Latest news with #SandyCarter
Int'l Business Times
7 hours ago
- Business
- Int'l Business Times
GBM Launches Auction Festival with The Sandbox, Aavegotchi, Unstoppable Domains, and More
London, UK, June 26th, 2025, Chainwire GBM, the auction protocol reinventing how value is distributed onchain, has announced the launch of its inaugural Auction Festival, a multi-month celebration of auctions, rewards, and community participation. The Festival kicks off in partnership with leading Web3 names, including The Sandbox, Aavegotchi, Unstoppable Domains, Song a Day, and more, all showcasing the power of GBM's proprietary Win-Win auction model, where every bidder gets rewarded, not just the winner. This event marks the first phase of GBM's full protocol launch and upcoming token release. Alongside the auctions, participants can engage in quests, earn incentives, and unlock exclusive rewards, all designed to showcase GBM's next-generation auction mechanics ahead of its full protocol launch. A New Standard for Onchain Auctions Traditional auctions reward only the highest bidder, leaving everyone else with nothing, despite shared exertion in their time, capital, and interest. This is a zero-sum model that creates friction, fosters sniping, and kills genuine price discovery, often leading to both sides being disenfranchised. This winner-takes-all model is broken, and GBM introduces a paradigm shift with its Win-Win model. With the GBM auction, outbid participants receive their full bid back along with an incentive, turning participation into a rewarding act. This flips the traditional format on its head, creating a dynamic, trustless, high-engagement environment where competition drives true market discovery, not manipulation or luck. Already, several leading Web3 projects have embraced GBM's Win-Win model for its transparency, flexibility, and ability to engage communities without extractive mechanics. 'We're thrilled to join the upcoming Auction Festival and bring our Web3 domains to the GBM auction platform. This innovative Win-Win auction model makes Web3 domains more accessible and engaging for everyone — from first-time buyers to seasoned collectors.'' - Sandy Carter, COO, Unstoppable Domains 'GBM auctions have introduced a new layer of excitement and strategy to LAND sales in The Sandbox Metaverse. Our community is more engaged than ever, bidding on prized virtual LAND near their favourite brands and celebrities. Even those who don't win walk away rewarded, turning every bid into a fun and rewarding experience. Bidding has become thrilling, fair, and a new way to earn $SAND along the way.' - Sébastien Borget, Co-Founder & COO, The Sandbox For GBM, The Auction Festival is a milestone in the protocol's evolution. 'The GBM Auction Festival is our way of showing people what a modern auction should feel like - fun, fair, and built around rewarding participation. Bidders get rewarded for their role in discovering the true market value of the seller's assets, resulting in an outcome where everybody wins.' - Hugo McDonaugh, Co-Founder & CEO, GBM A Festival That Rewards Participation The Auction Festival will run from late June through to early September, bringing together partner-led auctions, community quests, and protocol-wide incentives. Highlights include: Live partner auctions, including but not limited to: Aavegotchi, Unstoppable Domains, The Sandbox, and Freename. Participation incentives for all bidders, not just winners. Community quests and tiered engagement rewards. Giveaways, competitions, and community events. The Festival is also a gateway to deeper protocol participation. Through the Festival and the GBM Community Programme, users can earn points for bidding, selling, completing quests, collecting trophies, badges, NFTs, and other rewards. These incentives ultimately lead to a share of the GBM token when it's launched. To learn more about the GBM Protocol and the Auction Festival The Auction Festival officially begins on the 30th June 2025. Users can: About GBM GBM is the auction protocol redefining how value is distributed onchain. At the heart of GBM is its innovative Win-Win auction model, which rewards every participant, not just the winner. This sets a new standard for price discovery and value alignment across Web3. To date, GBM has powered $200M+ in bidding volume and distributed over $6M in rewards to bidders, proving its model at scale. Trusted by top Web3 ecosystems including The Sandbox, Aavegotchi, and Unstoppable Domains, GBM is the next-generation auction layer for crypto-native platforms - making auctions more transparent, engaging, and fair for everyone. For more information, users can visit: Contact Head of Marketing Jake Scott GBM Auctions jake@
Business Insider
11 hours ago
- Business
- Business Insider
GBM Launches Auction Festival with The Sandbox, Aavegotchi, Unstoppable Domains, and More
