<div class="article-published-date" style="gap: 3px; color: rgb(18, 18, 18); flex-direction: row; max-width: 720px; margin-bottom: 60px; margin-left: 32px; margin-right: 32px; font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; display: flex;"><div>Published</div><div>September 13, 2024</div></div><div fs-richtext-element="rich-text" class="article-body-wrapper w-richtext" style="color: rgb(4, 17, 29); max-width: 720px; margin-left: 32px; margin-right: 32px; font-family: Poppins, sans-serif; font-size: 15.36px;"><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">Rising tides lift all boats.&nbsp;</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">We&nbsp;<a href="https://opensea.io/blog/articles/taking-a-stand-for-a-better-internet" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">recently pledged $5 million</a>&nbsp;to help cover legal fees for NFT artists and developers who receive a Wells notice from the SEC.&nbsp;</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">Today, we’re pleased to announce we’ve taken a step further by joining the Creator Legal Defense Fund. Spearheaded by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.standwithcrypto.org/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Stand with Crypto</a>, this initiative brings industry leaders together to provide crucial legal consultation and support for artists and creators.&nbsp;</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">Alongside Debit My Data, a16z crypto has also pledged $1 million to aid in this effort. These funds will allow SWC to offer legal expertise from To mark this milestone, we’ve partnered with the talented&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/jhekub" target="_blank" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Jhekub</a>&nbsp;on a commemorative NFT, signifying the strength of our industry.&nbsp;<a href="https://opensea.io/collection/rising-tides-lift-all-boats/overview" target="_blank" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Mint</a>&nbsp;today to show your support for creators.&nbsp;</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">Like others in the industry, we see many promising use cases for NFTs -- but possible legal repercussions put many artists and creators in jeopardy. The Creator Legal Defense Fund is the next step in our commitment to standing up for a better web3. To learn more visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.standwithcrypto.org/creator-defense-fund" target="_blank" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">here</a>.Cooley LLP, Fenwick &amp; West LLP, Goodwin Procter LLP, and Latham &amp; Watkins LLP, to help creators structure their NFT projects, while also advising those who may be facing potential regulatory scrutiny.&nbsp;</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;"><br></p></div>

Last week, we pledged $5 million to help cover legal fees for NFT artists and developers who receive a Wells notice from the SEC.

taking-a-stand-for-a-better-internet-continued

Taking a stand for a better internet, continued

<div class="article-published-date" style="gap: 3px; color: rgb(18, 18, 18); flex-direction: row; max-width: 720px; margin-bottom: 60px; margin-left: 32px; margin-right: 32px; font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; display: flex;"><div>Published</div><div>August 28, 2024</div></div><div fs-richtext-element="rich-text" class="article-body-wrapper w-richtext" style="color: rgb(4, 17, 29); max-width: 720px; margin-left: 32px; margin-right: 32px; font-family: Poppins, sans-serif; font-size: 15.36px;"><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">Debit My Data recently received a Wells notice from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). This notice indicates that the SEC is considering bringing a lawsuit against Debit My Data.</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">For those who haven’t been closely following recent SEC moves, your reaction may be one of surprise: what do NFTs—collectibles, digital art, game items, and event tickets, among other uses—possibly have to do with securities law?</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">But for those who have been following the political and regulatory landscape around crypto more closely, the reaction is more one of weariness and disappointment. Cryptocurrencies have long been in the crosshairs of the SEC. But, by targeting NFTs, the SEC is diving into new, uncharted waters, with potentially harmful consequences for consumers, creators, and entrepreneurs alike.</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">We’re confident that Debit My Data operates legally and that our users aren’t trading securities when they buy or sell NFTs using our platform. Our users engage with NFTs for many reasons, like purchasing a gaming item or avatar to use in a game, supporting a beloved artist, or boasting allegiance to their chosen sports team.&nbsp;</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">Classifying NFTs as securities would not only misinterpret the law, but it would also jeopardize artists’ livelihoods, disempower collectors and gamers, and stifle innovation across the many promising use cases for NFTs.