Binance Charity to provide over 30K Web3 scholarships in 2023

January 22, 2023 Coin Telegraph

Among the education centers involved include colleges in Australia, Cyprus and Germany, Nigerian-based tech hub Utiva, Women in Tech, and two Ukrainian organizations.

The philanthropic arm of Binance — Binance Charity — is set to fund 30,65 scholarships to students keen on forging out a career in Web3 in 2023.

The Binance Charity Scholar Program (BCSP) will provide free Web3 education and training courses which will enable tech-savvy students to upskill without having to leap-frog any unnecessary financial barriers, Binance Charity explained, in a January 20 blog post:

“We recognize that digital education and skills development can be out of reach for many, resulting in a blockchain industry that lacks diversity and talent. The Binance Scholar Program changes all that, covering the costs of tuition and course fees at some of the world’s leading universities, colleges and vocational training providers.”

The blog stated that over 82,000 applicants were interested in becoming a part of the next BCSP cohort, which equates to an acceptance rate of about 37%.

Amongst the education partners getting involved include University of Western Australia, University of Nicosia in Cyprus, Frankfurt School of Finance & Management in Germany, and Nigerian-based technology hub Utiva.

French-based tuition-free training center Simplon, Women In Tech, Kyiv IT Cluster, and Ukraine’s Ministry of Digital Transformation will also host some of BCSP’s events.

Binance Charity said they partnered with the Ukraine-based departments to help re-train Ukrainians who may have lost their jobs due to the war with Russia.

The partnership with Women In Tech will endeavor to train about 3,000 women in rural South Africa and Brazil to support future female entrepreneurs.

Binance Charity will also receive partnership support from Binance Academy — the company’s non-profit blockchain education portal.

In 2022 alone, Binance Charity hraised more than $3.5 million — most coming in the form of Binance USD (BUSD) — which helped fund over 290,000 hours of Web3 education and training courses.

Our @BinanceBCF team has travelled across the globe this year, offering help and education to those in need.

As we roll into the new year, let's look back on everything #Binance Charity has achieved in 2022. pic.twitter.com/mBSpD0jpaF
— Binance (@binance) December 30, 2022

Head of Binance Charity Helen Hai said interest in the program continues to grow in spades:

“The response to our Web3 education projects has been unprecedented, showing the keen appetite of so many people to learn about blockchain, De-Fi, NFTs, coding and much more.”

“We’re seeing interest from a diverse range of people, including a great ratio of women [...] With so many more education initiatives with amazing partners in the pipeline, we’ve never been more excited to build a more inclusive Web3 world,” she added.

Binance Charity did not confirm when the 30,000+ positions would be filled and when each of the scholar programs would start.

Women who made a contribution to the crypto industry in 2022

December 26, 2022 Coin Telegraph

Coin Telegraph

2022 saw greater inclusivity and participation of women in the crypto and blockchain industries.

2022 saw the continued rise of disruptive blockchain-centric concepts such as decentralized finance, GameFi, nonfungible tokens and Web3. Notably, some of the related projects that thrived in 2022 were headed by women, which is a good indicator of progress in an otherwise male-dominated sector.

The increased involvement of women in the cryptocurrency field signals growing inclusivity and maturation of the sector, which encourages diversity and the embrace of ideas that resonate more with underrepresented subsets of the population.

That said, a group of eminent women reached unprecedented levels of accomplishment in the blockchain and cryptocurrency industries in 2022 due to their ambition, innovation, leadership skills and dedication.

Cointelegraph had the chance to speak with Nodira Sadikova, a venture capitalist and mergers and acquisitions adviser in Web3. She affirmed this positive development while noting that there was a new category of women under 30 who were making an impact in the industry.

“We can see the rising rate of bright and talented women under 30, such as Nastya Moroz (crypto trading and investment courses exclusively for women), Daria Lomova (art adviser and curator of digital art exhibitions), Stella Friaisse (crypto podcaster and event organizer) and many more,” Sadikova said, adding:

“This army of extremely bold personalities changed the market and generated new trends and opportunities for women who did not have the courage to step into the crypto industry.”

The following is an outline of the women who made waves in the crypto industry in 2022.

Elizabeth Stark

Elizabeth Stark is a co-founder and the CEO of Lightning Labs and is one of the earliest supporters of blockchain scaling solutions. Her firm, Lightning Labs, specializes in the development of Lightning Network (LN) products that enable users to transact Bitcoin (BTC) more efficiently. The Lightning Network is a layer-2 scaling solution that allows users to transact BTC quickly and at a lower cost than transacting on the primary chain.

Her firm offers a series of auxiliary services mostly related to the Lightning Network that include high-volume micropayment services. It achieves this by leveraging a bidirectional micropayment channeling process that allows transactions to be processed at a faster rate, which helps to reduce transaction fees.

We're bitcoinizing the world with Lightning! ⚡
— elizabeth stark (@starkness) April 8, 2022

Apart from being a blockchain company head, Stark is also a fellow at Coin Center, a leading nonprofit that engages in cryptocurrency policy issues. She additionally serves as an adviser at Chia, a blockchain company that operates a unique crypto-mining protocol whose mechanism is based on the proof of time and space concepts. The algorithmic consensus system allows users to store random numbers on their digital storage space, for example on their hard disk drives or solid-state drives.

Users with considerable storage space have higher chances of getting a reward. The concept is revolutionary in that it’s not performance-oriented or compute-intensive and just relies on numerical queries being sent out. Consequently, the network’s energy consumption rate is hundreds of times lower than typical proof-of-work systems like the Bitcoin network.

Before becoming a crypto entrepreneur, Stark was a lecturer at the Stanford and Yale universities, where she taught students about peer-to-peer networks.

Notably, the Lightning Network infrastructure developed by her enterprise was adapted for a wide array of uses in 2022, which include transcontinental support for Bitcoin-to-fiat transactions.

Kathleen Breitman

Kathleen Breitman is the co-founder and CEO of Dynamic Ledger Solutions and is a Cornell University graduate.

Dynamic Ledger Solutions is the developer behind the Tezos proof-of-stake blockchain protocol. Tezos was designed to address many of the shortcomings afflicting Bitcoin and other early cryptocurrency networks, such as limited scaling capabilities and high gas fees. Its native token, XTZ, is currently among the top 50 most popular cryptocurrencies in the world, with a market cap of over $700 million.

Prior to her crypto involvement, Breitman worked as a senior strategy associate at R3, a leading financial services firm. She also held top positions in some notable companies, such as Bridgewater Associates, Accenture and The Wall Street Journal.

