web3 / 509 posts found
The Merge Finally Happened. Ethereum Will Never Be the Same
The Alpha: The merge, Ethereum’s long-awaited and technically staggering switch to a proof-of-stake consensus system, has finally happened. The colossal move officially marks the joining of Ethereum’s mainnet execution layer with its Beacon Chain consensus layer. Ethereum developers created the Beacon Chain in 2020, and until now, it has been running in parallel with the Ethereum mainnet. Having officially switched from its original proof-of-work consensus mechanism, the Ethereum blockchain’s energy consumption is expected to fall to between 99.5 and 99.99 percent. Why it matters NFTs have long held a (somewhat unjustified) reputation for being environmentally disastrous, as the blockchains most […]
Blue-Chip NFT Holders Are Now Eligible for an IRL Rewards Program
The Alpha: Portfolio tracker AssetDash just launched DashDeals, according to a Wednesday press release. It’s an asset-based rewards program modeled after Web2’s AMEX Rewards. To start, holders of DeGods NFTs, CryptoPunks, Bored Apes, Moonbirds, and other high-end NFT projects will be “immediately eligible” to receive rewards under the DashDeals program. Perks for holders of these NFTs currently include Apple gift cards, Nike gift cards, GameStop gift cards, Discord Nitro subscriptions, and more. Why it matters In the NFT world, the promise of utility is nothing new. Some even argue that forcing utility onto an NFT project can have a detrimental […]
The Meaning of NFTs: It’s About More Than Money or Art
What are non-fungible tokens (NFTs)? It seems like a simple question that should have a simple answer. As we outlined in our guide, an NFT is a unique unit of data on a blockchain that can be linked to objects to provide proof of ownership. But that’s just the literal definition of the technology. To really understand NFTs, we need to go beyond that. We need to understand their meaning, i.e., how they are valued and used. The two most common answers when discussing the value and use of NFTs are as follows: 1) NFTs are digital assets that let […]
Fashion Design and NFTs? A Guide to Help You Break Into Web3
Fashion is one of the purest forms of self-expression, acting as an integral touchpoint for social connection and communication. And as the divide between our real and virtual lives becomes increasingly blurred, consumers are now directing more focus toward digital appearance. This trend has already started to play out in the gaming industry, where the lion’s share of the revenue is generated by selling in-game virtual cosmetic items and goods. Fortnite has sold billions of dollars in cosmetic avatar skins in the last year, pulling in more than $50 million on NFL partnership skins alone. Fortnite As we embark into […]
GameStop’s New FTX Partnership Could Boost Web3 Onboarding
The Alpha: Following the July launch of its very own NFT marketplace, brick-and-mortar gaming retailer GameStop is doubling down on its Web3 strategy in a new partnership with the crypto exchange platform FTX. The partnership aims to funnel GameStop’s growing Web3-savvy customer base toward FTX’s suite of Web3 services, according to GameStop’s official statement — crucially, FTX has an NFT marketplace of its own. GameStop also hopes to take this partnership IRL by providing FTX gift cards at select physical branches of the gaming store. Why it matters Despite the middling and sometimes overwhelmingly negative reception of GameStop’s NFT marketplace, […]
Iann Dior on How NFTs Will Change Music Forever
In our latest episode of Behind The Drop, we spoke with rapper, singer, and songwriter iann dior about his debut NFT project: the iann dior: 1212 collection. Launched in partnership with green NFT platform OneOf in June 2022, the collection consisted of 1,212 animated NFT avatars depicting the Sick and Tired singer in various interpretations, adapted to resemble Tim Burton’s take on claymation. Speaking on the drop in an interview with nft now, dior stated that the collection was a way for him to “make art and express [his] different emotions.” But why claymation? Styling himself as a “big fan” […]
Model Agency Launches a New Line of Avatars in the Metaverse
The Alpha: Art-driven model agency Photogenics just announced the upcoming launch of its very own avatar division. Thanks to this, models currently signed with Photogenics can now opt to have “avant-garde, photorealistic avatars” of themselves created for use in the metaverse, according to a press release shared with nft now. The underlying technology powering the creation of these 3D avatars is spearheaded by Nina Hawkins of Lilium Labs, along with 3D filmmaker Sage Morei of Horizon Lab. Photogenics’ avatar division is set to launch with 13 3D avatars of models currently under its wing. Why it matters Although seemingly worlds […]
OpenSea and Fair.xyz’s Soulbound ‘Minter Token’ Honors NFT Innovators
The Alpha: A Web3 enterprise called Fair.xyz that builds tech to improve smart contract functionality announced a new partnership with OpenSea on Wednesday to release its new “Minter Token” feature, according to a press release shared with nft now. The Minter Token is a soulbound token that cryptographically proves that a wallet owner minted an NFT, even if the owner has sold or transferred the digital asset. The tool analyzes a user’s wallet and creates a 3D generative artwork that displays the minted NFT. In the future, the Minter Token could expand to include other soulbound token use cases like […]
David Bowie Is Back! Posthumous NFTs to Shed Light on Gender
The Alpha: In a series of now-deleted posts on Instagram and Twitter, David Bowie’s estate announced the September 13 launch of an NFT collection celebrating the rock icon’s legendary career that famously explored gender and performativity. The NFT collection, entitled “Bowie On The Blockchain,” will feature the works of nine NFT artists whose works will reflect some of Bowie’s masterful life work. Headlining the collection are crypto artists FEWOCiOUS and Pussy Riot Co-Founder Nadya Tolokonnikova, among others. Proceeds of the sale will go toward the nonprofit organization CARE. Why it matters: Unfortunately, as with prior projects bearing the names of […]
How The Rebels Beat Censorship and Built an NFT Community
In the fall of 2012, in Vilnius, Lithuania, Robert Kalinkin Fashion House released an ad campaign that featured a man and a woman posing as Jesus and the Virgin Mary wearing jeans and a dress from the company’s then-upcoming clothing line. “Jesus, what trousers!” one of the taglines read, along with “Dear Mary, what a dress!” and “Jesus, Mary, what are you wearing?” The campaign ran on the company’s website and on prominent billboards in the Lithuanian capital ahead of a fashion show that brand co-founders Robert Kalinkin and Indre Viltrakyte were organizing at the time. “It was a play […]