web3 / 509 posts found
Behind the Crypto Hype Is a Mentality of Extreme Social Change
Ads for blockchain, NFTs and cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin seem to be everywhere. Crypto technologies are being promoted as a replacement for banks; a new way to buy art; the next big investment opportunity, and an essential part of the metaverse. To many, these technologies are confusing or risky. But enthusiasts ardently promote them. As a cybersecurity and social media researcher, I’ve found that behind the hype is an ideology about social change: Hardcore enthusiasts argue that crypto will get people to trust in technology rather than government, which they see as inherently untrustworthy. This ideology leads people to encourage its […]
10 Web3 Builders Creating the Future of the Blockchain
What would the NFT space be without coders, developers, and general free-thinking builders? Absolutely nothing, that’s what. Without the creators and innovators of blockchain tech, the NFT space, let alone NFTs and the blockchain itself, would never have come to fruition. That much should be clear to any within the sphere of Web3. Beyond the many digitally-native artists and NFT collectors deserving of recognition, the builders — those striving to make advancements in, or by utilizing blockchain and NFT tech — are worthy of praise many times over. Yet, it remains true that we often glaze over those on the […]
Edward Snowden Teams With Pentagon Papers’ Whistleblower for NFT Auction
The Alpha This week, government whistleblower Edward Snowden is auctioning a newly created NFT during the first episode of PleasrHouse, the interactive live auction show from Web3 community collective PleasrDAO, according to a press release shared with nft now. Entitled “Wouldn’t You Go to Prison to Help End This War?”, Snowden collaborated with political activist Daniel Ellsberg for the unique 1-of-1 piece, which pays tribute to Ellsberg’s 1971 release of the Pentagon Papers. The auction will take place Thursday, January 12, 2023, at 3:00 p.m. ET, and feature interviews with Ellsberg and Snowden in addition to clips from a documentary […]
Mayan Warrior: Burning Man Icon Is Driving Change With NFTs
For most, Mayan Warrior is a name that probably inspires images of a distinguished ancient champion clad in ornate tribal garb. Yet, those within the electronic music community or who have had the pleasure of experiencing a Burning Man event will undoubtedly understand the name as belonging to the purveyors of a legendary art car. For more than a decade, Mayan Warrior, a 501c3 non-profit, has perfected its art car to niche specifications featuring a Mexican culture/sacred geometry aesthetic and a sound system that, set up in the middle of the desert, rivals most major festivals. And after years of […]
9GAG’s Memeland: Meet The Studio Behind The Potatoz and Captainz
On January 4, 2023, The Captainz NFT collection began its 48-hour mint period. Priced at 1.069 ETH per mint, the collection of 9,999 pirate-themed NFTs has seen 6,790 ETH (more than $9 million) in trading volume in the first five days of its existence. With a floor price currently sitting at a healthy 5.34 ETH, The Captainz is tracking on OpenSea’s Top 10 collections list by both 24-hour and 7-day trading volume. But The Captainz’ success didn’t come out of nowhere. The collection is just the latest iteration of one of the NFT space’s most successful and irreverent communities: Memeland. […]
The 18-Year-Old Who Went From Heart Surgery to Six-Figure NFT Sales
For most of his life, 18-year-old Justin Bodnar, better known in Web3 as jstngraphics, had hoped to become a professional soccer player. But as if to set the wheels of fate in motion, before he could even reach his teenage years, a hole in his heart (quite physically, that isn’t just to be poetic) would put a damper on his dreams and effectively change the trajectory of his life. “When I was younger, I played soccer, basketball, and baseball; but I really started focusing on soccer. But when I was 10 years old, around fifth grade, I had to have […]
Web3 at CES 2023: VR, Luxury NFTs, the Metaverse, and More
The Consumer Electronics Show of 2023 just wrapped up just this past weekend, and Web3 was a common theme among one of the most significant tech events of the year. In years past, it garnered a reputation amongst tech enthusiasts excited to see what the future holds for audio, video, mobile, and computer hardware. Despite the bear market challenges posed to the crypto and NFT sectors last year, massive growth of Web3-ready markets continues worldwide. Reflecting this growth, CES 2023 went beyond Web3 gaming and other enthusiast crowds. Indeed, several legacy brands took the time to elevate their commitment to […]
FTX Changed Crypto Regulation. Here’s What 2023 Has in Store
There was a time in 2022 when it looked like the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) might pull back from its shoot-first-ask-questions-later approach to crypto regulation. After months of aggressively pursuing and investigating crypto exchanges for allegedly breaching existing securities law in the U.S. at the behest of crypto-critic and SEC Chair Gary Gensler, at least one of the regulatory body’s commissioners expressed discontent with how Gensler was wielding the organization’s mandate. While speaking to nft now in the summer of 2022, SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce made clear her view that the body should be working with crypto exchanges collaboratively […]
Here Are 10 Influential Collectors You Should Be Following in 2023
With the new year comes new opportunities, renewed excitement, and of course, fresh problems. While 2023 has yet to hit the NFT space hard in any respect, general blockchain enthusiasts are undoubtedly preparing to ride the ups and downs of the NFT market for another year. But for the truly devout, seasoned collectors, the new year also brings with it a chance at greatness. While both established creators and the up-and-comers featured in nft now’s Next Up nail down their minting plans for the year, collectors both big and small are looking to execute profitable flips and collect elusive grails. But not […]