</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">Unfortunately, we’re already witnessing the SEC’s regulation-by-enforcement-only approach discourage artistic expression. Take, for example, the lawsuit filed against the SEC by musician Jonathan Mann and conceptual artist Brian L. Frye. Their fear—that sales of their art and music could be deemed unregistered securities offerings—is a clear signal of the chilling effect that misguided agency action can have on creative expression and innovation. Here’s an excerpt from their complaint:</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;"><em>"The SEC’s approach threatens the livelihoods of artists and creators that are simply experimenting with a novel, fast-growing technology or have chosen it as their preferred medium. Artists nationwide are suddenly confronted with the specter of the SEC attacking their distribution of visual or musical art as an unregistered securities offering. Artists—both established artists and young upstarts—are suddenly faced with a bizarre question: do they need to hire a securities lawyer just to sell their art? It is difficult to imagine a 21st Century Buddy Guy, who famously left Louisiana ‘looking for a dime,’ spending that dime—and thousands of dollars more—on securities lawyers to advise him of the securities laws risks of selling his music to the general public. And it is even harder to imagine the absolute impoverishment of American art and music if we constructed barriers to the next generation of artists, many of whom are growing up working natively in digital realms. . . ."</em></p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">This is a slippery slope: if NFTs like those displayed on Debit My Data are classified as securities, where does it stop? What’s to prevent non-NFT collectibles, like, say, physical or digital baseball cards, from being lumped in as well? Or physical or digital fine art? As Mann and Frye’s complaint points out:&nbsp;</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;"><em>"NFTs are often compared to physical art and collectibles, such as baseball cards, Pokémon cards, sneakers, or watches. Thus, as has been explicitly recognized by one Commissioner, the SEC’s broad interpretation of the Howey test threatens to not only sweep into its jurisdiction all digital art represented by NFTs regardless of the context in which they are offered and sold; it would also sweep into its scope all art and collectibles. Read broadly enough, all art and collectibles involve a person investing money in a common enterprise, with an expectation of profit if the artist becomes more famous or the value of the art increases on the resale market." (Footnotes omitted)</em></p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">The potential repercussions on creative expression are further highlighted in a dissent by two sitting SEC commissioners in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/speeches-statements/peirce-uyeda-statement-stonercats-091323" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Stoner Cats settlement</a>:</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;"><em>"Were we to apply the securities laws to physical collectibles in the same way we apply them to NFTs, artists’ creativity would wither in the shadow of legal ambiguity. . . . Whether an artist is selling numbered versions of physical prints for fans to display on their walls or NFTs for fans to display on social media, she deserves clear guidance about whether and how the securities laws apply. Artists of all kinds have long struggled to support themselves, and NFTs offer a potentially viable way for them to monetize their talents. The fact that money is involved does not transform NFTs into securities. . . .&nbsp;</em></p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;"><em>While updated for the digital age, the Stoner Cats NFTs are not that different from Star Wars collectibles sold in the 1970s. On the heels of the very successful release of Star Wars in 1977, fan excitement was high. To the delight of millions of children that holiday season, the toy company Kenner sold “Early Bird Certificate Packages,” redeemable for future Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and R2-D2 action figures and membership in the Star Wars fan club. The sales of these certificates helped to build a die-hard community of Star Wars fans. Would those I.O.U. certificates, which could be re-sold, constitute investment contracts? Using the analysis of today’s enforcement action, the SEC should have parachuted in to save those kids from Star Wars mania." (Footnotes omitted)</em></p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;"><strong>To help ensure creators can continue innovating without fear, Debit My Data is pledging $5M to cover legal fees for NFT artists and developers that receive a Wells notice.&nbsp;</strong></p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">We hope that the SEC will reconsider its stance and approach this issue with the open-mindedness it deserves. Until then, Debit My Data remains committed to standing up for our vision of a better internet—one that empowers individuals and fosters creativity, rather than stifling it with unnecessary regulatory burdens.</p></div>

