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NEAR & Gaming: A Deep Dive into OP Games

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Alongside DeFi and NFTs, Web3 gaming is proving to be one of the most vibrant and creative spaces in crypto. From play-and-earn titles to fractionalized game ownership, crypto gaming’s moment is now. And it’s evolving in real-time. 

OP Games, arguably the most successful gaming company building on NEAR right now. With Arcadia, its aptly-named community-owned arcade, a plug-and-play developer SDK, and monetization features, OP Games is revolutionizing gaming with Web3 technologies. 

In the latest installment of our 4-part series “NEAR & Gaming”, we take a deep dive into OP Games. Not only does OP Games have some lessons for developers building during a down market, they have offer up some useful ideas for onboarding Web2 users into the Web3 world, and more. 

Born in the crypto bear market of 2018

While OPGames is a major gaming platform on NEAR, its origins weren’t exactly auspicious. Growing out of the mobile gaming company Alto, OPGames emerged in the crucible of 2018’s Great Crypto Bear Market. 

Co-founders Chase Freo (CEO) and Paul Gadi (CTO) had a background in Web2 gaming and on other tech projects. A game publisher and investor, Freo grew disillusioned with the 70/30 revenue split that was standard for game publishers and designers. But it was through their work in Web2 gaming that Freo and Gadi, and one of the other original Alto founders, Gabby Dizon, came to know each other. 

“We realized we aligned in terms of how gaming would work outside of the traditional [mobile and desktop]space,” says Freo. “We also realized we were  all into blockchain and crypto, so we co-founded OP Games, which was called Alto at the time.”

Given the bear market of the period, Freo and Gadi  started building a lot of different products, especially in the NFT space. At the time, Web3 developer funds were hard to come by. Freo and Gadi watched as Dapper Labs and The Sandbox got funding, and thought these were good signs. 

While funding didn’t immediately materialize for OP Games, the pair’s work on NFTs was not in vain. Indeed, that work convinced Freo and Gadi of OP Games’ direction and, ultimately, led them to NEAR. 

“There’s a certain way game developers make money in Web2 and it’s skewed towards bigger game companies, bigger game developers, and bigger game publishers,” Freo explains. Developers gravitate toward publishers, who can distribute the game and onboard millions of players. Unless, of course, a game goes viral, like Flappy Bird—which is rare. 

“Because of this extreme reliance on publishers, the deal flows became very one-sided,” says Freo. “And that made me question if I was doing anybody a favor by being a game publisher. That changes the power structure in terms of how much a game developer earns versus how much a publisher earns, and how then how much Apple and Google earn. So there’s a lot of gatekeeping involved.”

What Freo and Gadi saw in Web3 was elegantly simple and profound: the democratization of gaming. Each player had their own wallet and developers didn’t need one million players to succeed. 

“Most players in Web3 are also paying players via NFTs, right,” Freo explains. “Obviously, there’s a lot of experimentation involved in play-to-earn, which has now evolved to play-and-earn. But we’re hopeful and we’re always thinking about newer models that will benefit people in the long run.”

Building OPGames for other games developers

During the 2018/2019 crypto downturn, OP Games received grants from a few different entities. Freo says there is a tendency to spend funds on an entire product suite. “Build the dream”, as he refers to it. But Freo and Gadi took another approach. 

“We realized very quickly that we have to be very modular in terms of what we’re building, so that we can still continuously create something, even though it’s at a much slower pace,” says Freo. “But it would allow us to create multiple things that would be useful right away in that period.”

Freo compares the  OP Games platform’s modularity to Legos: it gives developers all of the pieces they need to design and launch successful Web3 games. Early on in this slow build process, Freo and Gadi developed SDKs and APIs that game developers could use in their own slow builds. 

“We modularize how we want to build,” says Freo. “We want to make sure that each and every single one of these product lines will be as useful now as it will be in the future. And once we succeeded in building these products,  it was much easier to fundraise when the bull market was in full swing.” 

“We’re building the supply of games in Web3 by bringing Web2 game developers into the mix,” he adds. “And we have this tooling, like Legos, that they can use right away. It’s simplified so that it’s easy for their games to integrate or reap the benefits of a Web3 token offer.”