Airbnb often offers more spacious accomodations than hotels.

Uber offers cars that you can conveniently call in areas that taxis do not serve.

Ethereum... Okay, maybe they have a point. https://t.co/aA8ZHYibEC
— Kaꜩleen (@breitwoman) July 11, 2022

2022 was a challenging year for her company, Tezos, due to the crypto market implosion that saw many cryptocurrencies nosedive due to negative investor sentiment. However, Breitman and her team are credited for making a series of insightful, strategic decisions that are set to position the company for success over the long term.

One of them was the listing of XTZ on Coinbase Japan in December 2022, which is expected to increase XTZ’s usage in the burgeoning Asian market.

Meltem Demirors

Meltem Demirors is the chief strategy officer at CoinShares, a leading digital asset investment firm that manages over $4 billion in investor assets. The CoinShares Group strives to lower the barriers of entry for investors looking to invest in digital assets.

Demirors oversees the firm’s day-to-day operations at its New York office. She is also a CoinShares board director, a position that allows her to lead the company’s venture strategy. Before joining CoinShares, Demirors held the vice president position at Digital Currency Group, a crypto venture capital firm whose subsidiaries include Foundry, Grayscale Investments and Luno.

i will not rest until i can use my etherrock as collateral to secure a margin loan from JP Morgan to buy more digital pet rocks
— Meltem Demirors (@Melt_Dem) December 6, 2022

She is acknowledged for contributing to her company’s growth over the years as its chief strategy officer. Her firm’s exchange-traded products’ assets under management (AUM) grew to $4.13 billion in 2022 as of 31 March 2022 from $2.67 billion AUM reached in June 2021.

Neha Narula

Neha Narula is the director of the Digital Currency Initiative, an MIT Media Lab research community focused on blockchain technology. While completing a computer science Ph.D. at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, she built some scalable blockchain solutions and databases that earned her recognition in the field.

I don't see the point of bothering with central bank digital currency at all if it requires users to access it through a commercial bank, which I hope @RepTomEmmer isn't proposing. How is that any different than the system we have today?
— Neha Narula (@neha) January 12, 2022

Due to her blockchain-centric endeavors and her involvement in championing the adoption of blockchain and innovative crypto payment systems, she has amassed tens of thousands of followers over the years and become a respected speaker in matters pertaining to decentralized technologies.

Narula’s articulate communication skills, especially when it comes to explaining complex crypto and blockchain concepts, have enabled her to speak to key audiences, including United States policymakers.

**Click “Collect” below the illustration at the top of the page or** **follow this link**.

She has in the past been called upon to help U.S. senators understand how digital currencies work and why they should look into central bank digital currencies (CBDCs). She is currently working with numerous financial institutions to create digital currencies and evaluate their impact and practicality for everyday use. Among them is the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.

Perianne Boring

Perianne Boring has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Florida. She founded the Chamber of Digital Commerce, which is the world’s largest trade association that caters specifically to the blockchain industry. The chamber’s mission is to promote the adoption of blockchain-based technologies and digital currencies. The organization works to create an environment that fosters the growth of the industry, investment and innovation.

This is an exciting time for the #digitalasset industry and the @digtalchamber is eager to help educate those newly elected members and work across the aisle to help our industry flourish.
— Perianne (@PerianneDC) November 9, 2022

Boring regularly appears on financial media platforms to discuss digital currency and blockchain topics. Prior to her involvement in the cryptocurrency industry, she served as a television anchor for Prime Interest, an international finance program that reached over 600 million viewers.

In 2022, she was vocal on cryptocurrency and blockchain adoption and spoke against a series of discriminatory policies, including the recent crypto mining embargo imposed by the state of New York.

Amber Baldet

Amber Baldet is a co-founder and the CEO of Clovyr, a blockchain firm dedicated to developing versatile tools that can be used to enhance the usability of decentralized applications.

Baldet is also a board member of the Zcash Foundation, a charity organization that develops privacy-focused blockchain infrastructure. The foundation primarily caters to users of the Zcash crypto network.

Me in web2 vs me in web3 pic.twitter.com/cFMDjqyVS6
— Amber ☘️ (@AmberBaldet) February 4, 2022

Before starting her own blockchain enterprise, Baldet worked at JPMorgan where she oversaw the development of the company’s blockchain system dubbed Quorum. She left JP Morgan in 2018 to start Clovyr, which she co-founded with Patrick Nielson, who also worked on the Quorum project as a lead developer.

From strength to strength

The increased participation of women in the crypto industry is important, as it improves inclusivity and diversity in the sector. Furthermore, the huge potential of the blockchain and crypto markets presents unique opportunities that empower women.

In 2022, a clique of resolute women made their mark on the sector and led the charge in augmenting women’s position in the crypto sphere. The trend is likely to encourage more women to join the crypto movement and change the narrative that paints the industry as male-dominated.

Women remain bullish on crypto investment despite market lull: Survey

October 24, 2022 Coin Telegraph

Coin Telegraph

As the crypto winter rages on, new data from BlockFi reveals that women investors are still bullish on crypto, with 22% intending to buy in the next 12 months.

The crypto market downturn is proving a difficult storm to weather for both investors and businesses alike in the industry. However, according to new data, this hasn’t stopped women from being bullish on crypto.

A new survey conducted by BlockFi, a crypto trading and investment platform, asked women across the United States about their views of and participation in the crypto industry between September 2021 and March 2022.

According to the findings, one in 10 women chose crypto as their first investment, with 17% of that being Millennial women investors and 11% Generation Z. Findings even revealed that of the women surveyed, 7% of Generation X, which includes individuals born between 1965 and 1980, reported crypto as their first investment.

However, as past data has revealed, more education and clarity surrounding the space is needed to make investors feel secure and confident in their investments.

The survey highlighted that while an overwhelming majority of surveyed women (81%) have heard of crypto, 77% still view it as a risky investment.

Flori Marquez, founder and chief operating officer of BlockFi, echoed the sentiment that education is key to bringing more women into the space:

“Knowledge drives empowerment and confidence.”

Despite the barriers, both market- and education-wise, many women still see a place for themselves in the industry. Over one in five (22%) said they have the intention to buy crypto in the next year. 20% of Gen Z women called Bitcoin the “best long-term investment” among others in a lineup of investment choices.

Data from the BlockFi survey showed that women are indeed here to hodl, with 69% of female crypto owners saying they hold crypto and remain hold-only.

Marquez said the current downturn of the crypto market is the perfect time to build on these communities of female hodlers.

