Reel-To-Reel Lives On: TapeHeads’ NFTs Tap Into Nostalgia For Music Lovers

By

Birmingham Times

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June 3, 2022

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The TapeHeads are a group of 10,000 music fans who collect cassette tapes. (TapeHeads)

By Jonathan Hobbs

Music has gone old-school in the metaverse.

The TapeHeads are a group of 10,000 music fans who collect cassette tapes. Holders of the TapeHead can help establish a music metaverse, a virtual-reality world, with their unique TapeHead for an initial offering of 0.03 ETH, a cryptocurrency second only to bitcoin in popularity.

The mission is to build a community-driven music metaverse for TapeHeads’ members and promising artists to share, promote and monetize music.

The release of the TapeHeads collection took place April 15.

The first 10,000 token holders were to receive a limited-edition TapeHeads avatar for the Sandbox metaverse.

For the TapeHeads utility tokens, the site implemented a smart contract with a minimal gas fee. The Metamask gas limit displays the gas fee’s highest maximum when you mint. Actual transaction fees will be reduced by 50 percent to 70 percent. The transaction charge for a recent mint of five TapeHeads at 45.11 gwei was $26.96. (A gwei is a denomination of the ETH cryptocurrency used to buy and sell digital goods and services.)

**The first 10,000 token holders receive a limited-edition TapeHeads avatar for the Sandbox metaverse. (TapeHeads)**

ProtoHeads will produce three distinct NFT (non-fungible tokens) digital collections: TapeHeads, VinylHeads, and DiscHeads. Each has its own set of exclusive perks. There are 10,000 tokens in TapeHeads, but VinylHeads and DiscHeads will have a restricted number of tokens.

There are several benefits to holding tokens, including voting rights on the development of the metaverse and cost-free rental for the TapeHeads members to hold music events in the metaverse. Community members who are creators can also promote and sell their music.

ProtoHeads is the parent company to TapeHeads, VinylHeads and DiscHeads collections.

After the first TapeHeads collection drop, the company will start working in the Sandbox metaverse. It has acquired more than 25 plots of land in Sandbox for future expansion, and plans to keep adding new metaverse venues to reach a larger audience.

Only 1 percent of creators in the Creators’ Fund are now allowed to produce and publish assets, according to Sandbox. Once Sandbox’s marketplace is accessible to the public, it be able to release its metaverse, TapeHeads Land, to token holders.

**There are several benefits to holding tokens, including voting rights on the development of the metaverse. (TapeHeads)**

A Sandbox TapeHeads avatar is available to the first 2,500 TapeHeads NFT holders at the time of the snapshot. The Sandbox TapeHeads avatar will be released once the Sandbox marketplace is open to the public.

A week before token holders can redeem, the snapshot time will be posted on TapeHead’s Discord channel. The free Sandbox TapeHeads avatar will be minted for eligible TapeHeads NFT holders.

Potential users can view TapeHeads Land on Sandbox here.

They can also check out TapeHeads on Twitter / Discord

Produced in association with MetaNews.

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Nuclear Threat As Russia Carries Out Exercises With Yars Intercontinental Ballistic Missile System

By

Birmingham Times

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June 3, 2022

0

'Yars' took part in exercises near Ivanovo. (Ministry of Defense of Russia/Zenger).

By Joseph Golder

The Russian Ministry of Defense has released these images showing what it says are “intensive maneuvering operations” involving its nuclear-capable Yars intercontinental ballistic missile systems.

The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) said in a statement on Wednesday, June 1 at 6 a.m., that the Yars mobile missile systems, which can carry nuclear warheads and which boast a reported range of over 10,000 kilometers (6,200 miles), were performing “intensive maneuvering operations on combat patrol routes in the Ivanovo Region”.

The Ivanovo region lies east of the Russian capital Moscow and the images, filmed by the Russian MoD, show soldiers removing camouflage from what appears to be a mobile Yars missile system. The vehicle can then be seen making its way along a dirt track while being escorted by troops.