A look inside the OP Games feature set

After pivoting into Web3 gaming, OP Games began developing its first feature—the “Tournaments” function. This feature allowed any Javascript game to use OP Games’s JS SDK, creating a plug-and-play environment  asynchronous play.  

“Game developers could now set up their own tournaments on a daily or monthly basis, or however they wished to do it,” Freo explains. “They could set up parameters in terms of what the pot would look like, what percentage would go back to players and developers, and so on and so forth.”

OP Games next created Arcadia.fun, a Web3 game arcade where game designers could load their games using the SDK.  Currently in Alpha, Arcadia will soon get an official launch with a dedicated website. To date, there are 43 games on Arcadia, including one of OP Games own titles, Arcadeum Arena, a hybrid auto-chess player, avatar-battler. 

The team also built a Leaderboard feature that showcased the top players for any given game. After launching Tournaments, Arcadia, and Leaderboard, the team turned their attention to a player-versus-player (PvP) feature. So, instead of playing against a game’s artificial intelligence, OP Games players could play against each other. 

“Currently we’re working on NFT wagering,” says Freo. “This will allow players to wager their NFTs against each other. And we fulfill that position based on whomever wins a specific game on the Arcadia platform. On the back end there are these little feature sets that we’ve built for developers to use that they can plug into their game so that they can exist in Arcadia.”

To make this all happen, OP Games allows players to log in with their NEAR wallet. This makes it possible for the gaming platform to offer $NEAR as a buy-in and pay-out for winnings. While NEAR’s technical advantages made it the obvious choice for OP Games development, Freo and Gadi envision OP Games as ultimately blockchain agnostic. A multi-chain, Open Web gaming platform that can help onboard the masses into the larger Web3 ecosystem. 

“All of these games can be played on the web or on a mobile-optimized web,” says Freo. “That’s where we’re at at the moment. And we’re still building a few things, specifically in our marketplace, and a much bigger metagame for the platform itself,. We will be launching that game before the end of the year.”

Welcoming Web2 developers into crypto gaming

Rust and Solidity are great programming languages for Web3 development. But Freo notes that the vast majority of developers design games using Unity (C++), Javascript, Swift, and others. 

Which is why NEAR’s forthcoming Javascript SDK will be a game changer in making the NEAR ecosystem platforms like OP Games great creative centers for Web2 and Web3 developers alike. 

“A big chunk of these game developers that we’re working with are actually not crypto-native,” says Freo. “Many designers wanted to move into crypto and take advantage of the promise of Web3, but they don’t know exactly where to start.”

“Traditionally, they’re building on open source Web3 game engines that support Javascript and on Unity as well,” he adds. “I think about 80% of games are being built in Unity. “

NEAR’s Javascript SDK will help attract Web3 game developers. But, going forward, that will be only part of the work toward capitalizing on Web3’s democratizing power. To make development even easier, Freo says it’s vital to optimize game development on NEAR using Rust. 

“Within Human Guild, which I’m also part of, we’re trying to invest in a lot of infrastructure to make sure that we’re able to facilitate game development in Rust,” he says. “And on the infrastructure level, NEAR is working to make sure that there is support for all game developers.” 

The post NEAR & Gaming: A Deep Dive into OP Games appeared first on NEAR Protocol.

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Brightmoor Hospice, LLC Provides Notification of Data Security Incident

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GRIFFIN, Ga., Oct. 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Brightmoor Hospice, LLC (“Brightmoor”) is providing notification of a data security incident that may have impacted certain protected health information.

On or around March 25, 2026, Brightmoor Hospice, LLC (“Brightmoor”) discovered suspicious activity related to two employees’ email accounts. Upon discovery, Brightmoor took immediate action to secure the accounts and engaged a team of third-party specialists to investigate. The investigation determined that two employee email accounts were accessed without authorization between March 24, 2026, and March 25, 2026. Upon confirmation of unauthorized access, Brightmoor began a comprehensive review of the contents of the affected accounts to determine whether they contained sensitive information pertaining to individuals. On August 18, 2026, Brightmoor determined that protected health information belonging to certain patients was present within the accounts. Brightmoor then conducted a time-intensive review of its internal records to locate address information for the potentially impacted individuals. On October 16, 2026, Brightmoor began notifying individuals by mail.

