🍨Nokia's Epic Comeback: From Snake to the Metaverse!

We've now rocked out 20 whole editions of The Geral! It's been one wild ride getting here, trying to be the coolest newsletter in the web3 world. We've been busy proving to all the skeptics that web3 is not just a playground, but a place to create and build. Plus, we've been digging up the kind of web3 news that's so under-the-radar, our reader feel like they part of a secret society. But hey, this is just the beginning.

Here is what we got for you.

Coverage:

• Nokia gets trendy with blockchain

• Hong Kong unveils their web3 plans

• MasterCard NFT soccer trivia

• CharmVerse introduces its points system

Nokia's Tech Comeback: From 'Old School' to 'Future Cool'

Remember Nokia, the phone in your back pocket before smartphones turned into mini-computers? Well, they're not just about indestructible phones and that classic game of Snake anymore. In a plot twist, it seems like Nokia's now eyeing the future.

In their latest 'Technology Strategy 2030' report, Nokia basically predicts that by 2030, the Internet's going to be more crowded than a Black Friday sale, thanks to all the new tech like web3, Metaverse, and AI. Nokia, once the king of simple phones, is now gearing up to be the hero of this new trend by investing heavily into this new tech. .

We still Remember when Nokia was synonymous with phones that wouldn't break if you dropped them. Now they're talking about smart contracts and blockchains. They're diving headfirst into this new world of decentralization. Nokia's been playing in the metaverse since 2022. In 2023, Nokia established two laboratories dedicated to exploring the metaverse and its foundational technologies. They also dabbled in various metaverse projects, both industrial and broad in scale. They're talking about a fully functional virtual world where your digital twin hangs out. Pretty interesting, and somehow cool… In a world where everyone's obsessed with the newest tech, Nokia's like the wise old sage, ready to try a few tricks.

In conclusion, Nokia's not just about boring phones anymore. They're looking to be the new actors of the Internet age. And while it's a bit like watching your high school teacher do a TikTok dance, you've got to admit – it's pretty cool.

Hong Kong's Digital Leap: From e-Wallets to Web3 Wonderland

So, Hong Kong just dropped their 2024-25 Budget and guess what's the headline? Digital currencies. Yep, we're talking e-CNY wallets coming to town. Financial Secretary Paul Chan is practically tossing these web3 wallets out like free samples at the mall. And they're promising it'll work seamlessly with local payment services- because, of course, we all need one more app to forget the password for.

But here's the fun part: while everyone's busy talking about e-CNY, China Mainland’s digital currency, the e-HKD, the city’s homegrown CBDC is still seeing very little traction. Chan's saying phase two is coming 'soon', trying to catch up to the Chinese counterpart.

Now, onto Project mBridge. It's like Hong Kong decided to take money transfers and give them an energy drink. Teaming up with China, UAE, and Thailand, this project is gearing up to make moving money across borders as easy as sending a text message, using blockchain. Set to launch in 2024, they're making it sound like it's going to be the next big thing, which it may just honestly be.

Over in Cyberport, a creative digital technology community managed by Honk Kong, it's just becoming a web3 carnival. Over 220 companies that are going deep into the space and attending. Hong Kong might just be building that trendy new café everyone can't stop talking about, but for crypto geeks.

In conclusion, Hong Kong is not just stepping but leaping into the digital future. They're throwing everything but the kitchen sink at this – expanding digital yuan testing, pushing the envelope with cross-border payments, and turning Cyberport into the web3 version of Disneyland. Let’s see how it turns out. Certainly, things are moving at a speed that leaves Western counterparts in the dust...

Mastercard's Trivia Game: Because Knowing Soccer Facts Finally Pays Off

Ever thought your encyclopedic knowledge of soccer trivia was just useful for impressing your friends while sitting on the couch with a beer? Well, Mastercard's about to make you feel like a genius. They're rolling out a web3-powered trivia game where knowing how many times the UEFA Champions League Finals went to penalties might be your golden ticket.

Mastercard's turning soccer knowledge into a competitive sport. They're not just testing your sport IQ, they're rewarding it with the chance to see the action live. Because what's better than shouting at your TV? Well, shouting in a stadium, obviously.

To get in on this, you'll need a Mastercard X UEFA Champions League NFT. Let's be real, it's probably the closest most of us will get to owning anything 'limited edition' in football. Mastercard's also throwing in rewards for dragging your friends into the mix. Get them to sign up, and you get 'Share the Love of Football' tokens and 'free kicks' to skip hard questions. Let's tip our hats to Mastercard. They've been around the block, but now they're surfing the web3 wave like nobody else- if you’ve been following The Geral, you already know. From artist accelerators to NFT collabs, they're not just in the game, they're changing it.

So there you have it. Mastercard's making it cool to be a soccer know-it-all. Dust off those stat books and get ready to show off that soccer brain of yours. Who knows? Just remember us, people at CharmVerse, when you're living it up in Wembley.

Best Practices for Your Token Community

Recognizing every contribution to your community is key. That’s why we introduced CharmVerse rewards- where flexibility and customization meet to revolutionize how you reward engagement. Dive into our versatile system designed for any use case, whether it's grants, hackathons, learn-to-earn courses, or project management. You’re now one step further in your journey towards a more engaged community.

Cool Stuff Seen on CharmVerse👀

Yet another big news for us, and this one might be even more exciting. We're bringing in something cool called Charm Points. This is just the best new way to get rewarded for contributing to your community. Charm Points are the in-app currency of CharmVerse, allowing you to boost your space with extra space for content.

Every time you invite a friend with your special code, you get 5 Charms, and your buddy starts with 10. Other cool ways to earn these points are also on the way! Let's start collecting those Charms!

Memes of the month🔥

Let’s wrap up with the best memes we’ve seen online over the past weeks, as per The Geral tradition.

We’re happy many of you got to experience this the past weeks:

The main downside of this good run, for those using Mainnet… the fees😡

We posted the left portion of the meme of few months back, here is out it turned out.

Being open-source and decentralized does make some people happy indeed…

That’s a wrap for The Geral #21! See you in two weeks for another deep dive into the world of Web3 communities.