CoinGecko is hosting GeckoCon NFTs Gone Wild, the first NFT conference of its kind. The three-day virtual conference will cover a “kaleidoscope of NFT themes ranging from art, music, collectibles, gaming, sports, monetisation and more”.
GeckoCon welcomes guest speakers specialising in all things NFT who will cover topics in the NFT space and enlighten enthusiasts on the now and future of all things non-fungible.
The three-day conference will bring together the who’s who in the blockchain and NFT space. Key speakers at GeckoCon include musicians such as Linkin Park frontman Mike Shinoda and Akon; Roneil Rumburg, co-founder of blockchain music platform Audius; gaming CEO Michael Wagner from Star Atlas; Axie Infinity co-founder Aleksander Larsen; ChainGuardians co-founder Robbie Cochran; Enjin co-founder Witek Radomski; co-founder of Rarible, Alexei Falin, and even Crypto.com’s global head of NFT, Joe Conyers III, plus many more.
Register now
General tickets are US$49, VIP tickets US$99. Click here to register for GeckoCon now.
As non-fungible tokens (NFTs) continue to boom in the crypto industry, many new projects are coming to fruition on a daily basis. One of the main emergent uses for NFTs is as digital avatars for people in the crypto space, with some of those doubling up for use in NFT games.
With memecoins pervading the air, communities ranging from doge lovers to meme lords have invested and created offerings for people interested in what they offer.
The rise of NFTs means those interested in an NFT avatar have many to choose from. Populated by such characters as Mutants, Punks, Apes and Mutant Punk Apes, the space has exploded with custom-designed avatars. People in the space want to differentiate themselves and show off their digital selves to hang as a banner labelling them as part of the crypto space. Last week, The Simpsons NFTs sold out in minutes as crypto savvy collectors rushed to buy up the digital memorabilia.
Here are five new NFT avatar projects launching soon:
Strange Turtles In District 99
Strange Turtles In District 99 is a collection of 10,000 unique turtles from a turtle planet 99 light-years away. The NFTs are randomly assembled pieces from a selection of 250 hand-drawn traits, costing 0.0799 ETH + gas fee. The owner of a Strange Turtle is given the right to fully explore the commercial possibilities of the NFT, and will also be guaranteed access and voting rights in the 99district NFT.DAO.
According to a roadmap “based on the decision of our community, a 99district play-to-earn game will be developed”, which may see release in the future. Additionally, 100 random Strange Turtles will be given to pop stars, footballers, artists and entrepreneurs around the world for them to hold or show off.
The project will also use 3.5 per cent of total sales and 50 per cent of royalties from OpenSea for ‘sweeping the floor’. Sweeping the floor is similar to a stock buyback, the term ‘sweep’ referring to buying all the NFTs listed at the current floor price to increase their value.
Lazy Bunny
The lore of the Lazy Bunnies is that they were living peacefully in their homes until a group of teenagers accidentally started a fire that burned 90 percent of their forest habitat. Now the Lazy Bunnies have moved towards cities in hope of finding loving owners and new homes.
Each trait of a Lazy Bunny is hand-drawn and the team has created only 5555 bunnies, so each and every bunny is unique. Lazy Space Bunnies cost 0.055 ETH per bunny and are avatar-style NFTs.
The project has many scheduled airdrops and community prizes lined up for NFT holders in its roadmap. Once 50 per cent of bunnies are sold, the project will set up a community wallet where 50 per cent of secondary sales will go towards a cause decided by the community.
Mutant Ether Babies
Mutant Ether Babies NFTs, otherwise known as Mebs, are a collection of 7777 unique species created from the mutation of cat and ape DNA, living on the Ethereum blockchain.
Owning a Meb will serve as a pass to play the Mebs Subway Game, and by playing Meb gamers will be rewarded in NFTs. The project also plans to buy land in the metaverse to build a Mebs island where Mebs holders can meet up. Each Mebs holder will be airdropped a 3D version of their Mebs, which will be used in the Metaverse – or Mebverse.
