Arbitrum has announced a $10 million investment into blockchain gaming through its newly formalised venture initiative, Arbitrum Gaming Ventures.

The capital is being deployed as part of a broader $200 million programme funded by the Arbitrum DAO and is focused on supporting early-stage projects building within the Arbitrum ecosystem, marking the first major tranche under the programme and includes participation from venture capital firms Paradigm, Framework Ventures, and BITKRAFT.

Five projects have been selected for funding, covering both game development and infrastructure.

What is the investment for?

The $10 million allocation is intended to support projects working on games, publishing platforms, and underlying infrastructure. The five selected recipients are Wildcard, Hyve Labs, T-Rex, Xai, and Proof of Play.

• Wildcard is developing a multiplayer game that combines third-person combat with spectator interaction. It is led by industry veterans with experience in mainstream game development.
• Hyve Labs is creating a gaming-specific rollup designed to allow cross-platform gameplay on social platforms and browsers.
• T-Rex is focused on consumer blockchain infrastructure, with operations concentrated in Southeast Asia.
• Xai is building a Layer 3 chain using Arbitrum Orbit, intended to connect traditional PC games to blockchain features.
• Proof of Play is an on-chain game studio best known for Pirate Nation. The company is led by the co-creator of FarmVille and backed by a16z.

“Arbitrum Gaming Ventures is backing proven founders who aren’t just making games—they’re helping create an even more vibrant Arbitrum ecosystem,” said Rick Johanson, Partner at Arbitrum Gaming Ventures.

“This first cohort reflects our commitment to supporting high-quality experiences that are built for the long term—products that attract players, retain them, and expand meaningful engagement across Arbitrum.”

Why is this significant?

This is the first major investment round conducted under the Arbitrum Gaming Ventures programme, previously known as The Gaming Catalyst, representing a shift from grant-based support to direct capital deployment and indicates a more targeted approach to ecosystem development.

The initiative reflects Arbitrum’s strategy to compete in a growing market for blockchain-based games and infrastructure. Other networks such as Immutable and Ronin have also made gaming a core focus, and Arbitrum’s latest move positions it to retain developers and attract new projects.

The selected projects include a mix of infrastructure providers and game studios, showing an effort to support both content and the systems that underpin it. Some of the funded developers, such as Xai and Proof of Play, are already integrated into the Arbitrum ecosystem, whilst others are newly joining.

What’s next for Arbitrum?

According to Arbitrum Gaming Ventures, further investments are expected over time. The programme is part of a longer-term strategy funded by the Arbitrum DAO to expand the ecosystem and encourage more sustained development activity.

In parallel, Arbitrum continues to offer grants to smaller or earlier-stage projects through the Arbitrum Foundation. Recent recipients include Tarta Games, Sanko, and L3E7.

The broader aim is to create an environment in which blockchain games and applications can scale and retain users—an area where many web3 initiatives have struggled to deliver lasting results.

Arbitrum Foundation and Karrat Foundation have announced the launch of Studio Chain, a new blockchain aimed at helping entertainment creators develop interactive experiences. This initiative will use Arbitrum’s Layer-2 network alongside the Karrat Foundation’s token-based model (called $KARRAT) to attract both large and small teams that want to build Web3 games, AI-driven tools, and other creative applications.

Studio Chain Goals

Although there is no official launch date yet, Studio Chain is being set up to reduce transaction delays and fees affecting earlier blockchain environments. The new chain could deliver quick and affordable interactions by relying on Arbitrum’s approach (which runs on top of Ethereum).

At the same time, $KARRAT will act as a central asset for rewards, on-chain purchases, and voting. This structure could allow developers to explore different economic models without being locked into higher transaction costs.

My Pet Hooligan as a Flagship Title

My Pet Hooligan, a third-person shooter, is planned as the leading game on Studio Chain. The title is available for early access on the Epic Games Store, where it has passed 500,000 downloads.

Set in the vibrant Hooliland City, the game includes quirky weapons and lighthearted conflicts with a character called Metazuckbot. The game has various modes of combat, both PvE and PvP, alongside melee and ranged weapons, skateboard mechanics, destructible settings, city exploration, and competition-focused arenas.

Source My Pet Hooligan

Plans for expansion include releases on Xbox and Steam, with an Early Access stage on Steam that might last at least six months. The team is currently aiming for a full release by December 2025.

