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MetaCannes 2024 by Theta Network and The Squad Delivered AI and Tech-Forward Experiences to Attendees and Participants
June 05, 2024
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CANNES, FRANCE - June 3rd, 2024 – The Squad, in collaboration with Theta Network, has successfully held the MetaCannes Film3 Festival, which took place May 12 through May 25, 2024. The 2024 edition of the event provided a blockchain-based, video on-demand film festival experience with world premieres, empowerment-focused content and live streaming (a first for 2024).

Event Highlights:

  • Community and Inclusion: MetaCannes continues to support underrepresented voices in the film industry, providing a platform for women and LGBTQIA+ communities to share their narratives and experiences. Sian Morson, founder of The BlkChain, curated one Short Film Block to celebrate the diversity of BIPOC voices in the festival lineup.

  • Women-Focused Content: MetaCannes also hosted a curated feed sponsored by Herflix, a leading streaming platform for movies, about, for, and by women. Herflix also hosted the Better World Foundation gala as part of the main Cannes lineup, with attendance from celebrated actress Juliette Binoche, virtuoso pianist Lang Lang, singer-songwriter Joyce Jonathan, and several members of European royalty.

  • Industry-Recognized Host: The Herflix gala was hosted by Swan Sit, dubbed the “Queen of Clubhouse” by Forbes. A top creator in marketing, Swan previously served as the Global Head of Digital Marketing at Nike, Estée Lauder, and Revlon.

  • Awards: Last year, the Best of Fest Award went to the BAFTA and Oscar winner AN IRISH GOODBYE, this year, The Squad introduced the Next Wave of Cinema Awards, the Grand Jury Golden Wave Award went to FREE FALL and Special Jury Prize AI Cinema to FALLING FROM GRACE.

  • AI Cinema: AI took the central stage as an essential element of Film3. This marked the second year MetaCannes curated AI Cinema, solidifying its commitment to innovation and inclusivity. This year, MetaCannes introduced MetaCannesNEXT, a new segment dedicated to AI Cinema, showcasing how artificial intelligence is revolutionizing filmmaking. This initiative follows the trends set by major festivals like Sundance and SXSW, focusing on new forms of storytelling and distribution technology.

  • Exclusive Screenings: Attendees enjoyed award-winning short films such as The Last Ranger, and The Anne Frank Gift Shop, starring notable actors like Ari Graynor and Chris Perfetti. The lineup also premiered a new short by Goya Award-nominated filmmaker Rafa Arroyo and works by AI cinema innovators Nicolas Neubert, Dave Clark and an additional world premiere from Chikai Ohazama.

  • Innovative Technology: Powered by Theta Network’s patented NFT-based digital rights management (DRM), MetaCannes offered a secure and transparent platform, allowing seamless access to film screenings and panel discussions. This technology ensures that filmmakers meet studio digital rights management requirements while offering an added layer of security.

  • NFT Access: The festival kicked off with the release of two exclusive NFT passes on May 3, 2024. The MetaCannes Film3 Streaming Pass and the prestigious Streaming Gold Pass unlocked access to a curated selection of films and special content, enhancing the viewer’s experience with blockchain technology. Passholders also unlocked exclusive access to creators in a token-gated Discord channel.

Statements from the Organizers:

Jordan Bayne, founder of The Squad, remarked, “At MetaCannes, community is the utility, and Film3 is the product. We are proud to lead the charge in transforming the film industry, making it more inclusive and accessible through technology.”

Mitch Liu, CEO of Theta Labs, added, “Our collaboration with The Squad for MetaCannes 2024 exemplifies our commitment to leveraging blockchain and AI technology to empower filmmakers and audiences worldwide.”

About MetaCannes:

MetaCannes Film3 Festival is the first on-chain, on-demand virtual film festival in the world, pioneering the integration of blockchain technology with cinematic experiences. By hosting a fully virtual festival, MetaCannes reaches a global audience, offering a unique platform for filmmakers and film enthusiasts to engage with cinema in new and innovative ways.

