Tag: NFTs

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Crypto News NFTs

TAG Heuer Launches Smartwatch to Display NFTs on Your Wrist

Have a favourite NFT you want to show the world? TAG Heuer is giving consumers the opportunity to wear their NFTs on their wrist. The update follows the luxury watchmaker brand’s recent acceptance of cryptocurrency as payment in its American online store:

Watch Can Frame Any Digital Image

TAG Heuer announced its Connected Calibre E4 smartwatch this week. The exciting part? The watch will allow consumers to display their NFTs on its face, as the digital wallet on an NFT owner’s phone can be synched with the smartwatch to display hexagonal JPEG and GIF versions of any NFT.

For interested consumers who don’t have NFTs to display, the watch face can also frame standard digital images.

The move from TAG Heuer reportedly follows discussions with blue-chip NFT communities such as Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) and CryptoPunks. It also comes shortly after the watchmaker’s announcement that it will now accept Bitcoin, Dogecoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, and nine other cryptocurrencies as payment on its US website.

Putting NFTs on Display

There has been an increase in interest of late from NFT owners eager to display their prized art, and several companies are working on solutions to meet this desire. In January, Netgear came forward with plans to alter its Meural digital art frames so they might cater to NFTs. Originally conceived to display personal digital photos, the technology behind the Meural canvases will be modified so NFT owners can display their purchases on the virtual walls of their space.

More recently, Sony entered a partnership with Theta Labs to bring interactive 3D NFTs to life. The project will be executed via a decentralised video streaming/delivery network. The network will be accompanied by its own native crypto asset (THETA) and will also function for 2D NFTs.

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Airdrop ETFs NFTs Regulation

VanEck Community Airdrop ‘NFT to Function Like a Digital Membership Card’

US asset management firm VanEck has announced that the first NFT of its upcoming collection is set to be launched and delivered via Airdrop. The collection will follow “Hammy” (Alexander Hamilton, the first US Treasury Secretary) and his journey through monetary policy’s past, present and future.

265 Alexander Hamilton Ten Dollar Bill Photos - Free ... https://www.dreamstime.com/photos-images/alexander-hamilton-ten-dollar-bill.html
US monetary policy pioneer Alexander Hamilton set to become an NFT.

For the first 1,000 of those who signed up for the project, the initial Airdrop takes place this week. At the end of the month, each purchased NFT will transform into a unique avatar that permits exclusive access to content produced by VanEck.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattbartlett1/overlay/photo/

The use of this NFT allows us to build an exclusive community where members who hold said NFT are invited to experiences and events where they can network with like-minded investors and crypto enthusiasts.

Matthew Bartlett, internal sales manager, VanEck

The major selling point of the collection will be the exclusive access it grants to in-person and digital events. It is intended to be an “NFT [that] functions as a digital membership card”, with the collection split into three tiers – common, rare, and legendary, with the latter tier having only 20 NFTs in circulation. The higher your NFT’s ranking, the more exclusive benefits will be available to you.  

Airdrops Gain Traction

Airdropping is now a popular method of dispensing crypto and NFTs to users. Last month, Ethereum scaling solution Optimism announced plans to utilise Airdrop to help its new token, OP, take off. It plans to feature several more Airdrop-based events, the next scheduled for a yet-to-be-announced date in Q2.

In other recent, less positive news regarding VanEck, November 2021 saw its rejection by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regarding ETF manipulation concerns. VanEck’s application for the Bitcoin ETF was denied as the fund allegedly did not meet its burden under the Exchange Act and the SEC’s Rules of Practice.

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NFTs

Mercedes Formula 1 NFTs Come with a Piece of the Actual Car

With Formula One’s Miami Grand Prix ready to roll next weekend, Mercedes has announced a new NFT collection. The twist? It could come with a piece of the actual car:

NFTs You Can Touch

F1 team Mercedes-AMG Patronus has revealed a long-term alliance with global crypto exchange FTX for the release of NFT collectibles for the Miami Grand Prix and the remainder of the 2022 race season.