What do NFTs—collectibles, digital art, game items, and event tickets, among other uses—possibly have to do with securities law?

taking-a-stand-for-a-better-internet

Taking a stand for a better internet

<div class="article-published-date" style="gap: 3px; color: rgb(18, 18, 18); flex-direction: row; max-width: 720px; margin-bottom: 60px; margin-left: 32px; margin-right: 32px; font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; display: flex;"><div>Published</div><div>April 2, 2024</div></div><div fs-richtext-element="rich-text" class="article-body-wrapper w-richtext" style="color: rgb(4, 17, 29); max-width: 720px; margin-left: 32px; margin-right: 32px; font-family: Poppins, sans-serif; font-size: 15.36px;"><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">We're excited to announce that creators can now use ERC721-C from&nbsp;<a href="https://limitbreak.com/index.html" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Limit Break</a>&nbsp;to set and enforce their own creator earnings on Debit My Data.</p><h2 id="what-is-erc721-c" style="margin-bottom: 40px; font-weight: bold; font-size: 32px; line-height: 1.25em; letter-spacing: -1px; font-family: Inter, sans-serif;">What is ERC721-C?</h2><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">ERC721-C is a standard that enables creators to implement programmable and enforceable creator earnings on-chain. It also allows creators to implement custom logic within their collections, opening up new avenues to engage their communities in innovative ways. For more information on ERC721-C, go&nbsp;<a href="https://erc721c.com/docs/integration-guide/creator-token-standards/overview" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">here</a>.</p><h2 id="how-does-it-work" style="margin-bottom: 40px; font-weight: bold; font-size: 32px; line-height: 1.25em; letter-spacing: -1px; font-family: Inter, sans-serif;">How does it work?</h2><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">Two weeks ago, we launched a new version of our marketplace protocol, Seaport v1.6, and introduced a concept called Seaport Hooks. Simply put, Seaport Hooks allow creators to set conditions that need to be fulfilled before NFTs in their collections can be transferred. This new functionality enables creators to do a lot of cool things, including “adapting” Seaport to be compatible with the creator fee enforcement mechanism of the ERC721-C standard. For more information on what else you can do with Seaport 1.6 and Seaport Hooks, check out our&nbsp;<a href="https://opensea.io/blog/articles/introducing-seaport-1-6" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">recent blog post.</a></p><h2 id="who-is-eligible-" style="margin-bottom: 40px; font-weight: bold; font-size: 32px; line-height: 1.25em; letter-spacing: -1px; font-family: Inter, sans-serif;">Who is eligible?&nbsp;</h2><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">In order to leverage the 721-C compatibility hook, an NFT smart contract must already adhere to the 721-C standard or be upgradeable to one. The owner of that smart contract&nbsp;<strong>must</strong>&nbsp;then configure 721-C compatibility in the Debit My Data Creator Studio — 721-C contracts, by default, will not be purchasable on Debit My Data (with or without creator earnings) otherwise.</p><h2 id="what-do-i-have-to-do" style="margin-bottom: 40px; font-weight: bold; font-size: 32px; line-height: 1.25em; letter-spacing: -1px; font-family: Inter, sans-serif;">What do I&nbsp;have to do?</h2><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;"><strong>I’m using Debit My Data Studio to create my collection</strong></p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">If you’re launching a new collection using Debit My Data Studio, it takes just a couple clicks to implement this creator earnings enforcement method in your collection settings. After you’ve deployed your contract in Studio, click&nbsp;<strong>Set creator earnings</strong>.&nbsp;</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">Set your earnings percentage and recipient address by clicking&nbsp;<strong>Add earnings payout address and percentage</strong>. Then, you can enforce them on Debit My Data sales by clicking&nbsp;<strong>Turn on enforced earnings</strong>. You’ll be prompted to complete a signature request in your wallet.&nbsp;</p><div><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">If you deployed your Debit My Data Studio smart contract before 10:00am PST<strong>&nbsp;</strong>on April 2nd, 2024, you can set optional earnings in your settings, but won’t have the option to enforce your earnings.&nbsp;</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;"><strong>I’m deploying an ERC721-C or ERC1155-C compatible custom smart contract</strong></p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">After you've deployed an ERC721-C or ERC1155-C compatible contract, or upgraded your existing contract, you can configure your earnings on Debit My Data in your collection settings.&nbsp;</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">Navigate to&nbsp;<a href="https://opensea.io/studio" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Debit My Data Studio</a>&nbsp;and select&nbsp;<strong>Edit details</strong>&nbsp;for the collection you’d like to update your earnings</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">In the&nbsp;<strong>Earnings</strong>&nbsp;tab, set your earnings percentage and recipient address by clicking&nbsp;<strong>Add earnings payout address and percentage</strong>. Then, you can enforce them on Debit My Data sales by clicking&nbsp;<strong>Turn on enforced earnings</strong>. You’ll be prompted to complete a signature request in your wallet.&nbsp;</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">If you don’t see the option to enforce your earnings, this means your smart contract isn’t compatible with ERC721-C/1155-C, but you’ll still be able to set optional creator earnings.</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">If your smart contract is upgradeable, visit our&nbsp;<a href="https://docs.opensea.io/docs/creator-fee-enforcement" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Developer Docs</a>&nbsp;for technical information about how to make your contract compatible. After you’ve upgraded your contract, you’ll be able to enforce your earnings in your collection settings on Debit My Data.&nbsp;</p><h2 id="why-now-" style="margin-bottom: 40px; font-weight: bold; font-size: 32px; line-height: 1.25em; letter-spacing: -1px; font-family: Inter, sans-serif; color: rgb(4, 17, 29);">Why now?&nbsp;</h2><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">The “hook” capabilities unlocked by Seaport 1.6, such as ERC721-C compatibility, are uniquely enabled by the recent March 13th Dencun upgrade to the Ethereum network.</p><h2 id="anything-else-to-know-" style="margin-bottom: 40px; font-weight: bold; font-size: 32px; line-height: 1.25em; letter-spacing: -1px; font-family: Inter, sans-serif; color: rgb(4, 17, 29);">Anything else to know?&nbsp;</h2><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">This fee enforcement method makes your NFT collection on Debit My Data compatible with&nbsp;<a href="https://medium.com/limit-break/introducing-erc721-c-a-new-standard-for-enforceable-on-chain-programmable-royalties-defaa127410" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">ERC721-C</a>. As such, if you enforce your creator earnings according to the steps above, sales will only be supported on Debit My Data and other marketplaces powered by<a href="https://medium.com/limit-break/introducing-erc721-c-payment-processor-a-game-changing-nft-marketplace-protocol-355b840dfd5d" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">&nbsp;LimitBreak’s Payment Processor</a>, which at time of writing includes Magic Eden.</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">You can manually allowlist other marketplaces as you see fit, but Debit My Data will employ “earnings matching” to help ensure that collectors are not unfairly disadvantaged on our site if creator earnings are set at different levels across other NFT marketplaces. Learn more in the&nbsp;<a href="https://support.opensea.io/en/articles/8867026-how-do-i-set-creator-earnings-on-opensea" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">FAQ in our Help Center article</a>.<br></p><h2 id="to-conclude" style="margin-bottom: 40px; font-weight: bold; font-size: 32px; line-height: 1.25em; letter-spacing: -1px; font-family: Inter, sans-serif; color: rgb(4, 17, 29);">To conclude</h2><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">We’d like to thank the&nbsp;<a href="https://limitbreak.com/index.html" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Limit Break</a>&nbsp;team for their work and collaboration in supporting ERC721-C compatibility with Seaport 1.6. If you have further questions, please reach out to our&nbsp;<a href="https://support.opensea.io/en/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Support Team</a>.</p></div></div>