“The best building happens during bear markets. It’s imperative that we utilize this time to build products and communities that are inclusive to all investors.”

Back in May of this year, billionaire Tim Draper insisted that the next bull market will be driven by adoption from female investors.

Web3 projects focus on education to bring Latin American women to the sector

October 21, 2022 Coin Telegraph

Analysis

Women in Latin America are showing an increased interest in Web3 as organizations aim to drive participation through educational content and scholarships.

Interest in Web3 continues to grow despite the crypto bear market. A recent article from McKinsey noted that venture capital investments in Web3 exceeded $18 billion during the first half of 2022. Findings from Cointelegraph Research also show that Web3 attracted the most interest from venture capitalists in comparison to other blockchain sectors during Q2 of this year.

While notable, a lack of diversity has become apparent within the Web3 sector. For instance, it was found that only 16% of nonfungible token (NFT) creators are women. Although this number is low, women are taking an interest in owning digital assets. Given this, industry experts believe that a lack of education around Web3 is creating a barrier to entry for women, especially for those who are from underrepresented regions, such as those from Latin America.

Initiatives to bring Latin American women to Web3

Sandy Carter, senior vice president and channel chief of Unstoppable Domains — an NFT domain name provider and digital identity platform — told Cointelegraph that she has seen increased demand for Web3 content from women living in Brazil, Columbia and several additional Spanish-speaking countries, including Spain.

“On March 8, 2022, Unstoppable Domains launched ‘Unstoppable Women of Web3,’ which is a diversity and education group focusing on training talent to equalize the playing field in Web3. Following this, a number of Latinas reached out requesting Web3 content in various languages,” she said.

Recent: Crypto adoption: How FDIC insurance could bring Bitcoin to the masses

In order to cater to these requests, Carter explained that Unstoppable Domains recently initiated a goal to onboard 5 million Latin American women into Web3 by 2030. Carter added that this initiative is being launched in partnership with H.E.R. DAO LATAM — a women-led developer decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) championing diversity — along with the Spanish-language crypto education platform CryptoConexión. She said:

“Education is the first step to building a more inclusive Web3. We have partnered with women from 25 different groups to help create educational materials around Web3 in Spanish. We are also distributing over $25 million worth of free NFT domains to five million Latinas to help them build and control their digital identity as a gateway into the sector.”

According to Carter, initiatives like these are becoming more important, as she pointed out that women who live in or trace their ancestry to Latin America continue to be underrepresented in the tech industry. To put this in perspective, data from the online tech community Built In found that only 2% of computing-related jobs in the United States are held by women of Latin American descent. The same applies in Latin America itself, where women are significantly underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and math fields, according to research from IDB.

Monica Talan, founder of CryptoConexión, told Cointelegraph that organizations must take an education-first approach that incorporates different languages to bridge the Web3 diversity gap, stating, “CryptoConexión has an initiative called ‘WAGMI LatAm,’ where our mission is to ensure access to Web3 content in English, Spanish and Portuguese.”

Additionally, Laura Navarro Muñoz, governor of H.E.R. DAO LATAM, told Cointelegraph that the organization is helping women in Latin America transition to Web3 by providing travel scholarships to events and hackathons.

*Women participating at the Devcon Bogota hackathon. Source: H.E.R. DAO LATAM*

Groups like H.E.R. DAO LATAM and CryptoConexión have already started making an impact. Bricia Gabriela Guzmán Chávez, community manager at Web3Equity — a Web3 platform promoting gender equality — told Cointelegraph that she got her first job in the sector after obtaining a scholarship from H.E.R. DAO LATAM to attend a cryptocurrency event:

“I heard a speaker say, ‘If we want to have more inclusion, we have to do it.’ That day, I joined the H.E.R. DAO Global Telegram where someone shared a position for ‘Discord moderator.’ I applied, and my life changed. Yet, at that moment, I didn’t have the hard skills that I have right now, so I’m grateful that they gave me their vote of confidence.”

According to Guzmán Chávez, H.E.R. DAO LATAM also created a scholarship program following ETH Mexico called “Hacker Mom Scholar.” Through this, she was able to attend Devcon VI with her three children. “Currently, I’m working full-time remotely on Web3 projects, and each chance that these projects provide me to attend Web3 events is an opportunity to improve the quality of my life,” Guzmán Chávez mentioned.

Talan further remarked that it’s important for Latin American women to get involved in Web3 due to the demand the sector is witnessing in the region, especially in places like Mexico.

“Mexico is seeing more people use crypto for remittances,” she said. According to World Bank statistics, Mexico was the second-largest recipient of remittances in the world last year. Given this, a number of Web3 companies are setting up shop in Mexico to enable crypto remittances. “We need information available about how crypto remittances can be used. I believe this can be better achieved if we have more women building these products,” Talan said.

Challenges for Latin American women seeking jobs in Web3

While it’s notable that organizations are focused on bringing women from Latin America to the Web3 sector, challenges such as hiring freezes and access to technology may hamper adoption. For instance, data from Crypto Jobs List noted that the number of job listings and talent interested in the space has declined about 30%–40% in comparison to the last bull market in February 2022.

On the flip side, Web3 is enabling more remote job opportunities, which may help drive a diverse workforce. “Web3 is helping people get high-paying jobs regardless of their location. All they need are the skills, which is why we are focused on education first,” Navarro Muñoz pointed out.

Recent: Institutional crypto adoption requires robust analytics for money laundering

Diana Carolyn Olvera Gómez, a Web3 researcher, told Cointelegraph that H.E.R. DAO LATAM gave her the opportunity to participate in her first hackathon. The organization also presented her with educational content in Spanish. In turn, Olvera Gómez shared that she remotely serves as a contributor to Web3Montréal, a Canadian nonprofit focused on Web3, and to Coinmiles, a Bitcoin (BTC) rewards platform.

However, Olvera Gómez mentioned that access to technology, such as Web3 initiatives, can be complicated for many women living in regions like Latin America. Yet she believes that a ripple effect will drive women’s involvement as more get involved.

“Web3 communities dedicated to women provide an opportunity to bridge the gender gap in the workplace.” Carter added that demand from women wanting to participate within Web3 is there, yet supplying the correct educational content is the next challenge:

“We are in a bear market, but this is the time for building. Energy and enthusiasm around the space haven’t waned. We just need to figure out how to supply education to those interested in learning more.”