FTX will be releasing 2,500 free-to-claim “ticket stubs” in the form of artistic renditions of actual race tickets. This gives fans the opportunity to collect ticket stubs throughout the season, creating a community of traders with a passion for racing.

The Miami event will even feature Mad Dog Jones, a notable NFT creator. Fans can also look forward to two special NFTs attached to the rear wing endplates of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton’s race cars – both of which will be auctioned together with accompanying Mad Dog Jones NFTs.

While the goal of the collection is to increase fan engagement, many have pushed back, mocking the initiative as far as calling it a “scam” and “stupid”:

Not Mercedes’ First Rodeo

This isn’t Mercedes’ first venture into the world of NFTs. In January, it teamed up with Art2People to launch a collection to celebrate its G-class series.

More recently, South Korean manufacturer Hyundai dipped its toe into the NFT ecosystem with its ‘Metamobility Universe’.

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Airdrop Metaverse NFTs Tokens

Controversial Pudgy Penguins NFT Collection Sold for 750 ETH

The Pudgy Penguins NFT collection has sold for 750 ETH (US$2.6 million), separating its inherent cuteness from its controversial roots. LA-based entrepreneur Luca Netz, of Netz Capital, is now leading the project and plans to use it to “spread love across the Meta”:  

Pudgy Penguins Eye the Future

Netz has purchased full control of the collection – totalling 8,888 Pudgy Penguins – from the four original co-founders, alongside future royalties. Full ownership of the project means that Pudgy Penguins can now release its own token, $PENGU, and investigate the option of potential airdrops to existing penguin holders:

This follows the ousting of the founders via a January Discord vote over their failure to meet project goals. Co-founder ColeThereum had promised a game, an educational book, and a token, all of which the project failed to deliver. With turmoil behind the scenes and threats issued regarding the project, controversy had been rife within the community.

The sale of Pudgy Penguins will offer a fresh start for the collection. While the originators will no longer be a part of the project, they acknowledge that Netz has the connections and experience to level up the collection in the future.

NFT Controversies and Acquisitions

Pudgy Penguins isn’t the only collection with a controversial history. In February, YouTube ‘Internet Detective’ CoffeeZilla helped to expose a US$20 million crypto scam. Thanks to the joint efforts of CoffeeZilla and the NFT community, the ‘Squiggles’ project was foiled before it came to pass.

In other big acquisition news, last month the creators behind Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) purchased CryptoPunks – another highly successful NFT collection. Yuga Labs now owns the IP and commercial rights to BAYC, and the company’s first move after doing so was to give full commercial rights to NFT holders.

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Bored Ape Yacht Club NFTs Scams

35 NFTs Stolen in Twitter Phishing Attacks Last Week

A Mutant Ape and a Bored Ape were among 35 NFTs stolen last week via a handful of hacked verified Twitter accounts. The combined value of the phishing attack is assumed to exceed US$900,000.

The phishing incident disguised itself off the back of a Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) airdrop that happened earlier this month. BAYC had airdropped ApeCoins to Mutant Ape and Bored Ape holders, which allowed for a copycat attack by scammers who hacked verified Twitter accounts and spread fake URLs impersonating a BAYC link:

Victims of the link who were prepared to pay 0.33 ETH to take part instead encountered code that allowed the hackers access to their wallets. Some victims claimed that, although the links appeared strange, they would nonetheless be safe as they were shared by trusted public figures.

Twitter is yet to comment on the incident, despite many users feeling the social media giant is partly to blame.

Other Recent Phishing Attacks

This isn’t the first large-scale phishing attack this year. Earlier in March, US$790,000 worth of Rare Bears were stolen. The phishing scam behind the NFT theft utilised the weakened security of Discord groups to share around a ‘corrupt’ link.