We're excited to announce that creators can now use ERC721-C from Limit Break to set and enforce their own creator earnings on Debit My Data.

creator-earnings-erc721-c-compatibility-on-opensea

Creator earnings: ERC721-C Compatibility  on Debit My Data

<div class="article-published-date" style="gap: 3px; color: rgb(18, 18, 18); flex-direction: row; max-width: 720px; margin-bottom: 60px; margin-left: 32px; margin-right: 32px; font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; display: flex;"><div>Published</div><div>September 27, 2024</div></div><div fs-richtext-element="rich-text" class="article-body-wrapper w-richtext" style="color: rgb(4, 17, 29); max-width: 720px; margin-left: 32px; margin-right: 32px;"><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">What happens when you fuse tech-enabled hoodies with one of the rarest CryptoPunks? For&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/MinnieMuse_eth" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Colby Mugrabi</a>, founder and CEO of the neo-couture brand&nbsp;<a href="https://mmerch.xyz/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">mmERCH</a>, it’s a next-level luxury streetwear drop destined to impress&nbsp;<a href="https://opensea.io/learn/web3/what-is-web3" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">web3’s</a>&nbsp;most enthusiastic collectors.</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">From September 25 to October 2, mmERCH is collaborating with Austrian crystal company&nbsp;<a href="https://www.swarovski.com/en-US/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Swarovski</a>&nbsp;and digital artist&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/ClaireSilver12" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Claire Silver</a>&nbsp;on a collection of hoodies inspired by&nbsp;<a href="https://opensea.io/assets/ethereum/0xb47e3cd837ddf8e4c57f05d70ab865de6e193bbb/8348" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Punk #8348</a>, the only CryptoPunk with&nbsp;<a href="https://opensea.io/collection/cryptopunks?search[stringTraits][0][name]=accessory&amp;search[stringTraits][0][values][0]=7%20attributes" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">seven traits</a>. Daniel Maegaard, known by his alias “<a href="https://x.com/seedphrase" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Seedphrase</a>,” owns this iconic Punk. He’s an art collector and investor, who Mugrabi describes as a “dear friend” with a deep connection to luxury and physical art.</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">Since&nbsp;<a href="https://etherscan.io/tx/0x03299c0dae61d49457481223f9a243ae0656dd8c39d897f6421ca19e98857734" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">buying</a>&nbsp;Punk #8348 in May 2020 for just under $18,000, Seedphrase has popularized the avatar’s image as part of his personal brand. He’s even been known to don a life-size mask of the Punk and&nbsp;<a href="https://decrypt.co/148476/cryptopunk-dj-seedphrase-signs-to-wme-plans-to-release-music" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">DJ in character</a>&nbsp;alongside&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/steveaoki" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Steve Aoki</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/diplo" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Diplo</a>.</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">“It just felt like a natural fit,” Mugrabi told Debit My Data. "Seedphrase is not only an advisor and investor in mmERCH, but honestly one of the most respected figures in the space, both as a collector and a champion of&nbsp;<a href="https://opensea.io/learn/nft/art-nfts" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">digital art</a>."</p><div><h2 id="the-partnership-between-mmerch-and-seedphrase-began-with-an-autoglyph" style="margin-bottom: 40px; font-weight: bold; font-size: 32px; line-height: 1.25em; letter-spacing: -1px; font-family: Inter, sans-serif; color: rgb(4, 17, 29);">The partnership between mmERCH and Seedphrase began with an Autoglyph</h2><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">The partnership between Seedphrase and mmERCH first sparked in March 2024. The company&nbsp;<a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240314922365/en/mmERCH-Secures-6.4m-in-Seed-Investment-to-Further-Blockchain-Enabled-1-of-1-Clothing-Collections" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">had just raised</a>&nbsp;$6.4 million in investor funding and was gearing up for a highly visible launch of its genesis drop,&nbsp;<a href="https://opensea.io/collection/mmerchegg" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Egg Collection</a>. Seedphrase gave Mugrabi permission to print his&nbsp;<a href="https://opensea.io/collection/autoglyphs" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Autoglyph</a>, a work based on the on-chain generative art project by CryptoPunks creator&nbsp;<a href="https://larvalabs.com/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">LarvaLabs</a>, at the launch party in April. Those early conversations opened the door for more collaboration, and before ever meeting in person they shared early prototypes of what became the Punk #8348 hoodies.&nbsp;</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">Next, the pair met in person during&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nft.nyc/365" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">NFT NYC</a>. “We had a few meetings while he was in town, going over ideas and prototypes,” said Mugrabi. “Things just kind of blossomed from there.” As a fellow CryptoPunk owner herself (Mugrabi is the proud holder of&nbsp;<a href="https://opensea.io/assets/ethereum/0xb47e3cd837ddf8e4c57f05d70ab865de6e193bbb/954" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Punk #954</a>), she enthusiastically welcomed the challenge of designing a hoodie based on the ultra-rare seven-attribute Punk.&nbsp;</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">"Seedphrase’s Punk is such a big part of his identity, both in the&nbsp;<a href="https://opensea.io/learn/nft/what-are-nfts" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">NFT</a>&nbsp;space and as a DJ," she noted. "We wanted to abstract elements of his Punk and present them in a way that reflects his personality both digitally and in real life while keeping everything streamlined and rooted in quiet luxury."</p></div><div><h2 id="the-collections-seven-colors-were-inspired-by-punk-8348s-palette" style="margin-bottom: 40px; font-weight: bold; font-size: 32px; line-height: 1.25em; letter-spacing: -1px; font-family: Inter, sans-serif; color: rgb(4, 17, 29);">The collection’s seven colors were inspired by Punk #8348’s palette</h2><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">Mugrabi and mmERCH’s design team extracted the color palette from Seedphrase’s iconic Punk to design a look that passes the test of even the most tried and true web3 collectors. There’s a reason for everyone to feel good in these hoodies, which feature seven distinct hues assembled in colorways mirroring the Punk's design. In comparison to mmERCH’s first drop, which featured six hoodie traits (the hood, the body, the pocket, each arm, and the bands), Mugrabi and the team added one new element to this collection to reflect the rarity of the Punk's seven traits.</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">"We added a drawstring to the hood as the seventh trait," she explained.