Tag: NFT

  • GUEST ARTICLE: 96% of NFT projects will fail, and why?

    GUEST ARTICLE: 96% of NFT projects will fail, and why?

    Mumbai: The year 2020 was unprecedented in many ways, but what was undeniably phenomenal was the rise of the crypto world, drawing new users to it. However, this dramatic escalation of the crypto world has seen another new market in the digital sphere-the NFTs, which has gathered much attention and somewhat spread like wildfire, which no one can stop. Nowadays, it can be seen that celebrities from around the world are getting into the NFT space and the press is flooded with success stories.

    It may seem that investing in NFTs is the quickest way to earn money. But, just like any other thrilling experience, there will definitely be challenges involved. As per various reports, it has been analysed that 95 per cent of investors lose money since they lack proper research and, therefore, they follow short-term projects which have no value. Amidst the crypto crash this year, it appears that the bloodbath in the crypto market has affected NFT sales too. According to a report in The Guardian, NFT sales reached a 12-month low mark in June 2022.

    Reasons why most NFT projects will fail

    A majority of NFTs (about 96 per cent) will come crashing down hard, not just temporarily, but permanently, because the creators lack experience in implementing their roadmap in the proper way or are unable to cope with emerging issues in order to establish a long-term and sustainable business. Several NFT projects are just a quick way to grab the cash with no real value or utility backing the digital asset. The main issue with the NFT marketplace is poor marketing strategy; the supply presently outweighs demand, as does the lack of actual value and utility backing NFTs, which in turn will affect the sentiment around the project.

    While large brands, companies, and innovators start exploring the NFT space and incorporating the technology themselves, they will soon begin to realise what a valuable NFT looks like when compared to all the useless NFTs presently overflowing the markets.

    The reality that modern-day NFT creators and investors fail to recognise is that, with the help of NFTs (a digital technological space), one can either build a brand from the ground up or increase the trust, value, and transparency of existing brands. In contrast, NFT creators have created nothing more than just a picture, which has little to no actual value or utility at all. The creators are not even building a brand or developing a strong intellectual property, failing to deliver quality, and even providing nothing to their customers besides the NFT itself. People need to understand that just because someone is an artist doesn’t mean the person will be a successful NFT project person.

    In addition to that, these days’ news regarding NFTs that are making headlines are mere stories about people making huge profits by selling and purchasing NFTs. These types of news tend to create the impression that either NFTs are a get-rich-quickly scam or that any NFT can easily make you a million dollar profit, while both are just untrue to a certain degree. It requires a lot of hard work and talent to benefit from the NFT business.

    There’s more to understand on NFTs!

    Going by the present market scenario, it seems that rug pulls have become the go-to scam of the NFT ecosystem, and as a result, several projects are facing difficulty in gaining the community’s confidence. Moreover, projects are failing due to a poorly organised team with no experts, poor synchronicity, and also a lack of adequate financial planning. Many NFT ventures are unable to maintain an engaged and vibrant community of supporters, which is probably the numero-uno factor behind building a project. Plus, there is a lack of uniqueness when a project is simply a copy of an existing one with the same features, benefits, and processes or if it does not grab the attention of the audience; thus, they are not able to make it to the live market.

    Currently, the NFT space is a perfect example of an overhyped market driven by greed. It’s not an easy task to head an NFT project, and in most cases, it is a tough grind to stand out and survive past launch. NFTs are just going to be another way of branding and marketing a business. Although most NFT projects are failing, that doesn’t imply that all of them are worthless. There are still some projects worth your attention, and you can definitely make profits if you understand the logic behind failing projects so that you can act in the opposite way.

    Therefore, the next time someone is thinking about purchasing an NFT, the advice is to do the research, don’t spend more money than you can afford to lose, and only purchase NFTs that spark interest. You must have the ability to build a legit business out of social media. All you need is to be extra careful when diving into this unregulated platform.

    The author of the article is JorrParivar creator, founder, and operator Digital Pratik.

  • Web 3.0 platform ‘coto’ ropes in Vishakha Singh as NFT strategist

    Web 3.0 platform ‘coto’ ropes in Vishakha Singh as NFT strategist

    Mumbai: ‘coto,’ a web3-based social community platform for women, has announced the appointment of Vishakha Singh as its non-fungible token (NFT) strategist.