More recently, a crypto venture capitalist lost US$1.7 million worth of NFTs. Arthur Cheong, the founder of Web3 and DeFi venture capital firm Defiance Capital, had his hot wallet account hacked and 59 NFTs taken.

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Facebook Metaverse NFTs

Zuckerberg Confirms Instagram Will Soon Feature NFTs

Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Meta, has confirmed that non-fungible tokens (NFTs) will soon be coming to Instagram.  

The plan was revealed in an interview with Shark Tank’s Daymond John at an SXSW convention in Austin, Texas, US. The goal is for Instagram to become compatible with NFTs in “the near future” – over the next several months.

This appears to be another stepping stone in Meta’s path to the metaverse. It’s unclear at this point how the facility may look on the platform, though Zuckerberg did detail that Instagram users will have the option to mint their own NFTs.

NFTs on Facebook as Well

Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri admitted in December 2021 that the social media giant was considering integrating NFTs, saying that at the time the company was “actively exploring” the possibility. January 2022 saw Meta begin experimentation with how an NFT marketplace might work on the platform. Meta wanted to offer users the option to create and display NFTs on their Facebook and Instagram pages, intentions that are now being acted on.

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Fashion NFTs Retail

Diesel Jeans’ ‘D:VERSE’ NFT Project Drops on Rarible

Italian denim brand Diesel Jeans is set to debut its NFT collection, ‘D:VERSE’, on Rarible. The project’s goal is to offer customers a digital experience without completely straying from the physical, with the NFTs purchasable via crypto or fiat money.

No Universal Love for the ‘Phygital’

D:VERSE is Diesel’s newest platform and as of March 12 is the place to find NFT versions of the brand’s runway garments. The site will also be a hub where physical pieces can be purchased; hence ‘phygital’, as physical and digital collide, wordplay that not everyone seems to appreciate:

Anyone who becomes a D:VERSE NFT holder will also have access to the D:VERSE-KEY and the discord channel. The D:VERSE-KEY grants holders exclusive rights to raffles, metaverse outfits, NFT presales, and more.

Features of the first NFT release will include pieces from February’s Diesel FW22 runway show. Among them are a puffer jacket, a pair of sneakers, and a fur jacket, purchasable on a first-come-first-served basis in either crypto or fiat money. The public sale will last for 55 hours on the Rarible marketplace from March 12.

Fashion Retailers Queue Up to Launch NFTs

Everyday fashion retailers are taking the plunge into the world of NFTs as more and more brands launch digital collectibles. Earlier this year, even Crocs – “the world’s ugliest shoe” –  jumped into the NFT space and trademarked its intellectual property.

And popular US brand ‘The Gap’ has launched its NFT collection on the Tezos blockchain. The project collaborates with Brandon Sines, the creative mind behind Frank Ape, and will also feature a digital experience called ‘Gap Threads’.

Categories
Crypto News NFTs Solana

You Can Now Buy NFTs Through a Vending Machine in NYC

A New York City vending machine is now allowing users to purchase NFTs with fiat currency. Having closed a US$3 million seed round last month, the bold new project from Neon brings a Solana-based NFT marketplace to the real world:

With the goal of simplifying the NFT purchasing process, Neon’s co-founder and CMO Jordan Birnholtz collaborated on the idea with a summer intern in mid-2021 and soon came to the realisation that when it comes to ease of use, a vending machine ticks all the boxes.

We built it because it shows how powerful and easy it can be to support digital artists, and to demystify the process of getting an NFT.

Jordan Birnholtz, co-founder and CMO, Neon

Crypto Support is Coming

The vending machine is mounted within a shallow shopfront, highlighted by neon lighting. Users can make a purchase with a credit card and scan a QR code stored within the dispensed envelope to claim their NFTs online. Last month’s seed round closed a US$3 million profit and Neon intends to support crypto payments in future.

Expanding Accessibility of NFTs

The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is rumoured to be launching an NFT marketplace of its own after it reportedly filed an application with the US Patent and Trademark Office.

