Transmissions from the Metaverse #1

New Kids on the Block(chain): Athletes, Luxury Brands, Coca-Cola, Shopify, Moon Landing

The metaverse keeps growing, with another batch of new projects joining week after week. The newest projects focus on tearing down the barriers between the metaverse and the physical world, expanding the presence of luxury fashion brands in the space, as well as marking the memorable moments in humanity’s history.

The metaverse can’t be owned, it’s shared. No company can claim that they have their own metaverse, but instead they can be a part of it. The metaverse is a shared virtual space where people share information and value, while having ownership over digital assets and a digital identity. In this update we look at the latest developments from the metaverse. What’s new to be excited about?

Breaking the barrier

The metaverse is getting its first physical NFT gallery. Chicago-based gallery imnotArt will feature high-res displays of digital art by various artists. The displays will support both still and moving images and switch between art pieces. The first exhibit, running from August 14 until August 22, 2021, will feature works by Chicago-based artists.

Da Vinci, Monet, and Van Gogh as NFTs

But wait, there’s more – this time for renowned artworks. The Russian State Hermitage Museum has partnered with Binance NFT Marketplace to release a collection of NFTs featuring works by Leonardo Da Vinci, Claude Monet, and Vincent Van Gogh. Each of the offered NFTs has two versions. One will be the subject of an auction at the end of August, while the other will be exhibited at the Hermitage Museum this Fall.

Connecting athletes and fans

In cooperation with clothing manufacturer Ben Sherman and private label marketplace Tokns, the British Olympic team has launched its own NFT collection. It features gymnast Max Whitlock and the two gold medals he won at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

A new NFT collection was also launched by the famous soccer player Ronaldinho in cooperation with creative studio INFLUXO. The NFTs feature illustrations of Ronaldinho’s career, a set of purchasable collector cards, as well as an additional card that will be airdropped. The illustrations will be auctioned off starting at $10,000 each.

Luxury fashion brands

Mythical Games has launched an NFT collection by the luxury clothing brand Burberry on its Blankos Block Party multiplayer game and blockchain. The newest Blanko is a limited-edition limited-quantity shark character named “Sharky B”, boasting Burberry’s new TB Summer Monogram. The collection also includes Burberry branded in-game NFT accessories, including armbands, pool shoes, and a jetpack.

Burberry is hardly the only luxury brand to get into the metaverse this week. In honor of its founder’s 200th birthday, Louis Vuitton has released a mobile video game called “Louis: The Game”. It features its mascot Vivienne traveling through the brand’s history, exploring different worlds, and going on different quests with immersed NFTs (some of which were created by Beeple).

Coca-Cola wasn’t immune to the charm of the NFTs

Together with avatar developer Tafi, Coca-Cola has announced a charity auction of its branded NFT collection called “Coca-Cola Friendship Box” in its “Rooftop Party” in the Decentraland virtual world. 

This collection contains a branded bubble jacket, a themed sound visualizer (e.g. of a bottle opening or beverage poured over ice), and a friendship card inspired by the 1940s collectibles. The proceeds of the auction, more than half a million dollars, went to the Special Olympics.

Metaverse – the final frontier

To mark the 52nd anniversary of the famous Apollo 11 moon landing, its reconstruction was hosted in the Decentraland virtual world, along with introducing a collection of space-themed NFTs. On this occasion, the metaverse also became richer by unique wearables, ranging from spacesuits to gold puffer jackets boasting the Apollo 11 mission patch. 

The project is the result of a collaboration between The Aldrin Family Foundation, Banquet Metaverse Studio, DappCraft Studios, and Nicholas Graham – a fashion designer and NASA collaborator.

Selling NFTs via Shopify

NFT trading is now easier for both merchants and customers, as Shopify has expanded its modus operandi. Keeping up with the times, the e-commerce platform has announced its support for merchants selling NFTs on its platform directly to customers. 

Before, they had to go through a third-party marketplace, leaving them out of much of the sale process and customer support. One of the first merchants to participate is the NBA’s Chicago Bulls with the “Legacy Collection” of NFTs that includes its six world championship rings.

Metaverse growth intensifies

Many companies and other stakeholders have been lured in by the metaverse and all of the opportunities it offers. Although others are still trying to resist the enticing call of the metaverse depths, those who took the plunge in the recent days are far from being the last (or the only ones, for that matter), and new players are joining as we speak. This is an exciting time to be alive and watch the world move increasingly more toward a larger, more interconnected metaverse.