    The company said in a statement that Singh will create and execute a robust strategy, roadmap, and execution on NFTs for ‘coto’ by spearheading awareness programmes on best practices of NFT for ‘coto’s’ creator community and will be instrumental in making ‘coto’ a front-runner in this domain.

    Through this role, Singh will play a vital part in executing the roadmap for ‘coto’s’ decentralised autonomous nature, starting with the NFT programme for creators. Besides involving B2B agencies in ‘coto’s’ early adopter programme for long-standing partnerships, she will also structure the approach based on content-led and community-led NFTs for monetisation, gating, and benefits.

    On joining ‘coto,’ Singh said, “I’m delighted to join the dynamic team of ‘coto’. My contribution would be to execute an overall strategy and craft the roadmap for the platform and its creators in the field of NFTs. Web3 is bringing an opportune moment for women for value creation and ‘coto’s’ inclusive environment enables women to create, consume, and communicate without toxicity.”

    “Through advanced technologies and insights of blockchain and NFT, I look forward to helping ‘coto’ evolve its tribe in the Web3 space,” she added.

    On Singh’s addition to the team, ‘coto’ by Eve World co-founder Rajneel Kumar said, “Web3 has changed the way social communities allow content creation, consumption, and monetisation globally. ‘coto’ is taking a deep dive with technology to cement its position on national and global marketplaces for content demand and supply to create a uniquely sustainable value proposition for its community of women creators and members. Vishakha’s experience will help ‘coto’ onboard the entire community about NFT, blockchain, and its benefits for the greater good of building a thriving, rewarding, safe space for women online.”

    In a phase-wise roll-out, ‘coto’ will soon announce its NFT plans and way forward for creators and members, stated the company.

  • ZEE unveils metaverse induction program in Bengaluru

    ZEE unveils metaverse induction program in Bengaluru

    Mumbai: Media & entertainment powerhouse Zee Entertainment Enterprises on Wednesday conducted its first-ever induction in a metaverse environment by welcoming 100+ campus graduates from top tech institutes across the nation; at its Technology and Innovation Centre in Bengaluru. The company’s Technology & Innovation Centre is focused on building the metaverse platform by leveraging augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and relevant data models for its digital platforms.

    The initiative was led by ZEE president – digital businesses and platforms Amit Goenka and ZEE president – technology & data Nitin Mittal, addressing the fresh batch of recruits. The metaverse induction was conducted by leveraging the Technology and Innovation Centre’s state of the art infrastructure and cutting-edge technology solutions: thereby offering an immersive mixed reality experience to the fresh recruits.

    Speaking about the initiative, Goenka said, “At ZEE’s Technology and Innovation Centre, we are imbibing a sharp strategic focus on enhancing our tech capabilities through a confluence of technology, data and talent. As we break new grounds and redefine entertainment by providing robust experiences across platforms, we are delighted to converge ZEE’s collaborative and entrepreneurial culture in the physical and digital realms through an immersive environment such as the metaverse. We aim to provide intuitive experiences across all aspects of an individual’s consumption, creation and transactional journey, and the first-ever metaverse induction program at ZEE, will not only help enhance our employee experience by boosting innovation and productivity, but also our consumer experience by several notches.”  

    Mittal added, “For over three decades, we have been a pioneer in breaking the norms of the industry and creating path-breaking content for more than 1.3 billion viewers across the globe. Our focus now remains on building capability for ZEE by leveraging technology to provide our consumers with extraordinary entertainment experiences. Our quest is to shape the next chapter of India’s media & entertainment Industry and the Metaverse Induction Program is yet another major step in that direction. Inducting, nurturing and retaining the right talent is key to any organisation’s success and we are committed to giving a world class experience to our tech enthusiasts right from day one.”  