About Jordan Bayne

Jordan Bayne is an award-winning filmmaker and founder of The Squad, the original media collective producing content on Web3 x film, the originators of the Film3 movement, and the premier destination for those building the new Film3 ecosystem. Her short film THE SEA IS ALL I KNOW starring Academy Award Winner Melissa Leo was an Oscar contender, and her historic short motion picture RED FLAGS was minted on Zora in January 2022 and collected by the iconic Claire Silver. She has always been passionate about building a better future for filmmakers and has spoken on over 700 spaces/panels/interviews on Film3 as the Next Wave of Cinema. She is also the founder of MetaCannes Film3 Festival, co-founder of the Film3 Summit, and her Podcast, The Film3 OG and the Next Wave of Cinema is on Spotify and Apple.

About Theta Labs

Theta Labs pioneered Theta Network, the leading blockchain decentralized cloud for AI, media and entertainment. Theta EdgeCloud is the first hybrid cloud-edge computing AI platform, powered by the Theta Edge Network with over 10,000 active global edge nodes and 80 PetaFLOPS of always available distributed GPU compute power. Theta is among the top 10 DePIN blockchains by market capitalization listed on both Coinmarketcap and Coingecko, and among the top AI tokens on Binance.comTheta EdgeCloud Video is a turn-key Web3 video API for developers offering significantly lower video transcoding and content delivery costs. Theta’s Web3 infrastructure including ThetaDrop NFT marketplace and Theta Web3 Theatre enable entertainment companies to drive new revenues and community engagement.

Backed by Google, Samsung, Sony, Creative Artists Agency, and Binance, Theta’s enterprise validator and governance council is composed of global market leaders. Theta has partnered with leading entertainment brands including Lionsgate, MGM, Katy Perry, American Idol, The Price is Right, Taste of Home, and more. Popular platforms utilizing Theta’s Web3 infrastructure include MetaCannes Film3 Festival, FuseTV, CONtv Anime, WPT, PetCollective, FailArmy, and other OTT streaming services. Theta’s strategic corporate investors include Samsung NEXTSony Innovation FundBertelsmann Digital Media Investments and CAA.

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Brad Garlinghouse, the CEO of Ripple chimes in...

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Visa Just Turned Every Wallet Into a Bank Account—And You Probably Missed It 💸🚀

Visa Direct quietly flipped two switches that make $1.7 trillion of annual payout volume speak fluent crypto. No press-release fireworks 🎆—just a Slack ping from BVNK engineers: “We’re live.” Here’s why that ping is louder than it sounds. 🔊

1️⃣ The “push-to” menu grew a new button

🔹Merchants, neobanks & creator platforms already use Visa Direct to shove money to cards, bank accounts, PayPal, Venmo, you-name-it.

🔹 Now they can push USDC straight to any on-chain wallet the recipient controls. Same API call, different destination.

⏱️ Settlement: ~90 seconds
💰 Cost: fractions of a cent
🌍 Geography: anywhere with internet

2️⃣ Treasury teams can stop apologizing for FX 🏦

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🔹 Starting today you can drop USDC (or ...

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Keep Your Heads On A Swivel 👀 Out There
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👉 Coinbase just launched an AI agent for Crypto Trading

Custom AI assistants that print money in your sleep? 🔜

The future of Crypto x AI is about to go crazy.

👉 Here’s what you need to know:

💠 'Based Agent' enables creation of custom AI agents
💠 Users set up personalized agents in < 3 minutes
💠 Equipped w/ crypto wallet and on-chain functions
💠 Capable of completing trades, swaps, and staking
💠 Integrates with Coinbase’s SDK, OpenAI, & Replit

👉 What this means for the future of Crypto:

1. Open Access: Democratized access to advanced trading
2. Automated Txns: Complex trades + streamlined on-chain activity
3. AI Dominance: Est ~80% of crypto 👉txns done by AI agents by 2025

🚨 I personally wouldn't bet against Brian Armstrong and Jesse Pollak.

