Weekly Highlights | Tencent recently released multiple job postings for Web3 positions; Optimism announced that the next phase will launch community ownership and community governance

Organizer: Lin Qi, Hu Tao, Chain Catcher

Important Events

1. Tencent's recruitment website recently released multiple job postings for Web3 positions, including Web3 product planning and alliance chain EVM development.

On April 18, news from Tencent's recruitment website indicated that Tencent has recently posted multiple job openings for Web3 positions, including Web3 blockchain product planning, Web3 blockchain data analysis, Web3 blockchain underlying development engineers, Web3 blockchain front-end development engineers, Web3 blockchain middle and back-end development engineers, and Web3 blockchain smart contract development engineers.

Some job requirements include familiarity with blockchain frameworks such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Cosmos, with priority given to those with underlying development experience; proficiency in EVM principles and the Solidity smart contract language and development libraries, along with relevant project experience; experience in Ethereum NFT and DeFi project development is preferred.

Some job responsibilities include researching domestic and international Web3 industry trends and competitors; product research, planning, prototype output, and PRD for distributed projects like Web3; developing blockchain address profiling models through mining address transaction data; responsible for/participating in research on innovative features such as blockchain scalability and cross-chain communication; contract development based on compliant alliance chain EVM.

Additionally, according to recruitment information from Tencent Games circulated on social media, the department is directly hiring Web3 talent but is not focusing on blockchain games, with current emphasis on overseas Web3 exploration. (Source link)

2. The NFT project Akutar has two vulnerabilities, resulting in $34 million being permanently locked for the project party.

On April 23, news emerged from multiple Twitter KOLs that the NFT project Akutar's $34 million has been permanently locked. After analysis, the security audit company BlockSec discovered two vulnerabilities in the project.

The first vulnerability occurs during ProcessRefunds, where attackers can use malicious contracts to perform denial of service on the project, causing all user refunds to be rejected. Fortunately, this vulnerability was not exploited.

The second vulnerability arises when the project party attempts to withdraw funds. Due to a variable name being incorrectly written, the withdrawal conditions for the project party will never be met, and since the contract cannot be upgraded, the project party's 11,539 ETH (valued at $34 million) has been permanently locked.

3. Russian media: The Federal Tax Service of Russia suggests legislation to allow companies in the country to pay for import and export operations with cryptocurrency.

On April 20, news from the Russian newspaper "Information" reported that the Federal Tax Service of Russia has suggested legislation to allow Russian companies to pay for import and export operations with cryptocurrency. It is noted that the current digital currency regulatory bill being discussed in Russia explicitly prohibits the use of digital assets as a means of payment, but the bill also includes a clause stating that "unless otherwise provided by this law," the prohibition is effective.

In response, the Federal Tax Service of Russia recommended that the Ministry of Finance make exceptions for businesses and added the following provision in the document: "Allow legal entities to pay for goods, work, and foreign trade contract services and receive income in digital currency from foreign entities." The Ministry of Finance's stance on this proposal is "partially supportive." (Source link)

4. US government report: Cybersecurity threats supported by North Korea have targeted exchanges, DeFi protocols, blockchain games, NFTs, and other crypto organizations and individuals.

On April 19, the FBI, CISA, and the US Department of the Treasury jointly released a Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA), stating that at least since 2020, North Korean-supported Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs) have begun targeting various organizations in the blockchain and cryptocurrency industry, including cryptocurrency exchanges, DeFi protocols, blockchain games, crypto trading companies, crypto venture capital, and individuals holding large amounts of tokens and NFTs. The report aims to provide stakeholders in the blockchain technology and cryptocurrency industry with information about tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTP) as well as indicators of compromise (IOC) to help them identify and mitigate cyber threats against cryptocurrencies. (Source link)

5. Andre Cronje states he will attempt to participate in and develop regulated cryptocurrencies, having initiated multiple entities with others.