NFTs and crypto provide fundraising options for breast cancer awareness

October 13, 2022 Coin Telegraph

Analysis

Organizations are partnering with NFT projects and accepting crypto donations to draw attention to Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

The hype around nonfungible tokens (NFTs) may be fading, yet a number of organizations continue to implement Web3 initiatives. Nonprofit organizations and activists, in particular, have begun implementing nonfungible token projects to help fundraise and generate awareness for certain causes.

While these methods are still new, NFT projects for philanthropy have been met with relative success. A recent report from crypto donation platform The Giving Block found that nonprofits using The Giving Block received more than $12.3 million dollars in cryptocurrency donations from NFT-related charitable giving initiatives in 2021. The report further noted that charitable organizations using NFTs are presented with the opportunity to connect with younger donor demographics while diversifying donation methods.

NFT projects for Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Benefits such as these can be especially helpful for raising awareness around life-threatening diseases. number of breast cancer-focused organizations have started implementing NFTs this October to highlight Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

For example, Shaney jo Darden, founder of the Keep A Breast Foundation (KAB) — a California-based nonprofit that aims to reduce breast cancer risk — told Cointelegraph that KAB focuses on engaging with younger generations to bring attention to breast cancer. She said:

“Even though women over the age of 40 are typically diagnosed with breast cancer, early detection can result in a 98% survival rate. Given this, KAB aims to generate awareness about breast cancer through encouraging and fun ways, like using NFTs to educate young women.”

Darden said that last year, KAB hosted an exhibition in the CryptoVoxels metaverse to raise money for breast cancer research. “We wanted to do an event in the Metaverse as opposed to conducting a membership drive or gala, since this opens access globally,” she noted. Based on the success of this, Darden explained that she wanted to continue to implement Web3 initiatives — especially those involving artwork created by women — to generate awareness around breast cancer. Most recently, Darden partnered with the NFT project NFTitties to raise funds for KAB’s breast cancer prevention and educational initiatives.

Carlota Dochao Naveira, founder of NFTitties, told Cointelegraph that the women-led project celebrates women, art and breasts to raise funds to fight breast cancer. “Emerging artists and activists were invited to submit an artwork representing breasts, following a set of visual guidelines. The artworks were then vetted and, if selected, included in the first release of NFTitties,” she said.

*NFTitties #1.14 by Medici_Labs. Source: OpenSea*

According to Dochao Naveira, almost 30 NFTs were sold during the first week the project launched on Oct.1. She further pointed out that NFTitties has helped onboard more women into the Web3 ecosystem since the initiative encourages women artists, activists and others to submit their artwork to be presented as nonfungible tokens.

Other organizations are implementing different forms of NFTs to educate individuals on this type of cancer that affects one in eight women. For example, the women’s handbag designer Vera Bradley announced on Oct. 3 that it will be donating almost 100% of the proceeds generated from its fashion NFT drops to The Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer.

Jennifer Bova, vice president of marketing at Vera Bradley, told Cointelegraph that to date, the foundation has raised and donated more than $38 million to support critical advancements in breast cancer research. Yet, Bova noted that Vera Bradley has started focusing on marketing in the Metaverse to attract new users by attaching philanthropic utility to its digital and physical fashion NFTs. “Through its NFT PFP backgrounds, Vera Bradley hopes to drive awareness for fundraising, as well as female-led conversations and initiatives in Web3,” she said.

We're proud to announce through @TheGivingBlock, we're now accepting #DOT donations to support lifesaving research in all areas of #breastcancer, from basic biology to prevention to treatment & to survivorship. Donate @Polkadot and 80+ other #cryptos today https://t.co/XoT7atRdV5 pic.twitter.com/JgTYBx1JkQ
— Susan G. Komen (@SusanGKomen) August 10, 2022

It’s also notable that Susan G. Komen, a leading breast cancer research foundation, recently began accepting crypto donations to enable cryptocurrency holders to give back. Michelle Strong, vice president of marketing strategy at Susan G. Komen, told Cointelegraph that about a year and a half ago, the organization began receiving requests from individuals interested in donating cryptocurrency:

“We implemented this feature nearly a year ago with the help of The Giving Block. This has driven interest from both current and new donors, as crypto donations have opened doors to those who haven’t been able to give before but were interested in being charitable.”

Based on the successful implementation of crypto donations over the past year, Strong mentioned that Susan G. Komen will be incorporating crypto donations, along with other digital donations received during the week of Oct. 9–15, to fund the organization’s metastatic breast cancer excellence in research award.

“Oct. 13 this year is ‘metastatic breast cancer’ day, which is the most advanced stage of the disease. Susan G. Komen is giving out the excellence in research award to bolster investment around this specific area of research and cryptocurrency is another great way to support this,” she remarked.

Web3 initiatives are helpful, but not necessarily better

While the use of NFTs and crypto donations to support breast cancer is innovative, these initiatives are still only helpful ways to bring attention to certain causes. For instance, Bova pointed out that driving awareness and funds for breast cancer research in the Metaverse is not necessarily better but rather an additive resource to tap into new donors and volunteers. Echoing this, Darden mentioned that incorporating NFT projects with KAB enables the organization to diversify its funding, yet it hasn’t proven to be a better solution in comparison to traditional fundraising mechanisms:

“Many NFT projects die out over time, so KAB is taking a risk by being a part of certain projects. However, NFTitties has a clear goal and beautiful art that resonates with the KAB community.”

Indeed, even though there are a number of risks associated with NFT projects, nonfungible tokens remain appealing when it comes to increasing user engagement and interest.

“Susan G. Komen is happy to benefit from NFT projects that others are able to pull together. We are currently in conversation with an NFT project that aims to benefit our organization,” Strong noted.

Yet, it’s also important to point out that, in addition to risks, there are challenges associated with implementing such projects.

According to Dochao Naveira, targeting traditional NFT investors can be difficult when it comes to women-led initiatives “There tends to be a bro-culture in the Web3 space that doesn’t care as much about certain projects. There can also be difficulties with helping mainstream users set up a MetaMask wallet,” she said.

But, as time progresses, Web3 projects aim to incorporate new features to help ease onboarding and educate new users. For example, Carmen Toal, CEO and co-founder of Sprkl NFT Studios — a platform working with nonprofits and individuals to implement NFT technologies — told Cointelegraph that mainstream users typically need more guidance when it comes to participating in NFT projects.

As such, she mentioned that Sparkl NFT Studios incorporates familiarities with charitable NFT initiatives. “We sometimes include a ‘donate now’ button that is not directly attached to an NFT,” she said.

Most recently, Sprkl NFT Studios partnered with the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc. (NBCF) on an NFT artwork fundraising campaign for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Candice Hensley, senior manager of strategic partnerships at NBCF, further told Cointelegraph that working with Sprkl NFT Studios is part of the organization’s strategic plan to diversify its funds.