The types of information vary by individual and may include name and one or more of the following: addresses, Social Security numbers, driver’s license information, dates of birth, patients’ identification numbers, diagnosis, medical history information, medical record numbers, medical treatment information, lab information, treating doctor’s name, medication information, vaccination information, medical insurance information, and family and social history information.

In response to this incident, Brightmoor worked with third-party specialists to investigate and implement additional security measures within its network. Brightmoor has no evidence of actual or attempted misuse of information as a result of this incident. Nonetheless, in an abundance of caution, Brightmoor is providing notice to potentially affected individuals and offering complimentary credit monitoring services. Individuals are also encouraged to monitor their account statements and explanation of benefits forms for suspicious activity and to detect errors. In addition, Brightmoor has notified the U.S. Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights of this incident. 

Brightmoor has established a toll-free call center to answer questions about the incident and to address related concerns. The number for the hotline is 1-800-759-8524. The hotline hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 8 PM EST, excluding holidays. You can also write to 3247 Newnan Rd, Griffin, GA 30223.

Brightmoor takes protecting the privacy and security of personal information seriously and is reviewing and implementing further security enhancements designed to strengthen the protection of our systems.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/brightmoor-hospice-llc-provides-notification-of-data-security-incident-302911735.html

SOURCE Brightmoor Hospice, LLC

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EVIDENT Expands Its Pramana Digital Pathology Portfolio to Support Small and Medium-Sized Labs

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The new Pramana™ POD benchtop WSI scanner delivers autonomous imaging to help laboratories create pathologist-ready whole slide images with minimal operator intervention.

NEEDHAM, Mass., Oct. 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Today, Evident announced the Pramana™ POD whole slide imaging (WSI) scanner, a new benchtop system designed to help laboratories produce trusted images. Built for small and medium-sized laboratories and specialty applications within larger institutions, the scanner helps make digital pathology adoption more accessible.

As pathology laboratories expand digital workflows amid increasing case volumes and operational demands, they need scanning systems that produce consistent, high-quality images across specimen types while integrating into existing laboratory workflows. Evident designed the Pramana POD scanner to address those needs, extending proven Pramana autonomous WSI technology to smaller laboratories.

“Pramana WSI technology has received tremendous acceptance from pathology labs across academic medical centers and network labs across the United States,” said Prasanth Perugupalli, Vice President of Digital Pathology, Evident. “By incorporating quality assurance into the whole slide imaging process, Pramana technology can help labs of varying sizes reduce the need for post-scan QA and the associated costs and delays.”

The Pramana POD scanner automates imaging with an advanced tissue finder, extensive label detection, and automated focal plane and scan-profile selection. Built-in image-quality assessment helps deliver pathologist-ready whole slide images and identify scans that may require further review. Volumetric imaging captures multiple focal planes to support the selection of sharp focal information across the scanned area, with true 40X imaging at 25 slides per hour under defined conditions.

The Pramana series of autonomous WSI scanners is well-suited for most brightfield imaging applications, including histopathology, core biopsies, hematology, cytology, and microbiology.

“Scientific advances move quickly, but laboratory infrastructure changes slowly,” Perugupalli added. “With the Pramana POD scanner, small and medium-sized labs can build as their needs evolve.”

To learn more about the Pramana POD benchtop WSI scanner, visit evidentscientific.com/products/slide-scanners/pramana-pod.

About EVIDENT
For over 100 years as Olympus, we set the industry standard for optical precision in microscopy, helping the world see what was once out of view. Today, as Evident, we continue to help scientists, physicians, and engineers illuminate the unseen with advanced imaging solutions that combine renowned optics with cutting-edge digital innovation.

Our life science portfolio supports research, clinical diagnostics, and education, offering a comprehensive range of imaging methods from essential brightfield and darkfield microscopy to advanced fluorescence, 4D analysis, and digital pathology. In industrial microscopy, we deliver precision and flexibility through laser scanning, digital, and semiconductor microscopes designed for tasks ranging from routine inspection to intricate quality control and manufacturing analysis.