According to statements shared on Steam, the My Pet Hooligan team emphasizes a user-centred development process, using Discord as a focal point for discussions, feedback, and suggestions.

AMGI Studio’s Involvement

AMGI Studios brings a background in blockchain, gaming, and AI, along with partnerships that include NVIDIA, Epic Games, and other tech companies. This means AMGI Studios has access to a broader set of technical resources and might bring more interoperable features to My Pet Hooligan or other upcoming projects.

Notable individuals such as Tony Robbins, Paris Hilton, and members of Coldplay are reportedly part of AMGI’s early support network.

Potential Effects for Gaming and Media

Studio Chain aims to help developers and companies that want to adopt decentralized models. Further plans include the ability to tokenize assets, introduce new forms of funding, and allow fans to gain digital stakes in projects.

Still, there are ongoing questions about how quickly a broader audience will accept these systems, given that blockchain gaming has seen varying rates of adoption.

Conclusion

Studio Chain and My Pet Hooligan’s progression onto new platforms could serve as a useful test of this approach in a live gaming environment. The extent of Studio Chain’s success may hinge on its ability to remain dependable while introducing new ways to build and share digital content. Many will be watching to see whether these goals can be met in practice, especially as developers weigh the benefits of this technology for their projects.

Onchain Labs is a new initiative set up to support decentralized applications (dApps) developed by Offchain Labs on Layer 2 network Arbitrum. Launched in partnership with The Arbitrum Foundation, this program provides practical assistance on everything from product development to marketing for teams that choose Arbitrum’s speedy, cost-effective infrastructure. Specifically, Onchain Labs focuses on supporting innovative and experimental projects.

How Onchain Labs Works, Early Support, and Product Direction

Offchain Labs, the developers behind Arbitrum, introduced its first optimistic rollup solution in 2021. Since then, it has added features like Arbitrum Orbit—allowing anyone to create their own chains—and Stylus, which expands coding options from Solidity to include Rust. These tools aim to simplify the process of building and operating dApps, benefiting areas such as decentralized finance (DeFi) and Web3 gaming.

By teaming up with Onchain Labs, developers can tap into Offchain Labs’ expertise while staying in control of their own projects. Rather than building every application internally, Offchain Labs partners with emerging teams that bring unique ideas to the Arbitrum ecosystem. In return, Onchain Labs offers pointers on product fundamentals and user outreach, helping projects handle tricky infrastructure challenges more efficiently.

Arbitrum is well-regarded for its block processing speed—around 100 to 250 milliseconds—which is helpful for dApps that need quick interactions. Developers also value Arbitrum’s compatibility with Solidity, plus Rust support through Stylus. This approach makes it easier for existing Ethereum projects to switch over while giving new developers the option to benefit from Rust’s performance perks.

Source Onchain Labs

Fair and Inclusive Launches, Risk Factors, and Building Trust

One of the primary goals of Onchain Labs is promoting fair and inclusive project launches. In some blockchain communities, a small group of people end up capturing the majority of the rewards, discouraging broader participation. Onchain Labs emphasizes a commitment to equitable and community-aligned launches, contrasting with extractive zero-sum models.

Of course, any new blockchain venture carries risks, particularly with experimental ideas. Onchain Labs urges anyone thinking about joining to do thorough research (DYOR) before committing or acquiring tokens associated with these initiatives. While it helps with product development and promotional strategies, Tandem—Offchain Labs’ related venture studio—may or may not buy tokens through public channels.

Improvements on Arbitrum have made it simpler to launch projects that might be harder elsewhere. By combining speedy, affordable transactions with a fair launch mindset, Onchain Labs wants to attract both builders and users who appreciate a setting where rewards are distributed more widely.

Looking Ahead, Developer Involvement, and Ecosystem Growth

The first project of Onchain Labs is expected to emerge out of stealth mode in the near future. Could it be new DeFi ideas, accessible NFT markets, or game platforms that rely on quick confirmations? Whatever it might be, Onchain Labs believes that engaging developer input earlier on leads to better products and a better community.

Parties looking to participate may put forth proposals for what they aim to accomplish, what they require from a technical perspective, and their fair-launch strategies. Successful applicants are granted insight into products, potential partnerships, and advice regarding user acquisition—leveraging Arbitrum’s battle-tested functionality. This group-focused model matches a growing push in blockchain to pair strong tech foundations with open, community-oriented principles.