*Sprkl NFT Studios commissioned artist Pola a Yim to create and draw an original flower bouquet for a digital NFT to support Breast Cancer Awareness. Source: Sprkl NFT Studios*

Web3 had a small, yet important, presence at Paris Fashion Week

October 6, 2022 Coin Telegraph

Art

A handful of designers showcased Web3 initiatives at Paris Fashion Week, demonstrating inclusion, sustainability and creativity.

Paris Fashion Week 2022 consisted of 64 shows and 42 presentations, many of which demonstrated the future of fashion. From the sprayed-on dress worn by supermodel Bella Hadid at the Coperni show to upcycled fresh looks consisting of recycled garments, Paris Fashion Week brilliantly highlighted trends for upcoming seasons.

While the majority of Fashion Week attendees and designers celebrated physical elements — such as in-person fashion shows and tangible designs — a handful of creators incorporated Web3 features to demonstrate fashion’s enormous digital potential.

Web3 democratizes fashion

Shedding light on this, Victor Weinsanto, a French designer who launched his brand in 2020 after spending two years working with the famous Jean Paul Gaultier, told Cointelegraph that virtual worlds allow creators to design without having to use real fabrics and materials. “In a sense this ensures sustainability, even though a lot of energy and time is used to create such collections,” he said.

Weinsanto revealed his first digital collection M3TALOVE immediately following his fashion show that took place in the Marais district of Paris on Sept. 26. Unlike traditional fashion week experiences, The M3TALOVE collection was showcased as 3D holograms within a series of glass cases housed in a dark room, equipped with bright lights and a DJ. Such a setting seemed appropriate, as the collection was a collaboration between Weinsanto and K-Pop girl band Lightsum.

*The “M3TALOVE” collection from Weinsanto and BNV. Source: BNV*

Richard Hobbs, founder and chief operating officer of Brand New Vision (BNV) — the Web3 platform behind M3TALOVE — told Cointelegraph that the idea for this collection was inspired by the possibilities of merging K-pop culture with fashion.

“This was a collaborative experience with Victor presenting his concepts to each of the eight members of Lightsum, who then gave their comments and suggestions before BNV converted the sketches into digital outfits, along with individual customized avatars for the eight girls.”

Weinsanto added that the M3TALOVE collection was one of the best ways to use nonfungible tokens (NFTs) to showcase a collaboration between music, the Metaverse and fashion. “I wanted a collection that could be wearable, but still have details that would be impossible to incorporate in real life.”

Going beyond realistic concepts is indeed one of the most important features offered by Web3 fashion. Hobbs remarked that M3TALOVE is an entirely digital collection, noting that this allows for more imaginative concepts, along with the sustainability.

“BNV’s business is digital fashion. If people can wear more virtual products and express themselves in that world while consuming less in the real world, that’s probably a good thing,” he said. Hobbs makes an important point, as it was previously reported that a typical New York Fashion Week emits up to 48,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide.

The French luxury fashion house Balmain also showcased its Web3 presence at Paris Fashion Week this year. Balmain introduced “Balmain Thread,” which is the brand’s Web3 hub powered by the XRP Ledger that is designed to unite their community with NFT projects. Txampi Diz, chief marketing officer of Balmain, told Cointelegraph that Olivier Rousteing — who has been the house’s creative director since 2011 — along with the entire Balmain team, have become acutely aware of the need to democratize fashion. According to Diz, this led to the creation of the Balmain Thread. He said:

“We are stressing the need to open up fashion, democratizing a previously closed-off universe. We knew that we had to introduce the Balmain Thread during our annual Balmain Festival, which is a celebration that mixes our runway presentation for Paris Fashion Week with a one-of-a-kind live concert that is live streamed on Balmain.com.”

Diz explained that Balmain Festival attendees were presented with the opportunity to join the Balmain Thread community when they received their tickets. He added that those live-streaming the festival were provided with links to join on Balmain.com. “And all of those in the audience on the evening of the festival were invited to join by launching ‘The Moment,’ which is a mobile photo experience app powered by MintNFT that allows participants to transform their favorite Balmain Festival fashion moment into their own unique NFT.”

While innovative, Diz pointed out that the ultimate goal behind Balmain Thread is to ensure new forms of communication with the brand’s followers while opening access to those who haven’t been involved with Paris Fashion Week before. He elaborated:

“Inclusion is a keyword in fashion, as we all know that the old vision of exclusivity and closed-off experiences is just not feasible for the new generation of fashion lovers. Web3 is one of the many interesting new tools that allow us to open our world to those who wish to enter.”

While such a concept is catching on with renowned fashion houses like Balmain, emerging brands are also incorporating Web3 experiences to provide greater accessibility for both consumers and creators.

For example, the Paris-founded fashion company Faith Connexion highlighted their Web3 platform, Faith Tribe, during fashion week this year. Maria Buccellati, co-owner and co-founder of Faith Connexion, told Cointelegraph that Faith Tribe is an incubator under Faith Connexion that allows independent creators to design and customize digital and physical fashion assets that can then be minted into NFTs. Buccellati said:

“We had a showroom at Paris Fashion Week this year to display some of the collaborative names and labels that are part of Faith Tribe. This makes Faith Connexion an inclusive brand, which is different from the major players like LVMH. We are leveraging Web3 to give power back to creators.”

To put this in perspective, Buccellati shared that Faith Connexion announced during Paris Fashion Week that Gavin Magnus, a fifteen-year-old pop star and social media influencer, will be partnering with the brand to create an NFT line.

Wahid Chammas, co-owner of Faith Connexion, further told Cointelegraph that Faith Connexion is already working with hundreds of new designers to provide them with tools such as virtual studios, IP registrations and NFT minting capabilities to expand their presence.

Unlike BNV, which focuses strictly on digital collections, Chammas explained that Faith Connexion emphasizes physical production associated with digital twins. “We believe that any designer will be able to create and curate for us under their own brand, while we enable NFT tags to ensure consumers have digital ownership,” he said. The idea behind NFTs for physical designs will also allow creators under Faith Connexion to have wearables in Metaverse environments that can be used to dress avatars.

Web3 will evolve within the fashion industry

Although Web3 has massive potential to expand the fashion industry’s reach, the fact remains that very few brands and designers are incorporating these elements. While this was apparent at Paris Fashion Week this year, innovative designers like Weinsanto are hopeful that Web3 concepts will catch on.