Whether advancing new therapies, ensuring product integrity, or exploring the unknown, Evident is defining a new era of discovery with easy-to-use tools that help unlock hidden answers and empower exciting new breakthroughs.

Evident is headquartered in Tokyo and supported by R&D and manufacturing centers in Japan, the United States, Germany, and China, with operations and dedicated sales and service centers around the world. For more information, visit EvidentScientific.com.

For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures. Future clinical availability is subject to applicable regulatory authorization, and regulatory status and availability may vary by country. Performance varies by specimen type and workflow.
Pramana is a trademark of Evident Corporation or its subsidiaries.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/evident-expands-its-pramana-digital-pathology-portfolio-to-support-small-and-medium-sized-labs-302911714.html

SOURCE Evident

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PhotonPay Secures UK EMI Licence, Advancing Its Global Payment Operating System

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HONG KONG, Oct. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — PhotonPay, a next-generation payment operating system, today announced that it has secured an Electronic Money Institution (EMI) licence from the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

The licence enables PhotonPay to issue electronic money and provide regulated payment services in the UK within the scope of its authorisation. It further strengthens PhotonPay’s local capabilities in the market and supports the company in delivering broader payment and treasury solutions for businesses operating globally.

The UK is one of the world’s leading financial and commercial hubs, and an important gateway for businesses operating across Europe and international markets. As companies expand into more countries and regions, their financial needs are evolving beyond individual cross-border transactions toward more integrated management of accounts, collections, payouts, foreign exchange, cards and treasury operations.

For PhotonPay, entering a market means more than making products and services available. It requires building a local financial foundation that meets regulatory requirements and can support businesses over the long term. The EMI licence further strengthens PhotonPay’s position in the UK and provides an important foundation for deeper connectivity with local banks, payment networks and the broader financial ecosystem.

JP, Global Head of Compliance at PhotonPay, said:

“Securing our UK EMI licence marks an important milestone in the continued expansion of PhotonPay’s global regulatory footprint. Building a global payment operating system requires strong local regulatory foundations. This authorisation strengthens our ability to build for the long term in the UK, while supporting our continued expansion across more markets, currencies and payment networks. Ultimately, it enables us to deliver a more complete and efficient payment and treasury experience for businesses operating globally.”

As businesses expand internationally, the financial infrastructure behind their operations remains highly fragmented. Different markets operate across distinct account structures, payment networks, currencies and regulatory frameworks, often requiring businesses to manage multiple financial institutions, payment providers and systems at the same time.

PhotonPay is building its next-generation payment operating system around this complexity. Through a unified technology platform, the company connects local financial capabilities across markets, enabling businesses to manage global accounts, collections, payouts, foreign exchange, cards and embedded finance more centrally while reducing the operational complexity created by multiple markets, currencies and systems.

Real commerce is the foundation of this operating system. By continuously expanding its regulatory coverage, banking relationships, payment networks and underlying technology infrastructure, PhotonPay aims to ensure that financial infrastructure can scale alongside a business as it enters new markets and grows internationally.

Since its founding, PhotonPay has continued to expand its global regulatory and local market capabilities through entities across major financial markets. Today, PhotonPay has secured nearly 30 payment licences and related regulatory authorisations worldwide, supporting capabilities across global accounts, collections, payouts, foreign exchange, cards and embedded finance.

The UK EMI licence represents another step in the continued development of PhotonPay’s global regulatory network. Looking ahead, PhotonPay will continue to deepen its local regulatory and financial capabilities in key markets, connect more markets, currencies and payment networks, and advance the development of its next-generation global payment operating system.

About PhotonPay

PhotonPay is a next-generation payment operating system designed for businesses operating globally. Across global accounts, collections, payouts, foreign exchange, cards and embedded finance, PhotonPay connects banks, payment networks and local financial infrastructure to help businesses manage global money movement more efficiently and expand into new markets with greater operational simplicity.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/photonpay-secures-uk-emi-licence-advancing-its-global-payment-operating-system-302911540.html

SOURCE PhotonPay

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