July 2023 was an exciting month for the world of Web3, with advancements in technologies within the Web3 space. There were important events, developments in security, partnerships among leading companies, and news of renowned brands entering the decentralized digital world. Here's a summary of the month's most notable news.

• Pudgy Penguins, 0N1 Force, and Cool Cats attended San Diego Comic Con 2023, promoting NFT IP technology and blockchain to a global audience of over 100,000 people.

• The Poly Network was hacked again, resulting in losses of approximately $34 billion due to compromised private keys.

• Four NFT projects (Azuki, Bored Ape Yacht Club, MAYC, and Pudgy Penguins) were featured on Bloomberg for their appearance in traditional media, television.

• Blur v2 was launched, with significant improvements in exchanges and the ability to make offers for individual traits instead of complete collections.

• MetaMask extension (v10.33) was updated for improved usability and appearance, offering a more intuitive experience to users.

• Lightning Labs presented new tools enabling artificial intelligence to send and receive bitcoins, opening possibilities for previously unimaginable use cases.

• Polygon Labs underwent changes in leadership, with the president stepping down and the legal director becoming the new CEO.

• OpenSea and Zora partnered to enable NFT compatibility on Zora's Ethereum Layer-2 network.

• SEGA decided to suspend its operations in the blockchain gaming field due to the global collapse of cryptocurrencies.

• A new image size record was established with 6.19 MB in ordinal inscription (#16.167.023).

• Coinbase added the alternative coin Helium (HNT) to its exchange platform, allowing users to transfer and trade HNT in selected regions.

• Algofi, the decentralized lending protocol based on Algorand, will cease its operations by the end of the year.

• Coinbase Wallet introduced an instant messaging feature with XMTP for private and encrypted communication among wallet users.

• Google Play updated its policy to allow developers to incorporate digital assets like NFT tokens into their apps and games.

• Sound, a Web3-based music platform, announced its expansion to allow all artists to join their platform.

• Cool Cats partnered with three video game development studios to create immersive gaming experiences for their fan base.

• Ripple's XRP was deemed not a security by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, resulting in a 50% increase in its price.

• On its 96th birthday, 7-Eleven launched "Find Your Slurpee Vibe", a unique digital collectible that allows Slurpee lovers to create their own digital Slurpee drink mix and share it on social media, with the chance to win Slurpee-inspired jewelry and enjoy free small Slurpee drinks at participating stores.

• The company behind @Cryptoys brand NFTs is creating a secure interaction system within its network to help children have safe, engaging, and entertaining conversations with their NFT characters, with development over the past two years, incorporating popular collections like Zoo-F-O, Mattel's He-Man, and Star Wars.

• Polygon Labs proposed replacing the token 'MATIC' with 'POL' in its ecosystem expansion plan, where POL will be Polygon's new native token, used to coordinate and incentivize the ecosystem, allowing MATIC holders to upgrade their stakes to POL on a prolonged basis.

• Alexander Mashinsky, founder and former CEO of Celsius Network (CEL/USD), has been arrested on charges of securities fraud, commodities fraud, and electronic fraud, with allegations of market manipulation of CEL tokens and deceiving clients about the nature of the company's investment.

• Co:Create launched an application called Web3 Loyalty on Shopify, allowing over 4 million businesses to implement blockchain-based loyalty and reward programs, providing merchants with the opportunity to offer digital ownership to their loyal customers.

• "The Flash" is about to hit theaters and also as an NFT! Warner Bros. confirmed that the movie will be available for purchase as an NFT on the same day of its traditional digital release, with a Web3 Movie experience that includes 4K Ultra HD resolution, special features, collectible art, and augmented reality (AR) elements.

• PUMA, Roc Nation, and Legitimate partnered to launch a sneaker collection called "Evolution of the Mixtape" with an NFC chip that allows owners to access exclusive musical content curated by Roc Nation, celebrating the 50th anniversary of hip-hop.

• Unisat Wallet launched BRC-20-Swap, a native exchange using the BRC20 protocol on the Bitcoin mainnet.