    Commenting on the induction program, ZEE president – HR and transformation Animesh Kumar said, “As digital transformation continues to accelerate globally, the Technology and Innovation Centre at ZEE will play the lead role in driving the next era of innovation in content consumption. ZEEverse, is another major stride in a string of initiatives launched by the company in recent times towards our internal digital transformation that will enable the organisation to become future-ready and win in the emerging digitalised economy. Our focus is on building a collaborative, high-capability driven environment for our tech enthusiasts, who are the innovators of tomorrow. As we reimagine the future of our workplace, we are also elevating our employee experience by adopting a new induction module that will deliver an immersive and unique on-boarding experience to our fresh batch of recruits.”  

    ZEE is focused on offering a holistic environment to its talent workforce through the adoption of innovative and path-breaking technology. The company aims to enhance and widen its digital footprint, as it continues to cater to the global community and redefine the future of entertainment by leveraging a technology and innovation led strategy.

  • Mattel’s Masters of the Universe launched on NFT platform Cryptoys

    Mattel’s Masters of the Universe launched on NFT platform Cryptoys

    Mumbai: The non-fungible token (NFT) platform that combines toys, gaming and entertainment to create an expansive playable universe Cryptoys has announced the launch of Masters of the Universe in a multiyear and global partnership deal with Mattel. 

    A new way for fans to collect and play with toy brands, Cryptoys are animated, playable collectibles that come to life the moment they’re unwrapped. The upcoming launch, timed to He-Man’s 40th birthday celebration this fall, will be the first to bring Masters of the Universe digital toys into a collectible, interactive world through the Cryptoys universe.

    Masters of the Universe fans will have a first look at the Cryptoys and Mattel partnership at San Diego Comic-Con, where exclusive collectible lapel pins featuring iconic characters (including arch enemies He-Man and Skeletor along with Battle Cat) will be given away daily at the Mattel booth.

    OnChain Studios CEO & co-founder Will Weinraub said, “The Masters of the Universe franchise is full of iconic, nostalgic characters that fans have been watching, playing with, and collecting for decades. Many of us grew up with Masters of the Universe, which is why we felt it was the perfect property to launch first on the Cryptoys platform as we partner with Mattel to bring new life to these beloved characters.”

  • Music NFTs are an alternative way for artists to increase their earning potential: Report

    Music NFTs are an alternative way for artists to increase their earning potential: Report

    Mumbai: Music NFTs are an alternative way for artists, most of whom depend on extractive record labels and centralised platforms to earn a living, to increase their earning potential, according to a report by video games, data, analytics and market research firm Newzoo. This allows them to sell their singles, EPs, or albums as NFTs to their most loyal fans, it added. 

    The report indicated the trends in the metaverse, blockchain gaming, and NFTs. It identifies and analyses metaverse trends, case studies, the future of the metaverse, P2E, blockchain gaming, and NFT space.

    According to Newzoo’s report, 2021 has undeniably been the year of NFTs, with several high-profile collections being sought after for the boost in social status and financial incentives they offered. Despite the current market pullback profile picture (PFP) NFTs are likely to be key elements when it comes to digital identity in the metaverse.

    The report suggests that consumers spend increasingly more time in virtual worlds, and successful brands follow them. As a result, consumer-facing companies will be forced to develop a metaverse strategy to stay connected with their (future) customers and remain relevant.

    As time spent in virtual worlds increases, our digital identity and representation will grow in importance. This opens a wide array of opportunities for traditional and digital fashion brands alike to dress our digital selves with in-game skins and virtual garments, thus giving rise to the direct-to-avatar business model. This also has important implications for the future of e-commerce.

    Play to earn and blockchain gaming –  As time passes, we are likely to see more blockchain games challenge traditional AAA titles in terms of technical complexity and at some point size of the player base. Though blockchain gaming faces some notable challenges particularly sustainability and regulatory concerns these are likely to be mitigated as the space matures.

    The report also highlights the key challenges of this industry. Some major challenges include politics and regulations where governments will want to control virtual worlds, and regulations may create new barriers between worlds. Also, UGC spaces require strong safety and content moderation processes in place, supported by machine learning and trust/safety agents.

    Privacy and ethics also need to be addressed because metaverse activity tracking has the potential to become far more powerful than web tracking. At the same time, accessibility and scale are also seen as challenging as the metaverse is not yet accessible or interoperable at scale. Lastly, new standards and protocols are needed for the industry.