The MoD added that “about 1,000 military personnel are involved in the exercises”, which also involve “more than 100 pieces of equipment”.

The MoD said that the exercises include “strategic rocket men work[ing] out the issues of bringing missile systems to field positions, making marches up to 100 kilometers [62 miles] long, dispersing units with a change in field positions, their engineering equipment, organizing camouflage and combat protection.”

The Yars intercontinental ballistic missile system is seen here in footage from the Russian Ministry of Defense in July 2021. Russia started training of missile troops with nuclear weapons, uses strategic missile systems ‘Yars’. (Ministry of Defense of Russia/Zenger).

The Russian MoD also said: “At the same time, a number of measures are being taken to detect, block and destroy conditional saboteurs, including the use of new Typhoon-M combat anti-sabotage vehicles equipped with unmanned aerial vehicles.

“In addition, during the maneuvers, the Listva remote demining vehicle was used to escort the Yars mobile ground-based missile system on combat patrol routes.

“According to the legend of the exercise, conditional saboteurs planted remotely controlled explosive devices on the route of the column. The MDR neutralized them on the side of the road.

“One of the highest priority tasks of the exercise was to work out a wide range of issues on the search for and destruction of conditional sabotage and reconnaissance formations in the daytime and at night.

“A commandant’s service has been organized along the routes of autonomous launchers, which is engaged in the protection of a convoy with large-sized equipment and monitors its passage through control points.

“The exercise makes it possible to improve the level of training of personnel, the coherence of formations and military units of the Strategic Missile Forces.”

**‘Yars’ took part in exercises near Ivanovo. (Ministry of Defense of Russia/Zenger).**

The move comes after President Joe Biden said that the US will send Kyiv more advanced rocket systems that will help to strike enemy forces from a longer distance. These rocket systems have double the range of the rocket systems currently being used by Russian forces and are much more accurate.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on February 25, one day after the invasion of Ukraine began: “Whoever tries to interfere with us, and even more so, to create threats for our country, for our people, should know that Russia’s response will be immediate and will lead you to such consequences that you have never experienced in your history.

“We are ready for any development. All decisions in that regard have been made.”

The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on April 14: “The prospect of nuclear conflict, once unthinkable, is now back within the realm of possibility.”

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine have reported that from February 24 to June 1, Russia lost about 30,700 military personnel.

The Ukrainian military added that Russia had lost 1,361 tanks, 3,343 armored fighting vehicles, 659 artillery systems, 207 multiple launch rocket systems, 94 anti-aircraft systems, 208 warplanes, 175 helicopters, 519 tactical unmanned aerial vehicles, 120 cruise missiles, 13 warships, 2,290 military vehicles and fuel tankers, and 49 units of special equipment over the same period.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called Russian strikes on a nitric acid tank in the besieged eastern city of Sievierodonetsk “madness.” Residents of Sievierodonetsk have been warned to remain in bomb shelters and to prepare masks to protect themselves against toxic fumes.

Analysts say up to 70 percent of the city is now controlled by Russian forces, with almost all critical infrastructure and housing destroyed.

European Union leaders have reached an agreement to ban 90 percent of oil imports from Russia, but they remain undecided on gas imports.

Despite setbacks in eastern Ukraine, Ukrainian troops have made advances in Kherson in the south and around Kharkiv in the northeast.

June 1 marks the 98th day of the invasion.

