Category: News

Trekkies, rejoice! For decades, Star Trek has been one of the most influential franchises in the world, spawning everything from hit TV shows to blockbuster movies to all types of merchandise. And with a pop culture legacy that has spanned generations, Star Trek isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. 

Now, Star Trek fans have yet another way to connect to their beloved franchise as Paramount has announced an NFT collection connected to the series. Slated to drop on April 9, 2022, the collection is in partnership with Recur and is being called Season 0, hinting at more collections to come. 

The New Drop 

This first ‘season’ of Star Trek NFTs was made available on the paramount.xyz portal on April 9, 2022, and the sale lasted for only 24 hours. In total, 20,000 NFTs were listed and these included assets that are meant to tie into future play-to-earn games. 

In future seasons of NFT drops, Paramount is looking to further develop a Star Trek-based metaverse. Given that the series itself revolves around space adventure, there is not much limit to what can be done when NFTs and the metaverse are leveraged.

And this won’t be limited just to Star Trek but will extend to many of Paramount’s other intellectual properties. These will include iconic franchises such as Indianna Jones and Transformers. This also includes other non-franchise Paramount properties like Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, MTV, and BET that have countless TV shows, movies, and so on under their belt.

Given how loyal fans of all of these are and how much money physical merchandising brings in each year, NFTs could become a tangible revenue stream for the studio. For the fans, NFTs could be another way to be closer to the franchises that they love, in the material world and the metaverse. 

“Fans should be able to engage with our content wherever they are, including the metaverse,” said Pam Kaufman, president of Paramount consumer products and experiences, explained following the announcement, “Paramount.xyz will offer one seamless digital collectible experience for fans across our key franchises.”

If this collection is well-received by fans, we could see a wave of NFT drops across many famous franchises and IPs over the next few months and years. Given how extensive Paramount’s roster is, fans of all types of content could be getting their hands on NFTs faster than we think.

Live Long and Prosper?

While Paramount is clearly willing to bet on a franchise as loved as Star Trek, it is worth noting that the responses to NFTs being tied to popular media have not always been positive. Ubisoft, for example, generally saw pushback after it launched its NFT platform and released assets for popular games. 

Amongst other examples, this shows that simply slapping the image and likeness of a famous IP on an NFT collection might not be a foolproof way to drive sales. However, if companies like Paramount can deliver a genuine fan experience through NFTs, the stars are the limit.

Even people who don’t watch sports have likely heard of NFL legend Tom Brady. With multiple Super Bowl championships and a solidified place in pop culture, Brady has become a recognizable face within and outside the world of sports. 

Now, this football icon is set to take on the digital world as well. It was announced on April 6, 2022, that Brady will be partnering with ESPN and Autograph to release several collections of NFTs that are in celebration of his over two-decade-long career in the NFL.

NFTs for the NFL

According to the official announcement, the first NFT collection will be tied to the new Man in the Arena: Tom Brady documentary. The 10-episode documentary was aired on the ESPN streaming service around the time of release. 

The collection also featured three limited editions of ESPN covers that celebrate Brady’s career highlights. An additional 50 signed NFTs from the athlete were also included and all these were released on April 6, 2022.

The collection, called Man in the Arena: Tom Brady Collection, is to be the first of several collections released on the DraftKings Marketplace. A second collection titled “Back in the Arena” will be released along with the 10th episode of the series. 

This marks the first-ever NFT collection from ESPN but the network seems optimistic about possible future projects. 

“This unique collection around Tom’s ‘Man in the Arena’ docuseries marks the beginning of our relationship with ESPN,” said Dillon Rosenblatt, Co-Founder and CEO at Autograph, about the announcement, “As the first NFT partner for ESPN, the possibilities across sports and technology are endless, and we couldn’t be more excited to get this content out to the world in a massive way.”

NFTs have become more of a mainstay in the sports world these days, and for good reason. Sports fans are known to spend billions each year on merchandise and memorabilia of their favorite athletes and teams. Thus NFTs of a legend like Tom Brady are sure to be popular among his supporters. 

