BlackRock Goes Blockchain, Bitcoin Devs Disagree, FIFA & Sony Amp Up Web3

BlackRock Expands Blockchain Integration in $150 Billion Treasury Fund

BlackRock Inc., the world’s largest asset manager, has taken a significant step toward integrating blockchain technology into mainstream institutional finance. According to Bloomberg.com, BlackRock has filed paperwork with the US Securities and Exchange Commission to launch a new share class of its $150 billion money market fund, the BLF Treasury Trust Fund, that will be registered on a blockchain. This new share class is labeled “DLT,” standing for distributed ledger technology, and represents a cornerstone of BlackRock’s cash management strategy. The move signals BlackRock’s growing ambition to leverage digital technology for enhanced transparency and efficiency in fund management.

Fund Name	Value	New Feature
BLF Treasury Trust Fund	$150 billion	Blockchain-based share class (DLT)

Key Takeaway: BlackRock’s SEC filing marks a major institutional endorsement of blockchain, aiming to modernize cash management for a $150 billion fund. (Source: Bloomberg.com)

Bitcoin Developers Clash Over OP_RETURN Data Limit Proposal

The Bitcoin developer community is embroiled in a heated debate over a proposal to remove the 80-byte limit on the OP_RETURN function, as reported by CoinDesk. The OP_RETURN feature allows users to attach small pieces of data to Bitcoin transactions, commonly used for notes, timestamps, or digital records. Developer Peter Todd’s proposal to eliminate the cap has sparked concerns about potential spam, illegal content storage, and the degradation of Bitcoin’s financial integrity. Critics, including Bitcoin Core developer Luke Dashjr, have labeled the proposal “utter insanity,” warning it could accelerate the misuse of the blockchain for non-financial purposes.

“It should be needless to say, but this idea is utter insanity. The bugs should be fixed, not the abuse embraced.” — Luke Dashjr, Bitcoin Core developer

Supporters argue the current limit is ineffective, as users bypass it using Taproot transactions for Ordinals and Inscriptions.
Critics fear normalization of illegal content and increased risk for node operators.
Proponents like Pieter Wuille believe relaxing the limit could reduce UTXO bloat and mempool fragmentation.

For context, in May 2023, Binance had to suspend Bitcoin withdrawals due to network congestion caused by Ordinals’ popularity. The proposal remains under review, with intense debate ongoing among developers.

Key Takeaway: The proposal to remove OP_RETURN data limits has reignited fundamental questions about Bitcoin’s purpose and security, with strong arguments on both sides. (Source: CoinDesk)

FIFA Migrates NFT Platform to Ethereum-Compatible Blockchain

FIFA is set to launch its own Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM)-compatible blockchain, moving its official NFT collection, FIFA Collect, from the Algorand blockchain to the new FIFA Blockchain, Cointelegraph reports. The migration is scheduled to begin no earlier than May 20, with FIFA promising clear instructions for NFT holders. After the migration, external Algorand-based wallets like Pera and Defly will no longer be supported, and users will need to connect via MetaMask or other EVM-compatible wallets.

FIFA Collect’s migration aims to provide better performance, future features, and improved scalability.
Other listed collectibles will be automatically transferred unless delisted by users before the migration date.
FIFA’s NFT collection was launched ahead of the 2023 Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia, in partnership with Modex.
FIFA Rivals, a blockchain-based soccer game developed with Mythical Games, is set for full release in summer 2025, with a pre-release in May 2025.
FIFA Rivals could attract over 100 million gamers, according to CEO John Linden.

Key Takeaway: FIFA’s move to an EVM-compatible blockchain marks a strategic shift to enhance NFT and gaming experiences for millions of fans. (Source: Cointelegraph)

Sony’s Soneium Blockchain Partners with Plume for RWA Yield Products

Sony’s Soneium blockchain has partnered with Plume Network to offer users access to asset-backed yield products, including tokenized U.S. Treasuries and private credit, The Block reports. Soneium’s mainnet launched in January, and the integration with Plume’s SkyLink interoperability layer allows real-world asset value and yield to be streamed cross-chain securely. Plume, an EVM-compatible Layer 2 network, specializes in tokenizing real-world assets and boasts over 18 million wallets on its testnet.

Soneium users can now access yield products directly from the Plume chain.
Plume CEO Chris Yin highlighted the partnership’s potential to accelerate yield opportunities for over 5.1 million users in the Soneium ecosystem.
Soneium’s testnet, launched in August, had over 15 million active wallet addresses and more than 50 million transactions before mainnet launch.
Soneium has also partnered with Moca Network to expand into digital identity, anime, and gaming experiences.

Key Takeaway: The partnership brings real-world asset yields to Sony’s blockchain users, expanding the ecosystem’s financial and entertainment offerings. (Source: The Block)

European Union regulators have issued new guidance on blockchain and personal data processing, stating that entire blockchain histories may need to be erased to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), according to The Daily Hodl. The European Data Protection Board (EDPB) recommends that evaluations be conducted to determine if personal data is stored on blockchains and whether deletion mechanisms are in place. If not, regulators warn that “deleting the whole blockchain” may be necessary to fulfill GDPR’s storage limitation principle.

“Personal data must be erased once the purposes of the processing has been achieved and any regulatory periods for retention have expired in order to conform to the principle of storage limitation. When deletion has not been taken into account by design, this may require deleting the whole blockchain.” — EDPB

Guidance challenges the architecture of public blockchains like Ethereum and Web3.
James Smith of the Ethereum Foundation warns the guidelines could threaten the legal operation of public blockchains in Europe.

Key Takeaway: EU data protection guidance could force drastic measures, including full blockchain deletion, to ensure GDPR compliance, raising existential questions for decentralized networks. (Source: The Daily Hodl)

One Championship MMA Game Launches on Sui Blockchain for iOS and Android

One Championship, a leading mixed martial arts league, has launched “One Fight Arena,” a new mobile game for iOS and Android built on the Sui blockchain, Decrypt reports. Developed with Notre Game, a subsidiary of Animoca Brands, the game combines match-3 puzzle mechanics with player-versus-player fighting. Players can guide real One Championship athletes, such as Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson and Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon, from career beginnings to championship titles.

Players earn “Adrenaline,” an in-game currency, through competitions and quests, redeemable for rewards including One gift cards, merchandise, VIP tickets, and SUI crypto tokens.
The game offers optional blockchain features, allowing athletes to be upgraded to tradeable NFTs, providing true ownership and earning opportunities.
One Fight Arena was first announced in April 2023, with Sui becoming the official blockchain sponsor in September 2023.

Key Takeaway: One Fight Arena brings blockchain-powered gaming and NFT ownership to MMA fans worldwide, with optional crypto features integrated into a mainstream mobile game. (Source: Decrypt)

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