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Club benefit: access to the NFT Monuverse whitelist

club benefit monuverse nfts

Find out how to get early access to Monuverse NFTs at an advantageous price, thanks to the Clubs

8/11 update: the price of NFTs minted by those on the whitelist has been lowered to 0.07 ETH.

Monuverse is an ambitious project that seeks to transpose the world’s cultural heritage into the metaverse, with the aim of protecting its preservation and spreading awareness of the great cultural heritage to which we still have access.

We did say the benefits for clubs would continue, didn’t we? Well, as promised, here’s another one! Find out how to access the whitelist for the next Monuverse NFT drop.

What is Monuverse?

The Monuverse project creates NFT collections representing replicas of monuments and cultural sites through 3D modelling, reconstruction, 3D imaging and generative art.

A portion of the proceeds from the sales of these NFTs will go to local institutions responsible for the maintenance and restoration of the monument represented in the NFT.

Besides the interest in terms of collecting, being one of the virtual owners of a real historical monument is also a way to contribute to the preservation of cultural heritage in a unique way. We say ‘one of the owners’ because, at least according to Italian intellectual property law, it is not possible to be the sole owner of an element of cultural heritage. Hence why they are fragmented NFTs in the form of collective ownership of the monument they represent.

Monuverse is starting its collection with an Italian monument, with its first release being NFTs of the Arco della Pace (Arch of Peace) in Milan. The ultimate goal is much broader: to populate a historical metaverse where users can use 3D avatars with epoch-specific clothing and participate in virtual events, art exhibitions, and festivals.

What benefits do you get by purchasing a Monuverse NFT?

By purchasing an NFT from a Monuverse collection, you’re contributing to the protection of cultural heritage. This is the main value of the token.

However, having a Monuverse NFT also means joining a community and participating in a project, which provides a number of benefits.

  1. You get a PFP and a free 3D Avatar.
    A PFP is a profile picture in NFT format: you can use it on social networking sites and in all applications that support NFTs.
    On the other hand, an Avatar is your character in the metaverse: Monuverse has created several designs insipired bu various historical eras and cultures.
  2. You get guaranteed access to the Whitelist for upcoming Episodes.
    I.e. the possibility of minting new NFT collections to be released in the future at the cheapest price.
  3. You have access to Monuverse initiatives and events.
    The first example was the artistic performance in Milan last December at the Arco della Pace.
  4. You have the right to vote on the next monuments that Monuverse will release.

Discover all the 6 ways to use your Monuverse NFT!

How will the NFTs be released?

The release of Monuverse collections is done by Episodes. Episode I will begin on the 11th of November, during which 7,777 unique NFTs classified into 9 rarity levels will be released.

On the 11th of November, Episode I will take place in three consecutive phases starting at 5pm (UTC):

  1. The Chosen Ones: minting for the top whitelist band;
  2. The Believers: minting for the second whitelist band, called ‘Pre Mint’;
  3. The Brave: minting for public sale.

The price of a single NFT varies according to the phase in which you participate. 

  1. The Chosen Ones: 0.09 ETH (approx. €145); lowered to 0.07 ETH (approx. €104)
  2. The Believers: 0.09 ETH (approx. €145);
  3. The Brave: 0.11 ETH (approx. €175).

Initially, each NFT will contain the same generic image. To find out which level of rarity you have purchased, you will have to wait about a week. At the end of the waiting period, the Reveal phase will begin, i.e. the phase in which you will discover the actual image or video of your NFT that will correspond to one of the 9 animations representing the different rarity levels.

Since it is an NFT, it will always be exchangeable, both in its generic version before Reveal and in its final post-Reveal version, in exchange for ETH.

What is the benefit for Club members?

Thanks to the collaboration between Young Platform and Monuverse, there are 1200 reserved places on the first-tier whitelist for club members.

Being on the whitelist allows early minting of up to 3 NFTs at 0.07 ETH (about €104), i.e. buying them, registering them on the blockchain and transferring them to your wallet.

Please note: you have until the 9th of November at 5 p.m. (UTC) to join a Club and sign-up for the whitelist!

As places are limited, priority will be given to members of higher-level clubs.

How to apply for the whitelist

By the 9th of November at 5 p.m. (UTC), Club members who want to attempt to be whitelisted must register with their wallet address on the whitelist page.

Follow these 3 basic steps.

1. Join a Club or increase your level

The very first thing to do if you are not in any Club or in a low-level Club, is definitely to sign up now. That way, you have time to deposit money, buy YNGs and lock them in a Club before the 9th of November.

The higher your Club level, the more likely you are to be whitelisted.

We recommend performing the remaining two steps from the desktop.

2. Create an Ethereum wallet

If you do not have a web wallet for Ethereum, one of the most convenient and compatible applications is Metamask. You can create one like this:

  • Go to Metamask
  • Click on ‘Install MetaMask for (browser)’.
  • Click on ‘Add to (browser)’.
  • After installation, a new tab should open automatically. If it does not, go to the list of extensions and click on MetaMask.
  • Click on ‘Create a Portfolio’.
  • Click on ‘Accept’.
  • Set a password, check the box to accept the Terms of Use and click ‘Create’.
  • Click ‘Next’ and then ‘Click here to reveal the secret words’.
  • Write the secret phrase (seed phrase) on paper now and keep it in a safe place. Click on ‘Next’.
  • Select the words of the secret phrase in the correct order and click ‘Confirm’.