GBM, the auction protocol reinventing how value is distributed onchain, has announced the launch of its inaugural Auction Festival, a multi-month celebration of auctions, rewards, and community participation. The Festival kicks off in partnership with leading Web3 names, including The Sandbox, Aavegotchi, Unstoppable Domains, Song a Day, and more, all showcasing the power of GBM's proprietary Win-Win auction model, where every bidder gets rewarded, not just the winner. This event marks the first phase of GBM's full protocol launch and upcoming token release. Alongside the auctions, participants can engage in quests, earn incentives, and unlock exclusive rewards, all designed to showcase GBM's next-generation auction mechanics ahead of its full protocol launch. A New Standard for Onchain Auctions Traditional auctions reward only the highest bidder, leaving everyone else with nothing, despite shared exertion in their time, capital, and interest. This is a zero-sum model that creates friction, fosters sniping, and kills genuine price discovery, often leading to both sides being disenfranchised. This winner-takes-all model is broken, and GBM introduces a paradigm shift with its Win-Win model. With the GBM auction, outbid participants receive their full bid back along with an incentive, turning participation into a rewarding act. This flips the traditional format on its head, creating a dynamic, trustless, high-engagement environment where competition drives true market discovery, not manipulation or luck. Already, several leading Web3 projects have embraced GBM's Win-Win model for its transparency, flexibility, and ability to engage communities without extractive mechanics. 'We're thrilled to join the upcoming Auction Festival and bring our Web3 domains to the GBM auction platform. This innovative Win-Win auction model makes Web3 domains more accessible and engaging for everyone — from first-time buyers to seasoned collectors.'' - Sandy Carter, COO, Unstoppable Domains 'GBM auctions have introduced a new layer of excitement and strategy to LAND sales in The Sandbox Metaverse. Our community is more engaged than ever, bidding on prized virtual LAND near their favourite brands and celebrities. Even those who don't win walk away rewarded, turning every bid into a fun and rewarding experience. Bidding has become thrilling, fair, and a new way to earn $SAND along the way.' - Sébastien Borget, Co-Founder & COO, The Sandbox For GBM, The Auction Festival is a milestone in the protocol's evolution. 'The GBM Auction Festival is our way of showing people what a modern auction should feel like - fun, fair, and built around rewarding participation. Bidders get rewarded for their role in discovering the true market value of the seller's assets, resulting in an outcome where everybody wins.' - Hugo McDonaugh, Co-Founder & CEO, GBM A Festival That Rewards Participation The Auction Festival will run from late June through to early September, bringing together partner-led auctions, community quests, and protocol-wide incentives. Highlights include: Live partner auctions, including but not limited to: Aavegotchi, Unstoppable Domains, The Sandbox, and Freename. Participation incentives for all bidders, not just winners. Community quests and tiered engagement rewards. Giveaways, competitions, and community events. The Festival is also a gateway to deeper protocol participation. Through the Festival and the GBM Community Programme, users can earn points for bidding, selling, completing quests, collecting trophies, badges, NFTs, and other rewards. These incentives ultimately lead to a share of the GBM token when it's launched. The Auction Festival officially begins on the 30th June 2025. Users can: About GBM GBM is the auction protocol redefining how value is distributed onchain. At the heart of GBM is its innovative Win-Win auction model, which rewards every participant, not just the winner. This sets a new standard for price discovery and value alignment across Web3. To date, GBM has powered $200M+ in bidding volume and distributed over $6M in rewards to bidders, proving its model at scale. Trusted by top Web3 ecosystems including The Sandbox, Aavegotchi, and Unstoppable Domains, GBM is the next-generation auction layer for crypto-native platforms - making auctions more transparent, engaging, and fair for everyone. Contact Head of Marketing Jake Scott
Business Upturn
28-05-2025
- Business
- Business Upturn
Las Vegas Welcomes .BUNNI Launch from Rogue Bunnies and Unstoppable Domains at Bitcoin Vegas
Las Vegas, USA, May 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — At Bitcoin Vegas, Unstoppable Domains and Rogue Bunnies announced the official launch of .BUNNI, a new top-level domain (TLD) designed to fuse identity, creativity, and Web3 ownership with bold, feminine energy. Created in collaboration with Gatefold Labs, the project is the latest from Rogue Bunnies, the creator-first initiative founded by legacy Playmate and entrepreneur Victoria Fuller. The debut of .BUNNI signals a new era for digital self-expression — playful, powerful, and fully Web3-native. More than a domain, .BUNNI is an onchain identity layer that gives users total control: no renewal fees, full crypto utility, and access to messaging, websites, and group chat baked into the experience. .BUNNI is a direct extension of the Rogue Bunnies ethos, which began with the groundbreaking 'Rogue Bunnies' NFT collection. Not just an NFT collection, it's an entry into the Bunnies exclusive eco system and access into epic IRL events with the Mansion 2.0 experience. The project was designed to connect Playmates with fans while spotlighting women creating compelling content in the male dominated Web3 space. 'Rogue Bunnies is about connecting the globe to the most beautiful women on the blockchain,' said Victoria Fuller, founder of Rogue Bunnies and Gatefold Labs. 'With .BUNNI, we're taking that mission one step further — giving people a way to express who they are with beauty, energy, and ownership.' With over 70,000 NFTs minted, from the Gold Genesis Collection on Eth, the Ordinals on Bitcoin, to the Rogue Bunnies trading cards on Flow, The Rogue Bunnies are reimagining that spirit for a new generation, blending timeless glamour with the unstoppable momentum of Web3, decentralized finance, real-world membership experience, and global digital economies. For Unstoppable Domains, the launch marks another leap toward decentralized identity ownership. 