But more than a novelty collectible, these NFTs are tied to a digital celebration of one of the most beloved sports figures of the 21st century. This offers fans a truly once in a lifetime experience and is a great way to kick off ESPN’s foray into the world of NFTs. 

What Comes Next?

These new collections seem to be ESPN dipping its toes in the water of NFTs. Should this endeavor be a success, we could see top athletes releasing NFTs to commemorate their careers as a rite of passage. 

For sports fans, this could be a new and exciting way to get even closer to the sports and stars they love. 

As Kevin Lopes, Vice President of Sports Business Development & Innovation at ESPN, explains, “Our work with ESPN Edge has led us to where we are today, exploring new, innovative ways of engaging fans, and we are thrilled to partner with Autograph for this collection and others in the future.”

If there is any sector that has seen a lot of overlap with the NFT industry, it is gaming. Think about it; NFTs are essentially digital assets that we interact with mostly in the virtual world. Out of context, this could be referring to an in-game loot box or an artifact you unlock after defeating the final boss. 

As such, it should come as no surprise that many gaming companies have been incorporating NFT elements into popular titles. However, these have not all been well-received by the gaming community. 

An example of this is Ubisoft, a top game company that has received mixed to negative responses to its Ubisoft Quartz NFT platform. Despite this poor response, the company has made it clear that it will continue investing in NFTs.

Keep Calm and Carry On 

A week ago, Ubisoft announced that one of its games, Ghost Recon Breakpoint, would no longer be receiving any updates or NFTs. Following this announcement, some had speculated that Ubisoft would be ceasing all NFT efforts and shuttering  Ubisoft Quartz entirely. 

However, according to a statement posted on the official game page, Ubisoft clarified that while this specific game would no longer receive NFTs, other NFT endeavors will be pursued. 

“Thank you to all Ghost Recon® Breakpoint players who claimed their first Digits! You own a piece of the game and have left your mark in its history. As the last Digit for Ghost Recon® Breakpoint was released on 3/17/2022, stay tuned for more updates with features to the platform and future drops coming with other games!” the notice says.

When the NFT program was launched by Ubisoft, it was only available to those who had invested at least 600 hours of gaming time. They would be able to buy and sell exclusive Ubisoft NFTs that were related to each game.

Unfortunately, the launch was rather controversial as many players believed they were being taken advantage of by the company rather than being rewarded. It is unclear how customers will respond to future NFT ventures by Ubisoft given the expectation that Ubisoft Quartz would be shuttered. 

However, this response is not unique to Ubisoft as a company. Different NFT projects in the gaming world have been released by Behavior Interactive, GSC Game, and even the actor Troy Baker to negative reviews, with the latter even canceling his projects shortly after. 

Failure to Launch?

On paper, gaming and NFTs seem like a match made in heaven. So why have so many NFT efforts in the gaming community failed? 

A consistent criticism leveled by fans is that they feel that these projects do not provide meaningful value but instead, feel like a cash grab by the companies that launch them. There might be some truth to this. 

After all, if there is any consumer demographic that has never had an issue financially backing products that they love and vocalizing their distaste, it is the gaming crowd. For now, we can only hope that Ubisoft and other companies are able to fully leverage the power of NFTs in a way that appeals to the fans.

Last month, it was speculated that OpenSea, one of the biggest NFT marketplaces in the world, was planning to move forward with Solana integrations. This move would mean that NFTs minted on the Solana blockchain could be listed and bought on the platform. While there was no official confirmation outside of a few teases at the time, it made headlines across the NFT space. 

Now, it seems all those speculations were correct as at April 6, 2022, OpenSea formally confirmed that Solana-based NFTs are now supported in beta mode. In view of this, OpenSea created an official FAQ page to answer all Solana-related questions. 

Solana on the OpenSea

According to the official announcement of Solana’s listing, a number of factors contributed to the decision to approve the integration, including its transaction speeds and gas fees.