3. Sign-up on the minting page

  • Register at the minting page
    • Click on ‘Login to Sign-up’.
    • Click on ‘Metamask’.
  • Enter the password communicated by Young Platform by email after 48 hours of joining the Club (or November 5th if you are already in a Club).
  • Connect your wallet, enter your name and click on Sign-up.
  • If you see a congratulations pop-up, you are whitelisted.
  • Transfer your ETH from Young Platform to Metamask. If you do not have ETH, buy them on Young Platform and then transfer them to Metamask. 

Please note: When deciding how much ETH to buy and transfer to Metamask, please consider: 1) the number of NFTs you want to buy (maximum 3), 2) ETH transfer fees to Metamask (0.0025 ETH), minting fees (min. 3$) and for any emergency transactions in case of an error.

How do I transfer my ETH to Metamask?

You can send ETH and tokens from another wallet to a new MetaMask account. Simply copy your new public MetaMask address and go to your existing wallet or exchange to send funds to your new wallet address.

You can find your MetaMask address under the account name (in the format 0x12r45…6HJ9).

To transfer ETH from Young Platform follow this guide.

For further questions please consult the MetaMask FAQ by clicking here.

What should I do on the 11th of November?

If you made it onto the whitelist, on the 11th of November, you will be able to participate in the early minting from 17.00 UTC for around 2-3 hours, at 0.07 ETH per mint.

You can still buy NFTs in later stages if you wish, but they will have the costs specified above.

In any case, here is how to mint:

  1. Click on the link we will email you 48 hours after you join the Club (or November 5th if you are already in a Club).
  2. Connect your wallet.
  3. Select the number of NFTs you wish to purchase (maximum 3 whitelisted).
  4. Click on Mint to make payment in ETH.
  5. Wait for a congratulations window to appear.

Congratulations, NFTs are now inside your wallet!

How to view your NFT

Once purchased, you can view and display your NFTs on all major generic marketplaces including OpenSea.

To view your NFTs simply:

  1. Go to OpenSea.
  2. Link your wallet in the top right-hand corner by clicking on the profile or wallet icon
  3. Go back to your profile. Under the ‘Collected’ tab, you can view your NFTs.

Remember that you will only be able to see the real image or video you have purchased after the reveal process is done.

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Lord of the Rings tokens and NFT news for October

NFT: The Lord of the Rings collection and October news

October NFTs news summarised in 5 items: Lord of the Rings, Art Gobblers, Reddit, blue chip collections and the royalties debate!

So, what happened in the NFT market this October? Among the new collections is the eagerly awaited Lord of the Rings collection, as well as Art Gobblers, a sui generis crypto art project. Record NFT sales involve blue chip collections, but all that glitters is not gold… Reddit’s NFTs continue their conquest of the industry, which in the meantime is busy deciding: should NFT royalties be paid to artists?

New: Lord of the Rings NFTs

Among the most interesting collections of the past month is certainly the one involving Lord of the Rings NFTs. On the 21st of October, Warner Bros. released 10,999 NFTs based on the first chapter of the saga inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien’s universe, The Fellowship of the Ring. The NFT collection is part of the broader ‘Warner Bros Movieverse‘ project unveiled by the film studio to create Web3 experiences and digital collectibles for fans (examples include exclusive behind-the-scenes content or augmented reality set exploration). The collection was built on the Eluvio blockchain, which describes itself as a ‘crypto content chain’. The Lord of the Rings NFTs were released in two different purchase options:

  1. “Mystery Edition”: at a cost of $30 (payable in fiat or crypto coins), an NFT representing the landscape of the Shire (common), with Rivendell (uncommon) or the Mines of Moria (rare) is minted and randomly awarded. By purchasing one of these tokens, you receive access to the extended 4K version of the film, eight hours of special content and commentary, images and themed collectibles. These NFTs were minted in 10,000 copies (at the time of writing, 5,230 are still available);
  2. “Epic edition”: at a cost of $100, it was possible to purchase an NFT depicting one of the landscapes from the “Mystery Edition” or to surprise others with additional special content. The 999 Lord of the Rings ‘Epic Edition’ NFTs are sold out.

In addition to the rights to Lord of the Rings, Warner Bros. owns those to the Harry Potter saga, DC heroes, Scooby Doo and the Hanna-Barbera classics. But it would seem that the next literary universe to enter the Warner Bros Movieverse will be that of the Iron Throne, as Game of Thrones NFTs were announced a few hours ago in collaboration with marketplace Nifty’s. The collection dubbed ‘Game of Thrones: Build Your Kingdom’ will be released in December 2022.

The top collection of the month is from the creator of Rick and Morty

Although Lord of the Rings NFTs were a real hit with fans, the token collection that really exploded in October was Art Gobblers. It was imagined by Rick and Morty creator Justin Roiland, in partnership with Paradigm, a well-known crypto-themed venture capital fund. Art Gobblers NFT was launched on the 31st of October on Ethereum. In just four days, it raised over $45 million ($13 million in the first two hours after launch alone). What is the special feature of this collection?

The Art Gobblers project is a ‘decentralised art factory’ owned by aliens, but that is another story. Using a drawing tool available directly on the site, anyone can create illustrations or patterns that are then randomly combined to generate unique NFTs. The Art Gobblers are called this way because they incorporate and display artists’ works directly in their stomachs. The NFTs are created without human intervention, meaning that Art Gobblers is a generative art project. The collection will consist of 10,000 pieces, and the first 2,000 non-fungible tokens were minted on the 31st of October. The remaining 8,000 can be created directly by the artists by paying a commission in the GOO token, owner of the project. One of the rarest Art Gobblers, number #9949 was purchased for 21.5 ETH (about 33,000 USD).