'Digital identity should be as fun and fierce as the people building the future,' said Sandy Carter, COO of Unstoppable Domains. '.BUNNI is more than a domain — it's a cultural moment. We're thrilled to support this collaboration that champions creativity, ownership, and women-led innovation.' From to the possibilities are endless. Whether you're an artist, collector, or creator with main character energy, .BUNNI lets your name hit different — and stay yours forever. For more information or to claim your .BUNNI identity, visit .About Unstoppable Domains Launched in 2018, Unstoppable Domains is an ICANN-accredited registrar and leading digital identity platform dedicated to onboarding the world onto DNS and Web3. Unstoppable Domains provides Web3 domains minted on the blockchain, empowering individuals with full ownership and complete control over their digital identities, with no renewal fees. Users can replace lengthy alphanumeric crypto wallet addresses with easy-to-remember human-readable domain names, streamlining their interactions with apps, wallets, exchanges, and marketplaces. Recognized by Forbes as one of America's Best Startup Employers for four consecutive years—2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025—Unstoppable Domains has rapidly grown, boasting over 4.2 million registered domains. For more information, please visit: About Rogue Bunnies About Rogue Bunnies: Rogue Bunnies is an innovative project that utilizes blockchain technology to develop a decentralized platform for digital collectibles. Initiated by Victoria Fuller, the project aims to empower women and build a vibrant community of art aficionados and tech enthusiasts, evolving the legacy Playmate brand closer to the original vision of the late Hugh Hefner, offering an alternative collectable that also gives another level of engagement with the Bunnies Media Contact Rogue Bunnies Press Team [email protected]
Forbes
06-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
PayPal's Big Bet On AI Agents And Payments Like Stablecoins
Alex Chriss, CEO of PayPal, on stage at PayPal Dev Days Sandy Carter At its 2025 Dev Days event, PayPal made one of the most significant announcements in recent fintech history: it's building a Financial Operating System (Financial OS) tailored specifically for AI agents—autonomous software that can browse, buy, negotiate, refund, and optimize transactions for users. This isn't just another product launch. It's a foundational shift. With over 430 million users and $1.5 trillion in annual payment volume, PayPal is already a global giant. But now, it's setting its sights on becoming the infrastructure layer for agentic commerce—a fast-emerging model where intelligent agents handle financial activity independently, on behalf of people and businesses. The timing couldn't be better. AI agents are gaining momentum fast. Per Gartner, they project that by 2026, 40% of enterprise workflows will be automated by agents. By 2030, the AI agent economy is expected to exceed $22 billion in value. We're already seeing growth explode on platforms like AutoGPT and across open-source agent ecosystems on GitHub. Jeremiah Owyang, partner at Blitzscaling Ventures, captured this future well when he said, "In a world run by AI agents, websites may become obsolete. We won't browse—we'll instruct. The interfaces of the future are conversations, not clicks." That may sound far off, but PayPal is getting ready now. Its Financial OS is built for a new kind of two-sided marketplace—where agents don't just support buyers and sellers, they are the buyers and sellers. As part of this vision, PayPal's support for cryptocurrency—including its own stablecoin, PayPal USD (PYUSD)—gives developers and agents more flexibility in how transactions happen. PYUSD offers a stable, programmable on-chain currency alongside fiat, opening the door to more inclusive and global agent-driven commerce. It's no longer just about apps and clicks; it's about AI-to-AI negotiation, execution, and trust. Why AI Agents Are the Future of Commerce For PayPal And The Industry Let's be clear—AI agents aren't just glorified bots. These are autonomous, intelligent software entities that learn, make decisions, and act on behalf of users. Imagine this: your agent scans a product in-store, compares prices across platforms, places an order, tracks delivery, and handles a return—without you lifting a finger. PayPal sees these agents as the next generation of economic actors. And it's designing its infrastructure to become their financial backbone. PayPal Dev Days in California PayPal What Makes PayPal's Agentic OS Different While many companies are dipping into AI, PayPal is going all in—rebuilding its core systems to support intelligent agents from the ground up. It's launching tools like the Agent Toolkit and MCP (Multiparty Compute Protocol) server to give developers everything they need to build secure, compliant agent workflows. This is more than automation. It's about intelligent, seamless commerce built on PayPal's trusted rails. Agents can now manage payments, invoices, refunds, and even compliance in one streamlined flow. For developers, that means less stitching together APIs. For businesses and consumers, it means smarter, faster, frictionless transactions. As PayPal CEO Alex Chriss put it, "One of PayPal's greatest advantages is our two-sided