Forward, its vision for transforming Canada’s electricity sector and meeting its commitment to decarbonizing the country’s electricity systems. 

Related Information 

YMCA of Greater TorontoSmart Renewables and Electrification Pathways ProgramPowering Canada Forward: Building a Clean, Affordable, and Reliable Electricity System for Every Region in Canada2030 Emissions Reduction Plan: Clean Air, Strong Economy

Follow us on LinkedIn

SOURCE Natural Resources Canada

CARROLLTON, Ga., Oct. 10, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Southwire, North America’s leading wire and cable company, is proud to announce the release of its second annual inclusion report. The 2023 report highlights Southwire’s continued leadership in our industry, within the organization and in the communities where it operates.

Southwire’s dedication to this strategy is guided by six key areas: People Leaders, Inclusive Workforce, Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), Reputation and Community, Equity and Governance, and Value and Supply Chain. This organization has a bold vision for the future which focuses on increasing internal engagement and building stronger relationships with external partners.

“At Southwire, we continue to lead through our value of inclusion, which is essential to our strategic plan, to create generational sustainability and continued growth in our industry,” said Southwire CEO Rich Stinson. “This commitment has not only positively affected our organization, but also extends into the communities in which we work and live across our entire footprint.”

Key Highlights from the 2023 Inclusion Report:

Include Summit: In August 2023, Southwire hosted its inaugural Include Summit, a two-day event recognizing team members who have made a positive impact by modeling inclusive behaviors throughout the year.Workforce Diversity: Southwire increased the representation of women, veterans, and team members from underrepresented communities across the company in 2023.Inclusion Governance Model: Southwire continues to promote accountability and leadership through its Inclusion Governance Model, ensuring every team member has a voice in shaping the company’s future.Employee Resource Groups: The company’s six ERGs play a pivotal role in fostering inclusion, providing networking opportunities, and enhancing engagement among team members.

One of the primary themes of this year’s report is how Southwire is integrating inclusion across its business.

“Inclusion is part of our DNA — it’s not just what we do, but it’s how we do it,” said Cara Herzog, Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer. “When we think about how inclusion positions us, we’re not just looking to the next five years; we’re looking at how we will reach 100 years and beyond. For example, we’re considering the future of our manufacturing workforce, as it will become more challenging to fill critical roles. From that vantage point, and for many other reasons, our future relies on an integrated approach toward putting our value of inclusion into action throughout our business.”

Southwire’s award-winning impact was highlighted through various recognitions in the 2023 report, including being named as a Top Diversity Employer by DiversityJobs.com for the fourth year in a row, two award recognitions through The Diversity Impact Awards for ERG and inclusive program efforts, Southwire Canada named as a Great Place to Work for the third year in a row, and more.  At Southwire, inclusion is one of the company’s key values, and this report further reflects the organization’s efforts to be transparent in the ways Southwire is creating generational sustainability, fostering an inclusive workplace and strengthening the communities it serves. To learn more about Southwire’s commitment to inclusion, visit www.southwire.com/dei. 

About Southwire:

Southwire Company, LLC is North America’s leading wire and cable company. The $8B organization is made up of more than 9,000 team members across the globe who unite as ONE Southwire each and every day to serve each other, their customers and their communities. Southwire and its subsidiaries provide solutions including building wire and cable, metal-clad cable, utility products, portable and electronic cord products and OEM wire products. In addition, Southwire offers electrical products, engineered solutions and a variety of field support services. For more on Southwire’s products and solutions, its community involvement and its vision of sustainability, visit www.southwire.com.

Media Contact:
Ashley Bush
Director, Communications
ashley.bush@southwire.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/southwires-second-annual-inclusion-report-highlights-commitment-to-inclusion-and-generational-sustainability-302273233.html

SOURCE Southwire