On April 19, Andre Cronje posted on his blog, stating, "Rather than trying to fight regulators due to cryptocurrency regulations, it is better to attempt to participate in and develop regulated cryptocurrencies." Andre Cronje mentioned that he has initiated multiple entities with others to provide, advise, and formulate regulated crypto access strategies, with core focuses including compliant hosting solutions that meet PCI and DSS HSM; risk, credit reporting, and compliance; multi-currency payment channels and infrastructure; tokenized portals for note exchanges and securities exchanges; high-yield secured floating-rate corporate DeFi bonds; crypto ETFs and mutual funds; and national blockchains. (Source link)

6. a16z announces the establishment of a crypto research team to promote the development of Web3.

On April 22, crypto venture capital firm a16z announced the creation of the a16z Crypto Research team, which will work closely with a16z's portfolio and others to address important issues in the Web3 space and promote the development of the next generation of the internet and scientific technology.

The a16z Crypto Research team will be led by Tim Roughgarden, who has been a researcher and computer science professor at Stanford University and Columbia University for 20 years. Roughgarden specializes in algorithmic game theory and the technical issues brought by Web 3, having joined the a16z crypto team last year as a research advisor. Other founding members include Dan Boneh, a professor of computer science and electrical engineering at Stanford University, and Benedikt Bünz, chief scientist at Espresso Systems. (Source link)

7. Silk Road founder agrees to have 69,370 bitcoins auctioned by the US government to pay $183 million in damages.

On April 23, news reported that Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the dark web marketplace Silk Road, was sentenced to life imprisonment after the dark web marketplace was shut down in 2015 and was ordered to pay $183 million in damages.

According to a court document, Ross Ulbricht has relinquished ownership of 69,370 bitcoins (approximately $2.74 billion) that were stolen by hackers and agreed to have the property disposed of by the US government, with the confiscated bitcoins being auctioned off, and the proceeds used to pay Ross Ulbricht's $183 million in damages. (Source link)

8. The public chain project Aptos releases its latest roadmap, set to launch an incentivized testnet on May 16.

On April 19, the public chain project Aptos released its latest roadmap, announcing that user registration will begin on May 13, with users required to provide a verified GitHub account to participate. The incentivized testnet will launch on May 16, initially limiting the number of validating nodes to 100.

The roadmap aims to prepare for the launch of the Aptos mainnet, divided into four phases: testing the network in May, launching test token staking in June, on-chain governance and upgrades in July, and dynamic validator topology in August. (Source link)

9. Ethereum Layer 2 scaling solution Optimism: The next phase will launch community ownership and governance.

On April 20, Ethereum Layer 2 scaling solution Optimism published an article titled "A New Chapter," reviewing past progress, network achievements, funding information, etc., and stated that it will open a new chapter driven by "community ownership and governance," with more information to be released soon. According to community speculation and the official roadmap, Optimism may soon launch Token OP.

It is reported that Optimism has helped users save over $1.1 billion in gas fees, deployed over 6,800 contracts, facilitated over $17.4 billion in transaction volume, and generated over $24.5 million in revenue. Previously, on April 13, news emerged that one of the four major Layer 2 solutions may issue a token next month. (Source link)

10. Coinbase NFT marketplace beta launched, aiming to become an NFT-based Web3 social marketplace.

On April 20, news reported that the beta version of the Coinbase NFT marketplace has launched, currently accessible to everyone, but only certain specific users can buy or sell, supporting Ethereum-based NFTs and ETH payments.

Coinbase stated that Coinbase NFT is an NFT-based Web3 social marketplace, which will add features such as minting, token-gated communities, purchasing NFTs using Coinbase accounts or credit cards, and supporting more chains in the future, with plans to adopt more decentralized solutions for additional features. (Source link)

Important Financing/Venture Capital Information

1. Bloomberg: The Sandbox is seeking to raise $400 million at a $4.8 billion valuation.

On April 19, news reported that the metaverse project The Sandbox is seeking to raise $400 million at a $4.8 billion valuation. According to insiders, Animoca Brands, the blockchain game developer holding a majority stake in Sandbox, is negotiating with potential investors for this round of financing.