  • Binance ropes in Khaby Lame as brand ambassador

    Binance ropes in Khaby Lame as brand ambassador

    Mumbai: Binance has partnered with the Italian Senegalese creator Khaby Lame, who grew to fame through his viral TikTok videos, to join as a global brand ambassador. As the blockchain ecosystem behind the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, Binance will partner with Khaby to increase web3 awareness and adoption.   

    Khaby became a sensation for his spin on “life hack” videos, navigating overly complicated scenarios without saying a word while doing the famous “Khaby move.” He’ll use his signature style to tackle some of the misperceptions around Web3 in this multi-year partnership. Lame will also partner on exclusive NFT collections with Binance, further enhancing the experience for his fans.  

    “I consider my followers as my family, and I am always looking for new challenges and interesting content to share with them,” said Khaby Lame.  

    He added, “I’ve been curious about Web3 for some time, and jumped at the chance to partner with a leader like Binance because it aligns perfectly with what I usually do: make complex stuff easy and fun for everyone!”

    “Khaby has become a cultural icon and one of the most entertaining creators globally. We love his charm and sense of humour, and think it will bring relevance and relatability as we scale Web3 adoption,” said Binance Global vice president of marketing James Rothwell. “With so much nuance around Web3 and misinformation in the world, it was a perfect match to have Khaby on board to help debunk some of the myths around this space.”  

    Lame is currently the most-followed creator on TikTok, with more than 142 million followers on the platform, and 78 million followers on Instagram.

  • Loco launches ‘Legends’, all-new NFT platform for esports

    Loco launches ‘Legends’, all-new NFT platform for esports

    Mumbai: Live game streaming and esports platform Loco has announced the country’s latest NFT platform for esports ‘Legends,’ The decision was taken as part of its commitment to democratising gaming entertainment in the country.

    Users will be able to own and trade esports collectibles on the platform, boosting their fandom and giving them the chance to feel like esports scouts for a day. Legends paves the way for decentralisation for game developers.

    Loco has also inked exclusive collaborations with major esports tournament organisers including Villager esports and Upthrust esports to ensure that its data plan has the finest in class data flow.

    Loco has also built a proprietary data system that powers Legends. This system leverages the data generated by the large number of tournaments empowered by Loco.  

    Loco Legends launches exclusive partnerships with the most popular esports teams in India including 8bit, s0ul, Godlike, Revenant, Blind, and XO among others. These top Indian esports teams are the category dominators in popular games like BGMI, FreeFire Max, and Valorant, and provide fans with the most credible NFT experience. Loco has a 52 million-strong community of gamers.

    The first asset on Loco Legends will be NFT esports cards. This offering combines non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and free to play esports fantasy gaming. Users can purchase NFT trading cards allowing them to buy and sell cards amongst each other and also participate in free-to-play fantasy pools. By collecting, owning, and trading these limited-edition digital collectibles, Loco is designing a unique fan experience, where users can truly get closer to their heroes, build real world connections, and enhance their watching experience. The NFTs will be limited in number and unique to each owner. Loco is the first to build a large-scale consumer platform of this sort in India, that is embracing NFTs & web3.

    Founders Anirudh Pandita and Ashwin Suresh shared, “We are passionate about the potential of web3 to empower creators and create new fan experiences in the gaming community. Gamers are the earliest adopters of new technology and our community has shown a strong acceptance for these initiatives. We are excited about providing users an easy-to-use experience so that they can enjoy the power of web3 without dealing with the complexities that other products are often plagued with. We are also pumped about the partners we are bringing with us and the experiences that these partnerships will help us deliver to users. Our team firmly believes that this is a unique opportunity to unlock a new paradigm in gaming and this product is the first step in our roadmap.”

    The platform is currently in beta and will be made public in July 2022. As a part of this launch, the top 1,000 users that waitlist themselves on the platform will get access to free NFTs worth approximately Rs 500 each. On sharing the waitlist link with friends and family, and onboarding more users through their referrals, users will have a chance to jump the queue by 100 spots, allowing them to move higher up in the waitlist and increasing their chances of winning a free NFT. The platform is now live for audiences to access.