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Birmingham’s Bill Greason, Oldest Living Negro League Player, Has Stories He’d Like to Share

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Birmingham Times

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June 3, 2022

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BillGreason 1 — The Rev. Bill Greason with Faye Davis, the daughter of Birmingham Black Barons legend Piper Davis. (courtesy of Bill Chapman)

By The Friends of Rickwood

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What’s being ignored when it comes to mental health, according to a Birmingham therapist

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Birmingham Times

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June 3, 2022

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PTSD 1 — Jerrold Langford, Executive Director of Allworld Counseling and Consulting, LLC located in Homewood, AL. (Ryan Michaels, For The Birmingham Times)

Nicole S. Daniel

The Birmingham Times

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Scott Thurmond Named Permanent Chief of Birmingham Police

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Birmingham Times

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June 2, 2022

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BPD_Thurmond — Scott Thurmond, left, outside Birmingham City Hall after being named permanent Birmingham Police Chief. To his left is Cedric Sparks, chief of staff for Mayor Randall Woodfin. (Ryan Michaels, The Birmingham Times)

By Ryan Michaels

The Birmingham Times

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Travel Hacks: 22-Year-Old Entrepreneur Shares Tips On How To Travel In Style On A Budget

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Birmingham Times

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June 2, 2022

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An entrepreneur who jets off on luxurious holidays has shared his hacks on how to travel in style on a budget - including getting a private jet for half price. (Jon Mills/Zenger)

By Simona Kitanovska

An entrepreneur who jets off on luxurious holidays has shared his hacks on how to travel in style on a budget – including getting a private jet for half price.

Dan Legg, 22, said he is a self-made millionaire after trying his hand at foreign exchange trading – known as forex – in 2017.

Dan, from Cheddar of Somerset in the south of England, made his first million within two years and has continued to grow since then – even moving to Dubai last year.

He continues to trade, as well as running several businesses, alongside living a lavish lifestyle and traveling the world in private jets.

He has picked up some top traveling tips on how to get luxury experiences on an everyday budget – including getting a private jet for HALF PRICE.

And to reassure anyone feeling panicked at how fast summer is approaching, the seasoned traveler insists booking last-minute will get you the best bang for your buck.

Dan said: “Whenever I fly around Europe, I fly private – it’s the best thing ever.

“There’s no queues, you just drive onto the runway and get on the plane.

“A lot of people want to try it but they think it’s never an option for them because of the cost.

“But when you travel a lot you get to know the hacks.”

**An entrepreneur who jets off on luxurious holidays has shared his hacks on how to travel in style on a budget – including getting a private jet for half price. (Jon Mills/Zenger)**

Dan revealed his top tips that he swears by for traveling luxury without the price tag – which are tried and tested by himself.

His first is to look into ’empty leg flights’, which are a way of experiencing a private flight with a price slash of up to 50 percent.

Empty leg flights are where private jets have a charter booked from a certain destination, and they often travel to that booked destination empty.

You can book yourself onto one of those empty legs – or even find two that match up with your holiday dates and get a private return flight too.

Dan says he has caught empty leg flights to the Spanish isle of Menorca, Paris, and England’s Jersey Island before, and paid half price what it would ordinarily cost.

He added some brokers even sell empty seats on a private flight in order to fill the plane, giving you the luxury experience for a fraction of the price.

Dan said: “It’s especially good if you’re traveling to somewhere like the south of France, where they have jets in and out all the time – so they’re easy to find.”

Dan uses a website called ‘Just Jet’ to find his empty leg flights: https://www.justjet.co.uk/emptylegs

He also insists to get the best deal on both flights and hotels, you’re best leaving it to the last minute.

He said he has saved up to 30 percent with last-minute bookings that are within 48 hours of arrival.

He insists he’s never had issues with availability, and recommends people give it a go to get the best deal.

So for anyone panicking about not having booked their post-pandemic summer getaways yet – all hope is not lost.

His final tip is asking to upgrade to business class at the check-in desk – as they will often give you a good price to fill the seats.

Dan said: “One example of this is flying between Dubai and the UK which I do a lot.

“I have always paid an extra 550 pounds to upgrade to business class with Emirates [airline], although it’s not open information on the website.”

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Sold: A Silk Panel Which Hung During The Queen’s Coronation Ceremony Went For $2,500 At Auction

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Birmingham Times

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June 2, 2022

0

A silk panel commissioned to hang in Westminster Abbey for Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation in 1953 has sold for four times its estimate. (Matthew Newby/Zenger)

By Darko Manevski

A silk panel commissioned to hang in Westminster Abbey for Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation in 1953 has sold for four times its estimate.