It is noted that in November 2021, The Sandbox announced the completion of a $93 million financing round, led by Softbank Vision Fund 2. (Source link)

2. Crypto exchange CoinDCX completes $135 million Series D financing at a $2.15 billion valuation, with participation from Coinbase Ventures and others.

On April 19, news reported that the Indian crypto exchange CoinDCX completed $135 million in Series D financing at a $2.15 billion valuation, led by Steadview and Pantera, with participation from Coinbase Ventures, Kingsway, DraperDragon, Republic, and Kindred. This round of financing will be used to expand its product offerings and talent base and strengthen compliance.

CoinDCX is one of the largest exchanges in India, founded by Gupta and Neeraj Khandelwal in 2018, primarily engaged in buying and selling crypto tokens, and it also offers other crypto-based financial products such as loans. (Source link)

3. Framework Ventures announces it has raised $400 million for a new fund and will invest $200 million in blockchain gaming.

On April 19, news reported that crypto venture capital firm Framework Ventures announced it has raised $400 million for a new fund. Framework stated in a press release that it will allocate approximately $200 million from the new fund to invest in the "emerging blockchain gaming sector."

Framework Ventures co-founder Michael Anderson expressed confidence that the next phase of the blockchain industry will attract many new users, noting that blockchain gaming is still in its early stages and full of opportunities. The integration of P2E economic models with genuinely engaging AAA games will bring explosive growth to the sector. (Source link)

4. Cricket NFT platform Rario completes $120 million financing, led by Dream Capital.

On April 21, news reported that Singapore-based cricket NFT platform Rario completed $120 million in financing, led by Dream Sports' corporate venture capital and mergers and acquisitions division, Dream Capital, with participation from Alpha Wave Global, Animoca Brands, Presight Capital, and Kingsway Capital. This round of financing will be used for product development and licensing.

Rario has secured NFT rights for six international leagues and over 900 international cricket players through various partnerships, allowing sports fans to buy, sell, and trade NFTs using credit cards, debit cards, and bank transfers. Rario enables fans to participate as a community and have the opportunity to own a piece of cricket history through player cards, video moments, and digital collectibles of cricket memorabilia. (Source link)

5. Ethereum scaling project Scroll completes $30 million Series A financing, led by Polychain.

On April 21, news reported that Scroll completed $30 million in Series A financing, led by Polychain Capital, with participation from Bain Capital Crypto, Robot Ventures, Geometry DAO, and others. Several angel investors, including Ying Tong and Carlos Aria from the Ethereum Foundation, as well as Ethereum community members such as Anthony Sassal, Ryan Adams, and Santiago Santos, also joined this round of financing. Scroll plans to expand its team and launch a testnet in the second half of this year. Currently, Scroll has 20 employees.

Scroll was co-founded early last year by Sandy Peng, Ye Zhang, and Haichen Shen, aiming to scale Ethereum using ZK Rollups, bundling Ethereum transactions off-chain to support more transactions at a lower cost. (Source link)

6. Clean energy mining company Crusoe Energy raises $350 million in Series C financing at a $1.75 billion valuation.

On April 21, news reported that Bitcoin clean energy mining startup Crusoe Energy raised $350 million in Series C financing at a post-money valuation of $1.75 billion, led by G2 Venture Partners, with participation from Bain Capital Ventures, Polychain Capital, and Winklevoss Capital.

Crusoe powers Bitcoin mining using energy in the form of natural gas, operating 86 natural gas data centers in oil-rich North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado, with plans to operate over 180 by the end of this year. Additionally, the company is expanding its business into smaller cyclical cloud computing. (Source link)

7. Jon Goldman launches a $50 million venture capital fund, primarily investing in VR games and the metaverse.

On April 21, news reported that former Foundation 9 founder and CEO, now Greycroft partner Jon Goldman, has launched a $50 million venture capital fund called Tower 26, primarily investing in VR games and the metaverse, focusing on financing rounds after seed rounds. Jon Goldman founded Foundation 9, which developed hundreds of games based on well-known IPs such as "Star Wars," "The Matrix," "The Simpsons," and "The Lord of the Rings." (Source link)