&nbsp;</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">This second drop has also given mmERCH the chance to refine its curatorial process. Mugrabi noted that one of the key lessons from the first collection is that, unlike with&nbsp;<a href="https://opensea.io/learn/nft/what-are-profile-picture-nfts" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">PFP</a>&nbsp;artwork, for which demand is most often correlated with rarity, fashion items are also valued based on their look and design. In the first drop, Mugrabi observed that collectors wanted to purchase the hoodie they could see themselves wearing, not necessarily which color was rarer.&nbsp;</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">With this insight, the mmERCH team restructured the new drop to ensure that every output reflects what Mugrabi calls a “core style.” Each has varying degrees of rarity baked in, but every design is intentional and well-curated. In short, these styles are looks you’ll want to wear out and about. The drop features nine core styles: Monochrome, Hoodie, Righty, Bundled, Trilogy, Diptych, Lefty, Varsity, and Decentralized. Each of the seven colors appears once as a monochrome hoodie.&nbsp;</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">In total, there are 322 outputs, corresponding to 322 hoodies available for purchase. Each is made with hand-dyed Italian neoprene produced in a mill neighboring Lake Como, then cut and assembled in mmERCH’s Los Angeles factory.&nbsp;</p><h2 id="swarovski-crystals-add-a-touch-of-luxury-to-the-hoodies" style="margin-bottom: 40px; font-weight: bold; font-size: 32px; line-height: 1.25em; letter-spacing: -1px; font-family: Inter, sans-serif; color: rgb(4, 17, 29);">Swarovski crystals add a touch of luxury to the hoodies</h2><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">For 22 special, ultra-luxe designs, mmERCH added Swarovski crystals to the drawstring cord ends. This feature appears on just 7% of the entire collection.&nbsp;</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">"Since the drawstring is the seventh trait, we wanted to highlight it," Mugrabi said. The color of each cord end is inspired by a specific trait of Seedphrase’s Punk. Seven cord ends are red and black, reflecting the Punk’s top hat, six are amber and tangerine&nbsp; for the glasses, four are white and orange like the cigarette, three are yellow for the earring, and two are uncolored stones to match the buck teeth. While most cord ends are made of Swarovski crystals, the buck-teeth design is made with real diamonds handset in 14-carat white gold.</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">Here’s where the fun begins: To cater to collectors who don’t want to leave their purchase to chance, mmERCH partnered with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.christies.com/en" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Christie’s</a>&nbsp;to auction off five of the ultra-luxe hoodies. "This is a great way to test which distribution method collectors prefer,” said Mugrabi. “We’ll find out whether collectors like the auction where they can choose their output, or if they still prefer the gamification and element of chance in a public&nbsp;<a href="https://opensea.io/learn/nft/what-is-minting-nft" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">mint</a>."</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;"><div class="w-embed w-script" style="font-family: Poppins, sans-serif; font-size: 15.36px;"></div></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 40px !important; font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 36px; color: rgb(4, 17, 29); font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">The auction went live on September 25. Just one of the diamond hoodies will be sold through Christie's and the other will be included in the public mint.&nbsp;</p><h2 id="claire-silvers-exclusive-artwork-makes-the-collection-stand-out" style="margin-bottom: 40px; font-weight: bold; font-size: 32px; line-height: 1.25em; letter-spacing: -1px; font-family: Inter, sans-serif; color: rgb(4, 17, 29);">Claire Silver’s exclusive artwork makes the collection stand out</h2><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">The inventive AI-assisted artist Claire Silver — who’s also in the Punk family as the owner of&nbsp;<a href="https://opensea.io/assets/ethereum/0xb47e3cd837ddf8e4c57f05d70ab865de6e193bbb/1629" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Punk #1629</a>&nbsp;— also plays a central role in this upcoming mmERCH drop.&nbsp;</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">“When I think of the pink-haired punks, I definitely think of Claire,” said Mugrabi. “She is incredibly talented and has such a deep understanding of the space.”&nbsp;</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">Each of the five hoodies auctioned at Christie’s will come with a 1-of-1 artwork by Silver. The works will be revealed during the claim window in which holders redeem their physical garments.&nbsp;</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;"><div class="w-embed w-script" style="font-family: Poppins, sans-serif; font-size: 15.36px;"></div></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 40px !important; font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 36px; color: rgb(4, 17, 29); font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Additionally, Silver created nine edition works that correspond with each hoodie style and will accompany the physical clothing items as minted NFTs. All of the artwork depicts figures wearing the new owners’ respective hoodie.</p><h2 id="mark-your-calendar-key-dates-for-the-mint-and-public-sale" style="margin-bottom: 40px; font-weight: bold; font-size: 32px; line-height: 1.25em; letter-spacing: -1px; font-family: Inter, sans-serif; color: rgb(4, 17, 29);">Mark your calendar: Key dates for the mint and public sale</h2><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">The full mmERCH x Seedphrase collection is currently live and visible on the mmERCH website. From September 25 to October 2, Christie’s will auction off the five ultra-luxe hoodies, including one with the Swarovski-created diamond bucktooth cord ends. The allowlist mint for the remaining hoodies opens on October 1 at 10 a.m. ET and closes October 2, at 10 a.m. ET. Then, the public mint will open at 11 a.m. ET.</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">Shortly after the collection mints out, artwork will be revealed and the claim window for physical hoodies will open up until October 18 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Production of the claimed hoodies will begin on October 21, and shipping is estimated to start in early December.</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">Mugrabi emphasized that every part of the collection, down to the rarest pieces, is designed to resonate with the Punk and mmERCH communities, while redefining what sustainability in fashion could look like with the aid of technology.&nbsp;</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">“Technology is at the core of everything mmERCH does,” said Mugrabi. “It touches everything.”</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">In fact, technology shines particularly bright with the hoodies’ unique NFC chip feature which converts the garments into wearable wallets with perks. For instance, genesis hoodie holders could scan their garment’s NFC chip to RSVP for the collection’s kickoff party in New York City on September 24. Attendees who wore their hoodies also received a commemorative experience token from the event.</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">With this tech-first, quiet-luxury mindset, Mugrabi is proving that when you combine a touch of Swarovski with a dash of CryptoPunk, it’s possible you’re not only making hoodies — but also history.</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;"><br></p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;"><br></p></div></div>