“Solana’s low gas fees and fast transaction speeds make NFTs accessible to all. And, an OpenSea, you don’t have to choose between liquidity and control – when you list, your NFTs stay in your wallet until they’re sold,” the announcement said. 

According to the OpenSea help centre, the current beta version means there will be some restrictions on how Solana-based assets can be used. 

For starters, while users can buy and list Solana NFTs with a fixed price, auctions are not yet supported for them. In total, OpenSea currently supports 165 Solana-based collections, though hundreds of thousands of NFTs have been minted on the blockchain thus far.  

Additionally, Solana NFTs that have been bought from collections that are still in the minting phase might not be visible on OpenSea. Users can, however, transfer and view Solana-based NFTs. 

All these issues are expected to be sorted out over time by OpenSea. Fans of Solana have been petitioning OpenSea to support assets based on the blockchain for a long time now and this victory will certainly be a welcome one, hiccups aside. 

The Larger Implication 

While Solana lovers have been excited at this news, the integration of assets based on the blockchain to OpenSea has much wider implications. For a long time, OpenSea was an Ethereum-focused, platform, mostly listing NFTs that were minted on it, along with Polygon and Klatyn.

The issue with this is that Solana is the second-largest blockchain by NFT volume. And with one of the biggest NFT marketplaces not listing assets from Solana, some market division was created. Now that Solana is listed on OpenSea, the platform can play host to popular collections like DeGods and Aurory and can further increase its influence in the industry.

For NFT buyers, this means they don’t have to shop on multiple platforms to get assets minted on the Ethereum and Solana blockchain. For the NFT space as a whole, this could be seen as a sign of cohesion. 

The sector is on its way to becoming even bigger and as it does, consumers will not want to have large marketplaces that list one type of NFT and not the other. But since an industry leader like OpenSea has taken such a bold step, others may follow. 

Starbucks might have created a globally-loved brand that is now synonymous with coffee but can it conquer the digital world? The coffee chain, which boasts thousands of locations worldwide, has confirmed that it will be making the leap into the blockchain world with an incoming NFT collection. 

This comes as Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz has announced that Starbucks will be joining other global food brands like evian by launching its debut NFT collection before the end of this year. 

Details About the Collection 

In an open forum, Schultz explained that Starbucks would be getting into NFTs as part of its marketing to not only get in on the trend but also to celebrate its brand legacy.

“If you look at the companies, the brands, the celebrities, the influencers that are trying to create a digital NFT platform and business, I can’t find one of them that has the treasure trove of assets that Starbucks has from collectibles to the entire heritage of the company,” he explained. 

Schultz is clearly confident with Starbucks’ NFT potential as he said that the company has the knowledge and resources to enter and thrive in the digital space. While a concrete date has not been given for the NFT launch, it is going to be this calendar year, according to him. 

There is no denying that Starbucks is already a wildly successful company and one of the most recognized brands in the world but how would it fare in the NFT world? Most likely well, given the current circumstances. Many companies within the same industry like Taco Bell are reportedly looking into NFTs and brands like evian have already launched NFTs. 

At this point, some sort of collection from the coffee chain seems obvious. The success of NFTs have seen them gradually become a digital rite of passage for brands wanting to stay in with the times. 

Then there is the brand history that Schultz referenced. One of the reasons why Starbucks is so well-known is because of how highly placed it is in pop culture. From its famous secret menu to the instantly-recognizable logo, there is a lot of material that could be turned into an NFT.

Coming to a Store Near You

For Starbucks lovers who pride themselves on sampling every limited-edition menu item and religiously patronizing the brand, an NFTs would be a must-have item. Depending on the success of the collection and the landscape of NFT in general, collections for food and drink chains might actually become commonplace. 

But besides the novelty of having an NFT from your favourite chain, what can be done with it? The answer is; a lot. So far, we’ve seen NFTs be used to unlock exclusive experiences or be attached to the brand’s merchandise. 