There are four levels in the minting process, and when each one is reached the project enacts a giveaway and a buyback to raise the floor level. Once 100 percent of the supply is minted, 30 ETH will be allocated toward three charities (10 ETH each) plus 20 ETH buyback to raise floor level.
United Toads
United Toads is an NFT project that makes toad-themed original artworks in the form of an avatar or profile picture. The avatar will also be available for use in a game that’s currently in the works. Any community member who holds on to their NFTs while the project moves through its roadmap is eligible for airdrops and future events.
According to the roadmap, when 50 percent of the 4,999 supply is bought up, a donation will be made to a #savethetoads foundation to stop deforestation in the Amazon, and on reaching 100 percent the team will bring on game development in phase 2.0.
Sovereign Degens
Sovereign Degens is an on-chain adventure that starts after getting your Sovereign Degens and affirming your membership. Over ensuing weeks, players uncover plots, community-driven story arcs, and airdrop challenges. The story arc will play out in a quest format and take players around the world, where they will advance as they solve quests while navigating multiple realms.
Sovereign Degens
In January, the project unveil the opening act to the Sovereign Degens universe, and reveal the Genesis NFT (aka Season 1 NFT). Season 2 and 3 are currently in development.
The parent company of Toys “R” Us, WHP Global, has partnered up with non-fungible token (NFT) platform Ethernity to release the brand’s first NFT collection of iconic giraffe mascot Geoffrey.
Available for sale on digital marketplace OpenSea, the series of limited-edition NFTs are designed by digital artist Exacto, also known as Bryan Lopez. Entitled “Geoffrey Through the Years”, the series will include six separate editions in pop-art style and Andy Warhol-inspired modern portraits of the famous mascot, each one a reflection of Geoffrey’s look from 1960 up until today. The collection went on sale on November 13.
A most beloved store that holds a place in all our hearts. Feel like a kid in a toy store again.
The collection has also added a one-of-one piece named “The Geoffrey Stroll”, which is currently being auctioned off live – closing November 17. The 3D animation features Geoffrey as he saunters into a bright new future with an instrumental version of the Toys “R” Us jingle I Don’t Want to Grow Up, I’m a Toys “R” Us Kid playing in the background.
The buyer of this unique piece and a guest will have the opportunity to attend a Toys “R” Us store grand opening in the US in 2022.
The Geoffrey Stroll is currently being auctioned off live. Source: Ethernity
Yehuda Shmidman, CEO and chairman of WHP Global and Toys “R” Us, has said that the company will continue to invest in the growth and future of the brand, and entering the blockchain marks a big step into the future.
As we continue to invest in the growth of the brand, entering the blockchain signifies a momentous step into the future and allows us to broaden our engagement with our loyal and expanding community of Toys “R” Us fans.
Yehuda Shmidman, CEO and chairman, WHP Global and Toys “R” Us
Famous Brands Join the NFT Boom
Along with Toys “R” Us, famous brands Coca-Cola and Playboy have also entered the explosive NFT market. Earlier this year, Coca-Cola announced it would release a collection of branded NFTs to mark International Friendship Day and to raise money for Special Olympics International. The three-day auction, also hosted on OpenSea, took place from July 30.
In October, American lifestyle brand Playboy launched a series of 11,953 “Playboy Rabbitars” – 3D rabbit characters in NFT form which will serve as keys to a reimagined Playboy Club. The “Rabbitars” also give owners access to benefits such as members-only events, merchandise, artworks, and exclusive artist collaborations.
It was inevitable that the fashion industry, obsessed as it is with authenticity and exclusivity, would be a perfect fit for non-fungible tokens (NFTs).
“I believe in a future where augmented reality will be a huge part of society,” said Chris Le, co-founder of RTFKT – pronounced “artifact”, and considered NFT fashion’s frontrunner – earlier this year. “You’re going to be walking out on the street and seeing NFT clothing on people.”
