NASA Launches Webb Telescope and Beeple Says We’re Already in the Metaverse in This Week’s Business and Crypto Roundup

Many brands are starting to see a recovery despite the challenges initially brought on by the pandemic. Some businesses, especially ones that focused efforts on expanding e-commerce ventures, have even seen profits rise even higher than before.

HYPEBEAST has rounded up the top business and crypto stories of the week so you can stay in the know about trends across industries.

Business

1. Elon Musk sold more Tesla shares, reaching his target

According to Reuters, Musk has sold more than $16 billion USD. Musk has pledged to sell 10% of his stake in the company to pay taxes.

2. NASA successfully launched the James Webb Space Telescope

Over the next 29 days, the telescope will reshape and transform itself over the course of its journey until it settles at its final destination approximately one million miles from Earth. After six months, the telescope will deliver its first images of space.

For years, we’ve been answering the question: When will #NASAWebb launch? This morning, we answered that for the last time! Next up: Where is Webb? We’ve got an answer for that, too!

See where Webb is on its million mile journey to #UnfoldTheUniverse: https://t.co/EZC60K56YN pic.twitter.com/edQ2XxNqyn

— NASA Webb Telescope (@NASAWebb) December 25, 2021

3. LG will unveil transparent OLED screens at CES 2022

The “OLED Shelf” utilizes two transparent OLED displays and is meant to showcase TV programs and gallery paintings. The “Shopping Managing Showcase” features a transparent OLED display inside a wooden stand and is intended to reimagine the shopping experience

4. Instagram pledges to “double down” on video content

Looking ahead to 2022, Instagram head Adam Mosseri posted a video on Twitter sharing some of the key focuses the social media platform will work on in 2022. The move seeks to challenge competitor TikTok.

2022 Priorities 📝

This next year is going to be pivotal for Instagram. In addition to our industry-leading safety and wellbeing efforts, we’re focused on these four key priorities.

Hope you’re all able to get some rest over the holidays. See you in the New Year! ✌🏼 pic.twitter.com/iY8uQ1EnMZ

— Adam Mosseri (@mosseri) December 28, 2021

5. Apple offered employees a $180,000 USD to prevent them from defecting to Meta

According to Bloomberg, Apple issued stock bonuses for its top engineers ranging from $50,000 USD to $180,000 USD. Meta has recently hired 100 ex-Apple engineers over the past few months.

Crypto

1. A Bored Ape Mega Mutant Serum sold for $3.6 million USD

The “serum” sold this week for 888.88 ETH, or $3.6 million USD at the time. The Mega Mutant Serum is part of the Bored Ape Chemistry Club, which consists of 10,000 Mutant Serums that can be airdropped to all Bored Ape NFT holders.

Spent $3.5 million for the art. Serum tasted spicy, with a hint of paprika 🌶 pic.twitter.com/n1jZG8RKI7

— tgerring.eth (@TaylorGerring) December 29, 2021

2. New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones gifted his defensive line Bitcoin for Christmas

NFL quarterbacks have a tradition of giving extravagant Christmas gifts to their teammates as a show of gratitude and sportsmanship. The 23-year-old rookie reached out to the CEO of Bitcoin Magazine for help on how to gift cryptocurrency.

3. OpenSea banned two Bored Ape Yacht Club ripoff NFT collections

Both collections, Phunky Ape Yacht Club (PAYC) and PHAYC, launched earlier this month. The series takes images of Bored Ape Yacht Club designs, flips them and mints them as NFTs.

Once upon a time, the @CryptoPhunksV2 waged war against the tyranny of DMCA. We are joining the battle. It’s time to get phunky. ✊

We are launching 10,000 hand-coded and phlipped NFTs.#BAYC ❌❌❌#PAYC ✅✅✅ #phunk ✊✊✊#phunkpham pic.twitter.com/dM11cOAhGo

— PAYC (@phunkyApeYC) December 6, 2021

4. Ozzy Ozbourne announced a new CryptoBatz NFT series

Owners can birth another NFT by “biting” and mutating with another NFT from their digital wallet. This includes Bored Ape Yacht Club, SupDucks, Cryptotoadz and a fourth mystery project

5. Beeple believes that we’ve already stepped into the metaverse

“I think you could make some argument that we’re already kind of in this weird quasi-digital world,” the artist told HYPEBEAST. Read the full interview here.