*Image from Weinsanto's opening night showcasing the M3TALOVE collection. Source: @alekkatar #tendaysinparis*

“I think that the Metaverse is not yet well known by designers, but soon everyone will want to create collections in the Metaverse, as it is stimulating and exciting, but also easily accessible,” he remarked.

Diz added that it’s inevitable that more and more fashion houses will follow Balmain into the Web3 space since it democratizes the industry. However, he pointed out that education remains a key challenge, which is why Balmain Thread aimed to make the process of joining its community as easy as possible. He said:

“We made it clear that those joining the Balmain Thread community would never need to master any of the complex workings of crypto or blockchains in order to engage creatively with the house – all memberships were minted on the XRP Ledger, while MintNFT guaranteed security by proving authenticity via their video verification technology.”

Although Balmain decided to take this route, some industry experts believe that educating designers and creators at major events like Paris Fashion Week is critical. For example, Enara Nazarova, vice president of Metaverse at Hype — an agency that helps brands get started in the Metaverse — told Cointelegraph that Hype hosted its second digital fashion soirée at Paris Fashion Week to educate attendees on Web3:

“Inspired by the success of our New York Fashion Week soirée, we convened at the top of Centre Pompidou, where we welcomed the leading builders in the Web3 space to discuss what comes next for the fashion industry.”

While Nazarova believes that Web3 has advanced within the crypto space, she noted that education, along with onboarding users is key for driving adoption. Although this is happening slowly, she is confident that Web3 will have a bigger presence at flagship fashion events in the future.

“Web2 brands can’t ignore digital fashion’s power to connect with millions of consumers through virtual products. Yet transitioning from Web2 to Web3 is not a one-size-fits-all solution, so companies have to embrace experimentation. I think the opportunities for fashion to leverage Web3 infrastructure are just starting to emerge.”

NFT space bridges passions for tennis legend Maria Sharapova

October 1, 2022 Coin Telegraph

Binance

Maria Sharapova sat down with Cointelegraph at Binance Blockchain Week Paris to discuss her growing interest in NFTs and passion for bringing more women into Web3.

Tennis legend Maria Sharapova appeared at the Binance Blockchain Week Paris 2022 to share her interest in nonfungible tokens (NFTs).

During an exclusive interview with Cointelegraph, Sharapova mentioned that “she is exposing herself to this new world of crypto and Web3,” noting that the sector will help her better engage with her fans. Sharapova was also one of the strategic investors behind MoonPay’s Series A financing round, yet she mentioned that she aims to bridge her personal experiences to the digital world moving forward.

*Maria Sharapova (right) with Cointelegraph senior reporter Rachel Wolfson (left) at Binance Blockchain Week Paris 2022. Source: Rachel Wolfson*

Cointelegraph: What are you doing here today at Binance Blockchain Week Paris?

Maria Sharapova: I’m crypto curious and would like to figure out how to bridge the incredible physical experiences that I've been able to have with my fans over so many years. I’m now finding ways to include experiences in the digital world, so that’s what I’m most excited about. Also, as a female entrepreneur, I believe it’s important to pave the way for other women to enter Web3. Money is a topic that I feel we don’t speak enough about as women.

CT: Do you have plans to launch an NFT project?

MS: I’ve been looking at this space for several months now, as I’m someone who is more in favor of opportunities for the long haul. When I saw the opportunity to bridge physical with digital experiences, I knew I wanted it to be a long-term experience for myself. Storytelling is very important and it’s a huge component of Web3. I think stories will be told better for both parties when thinking about a project long-term.

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CT: Do you think NFTs can help create better fan engagement?

MS: Absolutely. NFTs are about finding ways to communicate with the right communities interested in what I’m doing within a different type of space. For example, I was seen on a television screen every week playing tennis for so many years, yet I no longer have that platform on a daily basis because I retired a couple of years ago. The Web3 experience has given me access to my fans in entirely new ways. I feel like I’m more engaged with them, as opposed to them just being engaged by watching me compete.

CT: As a female entrepreneur and former athlete, do you have plans to get more women involved in Web3?

MS: I want to allow women to have a space where they experiment with Web3. For example, I was 17 when I won my first grand slam and social media was in no way part of that experience. It took years for me to get comfortable with social media over time. I think Web3 is also an area where one has to get out there in order to learn and grow from it. As I mentioned earlier, the conversation about money, finance, crypto and blockchain is a taboo conversation. People may feel that unless they know about these topics, they shouldn’t speak up. But I think this should be the other way around — you learn a lot more if you ask questions and get involved.

CT: Why did you decide to invest in MoonPay?

MS: I want to diversify my portfolio. In the beginning, my investments were around consumer goods. For example, I invested in the sunscreen brand Supergoop early on. I am now exposing myself to an entirely new category.

CT: What do you think are the biggest challenges associated with Web3 and how can we overcome these?

MS: I’d love to see the quality of Web3 experiences come through a bit more and improve, specifically in the digital space.

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CT: Any additional comments?

MS: I’m really interested in the NFT space because it bridges my passion for fashion, interior design and creating spaces that are unique to individuals and communities. I’ve become more interested in this space because it has more of a design perspective. It’s also an entirely new revenue stream that both artists and women are discovering.

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Web3 games incorporate features to drive female participation

August 20, 2022 Coin Telegraph

Coin Telegraph

Web3 games are focusing on community building, aesthetics, customization and representation to attract female users — but is this enough?

Although there is still an apparent lack of women in the Web3 sector, blockchain-based games geared toward women may help drive inclusivity. A recent report from the Entertainment Software Association found that 48% of gamers in the United States identify as female. It has also been noted that nearly half of all gamers in the world are women. The interest that women have taken in the billion-dollar gaming sector is notable. This, combined with the massive growth being projected by the GameFi industry, is a key reason why a number of Web3 games are being built specifically for female users.

Beryl Chavez Li, co-founder of Yield Guild Games — a global play-to-earn gaming community — told Cointelegraph that she believes blockchain-based games like Axie Infinity have started to see an uptick in women players. “Although statistics show that play-to-earn games appeal more to male users, we believe that more women will start to take an interest,” she said.

Yat Siu, co-founder and executive chairman of Animoca Brands, further told Cointelegraph that finance and Web3 games are closely related, noting that over time, this will naturally attract all types of people to the space. Yet he believes that women, in particular, will be drawn in given their tendency for greater financial responsibility. “This is particularly evident in developing countries where microfinance and specifically microlending is led predominantly by women,” he remarked.

