Technology

Chaos Agents Private Alpha launches along with crowdfunding campaign on Republic, oversubscribed within 6 hours

Published

13 hours ago

December 26, 2024

Popularium’s first game sees more than 20,000 players applying for 1,000 Alpha spots, closes $50,000 equity crowdfunding target in less than 6 hours

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Chaos Agents, the world’s first autobattler-royale, designed by Richard Garfield and the first game developed by Popularium, launched its private Alpha today. Since the announcement of the private Alpha at Gen Con 2024 in Indianapolis, more than 20,000 players have signed up for 1,000 seats. To meet the demand, Popularium will increase the number of Alpha seats to 5,000 for the initial launch of the Alpha, and plans to expand the Alpha beyond 10,000 players in early 2025.

“We have been overwhelmed by the response to the Alpha announcement,” said Arka Ray, President and CTO at Popularium. “The number of players who want to join the Alpha and experience Richard’s vision has been over 20 times more than we anticipated. And we continue to get hundreds of new applications each week. We’re expecting more than 30 thousand applicants by year end. The team is working through the holidays to accommodate as many players as possible at this early stage of the Alpha. We want every applicant to have an opportunity to experience Chaos Agents as soon as possible.”

To prepare for this rapid expansion, Popularium launched an equity crowdfunding campaign on the Republic platform. The campaign was fully committed and then oversubscribed within six hours of launching publicly. The Popularium campaign on Republic enables members of the public to invest in Popularium. Ray attributed the rapid close of the campaign to players and fans of Popularium co-founders Richard Garfield (Magic: the Gathering) and Jonathan Bankard (Hearthstone, World of Warcraft, Diablo, Command and Conquer) wanting to directly support the development of their next original game.

“This is an exciting time for Chaos Agents,” said Garfield in a community Q&A on the occasion of launch of the Chaos Agents Alpha and crowdfunding campaign on Republic. “The game is being really well received by players, much more so than I expected at this early stage. There are so many different types of play modes that we want to build into Chaos Agents, and thanks to the community and the technology we have built, it’s becoming clear what we can and should be building. There’s no more exciting time for a game’s development when players are clearly enjoying it, but at the same time the opportunities for improvements seem endless.”

The Alpha Launch follows the announcement that Popularium has committed to the “forever multiplayer game” model for Chaos Agents. Through the use of dedicated servers and its proprietary Chaos Cloud Gaming Engine, Popularium plans to ensure that Chaos Agents will be a multiplayer game that “can’t be killed” or taken offline. Players are expected to always have a way to play the game with the globally unique superheroes they have recruited to their team. Garfield and Ray attributed the positive response from this announcement as having helped generate additional interest in the Chaos Agents Alpha and crowdfunding campaign.

In Chaos Agents, the first game of the “autobattler-royale” genre, players coach and guide a globally unique superhero – their Chaos Agent – to victory in a grand battle royale against dozens of other Agents. The player coaches and powers their hero up through deep, strategic card play similar to Garfield’s legendary games, such as Magic and Keyforge, and then sits back and watches as their Agent goes to battle, preparing for the next round of upgrades. Each Agent is globally unique – which means that only one player in the world will be able to play with an Agent at a time and become the global expert on that Agent.

“Evolving and creating new genres is just so much fun,” said Jonathan Bankard, Game Director for Chaos Agents. “All of us at Popularium have worked on projects like Magic and Hearthstone that started as small dreams that ended up impacting many more players than we initially hoped. We are trying something similar with Chaos Agents–to bring the autobattler genre of games to many more people through the proven format of battle royales. The advantage we now have is the early involvement of our community in helping us polish this uncut gem into a brilliant, shining diamond through their play and now investments that let them own a piece of Popularium.”

Chaos Agents plans to expand its Alpha in late January together with the Second Chaos World Championship, and plans to expand the Alpha capacity each month before entering Early Access in late 2025. Players can sign up for the Alpha at popularium.com and request priority access by joining the Chaos Agents Discord server.

About Popularium: Popularium was founded by an all-star team of gaming industry veterans behind the largest multiplayer games and platforms in history, such as Magic: The Gathering, Hearthstone, World of Warcraft, and Xbox Live, to innovate and create gaming experiences. Popularium started from a simple idea: What would games look like if they involved the community from an early stage? What if this community had the tools to impact the narrative and economy by playing games the way they want to, rather than the way games wanted them to play? Chaos Agents, designed by Popularium co-founder Richard Garfield, is Popularium’s first effort to bring this vision to life.