Although there’s no guarantee that dApps will achieve long-term success, Onchain Labs provides hands-on knowledge that can help promising projects move forward. Because Arbitrum can handle higher traffic at lower costs, it might appeal to both established teams looking to expand and newcomers looking for a welcoming place to build.

In the next phase of Arbitrum’s growth, Onchain Labs will build on-chain services that invite a large range of participants. With an eye on fair launches and prudent decision-making on what to build, it could be a model that others will follow, showing how better performance is possible alongside community values.

06 March Bitfinex now supports USDT0 with Ink and Arbitrum One

Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands – March 6, 2025 – Bitfinex (https://www.bitfinex.com), a leading digital asset trading platform, today announced USDT0 support for deposits and withdrawals. USDT0 is an ecosystem initiative launched by the consortium using Layerzero’s OFT standard, and is an Omnichain-enabled bridge version of Tether’s USDT, managed by the USDT0 consortium designed to expand USDT utility across the blockchain. Bitfinex customers will convert USDT balance directly to USDT0 on the platform and pull it out onto a supported blockchain.

This integration starts with Layer 2 Network Ink and Arbitrum One, allowing fast and cost-effective transactions, allowing customers to seamlessly deposit USDT0 into a Bitfinex wallet or withdraw it to an external private wallet. By supporting USDT0, Bitfinex allows customers to move value across the supported chain, simplifying the bridging process. Bitfinex will now be able to convert USDT0 with a 1:1 ratio to USDT, allowing customers to easily convert between the two. Ink and Arbitrum One are the first networks in this rollout.

“We look forward to supporting USDT0 on our platform, as it aligns with our mission to make it easy for our customers to access digital assets across our diverse ecosystem,” he said. Paolo Ardoino, CTO of Bitfinex. “With USDT0, customers will have the flexibility to leverage USDT stability on a variety of blockchains that do not currently offer native USDT. This is a key step towards an improved interoperability, increased liquidity and a more comprehensive digital asset landscape.”

USDT0 deposits and withdrawals were opened at UTC on March 6, 2025 at 11am.

To access USDT0 via bitfinex, go to https://www.bitfinex.com/

Please note that USDT0 is not directly issued or redemptionable by tether.

*All users of www.bitfinex.com are subject to Bitfinex Terms of Service (“TOS”). Please note that among other prohibited persons (as defined in TOS), US people (as defined in TOS) are strictly prohibited from directly or indirectly retaining, owning or operating their www.bitfinex.com account (as defined in TOS).

What is included in this press release is not an offer to buy and sell assets, including cryptocurrency. It is also not a solicitation, recommendation or approval of a trading course. The buying and selling of cryptocurrency on Bitfinex’s platform occurs based on TOS.

The content of this press release is of a general nature and does not address your personal standards or circumstances. The information provided in this press release should not be interpreted as financial, legal or other advice. You must conduct your own research and do not rely on the content mentioned in this press release. There are risks associated with the buying and selling of assets, including cryptocurrencies. For more information, see Bitfinex’s Risk Disclosure Statement at https://www.bitfinex.com/legal/exchange/risk.

About Bitfinex

Founded in 2012, Bitfinex is a digital token trading platform that provides cutting-edge services for traders and global liquidity providers. Bitfinex offers access to peer-to-peer financing, the OTC market and a wide range of digital token margin trading. Bitfinex’s strategy focuses on supporting experienced traders and liquidity providers around the world. For more information, please visit www.bitfinex.com.

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]]> https://earlybirdsinvest.com/bitfinex-now-supports-usdt0-with-ink-and-arbitrum-one/feed/ 0 23772 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/retail-trading-giant-robinhood-lists-ethereum-layer-2-arbitrum-triggering-rally-for-arb/ https://earlybirdsinvest.com/retail-trading-giant-robinhood-lists-ethereum-layer-2-arbitrum-triggering-rally-for-arb/#respond Thu, 06 Mar 2025 07:59:52 +0000 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/retail-trading-giant-robinhood-lists-ethereum-layer-2-arbitrum-triggering-rally-for-arb/

An Ethereum (ETH) layer-2 scaling solution is soaring after gaining support from US retail trading giant Robinhood.

According to Robinhood, the ETH layer-2 Arbitrum (ARB) is now available to be bought, sold, and traded over the trading platform.

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News of the addition sent ARB rallying from a price of $0.374 on March 4th to $0.421 a day later. It has since stabilized and is trading for $0.419 at time of writing, a 14.5% gain during the last 24 hours.

