// Blockchain data analytics company CryptoSlam and Web3 media company Forkast.News announce a merger to form Forkast Labs, a Web3-focused data intelligence and media platform https://www.techinasia.com/animocabacked-forkast-news-cryptoslam-announce-merger //

// Microsoft is in talks to invest about $10 billion into OpenAI, the owner of the popular ChatGPT chatbot, per a Thursday Semafor report, which cited people familiar with the matter. https://www.businessinsider.com/bill-gates-reddit-ama-ai-not-metaverse-revolutionary-chatgpt-2023-1 //

// According to the recent job posting, the government agency will assist ongoing and future investigations that need cryptocurrency expertise and will “proactively lead” in identifying possible targets for further inquiry.

According to a spokeswoman, the NCA’s interest in crypto crime “is not a new phenomenon,” but this new team “signals an intensified emphasis” on crypto assets. Due to their prominence in cybercrime, the NCA frequently investigates crypto assets, the spokeswoman said. https://crypto.news/uk-nca-creates-crypto-team-actively-hiring/ //

// Mastercard partnered with Polygon, a scaling blockchain built on top of Ethereum, which has been making huge strides in the Web 2.0 ecosystem lately. In the past year, Polygon partnered with a number of other big brands like Starbucks for its Odyssey digital collectible rewards program and Disney for its accelerator program, while also having major clothing brands like Prada and Adidas launch NFT projects through its blockchain. https://techcrunch.com/2023/01/06/mastercard-launches-web3-focused-artist-incubator-with-polygon/ //

// Last month, however, Julia Leung, the deputy CEO of the Securities and Futures Commission, called for tough rules to be implemented on crypto firms, saying that recent events had highlighted the volatility of the industry and the threats posed by its links with traditional financial services. https://coinspectator.com/coindesk/2022/12/08/hong-kong-amends-finance-law-to-incorporate-crypto-firms/ //

// Most new technologies create hype first, but it does not mean they lack potential. Hype does not solve real-life problems, nor does it create long-term, sustainable value — real solutions have adequate supply, demand and scale. Blockchain will change the way the internet is configured and alter the way business is conducted. However, companies must develop concrete business models generating value while avoiding the trap of going after flawed business models. https://cointelegraph.com/innovation-circle/the-five-flawed-business-models-in-web3 //

// Hong Kong-based Hex Trust has secured a license from Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) to provide services to institutional clients and investors in the Emirati city. https://www.techinasia.com/hex-trust-wins-license-virtual-asset-services-dubai //

// Berners-Lee’s platform can be accessed from your browser. But it is not an app; he calls it a “Pod,” where you can store your private data and access it very easily. In simpler terms, it can be thought of as your key or a digital ID that is kept secure. https://www.euronews.com/next/2022/11/21/inventor-of-the-web-sir-tim-berners-lee-wants-to-save-your-data-from-big-tech-with-web30 //

// We have also seen high-profile decentralized projects, like Terra, fail due to flawed design but those failures happen out in the open in a transparent way that is much healthier than the way centralized companies fail https://avc.com/2022/11/taking-a-long-term-view-of-web3/ //