For a food chain, an NFT could very well be a way to get free meals and drinks, exclusive merchandise, and so on. Maybe they could even unlock the famous secret menu items? Whichever route Starbucks and other brands take, it is clear that the fans will be watching.

Back in November 2021, film director Quentin Tarantino released NFTs of his iconic film ‘Pulp Fiction’ on the Secret Network, marking one of the biggest Hollywood-NFT collaborations thus far. Digital assets for a cult classic like Pulp Fiction being released on a blockchain are the stuff of NFT dreams. 

Now, it seems that Tarantino’s efforts have inspired others as director Kevin Smith has announced that he will be premiering his latest film ​​“KillRoy Was Here,” as an NFT.

Star of the Metaverse Screen

Just like Tarantino, Smith is known for creating cult classic films including  “Chasing Amy” and “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back”. Now, the two will have one more thing in common as the new film will also be launching on the Secret Network.

Currently, there is no release date for the film but the details on how NFT access will work have been made public. Those who hold NFTs for the film are the only ones who will be able to view it at all, as well as access exclusive behind-the-scenes footage. 

A total of 5,555 NFTs in total will be released and each of them will be generative and feature a unique version of the main character KillRoy. The owners of the NFT can then use the virtual character as they please, with Smith explaining that they can do everything from creating cartoons to licensing it. 

Smith has also explained that he will feature the most creative ideas from users in the movie’s sequel. The current film, which features the titular character killing adults on behalf of children, is part of a new genre of digital films that offer, through NFTs, the audience the chance to be involved in the creative process as well. 

“We started the story, now YOU get to continue it with your very own version of our titular character! And along with a brand new chapter I’ll shoot next year, the shorts and animation that the KillRoy NFT owners create with their own KillRoy’s will make up the bulk of our sequel anthology. The KillRoy NFT offers an exciting and unique opportunity to go from art collector to collaborating artist!” says Smith. 

NFTs Make a Splash in Hollywood 

This is not Smith’s first foray into the NFT space as a year ago, he released a collection that was based on characters from his Jay and Silent Bob films. While he is one of the many celebrities getting into NFTs these days, Smith insists that he is not doing it for a profit.

Speaking to CoinDesk, Smith called the NFT space ‘a whole new creative playground,’ and compared it to the rise of YouTube where people online were showcasing their creations to the world. 

“It reminds me of the YouTube revolution, where kids were able to create stuff in a whole new way. I missed it then, but I won’t miss it again,” he says. 

The film will be launching on Legendao in 2022.

What comes to mind when you think of Evian as a brand? Their iconic three mountain logo? A refreshing drink on a hot day? 

What about the creators of the hottest new NFT collection? Believe it or not, Evian is the creator of one of the most noteworthy new NFT collections. In a new collaboration with top digital artist Sara Shakeel, the water brand has announced a new collection of rare NFTs.

Details About The Collection 

The collection, which is available on Evian’s official website, features 20 NFTs that all tie back into the brand’s history and heritage. 

“Celebrating Evian’s iconic heritage from the glacial rocks in the heart of the French Alps, these individually numbered 20 NFT artworks mark Evian’s exciting entrance into the emerging digital art space, the announcement says. 

Shakeel, who is known for her use of crystals and glitter in digital art, has created pieces for the collection including one of the iconic logo covered in glitter. The pieces are now on sale on the website and the proceeds are going towards charity. 

In the creation of the NFTs, the Tezos blockchain was chosen for its energy efficiency. As the announcement notes, the Tezos blockchain uses 2 million times less energy than the Ethereum blockchain and this helps to reduce the company’s carbon footprint. 

All the funds generated from this collection will be going towards the Somerset House Young Talent Fund. The house will, in turn, use the funds to support the next generation of artists by providing them with training in the digital arts and space to work in Central London. 

Because some of the pieces will be resold in the secondary market and 10% of the resale revenue will also be given to the Fund, this collection acts as a long-term source of revenue. 