Press Contact: Chris Gale, Chris@GaleStrategies.com

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SOURCE Popularium

Technology

Plume Network Partners with Maseer to Tokenize $200M of Carbon Allowances

Published

16 minutes ago

December 27, 2024

NEW YORK, Dec. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Plume Network is proud to announce a strategic partnership with Maseer, an Abu Dhabi based tokenization platform, to bring $200M in Carbon Allowances exclusively on-chain to Plume. Built on Plume’s Real-World Asset Finance (RWAfi) ecosystem, Maseer will offer a tokenized solution to one of the fastest-growing alternative asset classes: compliance carbon.

Empowering Climate Action Through Compliance Carbon Tokenization

Compliance carbon has been one of the fastest growing alternative asset classes given increased regulatory and business scrutiny on emissions. The S&P Global Carbon Credit Index, which tracks the most liquid segment of the tradable carbon credit futures markets, has seen a 15.68% annualized return over the past five years. The value of these markets reached nearly one trillion USD in 2023.

The partnership with Plume Network allows Maseer to bring fully collateralized carbon products on-chain, where they will be fully compatible with Web3’s potent DeFi sector. DeFi integration vastly enhances compliance carbon markets with superior liquidity solutions and greater access to a global body of investors, broader market demand, and new yield sources.

“We are excited to partner with Plume to bring carbon allowances on chain. Plume is uniquely positioned to bring this vision to fruition because they are the only chain purpose built for RWAs. They’ve raised the bar with their tokenization engine, infrastructure tooling, and ecosystem network effects. We believe Plume is on the bleeding edge of on-chain adoption of RWAs,” said Bradley Allgood, CEO of Maseer.

“Energy transition is an asset category that we have been increasingly focused on at Plume because of growing demand for climate action, both from a government and corporate sustainability perspective. Volumes for the global carbon credit market are forecasted to grow at a 39% CAGR from 2024 to 2033,” said Teddy Pornprinya, Chief Business Officer and Co-Founder at Plume Network.

What are carbon allowances?

Compliance carbon allowances trade under cap-and-trade programs known as Emissions Trading Systems (ETS). These systems create transparent, liquid markets that are government-mandated and regulated. As of April 1, 2024, approximately 18 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions are covered by emissions trading systems (ETS). Carbon allowances are distinct from project-based carbon offsets and offer a market-based approach to regulating a region’s emissions, with mandatory participation for specified industries. Carbon allowance supply is managed by government agencies and adjusted primarily through an annually declining cap. 

About Plume
Plume is the first fully integrated L1 modular blockchain focused on RWAfi, offering a composable, EVM-compatible environment for onboarding and managing diverse real-world assets. With 180+ projects on its private devnet, Plume provides an end-to-end tokenization engine and a network of financial infrastructure partners, simplifying asset onboarding and enabling seamless DeFi integration for RWAs. Learn more at https://www.plumenetwork.xyz/ or contact press@plumenetwork.xyz

About Maseer
Maseer operates out of Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), the world’s leading Special Economic Zone (SEZ) for digital asset innovation. Maseer is led by Tokenization and Free Zone Veteran Bradley Allgood and is focused on the design of bringing real world assets on chain to be fully interoperable with DeFi. Maseer has developed strategic relationships with Sovereign Nations and Large Enterprises to identify the highest quality real world assets around the world.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/plume-network-partners-with-maseer-to-tokenize-200m-of-carbon-allowances-302339461.html

SOURCE Plume Network

Technology

LG Energy Solution Hosts ‘Battery Innovation Contest (BIC) 2025’ to Foster Breakthrough Battery Technologies

Published

2 hours ago

December 26, 2024

The company opens international research contest to strengthen technology leadership; open for entries until January 31, 2025Selected researchers to receive annual research funding of up to USD 150,000 annuallyBIC program revamped to enhance two-way collaboration between industry and academia

SEOUL, South Korea, Dec. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — LG Energy Solution (KRX: 373220) has announced its launch of the ‘Battery Innovation Contest (BIC) 2025’ to identify and support the next groundbreaking battery technologies.

Innovators from universities and research institutions worldwide are encouraged to submit proposals until January 31, 2025, at https://bridge.lgensol.com/.

Since its inaugural competition in 2017, BIC has been LG Energy Solution’s flagship research contest. This year’s edition has been revamped to foster greater collaboration between academia and industry.

Selected researchers will receive annual research funding of up to USD 150,000 annually. Additional funding may be granted to projects making significant achievements through extended contracts.

Maximizing Industry–Academia Benefits through Two-way Communication

Unlike previous iterations of the competition, ‘BIC 2025’ allows participants to submit proposals on specific topics pre-announced by LG Energy Solution.

“By presenting specific research optics, we aim to go beyond merely supporting academia and maximize the mutual benefits between the industry and academia,” said an LG Energy Solution spokesperson.