  • GUEST COLUMN: How brands can leverage metaverse for connecting with consumers

    GUEST COLUMN: How brands can leverage metaverse for connecting with consumers

    MUMBAI : Through the years, what has been constant is how brands evolve with new tools and modes of communication to best connect with their customers and fulfill their wants. In fact, with the steady rise of mobile web and social media back in the 2010s, the way brands engage with consumers has undergone a massive transformation – witnessing brands building a community with their consumers. And the customers, in turn, enjoy these novel ways to connect with their brands.

    However, in 2022, we now stand at the precipice of an exciting new form of communication and experience – the metaverse. And perhaps the biggest challenge is understanding the metaverse and realising one crucial key point – “The Metaverse is Now.”

    Ascent of the Metaverse

    Blurring the lines between physical and digital, the metaverse is fast emerging as a new space for people to shop, be entertained and participate in virtual experiences. With the metaverse giving rise to this new ecosystem of virtual life, a resultant paradigm shift is underway. One is that the metaverse is revolutionising how brands and consumers engage – with both scrambling for tools to best connect in this unprecedented virtual space.

    But why should you become a metaverse brand to connect with its audience?

    The truth is, the metaverse has opened the floodgates to a variety of burgeoning benefits and connection opportunities for brands and consumers alike –

    1) Minimising geographical distance

    From our online presence on platforms like online games (esports), social media and even simple communication on messaging apps, the experiences and connections we value most often take place in a digital world over the physical world. For instance, unlike before, a significant number of people we daily communicate with live outside of a 15 km radius from our home or office.

    However, the metaverse allows you to build meaning around experiences even though people we value spending time with are out of our physical grasp. In fact, it can essentially replicate the real world – goods and experiences from your offline existence can now be imitated for people anywhere in the world. Want to go on a date with the person you just met in Hyderabad while based in Delhi? Want to meet and greet your favourite Bollywood Celebrity when you’re in Lucknow? You can do this and much more in the metaverse. A lot of restaurants too, have stepped into the metaverse so going on dates with a significant other just got easier.

    The barrier of geographical distance is eliminated, and brands can now capture a global consumer base by bringing their products immediately into the home of every person in the world.

    2) Metaverse & its commercial appeal

    The metaverse lets customers try out digital items and see them within a fully 3D world. Several brands are already utilising this capability today. Moreover, blockchain technology, cryptocurrency, and NFTs (building blocks of the Metaverse) are also empowering brands and consumers to interact in ways unlike before.

    For instance, Adidas’ claim to fame as one of the most crucial metaverse brands comes from NFTs (Non-fungible tokens). When people think of an NFT, it’s usually related to online images. However, it’s essential to understand that metaverse models also use digital artwork. As such, metaverse items can also be NFTs. Adidas uses that technique to sell wearables in the physical world and metaverse.

    Adidas Originals created an NFT campaign, “Into the metaverse.” For this, it partnered with three of the most renowned NFT brands – Bored Ape Yacht Club, PUNKS Comic and Gmoney for exclusive wearable digital items that can be used on various blockchain-based gaming platforms. The collaborative project launched in December 2021, when a limited amount of 30,000 NFTs were sold saw the company earn more than $22 million from the sales in a few hours! Buying an NFT gave owners access to special, physical goods, like a hoodie and tracksuit worn by the Bored Ape that Adidas owns and other upcoming digital experiences.

    Some companies benefit by tying their online and offline market together. Other companies can leverage it by creating a whole new type of store. These are digitally exclusive offerings. And all of this can be tied together with digital wallets within the metaverse, making it easy to buy and sell goods. It’s easy to see the metaverse’s commercial appeal.

    On the consumer products front, Coca-Cola launched an NFT collection that fetched $575,000 in an online auction. It relied on the power of its brand to push forward its collection and raise over $500.000 for charity within 72 hours!

    While the metaverse’s full potential reach will definitely increase & at a much faster pace in the near future years, it is clearly on its way to the very fabric binding people across the globe and connecting them. And with this tool at our fingertips, it is absolutely critical for brands to venture into this exciting virtual space that presents disruptive new ways to build deeper and more meaningful relationships with their audience.