network. While most fintechs are built for either merchants or consumers, we've built a platform that serves both—and now, we're extending that foundation to support intelligent agents as well." The result? AI Agents on both sides of a transaction can communicate, complete purchases, resolve issues, and protect against fraud—without human intervention. Powering the Ecosystem: PayPal, Google, AWS, and Microsoft At Dev Days, we saw what this looks like in action. Google showed how PayPal's tools power shopping agents using Gemini, enabling personalized, conversational commerce. AWS demonstrated digitizing physical goods into shoppable storefronts with its Nova models. And Microsoft revealed how Azure AI is building agent-powered retail flows. These aren't just demos—they're live use cases. Together, they signal that PayPal isn't just building a payments layer. It's creating a full-stack intelligent commerce platform. One that empowers agents to manage subscriptions, initiate purchases, and optimize behavior—autonomously. To do that, a Financial OS needs more than just payment processing. It needs programmable wallets, digital identity, agent-to-agent protocols, and real-time APIs. Think of it as the financial nervous system of the AI economy—with PayPal delivering the trust, Google and Microsoft providing the intelligence, and AWS bringing the global scale. PayPal's AI Story Wasn't First So Where Do Visa and Mastercard Fit? Traditional players like Visa and Mastercard are quickly moving into agentic commerce, with Visa's Intelligent Commerce APIs and Mastercard's Agent Pay demonstrating their commitment to enabling AI-powered transactions. These are meaningful steps—and signal that the race to support intelligent agents is now in full swing. PayPal may still hold a strategic edge. It was one of the first to articulate a full Financial Operating System designed for AI agents, and its two-sided network—serving both merchants and consumers—offers a native advantage for agent-to-agent flows. The company's integration of its stablecoin, PYUSD, adds programmability and global reach that could power both fiat and onchain agents. Critically, PayPal isn't starting from zero. Its $4 billion acquisition of Honey is now proving interesting. At the time, Honey had over 17 million monthly active users and a browser extension that helped shoppers find coupons and deals in real time. More than just a coupon tool, Honey offered AI-driven shopping insights, price tracking, and behavioral data—elements that are now highly valuable in training and powering intelligent agents. Agents powered by PayPal won't just transact—they'll anticipate needs, hunt for savings, and personalize offers in real time using the data and tooling inherited from Honey. That gives PayPal a unique blend of payments infrastructure, programmable money, and consumer intelligence—three foundational pillars for building agentic commerce at scale. As this next chapter of autonomous commerce unfolds, it's no longer just about who can process a transaction—it's about who can enable the smartest agents to do it all. What PayPal's AI Agent Means for Businesses and Developers For developers, this new Financial OS simplifies what used to be complex. Instead of manually coding checkout, refunds, or compliance, you can build those flows with natural language or streamlined APIs. For businesses—especially startups and SMBs—it's a game changer. You can deploy agents to handle repetitive tasks like order management or post-sale support, freeing up your team to focus on strategy and innovation. I had the pleasure of talking with Michelle Gill, General Manager, Small Business & Financial Services. As General Manager of PayPal's Small Business and Financial Services Group, Michelle Gill is responsible for bringing together the products and services that help small business owners run and grow their business. Michelle Gill told me that 'Because PayPal serves over 70% of the largest merchants across North America and Europe, plus millions of SMBs, we can verify the merchants with whom consumers interact.' Michelle Gill, General Manager, Small Business & Financial Services, keynoting at PayPal Dev Days. Michael O'Donnell photographer And for consumers? The experience becomes seamless. Your agent knows your preferences, your wallet, and your needs—finding the best deals, handling the logistics, and keeping you secure, all in the background. From Automation to Autonomy: The Big Shift For PayPal PayPal's vision isn't just about faster payments. It's about shifting who (or what) is doing the transacting. Its Financial OS is designed not for a new UI—but for a new user type. One that doesn't need screens, clicks, or keyboards to drive commerce. This shift is massive. It raises important questions about trust, regulation, and control—but it also offers new possibilities for scale, efficiency, and accessibility. For a company that pioneered online payments, PayPal is once again leading a new wave of digital transformation. Final Take For The PayPal Dev Conference With this bold move, PayPal isn't just riding the AI wave—it's helping shape it. By releasing open tools, supporting intelligent protocols, and activating a global network of agents, PayPal is betting that the next trillion-dollar economy won't be driven by clicks. It'll be driven by AI agents. The question is—are you building for them yet? Did you enjoy this story about PayPal and AI Agents? Don't miss my next one: Use the blue follow button at the top of the article near my byline to follow more of my work.