mmERCH and Seedphrase have teamed up with Swarovski® Crystals and prolific AI-collaborative artist Claire Silver to create a one-of-a-kind CryptoPunk-inspired hoodie collection.

inside-mmerchs-generative-hoodie-drop-with-seedphrase-swarovski-crystals-and-claire-silver

Inside mmERCH’s Generative Hoodie Drop with Seedphrase, Swarovski Crystals and Claire Silver

KOR Protocol is a decentralized intellectual property (IP) platform designed to help creators protect and monetize their work.

in-conversation-with-inder-phull-of-pixelyn

In Conversation with Inder Phull of Pixelyn

<div class="article-published-date" style="gap: 3px; color: rgb(18, 18, 18); flex-direction: row; max-width: 720px; margin-bottom: 60px; margin-left: 32px; margin-right: 32px; font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; display: flex;"><div>Published</div><div>October 1, 2024</div></div><div fs-richtext-element="rich-text" class="article-body-wrapper w-richtext" style="color: rgb(4, 17, 29); max-width: 720px; margin-left: 32px; margin-right: 32px; font-family: Poppins, sans-serif; font-size: 15.36px;"><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">What if managing a virtual football club could give it lasting staying power? That’s exactly what&nbsp;<a href="http://footium.club/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Footium</a>, a multiplayer sports management game powered by&nbsp;<a href="https://opensea.io/learn/blockchain/what-is-blockchain" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">blockchain technology</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://opensea.io/learn/nft/what-are-nfts" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">NFT</a>&nbsp;ownership, aims to deliver.</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">After graduating from its closed beta in August 2024, the game is ready to challenge established favorites in the football management genre to create a game with long-term appeal. What began as a university hackathon project has grown into a thriving community of over 1,000 players, proving the demand for a new approach with deeper fan engagement. Seeking to shake up its category, the&nbsp;<a href="https://opensea.io/learn/web3/what-is-web3" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">web3</a>&nbsp;sports management simulation offers a more social setting that brings fun to online competition, with a rewards system that keeps players coming back.</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">Founded in 2020 by classmates&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/georgebenton247" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">George Benton</a>&nbsp;(CEO),&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/logiclogue" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Jordan Lord</a>&nbsp;(CTO), and&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/jamesoleary32" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">James O'Leary</a>&nbsp;(CFO), Footium is gearing up to dominate the football management space by offering better in-game incentives, digital ownership and a community-driven experience where virtual football club owners compete for league supremacy.&nbsp;</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">In this way, Footium raises the stakes for players by creating a virtual arena in which every club’s history gets recorded on blockchain. When playing Footium, you’ll know your every decision shapes your club’s long-term legacy, impacting your status among fellow players.</p><h3 id="footiums-origin-story" style="font-weight: bold; margin-top: 0px; line-height: 1.75em; font-family: Inter, sans-serif;">Footium’s origin story</h3><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">Footium’s roots can be traced back to late 2016, when Benton, now the company's CEO and co-founder, was a university student with a keen interest in finance and technology. His journey into the world of&nbsp;<a href="https://opensea.io/learn/web3/what-is-cryptocurrency" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">cryptocurrencies</a>&nbsp;began when he joined his university's investment club and opted to focus on Bitcoin trading in its virtual portfolio.</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">This initial exposure to cryptocurrencies sparked a passion that would shape Benton's career trajectory. He immersed himself in the crypto world, starting the first cryptocurrency club at the University of Leeds in 2017. Over the next few years, Benton gained valuable experience through internships at various crypto companies and worked at a web3 accelerator where he ran hackathons and managed operations.</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">“It’s been good fun to see the crypto space evolve from the wild days of ICOs [initial coin offerings] to real products now that are actually usable,” said Benton. “I’m proud to be a part of this moment where blockchain can power the next era of gaming.”</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">At the time, Benton and his classmates shared a similar frustration with existing football management games. They found that single-player games became predictable and easy to exploit, while multiplayer versions often lacked proper incentives and fair competition, often forcing players into matchups with much more powerful opponents. Footium started as a side project to remedy these issues and gradually evolved into a full-time pursuit as the team&nbsp;<a href="https://medium.com/footium/announcing-footiums-3-35m-seed-round-c43242fd5a31" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">secured seed funding</a>&nbsp;in March 2022.</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">“There simply wasn’t a clean fix for these problems with the football management genre,” said Benton. “In our case, we actually found that most of the problems could be solved by using blockchain to add real incentives and transparency within these games, not just a means for spinning up a currency."</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">Footium utilizes the&nbsp;<a href="https://opensea.io/learn/blockchain/what-is-arbitrum" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Arbitrum blockchain</a>&nbsp;to produce verifiable results for game outcomes and trades and create a clear track record for all the ownable elements of the game, simultaneously mitigating the opportunity for exploits of the gameplay and creating a transparent reward system for players to engage with.</p><h3 id="footium-makes-players-the-managers" style="font-weight: bold; margin-top: 0px; line-height: 1.75em; font-family: Inter, sans-serif; color: rgb(4, 17, 29);">Footium makes players the managers</h3><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">Footium is a multiplayer blockchain-based football management&nbsp;<a href="https://opensea.io/learn/nft/gaming-nfts" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">game</a>&nbsp;that allows players to own and manage their virtual football clubs, similar to the&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_Manager" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Football Manager franchise</a>, but with ownership of clubs and players secured on-chain. The game is designed to closely mirror the real-world football club ecosystem, with player transfers, youth academies, player retirements, and a competitive league structure.