Reddit’s NFTs bring 3 million people into the crypto world

Reddit’s first NFTs were launched in July as avatars for use on the platform. On the 21st of October, the ‘second generation’ of avatars came out. Around 40,000 copies all sold in a single day for between $10 and $100 (although the most expensive was bought for $40,000). The tweet by Mihailo Bjelic, co-founder of Polygon, the blockchain on which Reddit’s NFTs were developed, shows the economic impact of the collection. But it’s not just for the sales figures that these tokens have attracted attention. Apparently, Reddit’s NFTs have brought 3 million users into the crypto world without ever having used the words ‘NFT’ or ‘cryptocurrency’ (and ‘blockchain’ only once). Millions of users were unfamiliar with cryptocurrencies but intrigued by a useful and curious initiative for Reddit users. The campaign to communicate and promote these NFTs took place under the terms ‘digital collectibles’. In fact, according to Reddit CEO Steve Huffman, the term “crypto” would have confused people.

Blue chip collections still in the rankings but their value is no longer the same

The collections with the highest sales in October are obviously the blue chips we know very well, such as CryptoPunks and the Bored Ape Yacht Club. The most substantial sales were:

  • CryptoPunks #924 for $737,160;
  • CryptoPunks #9476 for $487,830;
  • Fidenza #783 for $471,150.

However, the biggest winners in the NFT space are also the biggest ‘losers’. On DappRadar you can see that although these collections are the most valuable, their value has dropped dramatically within a year. For example, the CryptoPunks #5822 previously bought for $23.58 million is now worth ‘only’ $2.64 million. Or the Bored Ape #8817 sold for $3.4 million by Sotheby’s auction house and now has a market value of $805,043.

Marketplaces and NFT artists fight over royalties

The NFT world in October was also marked by the debate on royalties for non-fungible tokens. A ‘royalty’ means the percentage of a sale that goes to the artist or author of a work. Earlier this month, Magic Eden, the NFT marketplace on Solana decided not to make it compulsory for buyers to pay royalties, with the aim of attracting more collectors. Recently, this strategy was also adopted by the LooksRare marketplace. For some, royalties are indispensable to support artists’ work and are the basis of the creator economy. For others, royalties have become just a way to enrich the owners of large collections.

Confirming the latter thesis is Galaxi Digital’s report showing that the creators of collections on Ethereum have so far earned $1.8 billion from royalties from secondary sales on marketplaces such as Opensea. Of this figure, 20 percent is in the hands of only ten collections, the remaining 80 per cent is split between 482 projects. Topping the list in terms of royalty earnings is Yuga Labs with a take of $147 million, keep in mind that only royalties are being considered, this therefore excludes the cost of the NFTs themselves.

Magic Eden, despite the controversy over its decision and the dissatisfaction of crypto artists, registered 300,000 trader sign-ups in October.

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Tourism in the Metaverse: stop in Italy with Monuverse

The Monuverse metaverse: tourism and heritage with NFTs

The Monuverse metaverse promises to enhance cultural heritage through NFTs. How can the blockchain benefit tourism?

It has been a year since Facebook turned into Meta and brought the word ‘metaverse’ into the limelight. Since then, all centralised projects, such as Roblox, or decentralised projects (the most popular being Decentraland and The Sandbox) that virtually connect people from all parts of the world have gained popularity. This is particularly welcome in light of what was experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. But what can be done in the metaverse today? The different platforms offer services and experiences of all kinds, from play-to-earn video games to concerts, fashion shows and art exhibitions. Many projects, such as the Italian Monuverse initiative, have shown that the metaverse lends itself to enhancing the arts and tourism sector.

Blockchain for tourism and cultural heritage: use cases

The crypto metaverse, with its blockchain-based technology, promises to improve many aspects of our daily lives. If we consider tourism and the art world, NFTs and the metaverse are already being used on various levels. Non-fungible tokens, for instance, are being used as a format to sell tickets for events and exhibitions. The metaverse also allows people to visit museums and archaeological sites directly from their homes. Crypto metaverses in the style of Decentraland host reconstructions of monuments and digital art exhibitions as in the case of Decentraland Art Week. In general, the blockchain is used by tourism operators to build platforms for booking crypto holidays, tracking data and organising loyalty programmes. NFT artwork is also used as a tool to finance the reconstruction or preservation of historical monuments, as in the case of the Ukrainian Meta History Museum of War or the Monuverse metaverse,

In the Metaverse, art and monuments are boundless

From the point of view of the public, tourists, art lovers and collectors, the metaverse has arrived to enhance their experience by making it borderless. Digital museums are truly for everyone. Reconstructing a monument in the metaverse means making works of art more accessible both economically and geographically, as it should always be according to the concept of public goods. The experience in the metaverse, without replacing a trip to the real world, can be an opportunity to experience a work of art from an unusual point of view. As well as being free, accessible from home and environmentally sustainable. With the blockchain, tourism becomes unconditional and limitless because sites of interest are always available at any time. Digital tourists can discover the world with their own eyes, from wherever they are. The digital experience can only complement that of offline tourism.