Web3 games incorporate features to attract women

A number of Web3 games are coming to fruition with the goal of appealing to a predominantly female audience. For example, Fashion League is a free, play-to-earn mobile game that allows users to develop their own fashion empire. Theresia Le Battistini, CEO and founder of Fashion League, told Cointelegraph that the game allows users to create virtual clothing lines that could eventually be sold as nonfungible tokens, or NFTs, while brands can leverage the game to display digital products: “We believe that everything will be gamified in the future, as our statistics have found that the gaming market will exceed $300 billion by 2027. Web3 games need to be inclusive.”

To drive female participation, Le Battistini explained that Fashion League contains certain features that are naturally appealing to women. “The aesthetics of the game are important, along with the fact that it will first be accessible on mobile devices. Women like to play games on mobile, as there is a low barrier to entry,” she explained. Recent statistics show that 62% of people install a game on their phone within a week of owning it. Moreover, these findings note that the current mobile gaming gender split is 51% for women and 49% for men. Regarding aesthetics, a report from The Female Quotient found this to be the most important factor i attracting women to the Web3 space.

*Fashion League avatars. Source: Fashion League*

Chavez Li, who serves on Fashion League’s advisory board, further pointed out that many Web3 games focus on first- and third-person shooter games, yet lack creativity. She noted that Fashion League encourages individuals to create digital items, which can eventually evolve into sellable NFTs. “We are enabling the creator economy through a fun game. The more users play, the more points they can earn. In-game cash can then be exchanged for tokens that can be converted to fiat,” she said. Chavez Li also mentioned that players can compete and interact with each other during events like fashion shows, adding a layer of socialization to the game.

In addition to Fashion League, Mishi McDuff, founder of digital fashion brand Blueberry, told Cointelegraph that the company launched a 3D boutique shopping experience on the gaming platform Roblox. Known as “BlueberryXWorld,” McDuff explained that the Web3 game was designed to create a fun and safe environment for gamers to explore their digital identity:

“Avatars can browse Blueberry’s two-story boutique and try on clothing and accessories. The clean lines and silhouettes of the collections are juxtaposed with flints of attitude such as miniskirts, crop tops and party girl metallics, along with fun accessories such as cat backpacks. In addition, a variety of hairstyles are available for further customization.”

Like Fashion League, BlueberryXWorld was created entirely by female designers and developers. While McDuff noted that the game can be enjoyed by everyone, she believes that this element ensures female creators are able to have their perspectives heard. She elaborated: “In most traditional games, you see women represented in such an unrealistic way: no cellulite, no stretch marks, no body fat. Our avatars have love handles, stretch marks, and all the other things that make us human.”

McDuff also pointed out that community is an underlying principle of the game, which she believes will greatly appeal to women: “Players can stop by the cafe to grab a drink and chat with one another. Women have always had a knack for building strong, close-knit communities, so it will be no surprise to see this in Web3.”

*BlueberryXWorld avatars. Source: Blueberry*

Lenny Pettersson, chief operating officer of Antler Interactive — a Sweden-based mobile game studio — and acting CEO of "My Neighbor Alice," told Cointelegraph that some of the most important features behind the Web3 game focus on player collaboration and in-game connections. Pettersson explained that the game allows users to gather resources to shape an archipelago together. Pettersson shared that player collaboration has already become apparent in the game's Discord channel, noting that players write messages and post screenshots to the channel indicating where to find the best places to fish, for example.

Given this type of community involvement, Pettersson explained that much of the inspiration behind My Neighbor Alice has been drawn from traditional games that have been popular among a female target audience. For example, he noted that the art style plays a big part here. “A colorful and playful art style resembling a fairytale is intentional.”

*Imagery from My Neighbor Alice. Source: My Neighbor Alice*

While aesthetics, customization and community building are all important features for attracting women to Web3, better representation is also critical. Marcus Bläsche, CEO and co-founder of Rumble Kong League (RKL) — a game that combines basketball, play-to-earn and NFTs — told Cointelegraph that basketball and Web3, unfortunately, both share the challenge of thunderrepresentation of female users. To combat this, Bläsche explained that RKL recently partnered with Round 21, a woman-led Web3 native sports lifestyle brand with an emphasis on collaboration and community.

According to Bläsche, this partnership has helped to launch a new NFT game collection called “The Rookies,” which creates an even split of male and female “rookies” to ensure female athletes are represented in Web3. Jasmine Maietta, founder of Round21, told Cointelegraph that the organization is specifically helping RKL create equal opportunities for anyone — no matter their gender, ethnicity or social background, adding:

“We believe that the Web3 world provides a unique opportunity to create a fair and equal ecosystem from scratch. Our Rookie collection is the first step in this direction, putting male and female athletes on the same page, and we plan to continue this narrative with anything we do in the future.”

*Rookie Avatar. Source: Rumble Kong League*

Will games increase women’s participation in Web3?

All things considered, it’s still difficult to determine if Web3 games geared toward women will actually result in increased participation. For instance, Pettersson believes this is a tough question to answer as of now. Yet, he noted that it would be sufficient to say that high-quality Web3 games geared toward women will have an impact on bringing more women into the sector: “The first "Web2" games were specifically designed and oriented toward boys and men. Over the decades more and more games were designed for girls and women.”

With this in mind, he believes that the Web3 sector is already aware that women like games and want to be involved, thus taking a heightened focus on this gender class. However, Pettersson added that it will be difficult to determine the real impact these games will have, noting:

“The challenge for Web3 games is also tied to the mass adoption of crypto, which is not specifically related to a gender question, but rather to a worldwide mass adoption of crypto. And there's still a way to go when it comes to accessibility and user-friendliness for that to happen.”

Siu also commented that games are becoming less gender-dependent, while Maietta remarked that Web3 has the opportunity to base its culture on intentional inclusiveness. While notable, it’s important to recognize that the Web3 gaming space is still underway. As such, some in the industry believe that developers are currently more focused on building out the ecosystem rather than inclusivity. For example, Olga Ivanova, content and community manager at Spielworks — a blockchain gaming platform — told Cointelegraph that she believes Web3 game devs are more concerned with “creating robust in-game economies and elevating the game design to at least the AAA standard.”

Education and aesthetics: Bringing more women into the Metaverse

August 4, 2022 Coin Telegraph

Analysis

Brands have the potential to make the Metaverse more women-friendly by focusing on beautiful aesthetics, accessibility and education.

Interest in the Metaverse is growing rapidly and fashion brands across the globe are taking note. A new report from the technology research and advisory firm Technavio found that the Metaverse will hit a market value of $50.37 billion by 2026. Findings from Technavio further show that the Metaverse in fashion market share is expected to increase by $6.61 billion from 2021 to 2026.

