Readyverse Studios, the brainchild of Futureverse, a company specializing in the metaverse, founded by writer Ernest Cline and film producer Dan Farah, has signed an intellectual property rights agreement for "Ready Player One" with Warner Bros. Discovery. According to Variety, the new studio will bring the virtual universe to life.

📖 For those unfamiliar with the book or film, "Ready Player One" is set in a dystopian future where much of humanity is connected to a virtual wonderland called the OASIS. The story follows Wade Watts, who investigates a series of clues hidden by the creator of OASIS within a global competition.

📅 The novel, which debuted in 2011, garnered several awards and was adapted by director Steven Spielberg in 2018.

🚀 According to Variety, the new metaverse inspired by RP1 is set to launch sometime this year, although the exact date has not been disclosed.

💬 "Thanks to Readyverse Studios, we have the opportunity to use the revolutionary technology that Futureverse has been developing for years to bring to life the best possible version of the metaverse," said Cline in a statement to Variety.

🌐 Visa Joins the Web3 Movement

Visa is testing a customer loyalty program for Web3. Brands can launch digital wallets that allow customers to accumulate points and experiences.

💡 "Imagine earning a unique digital collectible, whether it's buying tickets to a sports event or participating in a treasure hunt in augmented reality," said Kathleen Pierce-Gilmore, Senior Vice President at Visa and Global Head of Solution Issuance, in a statement.

📊 Interesting Stat:
OpenSea has become the fourth most popular NFT trading platform by weekly trading volume. According to DappRadar, it now trails behind Blur, OKX, and Magic Eden.

🔍 Also Worth Noting:
Influencer Logan Paul reportedly plans to refund those who purchased his unreleased NFT game CryptoZoo.

🎮 According to Kotaku, Paul is investing around $2.3 million in a buyback process for NFTs purchased by those waiting for the game's launch.

🦄 CryptoZoo was previously the subject of a YouTube investigation, claiming misconduct by some project participants. Paul argued that the project was "sabotaged by villains" who stole funds.

💬 "This buyback is a way for me to save those who intended to play CryptoZoo. The buyback is not intended to compensate those who played the cryptocurrency market and lost," Paul stated this week.