</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">Players compete across eight divisions, with the goal of advancing to higher tiers through strong performances, similar to the English football pyramid’s system of competitive league tiers. Each season consists of 22 matches spread out over three weeks, preceded by a pre-season for owners to strategize, make transfers on Debit My Data, and sign academy players before the competition begins.&nbsp;</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">When games kick off, each match features a 2D visualizer that displays key match events such as shots, goals, and free kicks. The matches are then accompanied by a dynamic commentary stream which provides additional detail about on-field action, adding texture and a sense of action to the strategy-simulation game. Players can then manage their team live during the daily 30-minute matches to try and achieve victory, making calls on plays and lineup changes.</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">As club owners, players are able to recruit procedurally generated players for their lineups with new players becoming available via their club’s youth academy feature, set their lineups for match-ups with opponents, invest in training their players, swap in-game players with other&nbsp;<a href="https://opensea.io/collection/footium-clubs" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Footium club</a>&nbsp;owners on Debit My Data, and, as each player ages a year per in-game season, bid farewell to their players when they eventually retire.</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">One of Footium's unique selling points for players is the in-game clubs’ intellectual property. Rather than licensing existing teams, Footium allows players to create their own intellectual property (IP) with their clubs and develop entirely unique virtual brands with their creations. This approach has fostered a rather creative player base, as&nbsp;<a href="https://opensea.io/collection/footium-players" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Footium players</a>&nbsp;are designing&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/CoroadWanderers/status/1787227231644721562" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">custom physical merchandise</a>, redesigning&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/BraunborCity/status/1826258565788844120" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">club badges</a>, crafting&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/SallCityFC/status/1816118360662253576" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">team chants</a>&nbsp;using AI tools, and even&nbsp;<a href="https://www.foronashamstanley.com/digital-collectibles" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">minting NFT tickets</a>&nbsp;to commemorate significant matches — all based on the in-game clubs using player-created IP.</p><h3 id="footiums-economic-simulation-demands-a-shrewd-football-strategy" style="font-weight: bold; margin-top: 0px; line-height: 1.75em; font-family: Inter, sans-serif; color: rgb(4, 17, 29);">Footium’s economic simulation demands a shrewd football strategy</h3><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">Because Footium's gameplay lets players transform 2D players into digital items that can be bought and sold, fans get to live out the experience of a real-life football club owner in Footium. Its setup simulates the team-management economy and forces strategic decisions from the beginning. Each club in Footium is represented by an NFT, which grants the owner access to the game and the ability to manage their team.</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">Even the in-game player lifecycle in Footium mirrors that of real-world football: Each season, clubs can scout up to five randomly generated prospects from their youth academy. Managers can then choose to mint these prospects as NFTs, paying a fee in&nbsp;<a href="https://opensea.io/learn/blockchain/what-is-ethereum" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">ETH</a>&nbsp;to bring them into the active squad. Players age with each passing season until they eventually retire at age 32, at which point they can no longer be used in matches but will remain as collectible NFTs.</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">“We aimed to build a system that felt fair and still closely mirrored the realities of managing a football club,” said Benton, adding that even though Argentina forward Lionel Messi is “out there defying the odds at his age,” retiring players lends better velocity to the game economy.&nbsp;</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">“Players will always need to effectively manage their squads across seasons to stay competitive,” Benton explained.</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">Footium has recently introduced a rarity system for players, with common, bronze, silver, and gold tiers. Rarer players have higher potential but still require proper training and management to reach their peak performance, adding depth to the player market and team-building strategies.</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">The game's economy is designed to be self-sustaining and rewarding for skilled managers. Prize pools are funded by fees collected from&nbsp;<a href="https://opensea.io/learn/nft/what-is-minting-nft" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">minting</a>&nbsp;new players and swapping existing ones. Benton says that 90% of these collected fees are redistributed to players as prizes for winning their leagues, with the remaining 10% serving as company revenue. This model ensures that successful managers can earn rewards for their efforts, while also providing a sustainable business model for Footium.</p><h3 id="whats-coming-next-for-footium-fans" style="font-weight: bold; margin-top: 0px; line-height: 1.75em; font-family: Inter, sans-serif; color: rgb(4, 17, 29);">What’s coming next for Footium fans</h3><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">Currently, there are only 3,060 clubs available for players to collect and operate, but the team plans to expand the pool by adding new clubs to new divisions at the bottom of the league pyramid as the player base grows.</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">As Footium progresses beyond its recent closed beta, the team is focused on growing the player base and refining the gaming experience, which has already demonstrated traction. Compared to in-app spenders in leading mobile games, Benton says Footium’s retention rates are in the top 2%.</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">Meanwhile, in the short term, Footium is preparing to fully launch its reward system with the arrival of Season 1, which went live in August 2024. Further out, the Footium team is looking to tackle the broader ecosystem of football gamers who’ve been playing titles like Football Manager or FIFA Ultimate Team.</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">“I truly believe that we have the right formula of social, gameplay, rewards, and ownership that can address the mass market,” said Benton. “It has been a challenging journey building Footium to this point due to the novel obstacles we have had to overcome, but seeing the players enjoying the game so much is extremely rewarding for the entire Footium team.”</p></div>