The Monuverse metaverse: close to culture with NFTs

Monuverse, the crypto art project supported by Reasoned Art, fits into this landscape. Monuverse is building a virtual reality (accessible with Oculus) to host all the world’s most important monuments in NFT format, thus making them visitable by anyone. The Monuverse metaverse will become a central environment for digital tourists, artists, creators and brands by hosting cultural promotion events. The monuments in this metaverse will then be transformed into collectable NFTs. Regarding Italian monuments, Monuverse has an agreement with the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage to donate a percentage of royalties on NFT sales to institutions that restore works. The first monument chosen by Monuverse is the Arch of Peace in Milan, built in 1807 under Napoleon’s rule as an entrance to the main road that connected the Lombard capital with Paris.  In this case, Monuverse entered into an agreement to donate a percentage of NFT sales to the Milan Superintendence of Cultural Heritage for the conservation and restoration of the monument itself. 

The Peace Arch NFTs are examples of the generative art style and will be minted (in crypto jargon, created and registered on blockchain) on the 11th of November in 7,777 copies with different rarities.The owners of these NFTs, with their purchase, will directly contribute to the preservation of the Peace Arch and will be able to decide what the next work in the metaverse will be.

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Young Platform signs a partnership with the world’s leading Web3 domain provider

Young Platform signs a partnership with Unstoppable Domains

A partnership has been secured between the world’s leading provider of Web3 domains, Unstoppable Domains, and Italy’s leading cryptocurrency exchange, Young Platform.

Turin, the 2nd of November 2022 – Young Platform, Italy’s leading cryptocurrency exchange, has signed a partnership with Unstoppable Domains, the world’s leading provider of Web3 domains. The partnership will allow more than 1.5 million people in Italy, present within the Young Platform ecosystem, to educate themselves on the Web3 world and to receive a free credit to purchase a Web3 domain.

The partnership was signed by Andrea Ferrero, Co-Founder and CEO of Young Platform and Sandy Carter, SVP and Channel Chief of Unstoppable Domains. Young Platform is a scale-up founded in Turin in 2018, which today has names such as Azimut, United Ventures and Banca Sella among its investors. 

This is a blockchain-based collaboration, bringing NFTs and cryptocurrencies together. Founded in San Francisco, California, Unstoppable Domains allows people to create Web3 domains that can become a fundamental part of their digital identity. A Web3 domain, in its simplest form, is a name (example: alicesmith.nft) that exists as an NFT on the blockchain. This allows the owner of the domain to have all associated data under their direct control. They are also able to use it as a digital identity across hundreds of web3 Dapps, wallets and exchanges. These use cases can be summarised in one fundamental concept: data sovereignty. Data sovereignty means that only the owner has the right to decide who or what can access their data, what data they want to share with which apps as well as how it is used.

In Web2, it is difficult, if not impossible, to move data from one app to another because big technology companies create closed ecosystems. For example, we can publish the same content on all Meta services or use the same account for all Amazon services, but using the same content or credentials on both is impossible.

By contrast, the definition of Web3 is based on content sovereignty: there are no companies asking for data in exchange for services. Instead, developers create services, and users use and pay for them without relinquishing control of their data. All this is possible thanks to blockchain technology, which makes the ownership of all kinds of tokens immutable and secure with cryptography. Smart contracts are crucial for this too, as they make it possible to build decentralised applications (DApps).

Young Platform is positioned as the Italian entry point for the cryptocurrency market, and it now has over 1.5 million registered users. Young’s proprietary token (YNG), based on Ethereum, was first distributed free of charge only through educational features (such as the Step app), and then introduced to the market in June 2022. In the same month, Young Platform closed a EUR 16 million investment round led by Azimut. The ‘cryptocompany’ aims to create a team of 110 employees by the end of the year.  Having taken its first steps in the i3P incubator of the Politecnico di Torino, today, Young Platform aims to become a smart digital bank, natively focused on digital services with solid foundations based on regulatory compliance and dialogue with regulators. The company retains a mix of talent and experience, thanks to an advisory board of professionals from high finance and the tech world, as well as the ability to aggregate an aware and resilient community.

“Unstoppable is giving the power of the Internet back to the people. We’re excited to partner with Young Platform to expand access to Web3 through strong crypto education and access to Web3 domains,” says Sandy Carter, SVP and Channel Chief of Unstoppable Domains.

“This powerful integration is just one step in an exciting journey to facilitate Web3 adoption. We are excited to partner with Unstoppable Domains, and are confident that this implementation is just one of many more exciting collaborations to come,” says Andrea Ferrero. “Unstoppable Domains is doing an amazing job of paving the way for a decentralised identity. Suffice it to say that your Unstoppable Web3 domain is your wallet address, your decentralised web access and your universal username, all at the same time. Web3 was introduced in our educational paths and integrated in our products. Thanks to this effort, it’s now accessible to everyone, also in Italy.” 

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Get an Unstoppable Domains voucher with the Clubs

Get an Unstoppable Domains voucher with the Clubs

Today, if you are signed up to a Club, you will receive a voucher to redeem a credit on Unstoppable Domains. Go Web3!

Today, the 31st of October, starting at 17:30 (UTC), the distribution of Unstoppable Domains vouchers via email will begin to those who are already signed up to the Clubs.

Please note: vouchers will take between 48 and 72 hours to be sent to both subscribed and new subscribers.