On Shakeel’s part, this is not her first collaboration with Evian and she has explained that this project not only celebrates Evian as a brand but benefits the art world as well. 

“As a life-long fan of evian, it’s like a dream come true being part of their journey in creating their first NFT. Continuing from the incredible sparkling installation we partnered on earlier this year, it’s such a joy to bring the spirit of evian’s alpine heritage into this digital universe with my sparkled mountain artwork whilst supporting the creativity and innovation of aspiring digital artists,” she says. 

NFT and the Arts

When it comes to NFTs and art, the two are closely and inexplicably intertwined. NFTs were introduced to the world through collectable art pieces and have become a source of income for artists around the world.

Evian’s new collection pays homage to the artists at the center of the NFT world by not only collaborating with one of the most innovative digital artists but also by giving the proceeds towards artist development. As more companies embrace NFTs, it is clear that the artists who built the space will not be left behind.

While they might have gotten their start in the private sector, government institutions seem to love NFTs these days. From the Ukrainian government selling NFTs to fund combat efforts to the U.K’s Royal Mint looking to release its own digital assets, the public sector seems to have caught the NFT fever. 

Now, this wave has spread to the Middle East and, more specifically, to the Dubai Police Force. This comes as the force has announced the launch of 150 NFTs, all of which represent specific values like innovation and security. 

The Digitalized Police 

According to an official announcement from Brigadier Khalid Nasser Al Razooqi, director of the General Department of Artificial Intelligence at Dubai Police, these NFTs are not for sale. Instead, any member of the public inside or outside of the UAE can get their hands on one by engaging with a social media post.

To win one of the NFTs, they need to share the post of the announcement on their own social media page. After this, they need to send a private message to the official Dubai Police account and provide some basic information. 

This includes their names, emails, and NFT wallet addresses. If they are successful, they will then receive one of the 150 NFTs. 

This is one of the more interesting uses of NFTs by a governmental organization. Unlike the Ukrainian collection, this isn’t in a bid to raise funds and unlike the Royal Mint, this isn’t likely in commemoration of anything.

From all indications, the UAE is simply trying to support and encourage the blockchain sector and this is a step in that direction. In the official announcement of the collection, some information was given on the nature of NFTs as a whole.

“NFT is a unit of data stored on a type of digital ledger called a blockchain, and every NFT is a unique copy in itself, containing complete information about the date of creation and owner,” the announcement said.

One of the most significant moves that has been made by the Dubai government in the development of the blockchain and crypto space has been the implementation of the Dubai Virtual Asset Regulation Law.

This law lays down the concrete framework for the governance of the virtual assets sector in Dubai. Speaking on the announcement, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, explained that the creation of the law and the Dubai Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority was in an effort to establish the city within the digital asset sector. The Sheik also stated the government’s intention to, “help the sector to grow and protect investors.” 

The Role of NFTs in Blockchain 

For years, the UAE has been working to establish itself as a hub for blockchain and crypto activity and has been largely successful thus far. As NFTs have become the darling of the industry, Dubai is turning its attention to them as well. 

This NFT collection from the Police force will, hopefully, be the first of many government-led efforts to promote NFTs. 

In the wild world of NFTs, the Bored Ape Yacht Club is near-impossible to avoid. How could you? It is one of the most popular and valuable NFT collections in the world, with its pieces being bought by celebrities like Madonna and Justin Bieber. 

At this point, it is safe to say that the Bored Ape Club has conquered NFTs. Now, the club seems to have set its sights on an even bigger goal; taking over the metaverse. This comes via a recent interview with Chris Dixon, the head of crypto at Andreessen Horowitz.

Bored Ape Metaverse?

According to Dixon, there is some concern about the monopoly that Meta, Facebook’s parent company, could have on the metaverse in the future. Facebook famously rebranded last year to Meta and has teased some exciting projects within the space.

Given that Facebook and the platforms it owns have billions of users, a scenario where the company has massive control of the metaverse is not far-fetched. But perhaps the Ape Club is here to change that. 