ARB joins Robinhood’s suite of crypto products, which includes Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum, Cardano (ADA), Solana (SOL), popular memecoins such as Dogecoin (DOGE), Pepe (PEPE) and Shiba Inu (SHIB), and dozens of others.

Last month, it was Robinhood reported that it saw a staggering 8x increase in crypto trading revenue in Q4 of 2024, putting pressure on Coinbase, its competitor and the largest crypto exchange platform in the US.

According to the Robinhood’s investment report, the company saw a 200% year-over-year increase in transaction-based revenues, most of which can be attributed to crypto.

In February, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) dropped its investigation into Robinhood without levying any enforcement actions against the firm.

As stated by Dan Gallagher, the Robinhood’s chief legal, compliance and corporate affairs officer, at the time,

“We applaud the staff’s decision to close this investigation with no action. Let me be crystal clear – this investigation never should have been opened. Robinhood Crypto always has and will always respect federal securities laws and never allowed transactions in securities.

As we explained to the SEC, any case against Robinhood Crypto would have failed. We appreciate the formal closing of this investigation, and we are happy to see a return to the rule of law and commitment to fairness at the SEC.”

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Disclaimer: Opinions expressed at The Daily Hodl are not investment advice. Investors should do their due diligence before making any high-risk investments in Bitcoin, cryptocurrency or digital assets. Please be advised that your transfers and trades are at your own risk, and any losses you may incur are your responsibility. The Daily Hodl does not recommend the buying or selling of any cryptocurrencies or digital assets, nor is The Daily Hodl an investment advisor. Please note that The Daily Hodl participates in affiliate marketing.

Featured Image: Shutterstock/pixelparticle

In the rapidly evolving world of decentralized finance (DeFi), scalability and cost efficiency are crucial for businesses looking to build robust financial applications. As a DeFi development company, understanding the role of Layer 2 solutions is essential for creating scalable and user-friendly DeFi platforms. One of the most promising Layer 2 solutions is Arbitrum, which has been gaining traction due to its ability to address the scalability and high transaction fee issues plaguing the Ethereum network. Arbitrum offers a compelling solution for DeFi development by providing faster transaction confirmations, lower fees, and compatibility with Ethereum’s ecosystem, making it an attractive option for businesses seeking to optimize their DeFi operations.

Arbitrum is a Layer 2 scaling solution designed to improve the scalability and efficiency of the Ethereum blockchain. It operates by offloading transaction processing from the Ethereum mainnet to its own sidechain, thereby reducing congestion and lowering gas fees. This approach allows DeFi applications to handle a higher volume of transactions without compromising the security provided by Ethereum’s mainnet. Arbitrum’s architecture combines off-chain transaction processing, transaction batching, and fraud proofs to achieve scalability while maintaining compatibility with Ethereum’s ecosystem.

Arbitrum’s functionality can be broken down into several key components:

1. Off-chain Transaction Processing: Transactions are processed off-chain by a set of validators known as Arbitrum sequencers. These sequencers maintain a copy of the Arbitrum chain and keep track of all transactions, allowing for faster execution compared to processing transactions directly on the Ethereum mainnet.
2. Transaction Batching: Instead of processing each transaction individually, Arbitrum batches multiple transactions together. This batching significantly reduces the number of transactions that need to be settled on the Ethereum mainnet, improving scalability and reducing costs.
3. Fraud Proofs and Verification: Once transactions are processed off-chain, Arbitrum generates a succinct proof called a “fraud proof” for each batch of transactions. These proofs contain cryptographic evidence that attests to the correctness of the transaction execution. Users can challenge any fraudulent transactions by submitting these proofs to the Ethereum mainnet.

Arbitrum offers several benefits that make it an attractive choice for DeFi development:

Arbitrum significantly improves the scalability and throughput of Ethereum, enabling DeFi protocols to handle a higher volume of transactions. With faster transaction confirmations and reduced congestion, users can enjoy a smoother and more efficient DeFi experience.

By moving transactions to the Arbitrum sidechain, users can benefit from lower gas fees compared to the Ethereum mainnet. This reduction in fees makes DeFi more accessible and cost-effective for both retail and institutional users.

Arbitrum maintains compatibility with Ethereum’s programming language, Solidity, and existing smart contracts. This means that DeFi applications and protocols built on Ethereum can easily migrate to Arbitrum, leveraging its scalability benefits without significant modifications to their codebase.