And the panel is to stay in the United Kingdom after a fierce bidding war with a potential buyer from the United States.

The silk panel was due to fetch 400-600 pounds (500-750 dollars) but eventually went for 2,000 pounds (2,500 dollars) or 2,600 pounds (3,200 dollars) with buyer’s premium.

The special silk was hung alongside other historical panels, setting the scene for the special ceremony and can be seen in many historic photographs of the Coronation.

The decorative panel was designed by Robert Godden, the rector of the Royal College of Art and was produced in December 1952 by Warner & Sons Ltd in Braintree, Essex, United Kingdom.

It was specially commissioned for the ceremony.

It was the first heraldic emblem of the Sovereign to show the Kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland, as well as the Principality of Wales.

**A silk panel commissioned to hang in Westminster Abbey for Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation in 1953 has sold for four times its estimate. (Matthew Newby/Zenger)**

Woven in the ‘Queensway’ pattern in blue, with gold lurex thread, it features a gold woven crown above a rose, a thistle, a leek and a shamrock emblem within an oak leaf wreath on a pale blue ground.

After the Coronation, the panels were gifted or sold to raise money for charity.

The panel, which was bought by its former owner’s grandfather, is framed and has a handwritten label on the back that says; ‘Portion of the Damask Frontal used in Westminster Abbey on the occasion of the coronation of Her M. Elizabeth II, 2nd June 1953’.

It was sold at an online auction held on Monday, May 30 by auctioneers Dreweatts.

Silas Currie, Senior Valuer at Dreweatts, said: “There was international interest before the sale and on the day, a lively and vigorous battle between UK and international buyers driving up the final price considerably over expectations.

“The item was purchased by a UK buyer, against an American underbidder.

“It was a timely item for Dreweatts to offer today and a ‘happy and glorious’ result for the vendor.

“We were honored to offer such a rare historical souvenir, reminiscent of the very beginning of the Queen’s reign and how poignant, as we celebrate her Platinum Jubilee and her 70 years on the throne.”

Queen Elizabeth II is the first British monarch ever to have a Platinum Jubilee, having spent 70 years on the throne, with the milestone being celebrated between Thursday, June 2 and Sunday June 5.

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Electric Cars Fuel Food – Electric Cars ‘Could Help Feed The World By Reducing Pollution’

By

Birmingham Times

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June 2, 2022

0

A Hyundai Ioniq battery electric vehicle (BEV) charges at an Ionity GmbH electric car charging station at Skelton Lake motorway service area on April 26, 2022 in Leeds, England. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

By Simona Kitanovska

Electric cars could help feed the world – by reducing pollution, according to new research.

Gases spewed out by traffic reduce crop productivity.

Scientists used satellite images to reveal the phenomenon for the first time.

Lead author Professor David Lobell of Stanford University, California, said: “Nitrogen oxides are invisible to humans.

“But new satellites have been able to map them with incredibly high precision.

“We can also measure crop production from space.

“This opened up the chance to rapidly improve our knowledge of how these gases affect agriculture in different regions.”

Nitrogen oxides, or NOx, come from car exhausts as well as power plants, factories and fertilizers.

They are among the most widely emitted pollutants and have been linked to a host of human diseases.

Removing them from the atmosphere could lead to dramatic gains in fruit, vegetable and grain yields.

They damage plant cells, absorb and scatter sunlight away and fuel airborne toxin ozone, explained the US team.

The study in Science Advances sheds fresh light on their direct impact. It compared satellite measures of crop greenness and NOx levels for 2018-2020.

Nitrogen dioxide interacts with ultraviolet light, enabling measurements at a much higher spatial and temporal resolution than any other air pollutant.

Co-author Prof. Jennifer Burney, of the University of California, San Diego, said: “In addition to being more easily measured than other pollutants, nitrogen dioxide has the nice feature of being a primary pollutant, meaning it is directly emitted rather than formed in the atmosphere.