If you are not yet in any Clubs, you have until 11.30 a.m. (UTC) on 28th of November to sign up and automatically receive your voucher within 48 hours. Find out more about the Clubs.

Below are the voucher amounts according to your Club level:

  • Bronze: $60
  • Silver: $70
  • Gold: $90
  • Platinum: $110

If you’re in a Club but can’t find the voucher email, check your spam folders and see if Young Platform addresses are blocked from your inbox: [email protected] and [email protected]

Don’t know what we are talking about? We announced this new advantage for clubs in this article.

What should I do now that I have a voucher?

The first thing to do is to create an Unstoppable account and redeem the voucher for credit.

It is important to do this now because all vouchers expire on the 29th of November.

After redeeming the voucher, the credit must also be used as soon as possible.

The credit will expire 90 days after you redeem it.

To purchase a Web3 Domain using the credit applied to the account, follow this guide.

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How to use a voucher on Unstoppable Domains

How to use a voucher on Unstoppable Domains

If you have obtained an Unstoppable Domains voucher, this is the guide for you. Here is the step-by-step explanation on how to buy a Web3 Domain and make it yours.

1. Create an account on Unstoppable Domains

We recommend operating from a desktop throughout the procedure for the best experience.

Creating an Unstoppable account is really simple. From the homepage, click at the top right on Sign up/Log in.

As you see, you have several options: use your Google profile, Twitter, connect a wallet or create new credentials.

Once you have chosen your credentials, you will receive an email to confirm your sign up. Click on the link in the email to verify your account.

2. Redeem the voucher

Your account is now ready. From the menu at the top of the page, click on the ‘Account’ button and then on ‘Redeem a Gift Code’.

Paste your voucher received by email from Young Platform into this section and redeem it by clicking on ‘Apply’.

Your account is now associated with credit to be used for any purchase.

NB: You have until the 29th of November to redeem the voucher.

3. Buy a Domain

You can purchase an Unstoppable Domain either from Young Platform Web or directly from the Unstoppable Domains site.

Once you have applied credit to your Unstoppable account, use the search bar to find the domain you want to purchase.

Remember that all prices are in US dollars, as is the value of your voucher.

In this paragraph you will find the aspects to be evaluated when choosing a Web3 domain name.

Once you have chosen the domain, add it to the basket and select a method of payment.

We recommend following the official guide especially if you want to pay in cryptocurrencies.

When you have made your purchase, you will find your new domain under ‘Account’, in ‘My Domains’.

NB: you only have 90 days from the time of redemption to use the credit.

4. Mint your Domain

The domain is now yours, but it is not yet registered on the blockchain.

For this step, you must have a compatible wallet with which to associate your new Domain.

You can do it whenever you want, so take your time. Just know that until it is registered on blockchain, it is not universally verifiable that it is yours.

4a. Prepare your Wallet (for example: MetaMask)

If you do not yet have a Wallet Metamask or equivalent, here is how to create one:

  1. Go to https://metamask.io/download/
  2. Click on ‘Install MetaMask for (browser)’.
  3. Click on ‘Add to (browser)’.
  4. After installation, a new tab should open automatically. If it does not, go to the list of extensions and click on MetaMask.
  5. Click on ‘Create a Portfolio’.
  6. Click on ‘I accept’.
  7. Set a password, check the box to accept the Terms of Use and click ‘Create’.
  8. Click ‘Next’ and then ‘Click here to reveal the secret words’.
  9. Write the secret phrase (seed phrase) on paper now and keep it in a safe place. Click on ‘Next’.
  10. Select the words of the secret phrase in the correct order and click ‘Confirm’.

4b. Connect the wallet to Polygon 

Still following the desktop procedure, connect your web wallet to the Polygon network, where your Unstoppable domain will be registered.

These are the steps for Metamask:

  • Go to PolygonScan.com
  • Scroll down to the site footer and click on Add Polygon Network
  • MetaMask will ask you to approve the changes. After doing so, click on Switch Network

4c. Mint your Unstoppable Domain

Now everything is ready for minting, i.e. to register the domain on blockchain:

  1. Go back to your Unstoppable Domains account
  2. Go to ‘My Domains’:
  3. Select ‘Free Mint’ next to your domain and click on continue.
  4. Select the wallet in which you want to mint your domain.
  5. Tick the  “I understand” box and confirm.
  6. Confirm your e-mail, enter the verification code and confirm.
  7. Your domain will be minted on Polygon. The operation may take several minutes depending on the traffic on the network. Click on Track Progress for more details on the status of the operation.

It’s done! The Web3 domain is yours, and it is verifiable on the blockchain.

It’s time to discover 10 ways to use your Web3 Unstoppable domain!

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Young Monday: Udinese Calcio, the UK and L’Oréal Paris

Crypto in the UK: Rishi Sunak is bullish and open to stablecoins

The UK is increasingly bullish on crypto, Udinese launches its fan token on Socios, L’Oréal and Meta fund Web3 startups

Electrifying news for this Halloween edition of Young Monday, but fear not, nothing scary! The first item concerns fan tokens. Socios launched the Udinese Calcio crypto on Wednesday the 26th of October 2022. The UK introduces the Financial Service and Markets Bill to regulate cryptocurrencies and Meta is working with L’Oréal to fund Web3 startups.

