The Avalanche Snow Report: September 2024

Welcome to The Avalanche Snow Report! This monthly newsletter brings you highlights from across the Avalanche ecosystem, including DeFi, Enterprise & Institutional, NFTs & Culture, Gaming, and Infrastructure & Enablement.

Have feedback or want to learn more? Please contact megan.moran@avalabs.org.

Network Highlights

Retro9000: Rewarding Developers Building Avalanche L1s

Retro9000 is an up to $40 million retroactive grant program funded by The Avalanche Foundation. Retro9000 aims to reward developers for testing and launching foundational ecosystem building blocks on Avalanche and empowers developers to do what they do best–innovate and build.

Learn more here.

Avalanche Launches infraBUIDL Program

The infraBUIDL() Program is designed to enhance the Avalanche ecosystem by funding infrastructure projects that improve user and developer experiences. Through direct and milestone-based retroactive grants, the program seeks to attract top-tier talent and cultivate a dedicated community of developers committed to advancing the Avalanche Network.

Learn more here.

DeFi

Solv Protocol Brings a Bitcoin Reserve to Avalanche

SolvBTC, powered by Solv Protocol, has expanded to Avalanche! SolvBTC represents Bitcoin within Solv's decentralized Bitcoin reserves. It integrates Bitcoin into the DeFi ecosystem, enabling users to earn returns on their BTC holdings while retaining exposure to Bitcoin's value. On Avalanche, SolvBTC can be minted using BTC.b as collateral.

Learn more here.

Folks Finance Lands on Mainnet

Folks Finance, a DeFi protocol that provides users with a platform for borrowing and lending digital assets in a decentralized manner, recently launched on Avalanche. The protocol uses a hub-and-spoke model to enable users to deposit and borrow across Avalanche and connected networks – all from a single account.

Check it out here.

Enterprise & Institutions

Pressman Film Leverages Republic and Avalanche to Transform Independent Film Financing

Legendary independent production company Pressman Film and global investment platform Republic are raising funds for a development slate of six Pressman films tokenized on the Avalanche blockchain.

From art house indies to blockbuster franchises, Avalanche, Pressman Film, and Republic are ushering in a new paradigm in entertainment, offering a rare opportunity to get behind-the-scenes access to the filmmaking process, from development to release.

Learn more here.

ParaFi Tokenizes Fund on Securitize Platform with Avalanche

ParaFi Capital, a leading alternative asset management and technology firm with over $1B in AUM, has tapped Securitize, a leader in tokenizing real-world assets, to tokenize an interest in one of its venture funds on the Avalanche blockchain.

A broader group of investors can access ParaFi’s venture strategy through this tokenized fund and join the firm’s existing institutional investor base.

Learn more here.

TYB Expands Community Commerce on Avalanche

In just over a year since launching on Avalanche, TYB has brought on partners like Glossier, Rare Beauty, Urban Outfitters, Kelly Slater, and Paris Hilton are all looking for new ways to create brand loyalty and reward their communities.

These activities go beyond just monetization to help drive real business results. Data indicates that customers using TYB's platform spend 17.85% more than non-TYB users and order almost 40% more frequently.

Learn more here.

Gaming

Off the Grid Expands Pioneer Playtest Program

Gunzilla Games, makers of the hotly anticipated “Off the Grid,” are expanding the Pioneer playtest program for the title. The changes also come with other major updates to the beta version of the game.

Pioneer playtesters can now access the game seven days a week, though restricted hours still apply. The team has also implemented various balancing & game mode updates and expanded to new map areas. A public release date has not yet been announced, but Pioneer registration remains open.

Learn more here and register for the beta test here.

MapleStory Universe Impresses at Token2049

Nexon’s MapleStory Universe, the classic MMORPG coming to its own Avalanche L1, showed out at the Token2049 conference in Singapore. Participating in panels and giving keynotes, the group also hosted one of the most popular side events, “Slime’s Wobbly Jelly Party,” boasting a crowd of over 300 conference attendees.

Learn more here.

Avalanche Ambassadors

Developer Workshop At University Of Nigeria 🇳🇬

The Ambassador DAO introduced the Avalanche ecosystem, followed by a tutorial on launching an Avalanche L1.

Learn more here.

First Avalanche Community MeetUp in Ireland 🇮🇪

The Ambassador DAO hosted its first community meetup in Ireland and led workshops teaching developer students at University College Dublin how to launch their own L1 on Avalanche.

Learn more here.

Infrastructure & Enablement

Avalanche9000 Details Announced

Avalanche9000 is the largest network upgrade that Avalanche has undergone since mainnet launch, combined with the groundbreaking Avalanche consensus that gives any application near-instant finality. This upgrade will make launching your own L1 more economically feasible, simpler to customize, smoother to maintain, and quicker to bring to market.

Avalanche9000 includes the moment ACP-77 goes live, encapsulates a full suite of upgrades that include more community proposals, a live testnet environment to build ideas, and lots of builder reward opportunities.

This article unlocks value for builders leading into the launch of the Avalanche9000 testnet.

Learn more here.

Bounty9000 Complete

The recently completed bounty utilized ICTT to bridge USDC from C-Chain to their L1 as a native gas token. Each time a bridge happened, they mint the native USDC tokens on your USDC L1. This will require users to have USDC on the Fuji C-Chain. You can get some USDC from the faucet to test this flow.

Learn more here.

ICYMI: Avalanche Sessions