👉 Coinbase just launched an AI agent for Crypto Trading

South Korea just opened digital doors with a framework for "TOKENIZED SECURITIES" 🇰🇷

Now, why is this important for Ripple and its ecosystem counterparts? 👇🏼

BDACs is one of only four licensed crypto custodians in South Korea 🇰🇷

Ripple and BDACS have a collaboration to provide custody services for "TOKENIZED SECURITIES", XRP, RLUSD and other stablecoins..

If that isnt enough.. more regulatory clarity is also unfolding in the Asian giants region this week that presents opportunity corridors for Ripple 👇🏼

South Korea's largest exchange hits $1 TRILLION in $XRP trading volume last year, outperforming both BTC and ETH. Adoption is evident.

South Korea have also removed a 9-year corporate crypto ban in the last week paving the way for further crypto adoption.

Ripple is positioned in South Korea to capitalize as conditions and clarity are becoming increasingly clear and forthcoming in the region.

🚨 SMBC Card Unit Pilots Retail Stablecoin Payments Tied to National ID Cards 🚨

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🔑 Key points

🔹 Pilot scope: 100 SMBC employees in Tokyo and Osaka; 20 merchant locations (convenience stores, cafés); live from Jan-20 to Mar-31, 2026; caps at ¥50,000 ($330) cumulative spend per user.

🔹 ID-bound custody: Users mint “SMBC-Yen” (JPYC) or lock USDC into a custodial wallet whose private key shards are sealed in the My Number card’s secure element; POS tap triggers NFC signing, releasing coins only when card and phone biometric match.

🔹 POS upgrade: Existing QUICPay+ terminals flashed with firmware that recognizes stablecoin TLV tags; merchant receives instant JPY credit via ...

MARKETS: Upbit reports $XRP as South Korea’s most traded digital asset in 2025, with over $1T in volume processed on the exchange.

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🚨David Grusch on The Megyn Kelly Show🚨

Earlier this week, UFO/UAP whistleblower David Grusch appeared on The Megyn Kelly Show for a brief but revealing interview. During the conversation, Grusch named individuals he claimed were involved in managing the alleged UFO/UAP Legacy crash retrieval program, statements that immediately drew attention across the disclosure community.

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Please watch the full interview and consider its significance within the broader context of the disclosure conversation. Please note that the interview concludes with a paid promotional pitch, and Grusch does not provide any additional comments after the pitch.

 

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Stellar CEO Reveals Where Real Opportunity Lies in Crypto Market: Details

In a recent tweet, Stellar Development Foundation (SDF) CEO and Executive Director Denelle Dixon defines what "real opportunity" is in blockchain as a new financial future beckons.

The SDF CEO was reacting to a recent Bloomberg report on Bank of New York Mellon Corp (BNY), Nasdaq, S&P Global and iCapital participation in a new $50 million investment round by Digital Asset Holdings. This comes as some of Wall Street’s biggest names embrace the technology that underpins cryptocurrencies to handle traditional assets.

Reacting to this development, Stellar Foundation CEO Denelle Dixon stated that every blockchain investment is a bet on a different financial future. Dixon added that seeing banks explore blockchain technology validates what has been known over the years.

Real opportunity defined

While Wall Street’s biggest names betting on blockchain might be one of the most significant adoption milestones in the digital asset market, Dixon defines what real opportunity is and what it is not.

According to the SDF executive director, real opportunity is not replicating old systems on new rails but rather building open networks that fundamentally expand global finance participation.

"But the real opportunity isn’t replicating old systems on new rails—it’s building open networks that fundamentally expand who gets to participate in global finance. That’s the opportunity," Dixon tweeted.

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Stellar eyes privacy upgrade

A new protocol upgrade is on the horizon for the Stellar network: X-Ray, which lays the groundwork for developers to build privacy applications on Stellar using zero-knowledge (ZK) cryptography.

The protocol timeline testnet vote is anticipated for Jan. 7, 2026, while the mainnet vote is expected for Jan. 22, 2026.