Given this, a number of major brands have begun participating in Web3 initiatives. For instance, Metaverse Fashion Week hosted in Decentraland this year attracted more than 70 brands, artists and designers including Tommy Hilfiger, Estée Lauder, Philipp Plein, Selfridges and Dolce & Gabbana. Luxury jewelry brand Tiffany & Co also recently stepped into the Web3 space with the sale of 250 diamond and gemstone encrusted pendants for CryptoPunk nonfungible token (NFT) holders.

Understanding what women want from a Metaverse platform

While these initiatives are notable, new findings from The Female Quotient (The FQ) and the media company EWG Unlimited show that metaverse experiences are still largely geared toward men. The report titled “What Women Want in Web 3.0” also found that 62% of women surveyed have never heard of or are unfamiliar with NFTs, while 24% of females don’t understand the Metaverse.

*Findings from "What Women Want in Web 3.0" report*

Shelley Zalis, CEO of The FQ — an equality services and advisory firm — told Cointelegraph that while there is a tremendous interest for women to become involved in Web3, the experiences offered by brands need to cater more toward what women want. She said:

“We know that 85% of purchase decisions are made by women, so if brands want to get this right they need to design experiences that are relevant for women by creating the types of experiences they want to participate in. For example, from a visualization perspective many metaverse visuals are clunky and not beautiful, so this needs to be improved.”

To Zalis’ point, The FQ and EWG Unlimited report found that one in four women would revisit a Metaverse platform if it contained better aesthetics. Yet, understanding visually appealing elements for women may be challenging, as the report notes that only 16% of Web3 creators currently identify as women. “The FQ wants to set the stage by encouraging more women to be on the business side of Web3 initiatives. If women can design these spaces for women then we can ensure that females will want to spend more time in the Metaverse,” Zalis explained.

Echoing this, Sam Huber, founder and chief operating officer at metaverse provider LandVault, told Cointelegraph that from the perspective of metaverse builders, change starts from within. “Female developers are best placed to know what appeals to a female audience, so diversifying developer talent is key,” he said. This appears to be the case, as women-led Metaverse platforms like DressX have witnessed increased involvement of women over time.

Natalia Modenova, founder of DressX, told Cointelegraph that the digital fashion platform has been promoting creativity since day one, noting that the first designers on the platform were women.

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“Female creators are dominating the DressX platform,” she said. Modenova added that DressX has launched numerous projects created and executed by women. “One of the most notable being our ‘Feminine Future’ NFT drop created by the innovative creative director, VFX artist and virtual fashion designer Katie McIntyre and multimedia artist Nina Hawkins recently named 'the world's leading female VFX artists’ by Time magazine,” she said. According to Mondenova, the project provided a glimpse as to how women can collaborate and create their own aesthetics within the Metaverse.

*Poster from the Feminine Future NFT drop. Source: DressX*

From a brand’s perspective, a spokesperson from the luxury fashion industry told Cointelegraph that aesthetics should be the number one priority when it comes to marketing in the Metaverse. “The aesthetics should be cohesive to the brand, replicating elements such as color schemes and patterns,” she said.

Even with visually appealing aesthetics, she pointed out that women’s engagement in the Metaverse remains low, noting that many luxury fashion consumers still don’t understand what Web3 means. “People need to understand this space before we can engage. We also have an older clientele at our store, which won’t easily be pulled into the digital world.”Although the “What Women Want in Web 3.0” report found there to be a 15% increase in interest from women in the Metaverse month-over-month, findings indicate that only 30% of women are truly familiar with virtual worlds. In order to combat these challenges, the report emphasizes that brands must focus on accessibility and education when it comes to attracting women consumers.

“Only 14% of women have access to Metaverse platforms like Decentraland or Roblox. Education will reign supreme in order to get everyone on board,” Zalis remarked. Specifically speaking, she explained that The FQ has found social media to be one of the most helpful tools for educating women on Web3. “Women require social interaction and community building. Social media is the best way for brands to engage with consumers of all ages.”

Jenny Guo, co-founder of Highstreet — a retail-focused metaverse platform — further told Cointelegraph that individuals who are well-versed in Web3 often use rhetoric that is not easily understood by the mainstream. As such, she believes that traditional consumers do not typically understand how these ecosystems work, resulting in brands hesitating to enter the space. “With more education, easier access, and a brand’s willingness to experiment within the metaverse, we will see more brands, especially boutique brands, expanding their market to the Web3 world,” she said.

In the meantime, Guo pointed out that Web3 initiatives being taken by brands today may still appeal mainly to male consumers. For example, Guo noted that Tiffany’s recent collaboration with CryptoPunks is a great example of how companies are leaning into female focused-labels. Yet, she remarked that most CryptoPunk holders are male. She said:

“By default, Web3 is very much dominated by men, and we do not see many female-focused brands getting into the space right now. But, similar to the tech industry, more and more women creatives will join the industry with time.”

Metaverse platforms must cater to women moving forward

Although findings show that metaverse experiences are largely geared toward men, the tables are bound to turn as more brands become involved in the sector. Brian Trunzo, metaverse lead at Polygon Studios – the platform catering to Web3 projects built on the Polygon protocol – told Cointelegraph that the Metaverse is becoming a new hub for expanding product and service offerings. He said:

“Brands can now engage with their consumers in a more direct way that doesn’t involve travel to physical locations or staff to man operations. Consumers can simply access digital hubs for their favorite brands and partake in their unique metaverse experiences or purchase what they have to offer.”

According to Trunzo, this level of engagement would never be possible in the real world or within Web2 platforms, which is why it is now becoming critical for brands to migrate to Web3. Given this, Trunzo pointed out that combining representation and inclusivity with aesthetics could be the key to drawing more women into the Metaverse. “This could also allow them to partake in this ecosystem without accessibility barriers,” he said.

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Given this, Zalis believes that now is the time for women to become involved with building out Metaverse platforms. “We want to make sure women are first in Web3 before it becomes an all boys club. Women need to get in early in order to write the rules of the road, not only as creators but also as business leaders.”

In order to ensure this, Zalis shared that The FQ hosts a number of in-person events along with meetings in the Metaverse to help educate women on Web3 through social interaction and community building. “We connect with women in over 100 countries,” she said. Shapovalova said that DressX will be hosting a number of events and launches, partnering with renowned traditional brands to create in-house 3D fashion collections. “We are exploring the Metaverse through all the possible (and impossible) directions,” she remarked.

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