A Hyundai Ioniq battery electric vehicle (BEV) charges at an Ionity GmbH electric car charging station at Skelton Lake motorway service area on April 26, 2022 in Leeds, England.(Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

“That means relating emissions to impacts is much more straightforward than for other pollutants.”

By 2050 there will be over nine billion mouths to feed – two billion more than today. The environmental challenges are huge.

Halving NOx emissions would improve winter and summer yields by about a quarter and 15 percent in China, respectively, nearly 10 percent for both in Western Europe and eight and six percent in India.

North and South America generally had the lowest NOx exposures.

Overall, the effects seemed most negative in seasons and locations where the gas drives ozone formation.

Professor Burney said: “The actions you would take to reduce NOx, such as vehicle electrification, overlap closely with the types of energy transformations needed to slow climate change and improve local air quality for human health.

“The main take-home from this study is that the agricultural benefits of these actions could be really substantial, enough to help ease the challenge of feeding a growing population.”

All new conventional petrol and diesel cars and vans are set to be banned from sale in the UK from 2030 as part of the government’s green industrial revolution.

**A view of the dashboard in a new Tesla Model S car at a Tesla showroom on November 5, 2013 in Palo Alto, California. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)**

Previous research by the same team estimated reductions in ozone, particulate matter, NOx and sulfur dioxide between 1999 and 2019 contributed to about 20 percent of the increase in US corn and soybean yields – worth about $5 billion a year.

Future analysis could incorporate other satellite observations like photosynthetic activity measured through solar-induced fluorescence to better understand NOx’s effects throughout the growing season.

Similarly, more detailed examination of other pollutants, as well as drought and heat, could help explain why the gas affects crops differently across different regions, years and seasons.

Co-author Stefania Di Tommaso, a data analyst at Stanford, added: “It’s really exciting how many different things can be measured from satellites now, much of it coming from new European satellites.

“As the data keep improving, it really drives us to be more ambitious and creative as scientists in the types of questions we ask.”

All new conventional petrol and diesel cars and vans are set to be banned from sale in 2030.

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Virtual Pangea Develops A Disruptive Metaverse

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Birmingham Times

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June 2, 2022

0

Virtual Pangea uses the power of emerging technologies and web3 concepts to connect 2D, 3D, and artificial reality in virtual space at the same time. (Virtual Pangea)

By Michelle D. Madsen

Blockchain innovator Virtual Pangea AG has announced plans to build a multilayered, immersive ecosystem in the metaverse, a virtual universe that often replicates the real world.

Blockchain is a record-keeping technology designed to make it impossible to hack the system or forge the data stored on it, thereby making it secure and immutable, according to TechTarget.

Virtual Pangea’s mission focuses on community ownership, developing solutions and experiences that enrich both our physical and digital worlds, via the company’s ecosystem of products and services.

Virtual Pangea uses the power of emerging technologies and web3 concepts to connect 2D, 3D, and artificial reality in virtual space at the same time.

The company has outlined its goals in a lightpaper that states a new vision for products and services built for web3.

The paper details ongoing initiatives, such as the nexus technology, Block-0, multi-device compatibility approach and a focus on a contribute-and-earn model.

“We are excited to bring our visionary project to the world,” said Dani Chear, CEO of Virtual Pangea. “From the get-go, we had the vision of an ecosystem based on open economies and immersive environments that support and nurture communities.”

**Virtual Pangea is developing solutions and experiences that enrich both the physical and digital worlds. (Virtual Pangea)**

Built on four pillars, the Virtual Pangea ecosystem offers businesses, institutions and users a seamless metaverse experience.

Powered by contribute-and-earn mechanics, the company’s fundamentals are built around a gamified network of user-generated interactions, content and services that will create a comprehensive economy.

