Welcome back to your weekly PlayToEarn newsletter where we share the latest news, announcements, and opinions from the world of blockchain and web3 gaming!

Crypto rallied early as the SEC moved to drop its case against Coinbase, pushing BTC near $100K and lifting COIN and HOOD by 5%. The momentum crashed when Bybit’s $1.5B hack sent BTC and ETH tumbling 2%. A sharp U.S. stock sell-off, driven by weak consumer sentiment and inflation fears, worsened the slide—BTC dipped below $95K, ETH to $2,650, and markets brace for more volatility.

Our big stories from last week include rumors of GTA 6 becoming a creator driven platform, and GamerBoom securing $9M with backing from Nvidia, Solana and Bing Ventures. Read on for more!

🚨Bybit Suffers $1.4B Hack, Lazarus Group Suspected

On February 21, 2025, hackers exploited Bybit’s wallet transfer system, stealing $1.4 billion in Ethereum-based tokens—marking the largest crypto heist in history.

Bybit CEO Ben Zhou confirmed that attackers manipulated a routine smart contract approval, gaining control over a cold wallet. Blockchain security firm SlowMist noted similarities to past exploits tied to North Korea’s Lazarus Group.

Crypto analyst ZachXBT traced the stolen funds across 39 addresses, linking the attack to Lazarus. He estimated a 15-30% chance of partial recovery, citing the difficulty of laundering such a massive sum due to blockchain tracking tools.

🔻 The attack shook the markets, causing Ethereum to drop 2% to $2,685 and Bitcoin to fall 1% to $96,632. Binance founder CZ advised Bybit to pause withdrawals, while the exchange assured users its other cold wallets remain secure.

💰 Despite the loss, Bybit remains operational and is pursuing bridge loans instead of immediately repurchasing ETH. Investigations continue as security teams track the stolen funds.

🔥 Here are our hot topics this week at PlayToEarn for web3 and blockchain gaming. 🔥

GTA 6 Might Be More Than a Game—It Could Be the Ultimate Creator Platform 👀

GTA 6 is shaping up to be more than just another entry in the franchise. A new report suggests that Rockstar might be turning it into a creator-driven platform, with user-generated content (UGC) playing a huge role.

🤔 What’s Happening?

💰 Will Creators Get Paid?

🕵️How Will This Affect GTA Online?

With GTA 6’s rumored $2 billion budget, this shift could be Rockstar’s strategy to build a constantly evolving world fueled by players. Whether they confirm it before launch or not, this could be the biggest change to the franchise yet.

📅 GTA 6 launches Fall 2025 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, with a PC release expected in early 2026.

GamerBoom Secures $9M with Backing from NVIDIA, Solana, and Bing Ventures 💵

GamerBoom has secured $9 million in funding, backed by NVIDIA, Solana, and Bing Ventures, bringing its total funding to $11 million. The investment fuels GamerBoom’s mission to merge AI and web3 gaming, using AI-driven data tagging to enhance traditional games while rewarding players through its "Train-to-Earn" model.

🔄 Bridging AI and Gaming

🔥 Strategic Backing from NVIDIA

NVIDIA’s involvement is a major milestone, signaling confidence in GamerBoom’s AI-driven gaming analytics. With NVIDIA’s expertise, the company aims to refine its AI models, improve data efficiency, and expand its gaming ecosystem.

GamerBoom’s momentum is further validated by its participation in Binance’s MVB Accelerator Program and its selection for the Solana AI Hackathon. These achievements reinforce its role as a leader in AI-powered gaming solutions.

🎯 What’s Ahead?

Latest Play to Earn and Play to Airdrop News🪂

Play to earn, play and earn, play to airdrop, we have it all! Keep an eye on our website and social channels for all of the announcements, but here are a few of the latest opportunities available to you now.

Moving Money: Funding, Tokenomics, and other related stories from web3 gaming 💰

More new tokens!

Other News Stories in Web3 Gaming This Week ⬆️

And finally, here are a few of the other top web3 gaming stories from this week.

Of course that’s not all! Be sure to visit our website, follow us on Twitter, and join our Discord chat for all of the latest in web3 and blockchain gaming!

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