Sony has recently acquired Whalefin, the well-known Japanese crypto exchange previously under the leadership of Amber Group. Sony thus expands its commitment in the Web3 sector through partnerships and investments in promising startups. Let’s see all the details.
Summary
Sony will relaunch the crypto exchange Whalefin acquired from Amber Group
Sony is preparing to relaunch the crypto exchange Whalefin, acquired last year from the crypto services provider Amber Group. The operation was initially reported by Wu Blockchain, with further details revealed later by Block.
On Monday, Whalefin announced that its parent company, Amber Japan, will change its name to S.BLOX. The announcement also specified that Amber Japan was acquired by Quetta Web, a division of Sony, in August 2023.
However, the financial terms of the agreement have not been disclosed.
Amber Japan, previously known as DeCurret, was acquired by the crypto-financial group Amber Group in 2022. Sony announced, through a press release on PR Times, that it intends to relaunch the cryptocurrency exchange soon with a new application.
Although Sony has already explored the world of Web3 through investments and partnerships, this agreement will represent the true entry of the technology giant, best known for the PlayStation, into the universe of criptovalute.
In the past, Sony has collaborated with Astar Network for a Web3 incubation program and has filed a patent for the transfer of non-fungible tokens (NFT) between different games and consoles.
Last year, Bloomberg reported that Amber Group, based in Hong Kong, was considering the sale of its Japanese unit due to the stringent regulations in the country.
Sony patents NFTs for interoperable games and consoles
As mentioned, Sony Interactive Entertainment not long ago filed a new patent that will allow the transfer of non-fungible tokens (NFT) between different games and consoles.
The patent aims to create an interoperable Web3 gaming experience for users of Sony products, such as the famous PlayStation console.
This system would allow players to transfer game resources between various devices, including virtual reality (VR) headsets, tablets, computers, and smartphones.
The patent application also highlights that NFTs could be used across different generations of consoles, for example, moving from the PS4 to the PS5. Additionally, the document explores how NFTs could work for objectives and tournaments.
In some scenarios, for example, an NFT could be earned by winning an eSport tournament and then used in different computer simulations.
Sony has specified that the system will also be compatible with products outside its own ecosystem, such as Xbox or cloud-based games. This feature would make digital assets completely transferable and usable across various gaming ecosystems.
The patent also includes measures to prevent players from repeating activities to earn the same NFTs multiple times.
The system could prevent “the repeated execution of the activity in other computer simulations” and “refuse to provide additional NFTs for subsequent performances of the same activity”.
