Gala Games and Opera Announce Multi-Level Partnership to create carbon-neutral NFTs

TOKYO and OSLO, Norway, June 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Gala Games, the successful blockchain gaming platform and Opera  (NASDAQ: OPRA), one of the world's leading browser developers, are joining forces to create carbon-neutral NFTs that will be auctioned for charity. They are also announcing plans for a new player initiative in the upcoming blockchain role playing game, Mirandus, which will redefine the traditional gaming model by giving players greater control than ever over in-game economy.

Both Gala Games and Opera have missions of empowerment. Gala Games is using NFTs to empower players by giving them true ownership of their gaming assets, while Opera empowers its users through a better web-browsing experience as well as easy access to Web3 and blockchain technologies. These missions of empowerment, combined with the focus of both Opera and Gala Games on charitable giving, are bringing the two companies together for a fruitful partnership.

Phase 1 - NFT Auction for Social Impact
In the first phase of this partnership, Gala Games will mint an exclusive series of 8 Ethereum (ERC-20) non-fungible tokens (NFTs) to be auctioned. These NFTs will be jointly branded by both Opera and Gala Games, and will have future utility in Mirandus.

100% of the proceeds from these NFT auctions will be donated to Mercy Corps Ventures, the impact investing arm of the leading global development organization Mercy Corps that invests in and accelerates tech-enabled solutions that strengthen the resilience of people and communities in frontier markets. In that spirit, the partnership in the virtual game community of Mirandus will help raise funds and awareness for contributions to real-world solutions that help people join the global economy and lift themselves out of poverty.

'With the creation of our carbon-neutral NFTs in Mirandus, we are connecting social impact NFTs, gaming, and real-life charitable giving to illustrate new ways of partnering in the crypto sector for the greater good,' said Cuautemoc Luis Weber, Opera's Head of Crypto and VP Business Development.

'Mercy Corps Ventures is thrilled to explore innovative ways to bring attention and raise funds for accelerating global financial inclusion in frontier markets. By practising philanthropic activities in the virtual world, players can make a big impact in the real world,' said Alpen Sheth, PhD, Senior Technologist, Blockchain, at Mercy Corps Ventures. 

These exclusive NFT auctions are scheduled to begin on July 12th, 2021, and will consist of 8 unique "Grand Sanctuary" NFTs in total. NFTs will be revealed in the days leading up to the auction on the Gala Games blog.

Phase 2 - The Sanctuary
The Grand Sanctuary buildings will play an important role in the gaming experience of all newcomers to the fantasy world of Mirandus, especially those who enter the world with nothing but the clothes worn by their avatar.

The Grand Sanctuary will be a haven for newcomers that will welcome them into this strange new world. There they will find a safe bed and a nourishing meal. They will be given the tools with which they can embark upon their first adventures. They will be taught, outfitted and equipped to immediately get the most out of the game. And as the newly equipped player ventures into the wilds and begins earning, a portion of their earnings will be given back to the Sanctuary, the building that first empowered them. Part of the proceeds generated by the in-game Grand Sanctuaries will also become charitable gifts, generating a sustainable way of donating to charity through gameplay.

"The Grand Sanctuary buildings will be a pillar of support for new players, especially those who cannot start by paying for in-game NFTs," says Jason Brink, President of Blockchain for Gala Games. "They will also establish a gaming community of encouragement and support, as well as an opportunity for Mirandus players to contribute to charity by playing."

The goal of this collaboration is to create in Mirandus a culture of dignified and ongoing charitable giving. The Grand Sanctuary will be beneficial to all players of Mirandus while opening the door to a culture of reciprocity and giving, both in the fantasy world as in reality.

More details about the building's operation will be released as they become available.

About Mercy Corps Ventures
Mercy Corps Ventures (MCV) is the impact investing arm of the leading global development organization, Mercy Corps. MCV invests in and accelerates tech-enabled solutions that strengthen the resilience of people and communities in frontier markets. It's FinX initiative is reimagining the financial system with the world's most vulnerable at the center of its design. FinX's goal is to accelerate global financial inclusion by advancing innovative, responsible distributed ledgers, digital assets, cryptocurrencies, and other digital financial solutions that help people join the global economy and lift themselves out of poverty and create a roadmap for an inclusive financial system. mercycorps.org/ventures

About Opera
Opera is leveraging 25 years at the forefront of web development, building browsers. With hundreds of millions of monthly engaged users across their product range and a team of 1800 engineers, researchers, analysts and marketeers across 10 countries. Opera is headquartered in Oslo Norway and listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange (OPRA).
Today Opera is building its audiences in Europe, Africa and Asia across 4 product categories; computer and laptop browsers, AI driven news platforms and fintech applications.

It is highly experienced in identifying consumer trends, needs and wants and developing products that meet demand quickly, capturing space and early adopters. The Opera browser has been equipped with a native Crypto Wallet and Web3 support since 2018.

For more information please visit https://opera.com

About Gala Games
Launched in 2019 and powered by the world's largest independent node network, Gala Games has been built  to give power to the gaming community.  As the first blockchain gaming platform, Gala Games has created an ecosystem where players and creators may be rewarded for their participation.

Founded by Eric Schiermeyer, the co-founder of Zynga, and operated by a global and diverse group of gamers, engineers, art enthusiasts, and geek-culture aficionados with teams in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, South Korea and the Philippines.

For more information please visit www.Gala.Games

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SOURCE Opera Limited