Socios launches Udinese Calcio fan token

On the 26th of October 2022, Udinese Calcio, Friuli’s Serie A team, launched its UDI fan token on the Socios.com platform. Socios is the most popular fan token platform, built on the Chiliz blockchain. The Udinese Calcio UDI fan token will allow fans to participate in the team’s decisions through surveys, and access exclusive promotions for customised products and content. There are 25,000 UDI fan tokens and they were sold through three different stages, which ensured that most fans will own at least a few.

The first survey in which Udinese Calcio fan token holders were able to participate was launched by Socios at the same time as the first phase of the UDI crypto sale. Fans were able to choose the ‘motivational’ slogan to be printed on the shirts that the players will use for the pre-match warm-up. Voting participants will also take part in a draw, the prize of which will be an official jersey autographed by all members of the Friulian team. Udinese Calcio and Socios have been working together since February 2022 with the aim of involving fans more closely in the club’s decisions. In this regard, more than 500 surveys will be offered to fan token holders by the end of the year.

Growing adoption in the UK thanks to Rishi Sunak

On the 25th of October, the UK presented the ‘Financial Services and Markets Bill’, a bill aimed at strengthening the country’s position in the cryptocurrency sector. The aim of the bill is to turn the UK into a global hub for crypto and Web3 in general. What is the first step to achieve this? Expanding and amending existing regulations, especially those relating to stablecoins. The latter will be renamed to ‘Digital Settlement Assets’ within the document, and could be added to the list of accepted currencies for payments and thus become a widespread means of payment.

This openness of the UK on the subject of cryptocurrencies is not surprising, given the interest in the topic of the new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Sunak replaced Liz Truss on Monday the 24th of October 2022, who resigned after only 40 days in office. Sunak, during his previous tenure as Chancellor of the Exchequer (finance minister), had already demonstrated his interest in crypto and Web3 technologies. The idea of making the UK a global technology hub for crypto assets was conceived at that time, along with the even more ambitious proposal to create an NFT collection for the British royal mint. Rishi Sunak has also spoken out on a number of occasions about CBDCs. As far back in 2011, he proposed creating a UK Central Bank Digital Currency to be called ‘Britcoin’.

Meta and L’Oréal, working together to finance Web3

Meta and L’Oréal have decided to join forces, assisted by the French business school HEC Paris, to launch a Web3 startup accelerator to promote creativity in the metaverse. Startup accelerators, or incubators, build growth pathways to help young companies with innovative ideas make a name for themselves in an industry. Meta, L’Oréal and HEC will help start-ups that want to specialise in the production of Web3 technologies, in particular augmented reality (AR) virtual reality (VR), 3D production, user experience portability and the token economy.

The collaboration, which will run from January to June 2023, will be entirely hosted by Meta, within its startup campus in Paris, Station F. Applications to participate are open until the 20th of November 2022, and will be judged by a jury composed not only of Meta, L’Oréal and HEC employees, but also of entrepreneurs and investors with experience in the sector. Meta’s Vice President for Southern Europe, Laurent Solly, said, “We are proud to partner with L’Oréal on this ambitious project, which aims to support the French startup ecosystem and will play a key role in building a shared, creative and inclusive metaverse.”

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What is KYC for? Identity verification explained simply

KYC: what it is, how it works and what it is for

What is KYC, how does it work and what is it for? Read all about identity verification on Young Platform

Ever heard of Know Your Customer or KYC? It is a set of procedures that allows Young Platform to get to know its users in depth and thus comply with legal obligations. KYC is nothing more than an identification and due diligence process used by banks, financial intermediaries or cryptocurrency exchanges to certify that users who register are natural persons and not. As a result of this process, it is also possible to detect abnormal behaviour and thus avoid potential illegal activities such as money laundering or terrorist financing. KYC is carried out by filling out a questionnaire directly in the app and entering some information such as residential address, social security number and identity document. 

KYC procedures must be carried out as a legal requirement (in Italian law, according to Legislative Decree 231/2007 as amended) and are mandatory in services related to digital finance, whether centralised or not. We are here to explain how KYC works on Young Platform, how it is done and why it is so important!

What is the purpose of KYC on Young Platform?

Identity Verification is essential to activate your Young Platform profile and start using all the services of the exchange, from buying and selling crypto to the Earning Wallet. With the Identity Verification procedure, Young Platform guarantees you as well as all other users a secure experience that complies with all Italian regulations. With Identity Verification, you protect yourself and your company from online fraud and money laundering attempts. KYC is the most effective tool cryptocurrency exchanges and financial institutions have to defend their users from financial crimes.

Identity verification on Young Platform: 5 steps in 5 minutes

Concretely, KYC on Young Platform simply consists of entering data. During the course of the procedure you will be asked to communicate and confirm:

  • your address of residence;
  • your home address;
  • your date of birth and nationality;
  • the origin of the funds you intend to use on Young Platform;
  • the validity of your ID document.

You can read our policy in detail by clicking here.

Identity verification is carried out quickly with software from Onfido, a world leader in artificial intelligence-based identity verification management.

Identity Verification takes place on the Young Platform app (or on the web platform) under User > Account > Account Levels > Level 1.

Have an identity document (ID card, passport or driving licence) and the camera on your mobile phone handy. Now follow these 5 steps to complete the Verification in 5 minutes:

1. Enter your first and last name

Please enter your first and last name as they appear on your ID card. If you have a double barreled first name or surname, enter both of them. Your personal data must be complete! During verification, it is important that your first name and surname match the photo of the ID document you will be asked to submit.