Arbitrum inherits the security guarantees of Ethereum’s mainnet through a process called “optimistic execution.” While transactions are initially processed off-chain, the sidechain’s consensus mechanism ensures that any discrepancies or malicious activities are caught and resolved, maintaining the integrity of the DeFi ecosystem.

Several prominent DeFi projects have already migrated to Arbitrum, benefiting from its scalability and cost efficiency:

• Uniswap V3: A decentralized exchange (DEX) that allows users to trade a variety of DeFi tokens with low gas fees. Uniswap V3 on Arbitrum offers the same features and liquidity as the mainnet version but with much lower gas fees.
• Radiant: A money market protocol that allows users to lend and borrow assets with high yields. Radiant offers features like fixed-rate lending, variable-rate lending, and margin trading, making it a popular choice for DeFi lending.

Arbitrum provides businesses with significant cost savings by reducing transaction fees. This cost advantage allows companies to reinvest resources into innovation and scale more efficiently. Arbitrum’s scalability also enables businesses to handle higher volumes of transactions without bottlenecks, making it ideal for rapid user growth or complex data flows.

Transactions on Arbitrum are often up to 10 times cheaper than those on the Ethereum mainnet. This difference can dramatically streamline a company’s budget, enabling greater efficiency when executing contracts or conducting high-frequency operations.

As a Layer 2 solution, Arbitrum offloads a considerable amount of transaction processing from the Ethereum base layer. This increased throughput eliminates potential bottlenecks for businesses built on Ethereum, ensuring operational speed and responsiveness.

A key strength of Arbitrum is its focus on preserving the developer experience of Ethereum. If a business is already leveraging Ethereum tools, smart contracts, and coding languages, the migration process to Arbitrum is minimal. This translates to quicker onboarding for development teams and immediate access to Arbitrum’s advantages while ensuring a smooth transition for users and customers.

Arbitrum’s scalability unlocks new possibilities for DeFi developers and entrepreneurs to experiment with innovative solutions and build more complex applications. This fosters further innovation within the DeFi ecosystem, allowing for the development of sophisticated trading strategies and new business models that were previously cost-prohibitive on the Ethereum mainnet.

With Arbitrum’s low fees, businesses can unlock entirely new opportunities. For instance, microtransactions become feasible, enabling innovative revenue models within lending platforms, decentralized exchanges, or other DeFi protocols. This transformation could impact gaming, NFTs, content platforms, and any industry where high fees previously prevented microtransaction models.

While Arbitrum offers significant benefits, there are challenges and trade-offs to consider:

• Withdrawal Delays: Users typically face a week-long delay when withdrawing funds from Arbitrum to Ethereum. This is because Arbitrum’s optimistic rollup allows validators a 7-day dispute time delay (DTD) to challenge transactions.
• Security and Decentralization Trade-offs: Arbitrum’s Nitro and Nova solutions offer different trade-offs between security, decentralization, and cost. For example, Nova makes trust assumptions by sharing transaction data with the Data Availability Committee instead of posting it to the Ethereum blockchain, which may be suitable for cost-sensitive applications but involves some compromises on decentralization.

Arbitrum is a powerful Layer 2 solution that addresses the scalability and cost issues associated with the Ethereum network, making it an ideal choice for DeFi development. Its ability to provide faster transaction confirmations, lower fees, and compatibility with Ethereum’s ecosystem positions it as a leading platform for businesses seeking to optimize their DeFi operations.

If you are interested in developing DeFi applications that benefit from Arbitrum’s scalability and cost efficiency, consider partnering with a reputable DeFi development company like Codezeros. They specialize in creating scalable and resilient Arbitrum DeFi solutions, including dApps, wallets, DEXs, and tokens. With their expertise, you can build innovative financial applications that take advantage of Arbitrum’s advantages while ensuring a smooth user experience.

Get Started with Codezeros Today:

For comprehensive Arbitrum development services, including smart contract development, wallet creation, and DEX integration, visit Codezeros. Their team of experts can help you navigate the complexities of DeFi development on Arbitrum, ensuring your projects are both scalable and secure.

By choosing Codezeros, you can focus on building the next generation of DeFi applications that benefit from Arbitrum’s innovative Layer 2 solutions. Whether you’re looking to develop decentralized exchanges, lending platforms, or other financial applications, Codezeros has the expertise to bring your vision to life.