Back in February, the same month that saw the inaugural Crypto Fashion Week, RTFKT sold about 600 pairs of digital sneakers for US$3.1 million in just seven minutes. As for Le’s prediction on augmented reality, consider how AR clothing try-on – 3D digital clothing “fitting” a person as they move in real time, via their phones or other digital devices – is now almost here.
For fashion brands, AR try-on could unlock digital clothing sales, increase conversions and decrease e-commerce returns. It would also accelerate the widespread adoption of AR glasses, already in development by Snapchat, Facebook, Apple and others.
How AR Try-On Works
Here’s how AR try-on works: Unlike a static image that is retroactively fitted in a digital garment, it behaves the same way as Snapchat face filters: when your body moves, the item reacts in synch, responding to the wearer’s movements, measurements and environment in a way that appears to be realistic.
RTFK tests real-time AR try-on technology. Source: RTFK
A significant catalyst in the development of AR try-on has been the sheer number of people in Covid-enforced lockdowns across the globe over the past two years, according to Vlad Vodolazov, CEO and founder of clothing try-on app Clo-Z.
People were stuck at home, and that drastically influenced the way they were shopping, so brands are becoming less conservative in terms of technology and online tools to interact with their community.
Vlad Vodolazov, CEO and founder, Clo-Z
Big Brands Not Quite Ready to Wear
The technology still needs more time before the big luxury brands dive in, says Benoit Pagotto, co-founder of RTFKT Studios, which recently partnered with streetwear label StockX to sell physical versions of what was originally a digital shoe. In May, Silicon Valley investment firm Andreessen Horowitz invested US$8 million in the company.
The tech is moving quite fast, but it’s still not great. It’s good enough for people to understand where it’s going, but not good enough for most fashion brands, who are very serious about their content and need to respect their brand guidelines.
Benoit Pagotto, co-founder, RTFKT Studios
For many it’s just a matter of time, as the motivation and momentum are there. Snapchat, for one, thinks AR try-on technology can help brands reduce returns, one of the fashion industry’s most significant cost drags.
“We’re laying the groundwork for an improved online shopping experience,” says Snap CEO and co-founder Evan Spiegel. “We believe that helping people find the right size and improving the try-on experience will increase conversion rates as well as reduce the rate of returns.”
In an effort to raise funds and create greater awareness for the plight of South Africa’s endangered rhino, one progressive conservationist has capitalised on NFT fever by auctioning off the world’s first rhino horn NFT.
A digital replica of a rhino horn has been sold at an auction in South Africa, as conservationists tap into the craze for NFTs to raise money to protect real rhinos.
Rhino poaching wasn’t always a major conservation issue requiring significant resources and creative fund-raising efforts.
Historically, demand for rhino products was relatively stable until the rapid growth of nouveau riche Vietnamese and Chinese saw demand soar. These days, while demand remains somewhat lower, much of the reduction can be attributed to highly effective anti-poaching efforts.
Rhino poaching incidents vs rhinos poached. Source: Helping Rhinos
Despite the success of anti-poaching, which has shifted from conservationist to military-style special forces, rhinos remain critically endangered in Africa and even more so in Asia.
Global rhino population. Source: Save the Rhino International
NFTs and Conservation
An auction was held last week to raise money to protect South African rhinos. The winning bidder, Charl Jacobs, paid R105,000 (approximately US$7,000) for a rhino horn NFT which he planned to place in trust for his children. The real horn would be locked away for safekeeping.
If [in a] worst-case scenario rhinos go into complete disarray, then I would still own a rhino horn, because the NFT is a token of the physical rhino horn.
Charl Jacobs
Proceeds from the sale will go to the private Black Rock Rhino conservancy, home to 200 rhinos that are able to breed while protected from poachers. Conservationist Derek Lewitton noted that the conservancy was doubling the population of rhinos every four years, so conservation remained critical.