As NFTs and cryptocurrencies develop, the financial sector is changing and updating its services to keep up. Mastercard has plans to offer consulting services for all things crypto this year. The brand’s payments-focused consulting service intends to expand its brief by catering to open banking, open data, crypto and digital currencies, and ESG.

By Lauren Claxton, Crypto News Guest Author

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Crypto News Metaverse NFTs

‘Webbland’ Metaverse Sales Soar 126% Amid Flurry of Apartment Sales

Webbland, an “interoperable pixel metaverse”, has seen its NFT sales soar by 126 percent this week after two pixelated penthouses sold for six-figure sums – taking out two places in this week’s top 15 NFT sales:

Webbland Records $3.6m Profit in a Week

Over the past seven days, Webbland has recorded over US$3.6 million in profit thanks to the heavily piqued interest of users.

Penthouse #9051 edged into 14th position on the top 15 NFT sales list for the week, with the apartment selling for 50 ETH – approximately US$139,848 at the time of purchase. Penthouse #9056 took 15th place, going for 48 ETH (US$131,830).

Penthouse #9056 sold for 48 ETH. Source: Opensea

It appears unlikely that metaverse sales, both within Webbland and among the wider industry, will let up. Much of the chatter on social networks surrounding the Webbland sales was about finding humour in the situation. Currently, Webbland’s floor price is 3 ETH:

Big Names Moving into the Metaverse

The metaverse is rapidly growing in popularity with several big corporate names getting involved. Warner Brothers entered a partnership with The Sandbox at the end of January 2022, with a goal to develop the first music-themed metaverse. The project is set to host several popular artists, including Coldplay and Madonna.

It also appears that Walmart is making quiet moves to cash in on the metaverse hype. The American multinational retail corporation has been spotted placing new trademark applications that appear to indicate metaverse-related plans.

By Lauren Claxton, Crypto News Guest Author

Categories
Crypto News Gaming NFTs

Grand Theft Auto Publisher Thinks NFTs are a ‘Good Fit’

Strauss Zelnick, CEO of game publisher Take-Two Interactive, has flagged his support for non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and their future in the gaming industry, though he remains concerned about their volatility and the prospect of NFTs dividing gamers globally.

NFTs – ‘A Good Fit’

Zelnick recently stated that he feels NFTs are a “good fit” for the company’s future offerings. Yet the publisher of legendary gaming franchise Grand Theft Auto went on to say that his company is wary of “speculation” considering the current state of the industry.

Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick. Source: game-news24.com

We want to make sure that consumers always have a good experience every time they engage with our properties and losing money on a speculation is not a good experience, so we’re going to stay away from speculation. However, we’re highly convinced there’s an opportunity for NFTs to fit with Take-Two’s offerings in the future.

Strauss Zelnick, CEO, Take-Two Interactive

Zelnick’s caveat may put GTA fans at ease for the moment, particularly as anticipation for the release date of the sixth franchise instalment starts to mount. And while Zelnick has said the company believes in rare goods and collectibles, this may change in future. Caveats aside, a lot of fans still aren’t buying it:

NFTs Polarise Gaming Industry

NFTs within the gaming industry seem to be increasingly polarising. Ubisoft recently caused its fan base and the greater community to revolt over its decision to bring NFTs to the Ghost Recon series. The release of an NFT trailer at the end of 2021 sent Twitter and YouTube into meltdown, and there seems to be no sign of the conversation slowing.

Even popular YouTube gaming channel, the AngryJoeShow, spent some time berating the use of NFTs in a recent video:

This outrage has seen several game publishers and developers pull back on their plans to implement NFTs. The Ethereum video game Worms cancelled its own NFT plans after the decision caused longtime supporters to walk away. Japanese multinational giant Sega has also reconsidered its future due to negative opinions.

By Lauren Claxton, Crypto News Guest Author