The European Central Bank (ECB) Governing Council has approved research efforts that will use central bank money to settle distributed ledger technology (DLT) transactions, as the body looks to make its payment systems more efficient.

One short term approach is called “Pontes” which will link DLT platforms with Eurosystem TARGET services that ensure the flow of cash and securities across Europe. A pilot will be launched by the third quarter of 2026. A more long term solution called “Appia” will facilitate global operations and analyze DLT-based solutions, the post said on Tuesday.

“The decision is in line with the Eurosystem’s commitment to supporting innovation without compromising on safety and efficiency in financial market infrastructures,” the release said.

The ECB has been exploring how to utilize DLT technology to boost payments settlement, something which central banks across the world have been looking at. It conducted exploratory work on wholesale central bank money settlement between May and November 2024. A report on the results of this work was also published on Tuesday that identified DLT having benefits such as reducing costs and countering credit and settlement risks.

Read more: ECB Targets October to Finish Digital Euro Preparation Phase

NFT project Jirasan is moving to reset its operations according to Founder and CEO Shan.

In a post published on Twitter/X, Shan acknowledged the project’s growing pains and outlined a clearer, more focused roadmap after what he described as an “overly ambitious” attempt to scale with limited resources.

The founder has committed to restructuring the team, reassessing leadership roles—including his own—and narrowing the project’s focus to deliver real revenue-backed growth.

What is Jirasan?

Jirasan is a collection of 10,000 NFTs that serve as membership passes to the PG Group and the broader Redacted ecosystem.

NFT holders receive various ecosystem benefits, most notably future airdrops of the native $RDAC token—which functions as the core utility and transactional asset of the Redacted platform.

Jirasan is part of a wider ecosystem aiming to build long-term web3 infrastructure and products.

What was the controversy about?

The controversy stemmed from growing dissatisfaction within the community over delays, unclear communications, and what some perceived as mismanagement and “slow-rugging.”

According to Shan, the team had only six full-time staff and relied heavily on short-term contractors, whilst simultaneously attempting to incubate and manage over 14 different products. This approach, the founder admitted, was “overly ambitious” and led to inefficiencies and underperformance across several fronts.

The founder also addressed rumours that the team had been dumping tokens or acting in bad faith. He denied these claims and stressed that the only funds used for $RDAC buybacks came from external revenue and not from the project treasury. He added that last week alone, 0.5% of the $RDAC supply had been bought and burned using these earnings.

What’s next for the project?

Founder and CEO Shan had announced several changes to restore confidence and improve execution, and a major overhaul is now underway.

• A restructuring of management, development, and marketing teams
• The establishment of dedicated web2 and web3 marketing divisions
• A renewed, focused roadmap with the goal of reaching a $100M market cap by 2026
• Reassessment of leadership roles

“We’ve stopped trying to do everything at once and are back to being sharp and intentional,” he wrote, adding that only high-accountability team members would remain moving forward.

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.

French public investment bank Bpifrance announced plans to accelerate its digital asset investment strategy, committing up to €25 million to support French blockchain companies through direct investments in crypto tokens.

The move marks a rare foray by a sovereign-backed fund into decentralized financial markets and highlights France’s ambitions to lead in emerging technologies.

The announcement was made on March 27 at a blockchain industry event in Paris, attended by Clara Chappaz, Minister Delegate for AI and Digital Affairs.

Backed by the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the program aims to bolster the French blockchain ecosystem by targeting projects with strong local ties, including decentralized finance, tokenization, staking infrastructure, identity certification, and blockchain-integrated AI applications.

Bpifrance has been a key supporter of the French blockchain landscape for nearly a decade, with more than €150 million deployed across over 200 startups.

These include equity stakes in firms such as ACINQ, Dfns, Flowdesk, and Arianee, as well as investments in dedicated digital asset funds managed by White Star Capital, Cygni Capital, Sparkle Ventures, and Ledger Cathay.

The bank first tested crypto asset operations in 2022 with small-scale token investments in French protocols Aleph.im and Morpho, allowing it to develop internal capabilities for managing digital assets.

These pilot initiatives laid the foundation for the current scale-up, which now includes active participation in decentralized financial markets and deeper engagement with tokenized ecosystems.

France’s presence in global digital asset investment remains limited despite rapid international growth, with over 1,000 crypto-focused funds managing more than €2.7 trillion globally.

Bpifrance’s move represents one of the first sovereign fund-backed efforts to invest directly in crypto tokens and engage with next-generation blockchain infrastructure.

The new €25 million allocation will be deployed alongside Bpifrance’s existing innovation tools, including grants, loans, and equity investments through its Digital Venture, Large Venture, and French Touch Capital divisions.

The goal is to create a more robust and competitive environment for French blockchain startups and to accelerate their ability to scale within the evolving European regulatory framework.