But it costs a fortune. If you don’t want to get poached, you have to spend a ton in terms of manpower and security infrastructure, and this a way to help us fund that.
Users have been left puzzled after the front-end of Tezos-based non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace Hic et Nunc disappeared last week. The marketplace’s Twitter biography was updated with only the word “discontinued”, and the marketplace tweeted its own smart contract shortly thereafter:
The front-end for Hic et Nunc went offline on November 11 after its Twitter bio was updated to “offline”. Reasons for the exit are still unclear, but users are speculating that it may be linked to competitor NFT minting marketplace “objkt.com” launching the day before.
However, outside of the Twitter update, no formal explanation has been offered as to the marketplace’s sudden disappearance.
According to crypto artist @MrRudemanners, the marketplace’s developer “Raf” may have made the decision on the spur of the moment, based on the negative messages being posted.
Raf is (thinking) of discontinuing HEN(even tho he changed twitter bio right away), He got upset about some messages then decided this on a whim. Trying to keep up with their discord rn
Despite the complete disappearance of Hic et Nunc’s front-end, smart contracts for the NFTs that were listed are immutable, and the NFTs can be seen on objkt.com. Having only launched in March this year, the platform has surpassed OpenSea as the biggest NFT platform based on daily active user count.
Wondering where all the NFT art on the abruptly shut down Tezos platform hic et nunc has resurfaced? https://t.co/GcNhscZwyg
Earlier this year, Tezos surged in value when it was chosen by a Swiss banking consortium to develop regulatory-compliant digital financial products. Along with Tezos, Swiss entities – IT company Inacta, fintech specialist Crypto Finance Group, and Incore Bank, based in Zurich – will partner to power smart contracts for a range of on-chain digital financial products.
Earlier this week, non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace Rarible.com and Rarible protocol announced it would be integrating with the Flow blockchain. The announcement means that Rarible users are now able to create, list and trade Flow-based NFTs on the Rarible marketplace.
The integration with Flow – a fast, decentralised, and sustainable blockchain – now allows users to create, list and trade Flow-based NFTs on the marketplace, ensuring lower gas fees and a swift user experience. As it stands, the most expensive type of transaction on Flow costs about US$0.0001, while the throughput on the blockchain is designed to scale to millions of active users.
Flow’s low gas fees and ability to scale many transactions is akin to what the popular project Sorare is achieving at the moment. A blockchain specifically tailored for optimal gaming and NFT experiences, Flow was originally created by Dapper Labs, which brought us CryptoKitties and NBA Top Shot.
Since Flow was created with both end-users and developers in mind, it will also integrate with the Rarible Protocol, meaning that users can now make use of fully open-source infrastructure to create NFT projects with Flow’s refined developer ergonomics.
Excited to announce @Rarible has launched its Flow integration 🎉
Rarible recently also announced that it would partner up with Adobe to enhance the attribution of NFTs on the Rarible marketplace. Adobe will soon launch a “prepare as NFT” option to its Photoshop software in an attempt to counter an otherwise highly exploitable market. The system to be built into Photoshop can assist in proving that the person selling an NFT is the one who made it.
The software will allow NFT sellers to link the Adobe ID with their crypto wallets, thereby allowing compatible NFT marketplaces, such as Rarible, to show verification certificates to prove the art is authentic.
Australian agave plants pre-purchasable as NFTs are to be turned into tequila and mezcal for thirsty collectors, bringing new meaning to the expression “the early bird gets the worm”.
Victorian-based spirits distiller Top Shelf International (TSI) is raising A$35 million to construct Australia’s first integrated spirit distillery and agave farm near Airlie Beach in North Queensland.
The new distillery will have capacity to make 1.5 million bottles of Agave spirit per year, and will make Top Shelf the world’s largest distiller of agave spirit outside Mexico.
Half a Million Plants Already Growing
At full capacity, the Airlie operation will place TSI among the top 25 agave producers in the world. The company already has 500,000 agave plants in the ground or in nursery.