Associated Press
14-04-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Unstoppable Domains and Synergetics.ai Launch .TWIN: The First TLD for AI Wallets and Decentralized AI Agent Communication
Santa Ana, CA , April 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In a groundbreaking move merging Web3 and AI, , a Southern California-based innovator in decentralized Agentic AI communication technology, and Unstoppable Domains, a global leader in digital identity, have launched .TWIN, the world's first top-level domain (TLD) tailored for AI agents and their wallets. This next-gen domain system redefines how autonomous agents identify, communicate, and transact within decentralized ecosystems. Every .TWIN domain acts as a wallet and identity layer for AI agents, enabling secure agent-to-agent interactions powered by Synergetics' patented AgentTalk Protocol. The protocol facilitates decentralized, cross-platform communication with embedded trust and verification — key capabilities for scalable AI automation across industries. 'This is the first time AI agents can act independently and securely on-chain with a digital identity that is verifiable and usable,' said Raghu Bala, Founder and CEO of 'We're giving agents a passport, a wallet, and a voice in the new digital economy — and it starts with .TWIN.' The Synergetics AgentWorks platform goes beyond identity — it introduces an entire marketplace where AI agents can be listed, subscribed to, and monetized. Through Synergetics' AgentMarket, businesses can access and deploy prebuilt, custom, or tool-based agents. These agents operate autonomously and securely, empowered by blockchain-based ownership, smart contracts, and tokenized verification. Synergetics is a member of the Nvidia Inception Program and was showcased by Nvidia at the 2024 Microsoft Build conference. The company has also received recognition by Google Startups Innovate Program as a high potential startup. In addition, Synergetics is a member of the MIT Media Labs' Decentralized AI initiative and an active participant in the Agentic AI Working Group. 'Digital identity is the backbone of the decentralized internet,' said Sandy Carter, COO of Unstoppable Domains. 'With .TWIN, we're extending this concept to AI, giving agents the same identity and security infrastructure that humans enjoy online. This is a critical step toward trust and interoperability in AI.' With the Agentic AI communication market expected to reach $70 billion by 2030, the launch of .TWIN marks a significant step toward an autonomous, decentralized future powered by trusted digital identities. Synergetics AI and Unstoppable are also exploring ICANN gTLD registration to expand .twin's future utility across Web2 and Web3 ecosystems. .About Unstoppable Domains Launched in 2018, Unstoppable Domains is an ICANN-accredited registrar and leading digital identity platform dedicated to onboarding the world onto DNS and Web3. Unstoppable Domains provides Web3 domains minted on the blockchain, empowering individuals with full ownership and complete control over their digital identities, with no renewal fees. Users can replace lengthy alphanumeric crypto wallet addresses with easy-to-remember human-readable domain names, streamlining their interactions with apps, wallets, exchanges, and marketplaces. Recognized by Forbes as one of America's Best Startup Employers for four consecutive years—2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025—Unstoppable Domains has rapidly grown, boasting over 4.2 million registered domains. For more information, please visit: About Synergetics Synergetics is a pioneer in Decentralized Autonomous Agents and Agent-to-Agent communications, and stands at the forefront of agentic AI platforms, transforming enterprise operations across diverse verticals including financial services, healthcare, e-commerce and more. With its AgentWorksTM technology for developing AI bots and autonomous agents, Synergetics brings significant productivity gains to enterprise IT organizations seeking to launch AI solutions. By integrating advanced machine learning and robust automation capabilities to optimize processes, AgentWorks enhances enterprise decision-making and fosters innovation. Trusted by leading companies, Synergetics redefines efficiency and productivity, setting new standards for the future of AI in business. For more information, visit Disclaimer: The information provided in this press release is not a solicitation for investment, nor is it intended as investment advice, financial advice, or trading advice. It is strongly recommended you practice due diligence, including consultation with a professional financial advisor, before investing in or trading cryptocurrency and securities. Sandy Carter press at
