# Centuries Weekly 6 By [Centuries](https://paragraph.com/@centuries) · 2022-03-25 --- This is a new weekly format keeping you up to date with all things Tokens, Protocols, Culture, and more. This past week has been filled with big announcements of Web2 giants making an entry into Web3 and experimenting with different hybrid methods to bring tokens into their existing products. In the media and entertainment industry companies are playing catchup while fighting each other for access to the most popular brands, communities, and tastemakers. And while the markets are still bouncing based on high volatility and continuing geopolitical tension and uncertainty big VCs and Angles are continuing to pour billions into new and old ventures trying to get a share of the evergrowing money machine. Instagram NFT intergration -------------------------- > Mark Zuckerberg said that Meta would add NFTs to Instagram, [according to _Engadget_](https://www.engadget.com/mark-zuckerberg-confirms-nf-ts-are-coming-to-instagram-204435805.html?src=rss) and [_The Daily Beast_](https://www.thedailybeast.com/meta-boss-mark-zuckerberg-says-nfts-are-coming-to-instagram-in-a-big-way-at-sxsw). While he didn't describe exactly what that would look like, he said [during a session at South By Southwest](https://schedule.sxsw.com/2022/events/PP1141589) that "over the next several months, the ability to bring some of your NFTs in, hopefully over time be able to mint things within that environment." ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/0c7b8f0149daafb95fd7f7d670165f7134a7804c8089aa0bd438832bba21ae44.png) There have been rumblings that this was coming. Last year, Instagram lead Adam Mosseri said the team was "actively exploring NFTs" but didn't have any actual announcements. In January, we heard a report that teams at Facebook and Instagram were working on NFT integrations. The report mentioned that there was progress on features to let you use an NFT as a profile and mint NFTs on the platform and discussions around creating a marketplace. Those first two features gel well with what Zuckerberg mentioned onstage, but it's still not exactly clear what minting an NFT on Instagram would mean. Could you sell a popular post as an NFT, perhaps? Or mint NFTs that act as passes to let people see specific stories? Meta isn't saying yet, though it does seem that minting capabilities won't be coming until further down the line. Stripe crypto payments API -------------------------- Global payments giant Stripe has announced that it now supports crypto businesses including exchanges, wallet providers, and NFT marketplaces, among others. According to a [statement](https://stripe.com/use-cases/crypto) on its website on Thursday, Stripe now offers fiat payments API integration for crypto businesses to process crypto-to-fiat currency payments ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/5bd4694c5e7559a5425b7fcefaba7e9b7e0ec092b87af318d5bf6b9ece17c0d3.png) As part of the toolkit for crypto firms, Stripe says it is also offering flexible on-ramps for exchanges. These on-ramps, as co-founder [John Collison](https://twitter.com/collision/status/1501961880289480704) put it on Twitter, will enable both fiat deposits and withdrawals for crypto exchanges. Stripe’s crypto business toolkit also includes protocols for user identification and fraud prevention. Crypto exchange FTX and its US affiliate, FTX.US, have [partnered](https://stripe.com/newsroom/stories/ftx) with Stripe to improve their know your customer (KYC) protocols. Aave V3 ------- Aave, one of the largest decentralized finance protocols with over $11 billion in total value locked, has launched its V3 upgrade. **What’s new in V3?**  **🌐Portals**: Facilitates cross-chain transactions   **⬆️High efficiency mode**: Unlocks higher borrowing power  **💢Isolation Mode**: Allows for new assets to be listed while protecting the protocol   **📉Gas Optimization**: Gas costs for all functions reduced by ~20-25% [https://twitter.com/i/status/1504137636105043971](https://twitter.com/i/status/1504137636105043971) Perhaps most importantly, the update will let users move assets across different networks. In other words, someone with a position on Aave V3 on Arbitrum could decide to move their liquidity over to Optimism with little friction. Aave V3 also offers gas fee savings, improved efficiency for borrowers, and other features designed to limit risk (they include risk caps and exposure limits to newly listed assets). The update also adds features specifically designed to optimize the user experience on Ethereum’s Layer 2. Alchemix V2 ----------- Decentralized finance ([DeFi](https://old.coindesk.com/what-is-defi)) protocol Alchemix revealed plans for the second version (v2) of its platform on Friday. The forthcoming v2 represents a significant protocol upgrade that will make a vertical that already appears far-fetched to traditional finance wonks – “self-repaying” loans – even more exotic. “So for the credit delegation, imagine you have $100k principal deposited in Alchemix, making 10% annually,” wrote pseudonymous Alchemix core contributor Scoopy Trooples in an interview with CoinDesk. “That would be $10k in income, or ~$850 a month. That $850 could be delegated to paying for subscription services, payments to others in the space, payments to other dapps.” The protocol overhaul is also enabling user-determined collateral via “credit applications” and “credit auctions.” This will allow users to submit a basket of collateral assets, possibly including non-fungible tokens (NFTs), in exchange for users’ spare credit. Coachella NFTs -------------- Coachella is starting to experiment with how to integrate NFTs, Poaps and Music NFTs into their lineup and how to create a whole new set of experiences leveraging the power of Web3. > 2022 will see the return of the Coachella Music and Arts Festival, following the cancellation of the last two events due to the coronavirus pandemic. To mark its comeback, organizers are creating a range of non-fungible tokens (NFTs). While [NFTs](https://bernardmarr.com/what-are-nfts-an-easy-explanation-for-anyone/) have so far generally been used to record ownership of digital collectibles, the aim is to connect the Coachella NFTs to tangible real-world benefits such as lifetime passes to the event and access to exclusive areas and attractions. ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/20ff00ba8c58200faab64b55865f15be7ee1b21a42b1b61b1cdefac99bf81a24.png) Lollapalooza NFTs ----------------- Lollapalooza has been working to bring new and exciting NFT experiences to their festivals. Their first collaboration seems to be with Yuga Labs Mutant Ape Yacht Club (MAYC). [https://twitter.com/lollapalooza/status/1506420461462245377?s=20&t=sn7aYyFIPtZomyLIXV8NxQ](https://twitter.com/lollapalooza/status/1506420461462245377?s=20&t=sn7aYyFIPtZomyLIXV8NxQ) Notable Fundraises ------------------ ### StarkWare raises $75 million in Series B funding round led by Paradigm [https://www.theblockcrypto.com/post/99211/starkware-funding-round-ethereum-paradigm](https://www.theblockcrypto.com/post/99211/starkware-funding-round-ethereum-paradigm) ### Bored Apes creator Yuga Labs raises $450 million in round led by a16z [https://www.theblockcrypto.com/linked/138834/bored-apes-creator-yuga-labs-raises-450-million-in-round-led-by-a16z-report](https://www.theblockcrypto.com/linked/138834/bored-apes-creator-yuga-labs-raises-450-million-in-round-led-by-a16z-report) ### Solana-based NFT marketplace Magic Eden raises $27 million led by Paradigm and Sequoia [https://www.theblockcrypto.com/linked/137702/solana-magic-eden-raises-nft-marketplace-funding](https://www.theblockcrypto.com/linked/137702/solana-magic-eden-raises-nft-marketplace-funding) ### ConsenSys Raises $450M Series D Funding as Leading Self-Custodial Wallet MetaMask Reaches Over 30 Million MAUs [https://consensys.net/blog/press-release/consensys-raises-450m-series-d-funding/](https://consensys.net/blog/press-release/consensys-raises-450m-series-d-funding/) --- *Originally published on [Centuries](https://paragraph.com/@centuries/centuries-weekly-6)*