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XDC Network's acquisition of Contour Network

XDC Network's acquisition of Contour Network marks a silent shift to connect the digital trade infrastructure to real-time, tokenized settlement rails.

In a world where cross-border payments still take days and trap trillions in idle liquidity, integrating Contour’s trade workflows with XDC Network Blockchains' ISO 20022 financial messaging standard to bridge TradFi and Web3 in Trade Finance.

The Current State of Cross-Border Trade Settlements

Cross-border payments remain one of the most inefficient parts of global finance. For decades, companies have inter-dependency with banks and their correspondent banks across the world, forcing them to maintain trillions of dollars in pre-funded nostro and vostro balances — the capital that sits idle while transactions crawl across borders.

Traditional settlement is slow, often 1–5 days, and often with ~2-3% in FX and conversion fees. For every hour a corporation can’t access its own cash increases the cost of financing, tightens liquidity that could be used for other purposes, which in turn slows economic activity.

Before SWIFT, payments were fully manual. Intermediary banks maintained ledgers, and reconciliation across multiple institutions limited speed and volume.

SWIFT reshaped global payments by introducing a secure, standardized messaging infrastructure through ISO 20022 - which quickly became the language of money for 11,000+ institutions in 200 countries.

But SWIFT only fixed the messaging — not the movement. Actual value still moves through slow, capital-intensive correspondent chains.

Regulated and Compliant Stablecoin such as USDC (Circle) solves the part SWIFT never could: instant, on-chain settlement.

Stablecoin Settlement revamping Trade and Tokenization

Stablecoin such as USDC is a digital token pegged to the US Dollar, still the most widely used currency for trade, enabling the movement of funds instantly 24*7 globally - transparently, instantly, and without the need for any intermediaries and the need to lock in trillions of dollars of idle cash.

Tokenized settlement replaces multi-day reconciliation with on-chain finality, reducing:

  • Dependency on intermediaries
  • Operational friction
  • Trillions locked in idle liquidity

For corporates trapped in long working capital cycles, this is transformative.

Digital dollars like USDC make the process simple:

Fiat → Stablecoin → On-Chain Transfer → Fiat

This hybrid model is already widely used across remittances, payouts, and treasury flows.

But one critical piece of global commerce is still lagging:

👉 Trade finance.

The Missing link is still Trade Finance Infrastructure.

While payments innovation has raced ahead, trade finance infrastructure hasn’t kept up. Document flows, letters of credit, and supply-chain financing remain siloed, paper-heavy, and operationally outdated.

This is exactly where the next breakthrough will happen - and why the recent XDC Network acquisition of Contour is a silent revolution.

It transforms to a new era of trade-driven liquidity through an end-to-end digital trade from shipping docs to payment confirmation – one infrastructure that powers all.

The breakthrough won’t come from payments alone — it will come from connecting trade finance to real-time settlement rails.

The XDC + Contour Shift: A Silent Revolution

  • Contour already connects global banks and corporates through digital LCs and digitized trade workflows.
  • XDC Blockchain brings a settlement layer built for speed, tokenization, and institutional-grade interoperability and ISO 20022 messaging compatibility

Contour’s digital letter of credit workflows will be integrated with XDC’s blockchain network to streamline trade documentation and settlement.

Together, they form the first end-to-end digital trade finance network linking:

Documentation → Validation → Settlement all under a single infrastructure.

XDC Ventures (XVC.TECH) is launching a Stable-Coin Lab to work with financial institutions on regulated stablecoin pilots for trade to deepen institutional trade-finance integration through launch of pilots with banks and corporates for regulated stable-coin issuance and settlement.

The Bottom Line

Payments alone won’t transform Global Trade Finance — Trade finance + Tokenized Settlement will.

This is the shift happening underway XDC Network's acquisition of Contour is the quiet catalyst.

Learn how trade finance is being revolutionised:

https://www.reuters.com/press-releases/xdc-ventures-acquires-contour-network-launches-stablecoin-lab-trade-finance-2025-10-22/

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