2. Enter your document details

You can use your ID card, passport or driving licence as a document. Make sure that the document is valid and that it is not damaged or discoloured.

3. Select the purpose for which you intend to use Young Platform

4. Take a picture of your document

Upload one shot for the front and one for the back of your document. The picture must capture the entire document, so be careful not to crop out the edges! Shots should be in colour, sharp and in focus. For a flawless photo, choose a well-lit environment.

5. Take a selfie

It is now your turn to pose for the camera. Take a selfie of your face while keeping your hand still, and do not wear any accessories. Get rid of your glasses, hats or anything that can hide your face.

Can’t complete Identity Verification? Here are the most common errors

After following these 5 steps, your procedure will be finalised automatically in about 5 minutes. If it takes longer than expected, this is because the Onfido system is unable to match your selfie to your ID photo, or because some of the data is illegible. Don’t worry, manual checks will be carried out. They will take between two and five working days. You will soon be able to use your account.

If the procedure does not succeed even with manual verification, you will receive a warning e-mail stating one of the following reasons. Let’s see in detail which errors you may have come across:

  1. User already registered with another account: in this case the name you entered in the procedure is already registered. On Young Platform each person can only register once.
  2. Please use an alternative document: the document you have chosen is expired or invalid.
  3. The picture of the document is not valid: the photo of your documents is of poor quality. Try again by following the small steps explained above!
  4. The picture of the face is not valid: your face is not clearly visible from the selfie you took or cannot be associated with the ID photo you uploaded.

Additional info: who counts as a “politically exposed” person?

During the data collection process, you will be asked to indicate whether you are or have close ties with a politically exposed person (PEP). This category includes all persons who hold public office or who have ceased to hold it for less than a year. We are therefore talking not only about MPs, senators or members of political parties, but also about other categories for which you can find the full list by clicking on this link. You are also required to report if you are a family member of a politically exposed person, i.e. a parent, a spouse or if you have close ties.

Why is this information important? Again, it is the law that requires it! Specifying whether you are a PEP is an additional form of protection against exposure to financial crime or money laundering risks. If you declare that you are a PEP or a family member of a PEP, our team will contact you for details.

Now that you know what KYC on Young Platform is, how it works and what it is used for, you might ask yourself: is it safe to share my documents online?

The answer is: yes, if you do so consciously. Before sharing your data on any online platform or service, please investigate its reliability. A first indication of seriousness and security is the presence of legal documents showing the procedures adopted for KYC and those for processing personal data. You can find the legal documents relating to Young Platform here.

The data you share with Young Platform is handled in accordance with the Privacy and Data Protection Notice, please note that the purpose of the Identity Verification procedure, according to Regulations (EU) 2016/979 and (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council and relevant national legislation, is considered to be in the public interest. 

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Crypto.com: the story of the internet domain worth millions of dollars

The Story of the Million Dollar Sale of the crypto.com domain

The story of the million-dollar sale of the Crypto.com internet domain tells of the importance of having a recognisable name on the web!

To those of us who use the Internet on a daily basis, the decisive role of Internet domains may escape your attention. Between the late 1990s and the beginning of the new millennium, domains were the subject of real speculation. In even more recent times, the sale of certain addresses has reached astronomical figures. Such is the case of the Crypto.com domain, registered in the 1990s and resold for millions of dollars in 2018. The story of the million-dollar sale of the Internet domain Crypto.com provides much food for thought on the importance of identity on the Web!

‘Crypto.com’ is not the real name of the exchange

You may not know that ‘Crypto.com’ is not the original name of the well-known centralised cryptocurrency exchange. The company was founded in Hong Kong in 2016 by Bobby Bao, Gary Or, Kris Marszalek and Rafael Melo. It was created under the name ‘Monaco’. Only a few years later, in 2018, the exchange was renamed ‘Crypto.com’, thanks to the purchase of the rights to the internet domain of the same name. The company spent a huge amount of money to obtain this domain, fighting with the previous owner who for many years refused any offer. How much was Crypto.com bought for? The negotiation has always remained secret, but the estimated figure is between 5 and 10 million dollars.

Who was the owner of the Internet domain Crypto.com?

The first owner of the Crypto.com domain was Matt Blaze, a professor and cryptography researcher at the University of Pennsylvania, who registered it in 1993 at the beginning of his academic career. Blaze had deposited the domain for free at the time, because it was not until 1995 that the organisation that managed the Domain Name System (DNS) decided to monetise domain registration. Blaze used the domain Crypto.com as the address of his personal cryptography-themed blog in which he shared resources and tried to dispel the myth that cryptography is a business for criminals. As early as 2000, a company called ‘Crypto.Com, Inc’, which dealt in encrypted communication services, made the first proposal to buy the domain owned by Blaze. But it was only with the cryptocurrency boom, around 2016, that Blaze was inundated with offers for Crypto.com. However, the professor never intended to give up his valuable domain, stating repeatedly and publicly that Crypto.com was not for sale.

Crypto.com, a valuable internet domain (for many reasons)

Throughout its history, Crypto.com has proved to be a valuable domain because it is unique and capable of communicating a precise identity, that of the cryptocurrency world. Anyone who uses it will immediately be associated with the sector it represents.

The Crypto.com domain was so coveted that a potential buyer came to Blaze’s office at the university, begging the professor to accept his offer.