In the US, tequila is on track to become the third-largest spirit category by 2024. Australians are the world’s third-largest consumers of tequila per head after the US and Mexico.
TSI executive chairman Adem Karafili describes the NFT offer as “a great way to introduce people to a brand that hasn’t been released yet”, adding that owners will be able to visit TSI’s agave farm to see their plants. “We have drone footage already, so they can choose their plants and watch them grow over the next 18 months.”
Eden Lassie agave farm, near Airlie Beach, North Queensland. Source: TSI
More than 230,000 agave plants have already germinated at the 400-hectare Eden Lassie farm at Airlie Beach. Each NFT owner will end up with the rights to 10 plants, which will ultimately deliver about 50 bottles and a 10-litre magnum.
Each Bottle Individually Distilled
“Each one of those bottles will undergo its own distillation process and is very much personalised,” Karafili says. “We can age it for you or you can leave it in the black oak [barrel].”
We just found [NFTs] was a great way for people to actually own something well in advance of being able to get their hands on the bottle, to build some excitement … We thought bringing an element of technology was a great way to introduce provenance and the terroir, and really connect people with the ground in which the plants are being grown.
Adem Karafili, executive chairman, TSI
Last month, Glenfiddich became the first premium single-malt Scotch whisky brand to launch spirits products as NFTs. A week later, Barossa Valley winemaker Dave Powell launched an entire vintage as drinkable NFTs.
As the vintage song by Dr Hook said, “Gonna see my picture on the cover / wanna buy five copies for my mother / gonna see my smilin’ face / on the cover of the Rolling Stone …”
And now, almost 50 years later, it has come to pass – for the glazed-eyed primates of the Bored Ape Yacht Club, at least, and while they’re not exactly smiling, they’re surely celebrating on the inside.
Rolling Stone has added to its presence in the non-fungible token (NFT) market by auctioning two of its digital magazine covers created in partnership with the simian-themed art collection that has so far generated around US$1 billion in secondary trading volume.
The collaboration debuted in physical form last week, with the instant sale of 2,500 limited-edition Rolling Stone magazines featuring a Bored Ape on the cover.
Bids Push Toward $50,000
That same magazine cover is now on auction as an NFT, with bidding live on the SuperRare marketplace. Set to last five days from November 11, the auction initially attracted bids beyond 10 ETH, or around US$47,000 at the time of writing. Bidding for another Rolling Stone magazine cover NFT featuring a “Mutant Ape” went live on SuperRare at the same time, and will also last five days.
Rolling Stone's NFT collection, in partnership w/ @boredapeyc, features art from the Bored Ape community.
The covers are the first of seven planned NFT releases by Rolling Stone in collaboration with Bored Ape creators Yuga Labs. The remaining five digital pieces, to feature signature Bored Ape characters, will be created by various NFT artists.
In July, Australian pop artist Tones and I featured on Rolling Stone‘s first NFT magazine cover. Four months earlier, Playboy magazine began issuing NFTs that chronicled nearly seven decades of photography and art from the magazine, including pictures of classic centrefolds.
The American digital artist known as Beeple is making headlines again with his latest installation artwork, Human One, paired with an NFT, selling at auction house Christie’s 21st Century Evening Sale for almost US$29 million.
Human One, by Michael Winkelmann, aka Beeple.
Human One is a 3D mobile sculpture of a person in a spacesuit moving through different landscapes. In what is the first physical piece of art from Beeple (aka Michael Winkelmann), the life-sized astronaut-like figure is contained inside a translucent box, which the artist describes as “the first portrait of a human born in the metaverse”.
The accompanying digital piece is the NFT containing the deed of ownership, minted on the Ethereum blockchain.
A huge congratulations to .@Beeple whose “Human One” artwork sold at the Christie’s 21st Century Evening Sale for $28.9M USD.
Another huge moment for NFTs and for the culture we are all trying to build within the traditional art world. Keep going my friends! pic.twitter.com/PcCoGMpYuQ