• Gnosis introduced Gnosis Pay and Gnosis Card, a decentralized payment network and self-custodial debit card to facilitate connections between traditional and Web3 economies.

• Unstoppable Domains chose to integrate the sale of Ethereum Name Service (ENS) domain names on its platform instead of competing with it.

• Vitalik Buterin explained the upcoming Ethereum update that will simplify crypto wallets through account abstraction.

• Apple developed an internal GPT AI system called "Ajax," but no plans are set to release it to the public.

• Altr sold a Ferrari F40 as an NFT for $2.5 million, showcasing the growing market for acquiring physical assets using blockchain technologies securely and transparently.

• OpenSea launched "Deals," a feature revolutionizing NFT transactions by allowing users to trade their NFTs directly on the platform, offering a transparent and secure experience in NFT trading.

• Pocket Universe announced via a tweet that it will provide a $2000 guarantee in case of scams, offering free insurance in every transaction made on its platform, where all users will be covered for 50% of the transaction value for free, and if they lose their Elemental (0.9E), they will receive $900 from Pocket Universe, with the opportunity to earn more by referring friends.

• Americana launched its "concierge vault" service, offering blockchain-based solutions for the authentication and secure storage of high-end physical items, backed by Alexis Ohanian and OpenSea, raising $6.9 million in initial funds and launching its Something membership token for early access to its beta site.

• Worldcoin launched its project combining digital identity (World ID) and digital currency (WLD), with the World app now available for download.

• VeeFriends partnered with Jazwares to launch Squishmallows plushies based on VeeFriends characters.

• Bored Ape Yacht Club introduced "Made by Apes," an on-chain license to authenticate genuine products manufactured by BAYC and MAYC holders.

• The LayerZero bridge protocol achieved a milestone of 50 million cross-chain messages, demonstrating increasing interest in blockchain interoperability.

• Binance launched "Bixel," its AI-powered NFT generator, allowing users to create custom artwork.

• MetaMask announced its new MATIC staking program, providing users with the opportunity to earn additional rewards.

• PancakeSwap integrated with zkSync Era blockchain to expand its user base and boost revenues.

• Palm Network will partner with Polygon to launch an NFT creators' platform on Polygon's Supernet in 2024, aiming to reduce costs and enhance efficiency for creators and brands entering the Web3 space, allowing more artists and brands to join the NFT ecosystem with the future introduction of zero-knowledge technology in Polygon 2.0.

• Yuga Labs conducted a focus group for 40 travelers for Otherside, showcasing new artworks, unexplored lands, and 3D versions of their BAYC avatars as a preview before the official launch.

• Coco, a crypt casino, successfully debuted, reaching a volume of $36 million in its first 12 hours on the Ethereum blockchain.

• Bipartisan lawmakers send a letter to @Apple regarding the impact of App Store policies on emerging technologies like blockchain and NFTs. Congress aims to assess whether these policies limit innovation and technological leadership in the U.S.

• During the last weekend of July, Ethereum celebrated its eighth anniversary. On July 30, 2015, the $ETH genesis block was first loaded.

• Uber's CEO announced that the company will accept payments with Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies in the future, as long as transactions are more cost-effective and sustainable. They are closely monitoring the use of cryptocurrencies as a store of value.

• Yuga Labs acquires Roar Studios to strengthen its Otherside metaverse. Eric Reid will lead the vision as CEO. ROAR brings gaming and social media expertise to the project.

• Clearpool expands its lending market to Polygon zkEVM, providing fast transactions and greater efficiency. Fasanara and Portofino also join Polygon zkEVM, bolstering DeFi. Additionally, Clearpool collaborates with Idle to offer risk-return options.

The month of July 2023 witnessed significant advancements in the world of Web3, with technological innovations, strategic partnerships, and exciting news regarding the adoption of NFTs, cryptocurrencies, and blockchain by renowned companies and brands. The industry continues to evolve rapidly, and these events pave the way toward an increasingly decentralized and digital future.