Contribute-and-earn mechanics powers the ecosystem’s economy that is built on the value-shared model. Aimed at nurturing strong, diverse, and collaborative communities, the Virtual Pange ecosystem allows participants to engage in an ever-expanding interactive cross-layer experience.

As a part of the value-shared model, the company has devised an XP (Experience Points) reward distribution system that measures all Pangeans’ contributions within the ecosystem. The interactions in the platform — such as playing a game, socializing, shopping or creating art — are measured in XP in a manner familiar to those playing video games.

**The company devised an XP (Experience Points) reward distribution system that measures all Pangeans’ contributions within the ecosystem. (Virtual Pangea)**

Each month, the reward system weighs individual contributions against the overall value generated, and automatically redistributes a share of the Virtual Pangea utility tokens (VP Token) to each member, based on those contributions.

“Creating this inclusive and immersive ecosystem is also our way to contribute to technology research and development and further blockchain adoption,” said Chear.

The name “Pangaea or Pangea” is derived from the Greek. “Pan” meaning whole and “Gaea” land. In the modern world, uniting all elements.

Produced in association with MetaNews.

Edited by Fern Siegel and Matthew B. Hall

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Cyber-Shop ‘Til You Drop: Agoraverse To Launch Virtual Mall

By

Birmingham Times

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June 2, 2022

0

Agoraverse will have thousands of clothes stores, art stores, furniture stores, NFTs and other metaverse uses. (Agoraverse)

By Jonathan Hobbs

Shopping just got more interesting.

Agoraverse promises to develop a “really immersive virtual shopping center” that will take advantage of the extensive Solana ecosystem’s features.

Agoraverse will have thousands of clothes stores, art stores, furniture stores, NFTs (non-fungible tokens) and other metaverse uses. The development team says mini-games, restaurants and bars will be accessible to make consumers’ virtual stays as entertaining as possible.

Part of that promise rests on so-called smart contract improvements, which create endless possibilities for Agora’s fully operational digital metaverse environment. Agora will use Unity to create an interactive, realistic digital ecosystem.

It also relies on blockchain, a record-keeping technology that cannot be hacked. Unlike web 2.0, it is safe, transparent and globally accessible.

**Users can access the Agora private lofts, places to take a break from shopping, with an Access Card. (Agoraverse)**

The Agoraverse is a distinct metaverse.

It allows consumers to shop for digital things in the form of NFTs and tangible assets that may be delivered to their homes. (An NFT is a financial security consisting of digital data stored in a blockchain.) This is the first time a blockchain metaverse project has released this feature, the company says, which it predicts will excite shoppers.

Agoraverse developers established metashops for NFT collectors and metaverse fans who wish to own assets and make money. Brands or individuals own them in the Agora metaverse. These stores sell digital and physical goods and provide various services. Owners of Agora’s Metashops will pay a monthly subscription fee using their preferred payment method, which includes access to an editor tool.

In fact, that’s part of Agoraverse pitch: allowing users to purchase with friends and family while keeping their data private.

Users can access the Agora through Solana using a non-custodial wallet, which means you take personal responsibility for your assets. Agora coin provides utilitarian and governance functions for the Agoraverse. Non-custodial wallets collect all digital purchases, including NFTs. Users who buy actual things must fill out a form and provide their addresses. They can also pay using cryptocurrencies besides AGORA.

**Oscar Bellei, one of the firm’s co-founders, and its project manager. (Agoraverse)**

Agoraverse plans to distribute AGORA via a two-round token auction on June 3, 2022. In the beginning, white-listed addresses and Access Card members will receive AGORA.

AGORA will be open for public investment in the second and third rounds. Holders can be liquidity providers, allowing for seamless trading of the token while reaping rewards, until Q3 2022. The company also plans to build a new Solana NFT collection that holders can buy with AGORA at a discount.

Not only can shoppers peruse inventory at their leisure, but if they want to take a break, they can do so in private lofts at Agoraverse, where they can socialize with friends or strangers. It will be accessible via the company’s Access Card.

Produced in association with MetaNews.

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