China cracks down on fake ‘Lafufu' Labubus
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The Verge
26 minutes ago
- The Verge
You wouldn't 3D print a Labubu.
You wouldn't 3D print a Labubu. Or would you? The weird little toys are a nightmare to buy so we took matters into our own hands.
Associated Press
an hour ago
- Associated Press
POP MART Joins Forces with BlueX to Launch a New Era of Toy-Based RWA and Ignite a Global Blind Box Meme Craze
07/21/2025, Bangkok // PRODIGY: Feature Story // According to official sources from BlueX, the Web3 infrastructure platform is currently in strategic discussions with collectible toy giant POP MART to explore the on-chain transformation of its iconic blind box IPs. The discussions center around introducing these beloved characters into the Web3 space as Real World Assets (RWAs), with a focus on collaborative expansion across Southeast Asia and beyond. The collaboration scope reportedly includes — but is not limited to — digital IP rights confirmation, on-chain blind box transactions, joint Meme IP creation, and the design of a new 'RWA Blind Box' issuance mechanism. The initiative will begin with POP MART's well-known character 'TwinkleTwinkle', aiming to turn collectible toys into structured, tradable digital assets, and expand their use across the broader cultural-financial landscape. 'We believe collectible toys hold not only emotional value, but also asset value,' said a representative from BlueX. 'Through on-chain authentication and asset modeling, the IP economy can evolve beyond collectibles into a new class of digital assets — gaining both financial and user engagement capabilities.' POP MART's 'TwinkleTwinkle' to Lead the Leap On-Chain 'TwinkleTwinkle,' part of POP MART's 'Stellaroo' lineup, is a newly launched IP signed in 2024. Known for its soft and heartwarming design, the character has quickly risen to prominence in the designer toy world. Made up of tiny stars with rosy cheeks, 'TwinkleTwinkle' embodies both childlike innocence and subtle adult emotion, telling stories of courage, longing, and love. Inspired by starlight in darkness, the character is designed to offer a romantic fairytale world for adults who still dream. Since its debut, TwinkleTwinkle has become a major emotional icon for young collectors and remains a top-selling blind box IP. As part of POP MART's international strategy, the character frequently appears in Southeast Asian and Japanese retail spaces and brand collaborations. If realized, this partnership with BlueX would mark the character's first entry into the Web3 space. BlueX has already developed an on-chain Meme-style virtual character based on TwinkleTwinkle and is preparing to launch a series of interactive Web3 experiences to bridge fans of the IP with decentralized digital ecosystems. Toy IP + RWA: Cultural Assets Enter the Chain Today, RWAs represent one of Web3's most compelling narratives. Unlike traditional RWAs such as real estate or bonds, BlueX is pushing the boundaries of what constitutes a 'real-world asset' by experimenting with collectible IPs as tokenized cultural assets. This approach enhances the liquidity and transparency of collectibles while opening new monetization models for IP owners. From on-chain rights confirmation and tiered asset structuring, to IP meme generation, NFT circulation, and financial composability, BlueX aims to build a multi-dimensional RWA framework where traditionally offline collectibles become 'living' digital assets. The collaboration between BlueX and POP MART has officially begun, with the first batch of co-branded visuals completed. More information is expected to be released in the coming weeks. Official Links
Forbes
2 hours ago
- Forbes
‘Superman' Soars To $407 Million ‘Jurassic World' Devours $648 Million
Superman soared to $407 million worldwide and Jurassic World: Rebirth devoured $648 million, in a weekend that saw plenty of underperformance and outright face-planting by a few new releases and holdovers (notably Smurfs, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Elio, and M3GAN 2.0), but most of the rest either put up okay numbers or at least enjoyed strong holds (F1, How to Train Your Dragon). David Corenswet stars in "Superman." Superman By The Numbers With more than $45 million overseas and $57 million stateside, Superman finished once again ahead of most estimates heading into the weekend. My own mid-week predictions ahead of Superman's second weekend were 'around $57 million domestic weekend and about $42 million international, totaling roughly $410-415 million through close of business Sunday.' Although the final total was slightly lower at $407 million, due to lower weekday totals than I anticipated (notably on Wednesday and particularly Thursday), it beat lower-end estimates and is enough to put $500+ million squarely in Superman's sights now. Impressively, despite otherwise lower international turnout than hoped for, Superman's word-of-mouth superpower helped it to a terrific hold almost everywhere except Asia-Pacific, specifically China where the Man of Steel is facing a worst-case flop and will finish with less than $10 million total. It's not an understatement to say the doomsday outcome in China, and to some extent South Korea where Superman will be lucky if it can limp to a $6 million final cume, has made a big difference in whether Superman finished at an acceptable $500-550 million and signal audiences are willing to give DC another chance, or was able to top $600 million and send an even louder message that audiences are not only willing but eager to show up for more. Superman Sets The Stage It looks like 'willing' is going to have to be good enough (and make no mistake, it is), as I think $600 million is out of reach for Superman at this point. My own math, admittedly based on only two weekends of data, puts Superman right at $548 million, so call it $545-550 million range. High-end looks like $570 million, plus or minus a couple of million, which requires continued unexpectedly great holds internationally and at least average or better holds in North America for the rest of its run. Low-end is roughly $525 million. So overall, $500 million has looked certain for Superman almost right out the gate, but this weekend clinched it, as well as confirming $600 million or higher was no longer in the cards. That's disappointing and certainly lower than anyone involved hoped for, no doubt, but it's the sort of disappointment that comes from winning the bronze medal instead of the silver, when you knew the gold was already claimed anyway. It's a nice problem to have for once, if you're WBD and used to problems that were sinking your superhero slate instead of merely a lesser variation of success than you held out hope for. Superman is a going to do blockbuster box office (even if at the entry-level tier for using the term 'blockbuster') and is widely liked or loved, and has convinced audiences to show up again for DC movies that aren't just solo Batman projects. Most importantly, I believe as it relates to the context of future potential, this looks a lot like what happened with Batman Begins, which is a nice comparison for Superman writer-director and DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn both from an artistic perspective but also from a financial perspective. We all know what came next for director Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy, and I discussed it all in more detail in my article about Batman Begins' 20th anniversary, so be sure to check that out as well. Gunn and his co-CEO Peter Safran understand how the original Richard Donner Superman movies planned a multi-film investment for payoff, Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings put the approach to famously successful use as well, and most directly relevantly Kevin Feige's entire MCU was built on the premise that the Phase One Superman now faces Marvel Studios' MCU summer tentpole Fantastic Four: First Steps, which is on course for a $125 million opening weekend domestically and even bigger internationally. There's room in the marketplace for many films to succeed together, and I do think Superman will continue to enjoy decent audiences, but it's also true that Jurassic World: Rebirth's sustained holds and the global power of Marvel's brand make it hard to imagine an overperformance for the DCU hero next weekend.