To facilitate active collaboration, LG Energy Solution has introduced the ‘BRIDGE‘ system, a platform designed to manage open innovation programs like BIC. The system facilitates seamless collaborations with features that help teams working on joint research projects track their objectives and deliverables.

LG Energy Solution has unveiled the preselected 18 research topics for collaborative projects on the ‘BRIDGE‘ platform, such Battery Safety diagnosis algorithm technology and New materials for LFP Batteries topic. At the same time, the contest retains its traditional format to ensure participants are free to propose completely original research ideas. All research proposals must be submitted through the ‘BRIDGE‘ system.

“Providing Differentiated Customer Value via Enhanced Technology Leadership”

To protect the original ideas of every participant, LG Energy Solution has split the application process into two stages: initial proposals that provide concise information, followed by detailed proposals from a shortlist of candidates. This change aims to safeguard the ideas of researchers not selected for funding.

“The BIC platform serves as a bridge of wisdom between members of academia and industry, driving technological innovation for the all-important battery sector,” said Je-Young Kim, CTO of LG Energy Solution. “Through this initiative, we aim to provide differentiated value to our customers by strengthening our technology leadership.”

As of today, LG Energy Solution has supported 26 battery research projects through the ‘BIC’ initiative, with some evolving into large-scale projects that have received additional funding and resources. Thanks to the success of this competition, the company continues to establish partnerships with world-leading universities and research institutions, reinforcing its commitment to preparing the battery field for the future.

About LG Energy Solution

LG Energy Solution (KRX: 373220), a split-off from LG Chem, is a leading global manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles, mobility, IT, and energy storage systems. With 30 years of experience in revolutionary battery technology and extensive research and development (R&D), the company is the top battery-related patent holder in the world with over 58,000 patents. Its robust global network, which spans North America, Europe, and Asia, includes battery manufacturing facilities established through joint ventures with major automakers. Committed to building sustainable battery ecosystem, LG Energy Solution aims to achieve carbon neutrality across its value chain by 2050, while embodying the value of shared growth and promoting diverse and inclusive corporate culture. To learn more about LG Energy Solution’s ideas and innovations, visit https://news.lgensol.com.

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SOURCE LG Energy Solution

Technology

SM approaches 2025 with cautious optimism

Published

2 hours ago

December 26, 2024

PASAY CITY, Philippines, Dec. 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The SM Group is approaching the coming year with cautious optimism, encouraged by the continued growth of the Philippine economy.

SM Investments President and Chief Executive Officer Frederic C. DyBuncio said that despite ongoing challenges of peso volatility and higher inflation, the business sector has adapted well.

Consistent demand sustained household spending in the third quarter, with Household Final Consumption Expenditure posting a year-on-year growth of 5.1%, maintaining the same level in the same quarter last year, data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed.

“Any moderation in inflation should trigger a strong confidence rebound. This could create opportunities in consumer-focused sectors in the country and we are poised to cater to these evolving demands,” Mr. DyBuncio said.

To cater to growing demand, SM continues to expand into more underserved areas, contributing to sustainable economic development and collaborating with government stakeholders to enhance access to modern retail, financial services, and integrated property developments.

“By investing and expanding to more areas nationwide, SM creates new markets and improves access to these essential sectors, serving more communities and helping stimulate sustained economic activities,” he said.

Mr. DyBuncio also said SM continues to invest in promising ventures such as renewable energy and logistics, that foster economic activity.

SM has invested in the clean energy industry through Philippine Geothermal Production Company (PGPC) which produces 300 Megawatts of geothermal steam supply. SM aims to continue to develop geothermal concessions through PGPC in support of the Department of Energy’s goal of reaching 50% renewable energy supply by 2040.

To encourage circularity towards green energy production, SM’s property arm, SM Prime Holdings partnered with GUUN Co. Ltd. (GUUN) to implement the Japanese technique of reducing landfill impact. The technology converts non-recyclable and hard-to-recycle packaging into alternative fuel.

SM’s banking arm, BDO Unibank is one of the largest funders of renewable energy projects. BDO has funded PHP898 billion in sustainable finance, including loans to 59 renewable energy projects as of December 2023.

In logistics and tourism, the improvement of transport networks across the country’s archipelago connects tourist and industrial areas that will help create inclusive growth. SM though its subsidiary 2GO launched MV Masigla and MV Masikap in 2024 to help better connect goods to 19 ports across the country including Iloilo, Bacolod, Cagayan de Oro and Manila, further supporting the government’s push for medium term growth through an upgraded tourism infrastructure and ecosystem.

“Our focus for 2025 will be to drive purposeful growth, empowering communities and partners through our investments towards a sustainable future,” Mr. DyBuncio said.

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SOURCE SM Investments Corporation