Southeast Asia’s largest bank enters the Metaverse

Singapore-based banking group DBS, Southeast Asia’s largest lender by assets, has teamed up with The Sandbox, a blockchain-based Metaverse gaming platform, to develop new services for customers in the three-dimensional virtual environment which includes digital avatars.

The Sandbox, a division of Hong Kong-based Animoca Brands, is a virtual world where players can construct, own and monetise their Ethereum blockchain-based gaming experiences. It is among the most popular of the much-hyped Metaverse environments that are sprouting these days.

The aim of the partnership is “to create an interactive Metaverse experience showcasing the importance of building a better, more sustainable world, and inviting others to come alongside,” DBS said in an announcement, noting that it is the first bank in Singapore to make a foray into the Metaverse.

Virtual land plot

DBS will acquire a plot of “land” – a unit of virtual real estate in The Sandbox – which will be developed with immersive elements, the bank noted.

DBS’ Metaverse aspirations have a lot to do with a vivid crypto scene in the city state. The bank said that in August, crypto trading volumes on its digital asset exchange has soared.

“Investors who believe in the long-term prospects of digital assets are gravitating towards trusted and regulated platforms to access the digital asset market,” the bank said.

“Over the last decade, the biggest changes in the world of finance have been catalysed by digital advancements. In the coming decade, driven by new technologies such as artificial intelligence and blockchain, these shifts have the potential to be even more profound,” DBS CEO Piyush Gupta added in the statement.

Prominent names join the virtual worlds

DBS joins other prominent global banks in the Metaverse. In February this year, US financial service group JP Morgan became the first bank in the world to invest in the Metaverse as it set up its shop in the Metajuku mall on Decentraland. Following the Wall Street bank’s steps, HSBC launched a Metaverse portfolio in early April for its high value clients in Singapore and Hong Kong.

By the end of April, Standard Chartered Bank too had announced its partnership with The Sandbox for its Metaverse venture.

Within Southeast Asia, Siam Commercial Bank, Thailand’s largest lender, opened a branch in The Sandbox earlier this year.



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Singapore-based banking group DBS, Southeast Asia’s largest lender by assets, has teamed up with The Sandbox, a blockchain-based Metaverse gaming platform, to develop new services for customers in the three-dimensional virtual environment which includes digital avatars. The Sandbox, a division of Hong Kong-based Animoca Brands, is a virtual world where players can construct, own and monetise their Ethereum blockchain-based gaming experiences. It is among the most popular of the much-hyped Metaverse environments that are sprouting these days. The aim of the partnership is “to create an interactive Metaverse experience showcasing the importance of building a better, more sustainable world, and...

Singapore-based banking group DBS, Southeast Asia’s largest lender by assets, has teamed up with The Sandbox, a blockchain-based Metaverse gaming platform, to develop new services for customers in the three-dimensional virtual environment which includes digital avatars.

The Sandbox, a division of Hong Kong-based Animoca Brands, is a virtual world where players can construct, own and monetise their Ethereum blockchain-based gaming experiences. It is among the most popular of the much-hyped Metaverse environments that are sprouting these days.

The aim of the partnership is “to create an interactive Metaverse experience showcasing the importance of building a better, more sustainable world, and inviting others to come alongside,” DBS said in an announcement, noting that it is the first bank in Singapore to make a foray into the Metaverse.

Virtual land plot

DBS will acquire a plot of “land” – a unit of virtual real estate in The Sandbox – which will be developed with immersive elements, the bank noted.

DBS’ Metaverse aspirations have a lot to do with a vivid crypto scene in the city state. The bank said that in August, crypto trading volumes on its digital asset exchange has soared.

“Investors who believe in the long-term prospects of digital assets are gravitating towards trusted and regulated platforms to access the digital asset market,” the bank said.

“Over the last decade, the biggest changes in the world of finance have been catalysed by digital advancements. In the coming decade, driven by new technologies such as artificial intelligence and blockchain, these shifts have the potential to be even more profound,” DBS CEO Piyush Gupta added in the statement.

Prominent names join the virtual worlds

DBS joins other prominent global banks in the Metaverse. In February this year, US financial service group JP Morgan became the first bank in the world to invest in the Metaverse as it set up its shop in the Metajuku mall on Decentraland. Following the Wall Street bank’s steps, HSBC launched a Metaverse portfolio in early April for its high value clients in Singapore and Hong Kong.

By the end of April, Standard Chartered Bank too had announced its partnership with The Sandbox for its Metaverse venture.

Within Southeast Asia, Siam Commercial Bank, Thailand’s largest lender, opened a branch in The Sandbox earlier this year.



Support ASEAN news

Investvine has been a consistent voice in ASEAN news for more than a decade. From breaking news to exclusive interviews with key ASEAN leaders, we have brought you factual and engaging reports – the stories that matter, free of charge.

Like many news organisations, we are striving to survive in an age of reduced advertising and biased journalism. Our mission is to rise above today’s challenges and chart tomorrow’s world with clear, dependable reporting.

Support us now with a donation of your choosing. Your contribution will help us shine a light on important ASEAN stories, reach more people and lift the manifold voices of this dynamic, influential region.

 

 

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