But why did Blaze so strongly oppose the sale of the Crypto.com domain? Again, the question of identity returns. In a nutshell Blaze argued that the domain should refer to a cryptography project and not a cryptocurrency project, since the original meaning of ‘crypto’ relates to the former semantic field. Blaze criticised the use of the term ‘crypto’ to refer to cryptocurrencies; ‘crypto’ originated as an abbreviation of ‘cryptography’ and not ‘cryptocurrency’. The professor did not want to fuel the association of cryptography with cryptocurrencies, which he personally has always viewed with suspicion and little connection to cryptography.

In support of this thesis, Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai, a journalist with expertise in hacking and cybersecurity, also spoke out in 2017. Franceschi-Bicchierai showed how on Google News or according to vocabulary, ‘crypto’ referred to cryptography. “Think, for example, of the term ‘crypto wars’ (‘Crypto Wars’), which refers to government (originally the US) efforts to undermine and slow down the adoption of unbreakable communication systems”. The journalist’s contribution also includes a statement by Emin Gün Sirer (who had not yet founded Avalanche) in which he explained that cryptography in cryptocurrencies is an ‘ancillary’ element and that the real innovation is the use of blockchains as consensus mechanisms and distributed systems.

This was the case in 2017, but now the situation is definitely reversed. Language has evolved and searching for ‘crypto’ on Google means coming across content and information exclusively related to the world of Bitcoin&Co. Today in dictionaries, the first meaning is ‘abbreviation for cryptocurrency’, only the second is ‘relating to crypto’.

The Million Dollar Sale of the Crypto.com Domain

Suddenly, however, in 2018 Blaze writes on his blog: ‘over the past few years I have received a growing series of offers, many of them obviously not serious, but some of them frankly attention-grabbing, for the Crypto.com domain. I ignored most of them, but it became increasingly clear that keeping the domain made less and less sense for me. Earlier this year, I entered into confidential discussions with some serious potential buyers. Last month, I reached an agreement to sell the domain.

The cryptographer Blaze had actually sold the Crypto.com domain to cryptocurrency exchange Monaco for a few million dollars. After the purchase, the former company ‘Monaco’ implemented the rebranding operation to become ‘Crypto.com’ as we know it now. The case of Crypto.com is just one of many examples of how important a domain name can be in the identity of a brand. Being recognisable on the Internet, with the most appropriate name, becomes a (million-dollar) business matter. The Hong Kong exchange’s operation has ensured that its brand is directly identified with its product, crypto.

Many other crypto-themed domains have had a similar history to Crypto.com and have passed into the hands of companies in the industry. Among these Internet domains are Tokens.com sold for $500,000, Cryptoworld.com for $195,000, Eth.com for $2 million and Bitcoinwallet.com for $250,000.

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New Club benefit: Unstoppable Domains

Many benefits are coming to the Young Platform Clubs. Today, we reveal the first one: Unstoppable Domains

Unstoppable Domains is a solution for Web3 domains, also called NFT domains. If you don’t know what it is about, it is a very interesting trend and we have touched on the topic in recent Academy articles:

If you too are now all about Web3 domains; the good news is that from today, you will also have access to this technology on Young Platform thanks to two new features. 

New feature on Young Platform Web for Unstoppable Domains

Thanks to a dedicated integration, it is now possible to search and purchase Web3 domains from Unstoppable Domains directly from the desktop version of Young Platform.

How does it work? As of today, the 26th October, you can explore Unstoppable’s offer directly from the Home section on the web version of the exchange. In addition, crypto withdrawals to Unstoppable domains have been activated, as they function exactly like wallet addresses. 

The search and purchase functionality of your Web3 domain is only available on desktop, because it is certainly more convenient to make such a purchase while sitting at your computer rather than on a small mobile device. Read the guide.

But don’t be in a hurry to buy your first domain on blockchain, because in a few days, unmissable promotions will be underway!

New benefit for Clubs

This will be a temporary, one-time benefit. By joining (or remaining) in a Club from the 31st of October to the 28th of November you will receive a free Unstoppable Domains voucher by email. You can apply this voucher to your Unstoppable account to purchase a Web3 domain at a bargain price.

Naturally, the higher your Club level, the greater the credit given to you by the voucher will be.

If you are already in a Club and are interested in a coveted domain, you may want to increase your Club membership level for higher credit. The Club you joined on the 31st of October will count.

On the other hand, those joining clubs for the first time will receive credit according to the first club they join between the 31st of October and 28th of November. 

  • Bronze: $60
  • Silver: $70
  • Gold: $90
  • Platinum: $110

More details in the 31st of October launch article.

Once you have your voucher, stay in the Club to get access to all the other benefits. We have great news in store!

How to prepare for a voucher

1) First of all, make sure that you have a working email address and that you receive emails from Young Platform correctly, as this is how you will receive your voucher. To do this, check that the addresses [email protected] and [email protected] are accepted in your mailbox, and that they do not end up in spam or get blocked. Contact support in case of problems. 

2) If you are not yet a Club member, you can start purchasing the YNGs required for membership.

If you are already part of a Club, you have less than a week to make a deposit and purchase the YNGs needed to increase your benefits level by the 31st of October. We always remind you that these YNG are not spent, but locked until you decide to unsubscribe. Find out more about Clubs. 

3) Inform yourself with the articles dedicated to NFT domains and Web3 on the Academy and Blog, to discover all the opportunities you will have access to by participating in this advantageous event.

The golden rule: everyone is only entitled to one voucher. 

This is a unique opportunity and we can’t wait to get started!