The Deals: Stingray’s $175M TuneIn Play; ‘Key Largo’ Singer Sells Catalog to Reservoir

UN Tourism partnered with UMusic Hospitality & Lifestyle (UMHL), the entertainment-driven hospitality venture from Universal Music Group and the Center for Music Ecosystems (CME), “to harness the power of music tourism to drive economic growth and job creation, with a focus on high-growth-potential economies,” according to a press release. “This partnership with UN Tourism to enable CME to accelerate its work in music tourism will demonstrate music’s power to deliver economic growth for communities everywhere.” In the coming year, CME will issue several reports to expand on the potential of music tourism. That information will be used by UMHL, which is developing hotels and creative hubs across the globe, to support UN Tourism stakeholders and signatories. Myndstream, which designs wellness-focused functional music, struck a deal with Mayo Clinic “to research the clinical applications of music in healthcare,” according to a press release. Under the deal, Mayo Clinic has taken an equity stake in Myndstream. Together, the partners will study “the clinical potential of functional music in healthcare settings” to understand how music can be utilized to help patients recover and contribute to the well-being of clinicians, the release adds. Clinical trials and pilots will be conducted across Mayo Clinic’s healthcare institutions, including on-campus hospital environments and on digital platforms, over a 12-month period. Sony Music Continental Europe and Africa announced a major partnership with Avalon Music, one of the bigger independent labels in the Netherlands. The deal includes A&R, marketing and investment so Sony Music can put money and marketing behind Avalon acts that have the potential to reach an audience across Europe and North Africa. Avalon, founded in the Netherlands in 2014 by Redouan Ait Taleb and brothers Jaouad and Anouar Taleb, has managed to find artists that resonate across the region. According to a press release, the label’s successes include Dystinct, who has driven more than a billion total streams, collaborated with J Balvin and French Montana and was named artist of the year at the Billboard Arabia Music Awards; as well as Dopebwoy, Dior and Qlas. Robert Levine.
https://www.billboard.com/lists/tune-in-acquired-key-largo-singer-sells-catalog-music-deals/

NTU Singapore and Zero Gravity Launch S$5 Million Research Hub for Decentralized AI Innovation

**NTU Singapore and Zero Gravity Partner to Advance Open and Decentralized AI Technologies**

Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore), and Zero Gravity (0G), a decentralized artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure company, have announced a S$5 million partnership to establish a joint research hub dedicated to advancing blockchain-based AI technologies. This initiative aims to create AI systems that are more accessible, accountable, and transparent, marking 0G’s first university collaboration on a global scale.

The partnership will fund multiple initiatives exploring decentralized AI training, blockchain-integrated model alignment, and proof-of-useful-work consensus mechanisms. The research hub seeks to bridge university research with scalable infrastructure for open AI systems that differ fundamentally from traditional AI systems, which tend to be closed and controlled by private firms.

Unlike conventional AI platforms operating on closed servers where processing and results remain opaque, the integration of blockchain technology will enable the recording and verification of every stage—from model training to output—ensuring end-to-end transparency.

Michael Heinrich, CEO and Co-Founder of 0G, and Professor Louis Phee, Vice President of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at NTU, jointly unveiled the research center. Professor Phee emphasized, “Open and trustworthy AI depends on a foundation that is decentralized and accountable. NTU has built world-class expertise in blockchain systems, cryptography, and computing. By working with 0G, we aim to design a next-generation, innovative AI stack that enables global participation and transparency for everyone.”

This collaboration follows a recent seed investment round of $40 million led by Hack Ventures, including participants such as Delphi Ventures, OKX Ventures, Samsung Next, and Animoca Brands. To date, 0G has secured over $325 million in committed funding.

“Our mission is to make AI a public good,” said Michael Heinrich. “By partnering with NTU, we are aligning with a global leader in blockchain and computing research to move beyond centralized AI monopolies. Together, we will build an open ecosystem where developers, institutions, and communities can contribute, verify, and audit.”

Supporting the partnership, Professor Wen Yonggang, Dean of the Graduate College and Associate Provost of Graduate Education at NTU, along with Dr. Ming Wu, Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of 0G, will lead collaborative efforts to develop decentralized computing architectures and secure AI marketplaces that compensate participants for contributing data and computing resources.

The four-year initiative will also include workshops, hackathons, student scholarships, and open-source projects designed to nurture the next generation of decentralized AI talent in Asia. Within the first two years, the teams anticipate delivering early proof-of-concept projects, with pilot applications focusing on finance, healthcare, and smart infrastructure.

The College of Computing and Data Science at NTU, together with its Centre in Computational Technologies for Finance (CCTF), will provide research leadership in scalable model training, AI governance, and blockchain-enabled security frameworks.

This partnership not only positions Singapore as a hub for the development of open and trustworthy AI but also sets the stage for future international collaborations in decentralized intelligence.

### About Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore)

NTU Singapore is a public university renowned for its strong emphasis on research and innovation. It serves over 35,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students across diverse disciplines, including business, computing and data science, engineering, humanities, arts, social sciences, medicine, and science.

NTU houses several leading research centers such as the Earth Observatory of Singapore, Nanyang Environment & Water Research Institute, and Energy Research Institute @ NTU (ERI@N). It is also home to prestigious autonomous institutes including the Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, and the National Institute of Education.

Driven by its Smart Campus vision, NTU harnesses digital technology to enhance learning experiences, promote sustainability, and facilitate pioneering research. The university’s main campus is frequently cited among the most beautiful globally and boasts Green Mark Platinum accreditation for all eligible buildings, reflecting NTU’s staunch commitment to sustainability. Additionally, NTU operates a medical campus located in Novena, Singapore’s healthcare district.

### About Zero Gravity (0G)

0G is the world’s first decentralized artificial intelligence protocol (AIP) purpose-built to enable a fully democratized future of intelligence. As a modular and infinitely scalable Layer 1 protocol, 0G facilitates the execution of decentralized AI applications at scale.

It integrates high-performance decentralized storage, computing, and data availability (DA) to support the next generation of AI-native use cases. Through its verified AI processing and permissionless agent ecosystem, 0G is laying the foundation for an open and unstoppable AI economy.

This landmark partnership between NTU Singapore and Zero Gravity is poised to transform the landscape of AI development by fostering innovation that is transparent, accessible, and collaborative on a global level.
https://bitcoinethereumnews.com/blockchain/ntu-singapore-and-zero-gravity-launch-s5-million-research-hub-for-decentralized-ai-innovation/