(PROTOCOL VILLAGE EXCLUSIVE) July 18: Shape, a creator-focused layer-2 network atop Ethereum and part of the Optimism Superchain, announced the availability of its testnet, with GA going live in Q3.

According to the team: "The network is an open space where everyone is free to create whatever they want – from high art to weird experiments.

Chainlink (LINK) Releases 'Digital Asset Sandbox' for Financial Institutions

July 18: Chainlink, the blockchain oracle project, announced the launch of the Chainlink Digital Assets Sandbox (DAS), "designed to accelerate digital asset innovation within financial institutions." According to the team: "The Chainlink DAS is the ideal solution for financial institutions that want to quickly innovate and experience the potential of generating new revenue opportunities, increasing efficiencies, improving time-to-market, and more. With the DAS, institutions can seamlessly access ready-to-use business workflows for digital assets." CoinDesk 20 asset:

Bitrue Launches $40M Fund for 'Nascent Web3 Companies'

July 18: Bitrue, a crypto exchange, has launched a $40 million investment fund and "is putting out the call to aspiring developers," according to the team. A blog post reads: "Individual recipients of funding can receive up to $200,000 of investment funds that can be allocated however they feel is most appropriate. In addition, Bitrue will make available their various avenues of expertise to provide further support to these projects. While Bitrue Ventures will consider investing into any niche within the crypto space, we believe that the most successful projects right now are likely to be building in the sectors of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Real World Asset tokenization (RWA), GameFi, Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks (DePIN), and Decentralized Finance (DeFi). As such, projects building within these industries will stand a better chance of receiving funding."

InfStones Launches Node-as-a-Service for Emerging Protocols

July 18: InfStones, a blockchain infrastructure provider, "launched its node-as-a-service (NaaS) product, empowering emerging protocols to jumpstart their DePIN projects while making sophisticated blockchain node operations accessible to mainstream users," according to the team: "Since 2018, InfStones has provided enterprise-grade node management services to industry-leading groups such as Binance, CoinList and BitGo. In the recent node sale for cloud computing platform Aethir, InfStones’ NaaS product helped to successfully convert over 26,000 of its Checker Node license holders into long-term node operators."

Raise to Integrate Polkadot Mobile App, Enabling Retail Purchases

July 18: Raise, a payments provider and with a white-label gift card infrastructure, has partnered with Parity Technologies "to provide the payment rails for the Polkadot mobile app, enabling DOT payments at over 1 million stores and websites across the U.S." According to the team: "Users can make purchases and earn up to 20% cash back in DOT. This integration, previewed at Polkadot Decoded, bridges the gap between crypto and retail, making it easier and more rewarding to use crypto for everyday transactions. The app is set to launch in Q3, with plans to expand internationally by the end of the year."

Zivoe Raises $8.35M for RWA Credit Protocol on Ethereum

July 18: Zivoe, a real-world asset credit protocol atop Ethereum, raised $8.35 million in their last round, aiming to broaden credit access by connecting blockchain liquidity with real-world borrowers, according to the team: "The round comes in tandem with Zivoe launching its RWA credit protocol on mainnet on July 31 and their Initial Tranche Offering (ITO), a unique liquidity bootstrapping mechanism."

AI-Focused Layer-1 Chain Nuklai Launches DAO for Governance

July 18: Nuklai, a layer-1 blockchain built for artificial intelligence, announced the launch of the Nuklai DAO, "a decentralized autonomous organization designed to empower its community and ecosystem," according to the team: "With this development, the company moves towards greater community-driven governance and collaboration. This initiative allows community to have a direct say in the allocation of these funds through proposals and votes on Commonwealth and Snapshot. The launch of the Nuklai DAO will manage the 400,000,000 NAI Community token allocation."

Polygon, Google Cloud, Accenture Release White Paper on Web3 Loyalty Programs

July 18: Polygon Labs, in collaboration with Google Cloud and Accenture, jointly released a white paper that highlights how Web3 solutions can build high-margin loyalty programs. According to the team: "The paper highlights how users can enjoy rewards such as tokenized privileges, gamification, collectibles and community-generated content. This not only improves the user experience but also generates new revenue streams for brands while empowering users to actively participate in loyalty programs."

Chainbase Raises $15M to Grow Omnichain Data Network

July 18: Omnichain data network Chainbase has raised $15 million in Series A funding with Tencent Investment Group, Matrix Partners and Hash Global among the investors. Chainbase is an interoperability layer that is building the "first