A few weeks ago, Yuga Labs, the Ape Club’s parent company, raised $450 million in a funding round led by Andreessen Horowitz. With this new infusion of funds, Yuga Labs is primed to take on the metaverse. 

It seems the way this takeover will work is through digital real estate. More specifically, with Otherside, its incoming digital world which will connect to NFTs. How the NFTs come in is that Yuga Labs will be selling plots of digital land as NFTs.

These plots of land will have distinct features such as natural resources and will be connected to NFTs. In total, Yuga Labs intends to sell around 200,000 metaverse plots between March and August 2022.  

But even with all these developments, Yuga Labs is not forgetting about its Bored Ape Club roots. According to a leaked pitch deck, the parent company plans to “build something that expands the universe of the BAYC, but also invites the larger NFT community (and those priced out of BAYC membership) to join.”

The Value of Digital Land 

The Otherside project is nothing short of ambitious, especially considering that the company wants to go up against a heavyweight like Meta. But this brings up the question of what is the value of digital land in a metaverse? The answer; a lot. 

People are already paying top dollar for land in the metaverse, with one user paying hundreds of thousands to get a plot next to Snoop Dogg last year. Yuga Labs clearly sees the value in this project, as it is projecting to make $356 million from the sale of these plots. 

While Meta might have billions of users at its disposal, Yuga Labs has ownership of some of the top NFT collections in the world, including The Bored Ape Yacht Club and newly-acquired collections like CryptoPunks and Meebits. 

While it cannot be said just yet who will come out on top in the meta-wars, Yuga Labs is clearly a top contender. 

You read that right; NFTs are about to get the royal treatment. Despite the many doubts that have followed the NFT space since its inception, it has continued to reach more milestones and be embraced by institutions around the world.

One of the newest places where NFTs are being shown love is the United Kingdom’s Royal Mint, the institution that produces coins for the country. According to the U.K’s Finance Minister Rishi Sunak, he had asked the Mint to begin the creation of an NFT and it seems these calls have been answered. 

As per an official announcement from the Mint, it will be developing an NFT that will be available for sale this summer. 

Minty-Fresh NFTs

The U.K’s Royal Mint is known for its limited-edition coins, as well as the widely-circulated ones for everyday use. Special coins have been minted to commemorate important events such as the Queen’s birthday and Royal weddings. Now, NFTs will be added to the mix. 

While it was not explicitly stated, it is likely that these NFTs will be limited edition items, given the use of NFTs for collectables. According to the announcement, this is also a move towards a more pro-crypto landscape in the United Kingdom. 

“This decision shows the forward-looking approach we are determined to take towards cryptoassets in the UK,” the official tweet said. 

NFT lovers inside and outside of the U.K have been excited since the news was announced and for good reason. First, it shows a certain level of validation that the NFT space has been able to achieve. 

For a lot of NFT critics, a common argument is that while private establishments all over the world might love NFTs, they are still viewed with suspicion by world governments. This, they claim, is proof of NFTs being a scam or fad. 

With a government institution as respected as the U.K’s Royal Mint publicly endorsing NFTs, they receive further credibility. Also, NFT lovers can get their hands on limited edition NFTs connected to U.K culture. 

2022 is a big year for the U.K, with the Queen’s Platinum anniversary holding this year. Along with the physical coins that will be minted for the occasion, a custom NFT commemorating the event will be high in demand among collectors. 

The United Kingdom: The Next Crypto Haven?

Besides this recent announcement of the Royal Mint’s NFTs, there has been more discussion about making the U.k as a whole more friendly to the blockchain industry. Economic secretary to the Treasury John Glen, for example, has said that regardless of the polarizing nature of cryptocurrency, the U.K needs to position itself as a crypto hub.

While Glen acknowledged the complexity of the matter, he has made his stance clear. 

“[..] we want this country to be a global hub – the very best place in the world to start and scale crypto-companies. If there is one message I want you to leave here today with, it is that the UK is open for business – open for crypto businesses,” he said in a recent speech.