    The author is Caleb Franklin CEO and Founder of HeyHey

  • Mattel inks multi-year deal with OnChain Studios’ Cryptoys NFT platform

    Mattel inks multi-year deal with OnChain Studios’ Cryptoys NFT platform

    Mumbai: OnChain Studios has announced a multi-year global partnership with toy maker Mattel for its Crptoys NFT platform.

    The partnership will give rise to a new generation of digital toys that exist on the blockchain. It will bring Mattel’s iconic brands into a collectible, interactive world through Cryptoy’s expansive and playable universe. Cryptoys are animated, playable collectibles.

    “Mattel shares our deep passion and innovative mindset for creating the future of play for the next generation.  Playable and interactive NFTs will be the first foray into Web3 and blockchain for millions of people, and we want Cryptoys to be the on-ramp that makes it fun and easy for everyone to collect and play,” said OnChain Studios CEO and co-founder Will Weinraub.

    “As owners of one of the largest portfolios of children and family entertainment franchises in the world, and as the first toy company to launch NFTs, we see incredible opportunity in the Metaverse for our cherished brands and iconic IP,” said Mattel president and COO Richard Dickson. “Mattel is continually stretching and scaling our brands to find the bridges between traditional toys and what’s next. We are excited to be expanding in this fast-growing space and to be the only toy company partner on the Cryptoys platform, giving fans of all ages new ways to be inspired by the Mattel brands they love.”

    Cryptoys’ summer 2022 launch will feature original character drops, followed by the first of many Mattel drops, including some of the company’s brands and characters.

  • Warner Bros. launches a blockchain programme for Looney Tunes franchise

    Warner Bros. launches a blockchain programme for Looney Tunes franchise

    Mumbai: In collaboration with Nifty’s, a platform for NFT-powered fan communities, Warner Bros. Consumer Products has developed a new story-driven blockchain programme around the “Looney Tunes” franchise. Digital art will be used as a new storytelling medium for “Looney Tunes: What’s UP Block?,” creating a fresh narrative for the franchise, revealed through NFTs.

    Filled with antics and humour just like the “Looney Tunes” characters, the programme will offer fans access to participate in activities and games as the story unfolds, both digital and in real life while earning rewards and benefits along the way including virtual meet and greets, special access and discounts to “Looney Tunes” merchandise, exclusive never-before-been-seen content, new NFT drops, and much more.

    As part of the yearlong celebration of Tweety’s 80th anniversary, the canary will be the first “Looney Tunes” character featured in the new collection, all to have expressions, clothing, and accessories that will allow collectors to build community and connect with other “Looney Tunes” aficionados. This summer, the public sale, as well as an early access sale for Nifty’s community members who currently own certain NFTs, will commence.

    In a statement, Warner Bros. head of NFT commercial development Josh Hackbarth said, “‘Looney Tunes’ is a pop culture sensation, representing the golden era of animation with 80+ years of storytelling and laughs. From the recent success of “Space Jam: A New Legacy” to the classic cartoons from the 1940’s and 50’s, these beloved characters continue to spark nostalgia and excitement across all generations. Today, as digital engagement and technology evolve, the “Looney Tunes” collection will further expand the reach of the franchise, bringing fans together from around the world, offering unique experiences, community building, storytelling and a whole new way for them to engage. And what better way to kick things off with Tweety as his 80th birthday celebrations continue.”

    Nifty’s CEO and co-founder Jeff Marsilio said, “NFTs have limitless potential, and we are just scratching the surface of what is possible. We’re thrilled to be expanding our partnership with Warner Bros., visionaries in storytelling and creative entertainment, to use NFTs in this innovative way that also engages users and connects them to a community of other ‘Looney Tunes’ fans.”

    The Tweety avatars will be minted on the Palm Network, which features low gas costs and fast transaction finality. This is the third project launched by Nifty’s and Warner Bros. to create NFTs incorporating mainstream entertainment IP. Late last year, the two partnered to create the ‘Matrix Avatars’ NFT programme, which the parties state remains one of the largest PFP (profile picture) projects to date. In July of 2021, Nifty’s introduced a collection of limited-edition NFTs featuring characters from the live-action/animated film ‘Space Jam: A New Legacy’, which reintroduced the popular ‘Looney Tunes’.