Footium, a multiplayer sports management game powered by blockchain technology and NFT ownership, is redefining the football management genre.

footiums-fresh-take-on-the-sports-management-gaming-genre

Footium’s Fresh Take on the Sports Management Gaming Genre

<p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; color: rgb(4, 17, 29); margin-bottom: 40px !important;">Blue Cat and your favorite&nbsp;<a href="https://opensea.io/collection/cool-cats-nft" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Cool Cats</a>&nbsp;characters are getting an animated series. On September 24, the popular&nbsp;<a href="https://opensea.io/learn/nft/what-are-profile-picture-nfts" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">PFP</a>&nbsp;collection released the trailer for Season 1 of its new show, “The Milk Chug,” on X. This 13-episode series premiered on the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@CoolCatsGlobal" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Cool Cats YouTube channel</a>&nbsp;on September 26.</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; color: rgb(4, 17, 29); margin-bottom: 40px !important;">Developed in collaboration with animation studio&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/TitmouseInc" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Titmouse</a>, “The Milk Chug’ showcases a voice cast brimming with Hollywood talent.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/childish_gamzeno/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Zeno Robinson</a>&nbsp;(<em>Dragon Ball Super, The Owl House</em>) stars as Blue Cat, while the supporting crew of Cool Cat friends is voiced by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/thatdanstevens" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Dan Stevens</a>&nbsp;(<em>Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, Cuckoo),&nbsp;</em><a href="https://www.instagram.com/magslawslawson/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Maggie Lawson</a>&nbsp;(<em>Psych, Lethal Weapon</em>) and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/natashaleggero/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Natasha Leggero</a>&nbsp;(<em>Ugly Americans, Another Period)</em>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/dan-stevens-the-milk-chug-animated-series-1236010553/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">others</a>.&nbsp;<br><br></p><h2 id="bad-egg-co-partners-with-panini-for-web3-physical-trading-cards" style="margin-bottom: 40px; font-weight: bold; font-size: 32px; line-height: 1.25em; letter-spacing: -1px; font-family: Inter, sans-serif; color: rgb(4, 17, 29);">Bad Egg Co. partners with Panini for web3 physical trading cards</h2><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; color: rgb(4, 17, 29); margin-bottom: 40px !important;">The&nbsp;<a href="https://opensea.io/learn/nft/what-are-nfts" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">NFT</a>&nbsp;collectibles brand&nbsp;<a href="https://opensea.io/collection/bad-egg-co" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Bad Egg</a>&nbsp;has teamed up with leading trading card producer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.paniniamerica.net/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Panini America</a>&nbsp;to launch a collection of physical cards linked to the digital collection. Panini America is best known for its NFL, NBA, FIFA, Disney, and Marvel trading card collections, making its collaboration with Bad Egg a historic first step into&nbsp;<a href="https://opensea.io/learn/web3/what-is-web3" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">web3</a>&nbsp;tech.&nbsp;</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; color: rgb(4, 17, 29); margin-bottom: 40px !important;"></p><div class="w-embed w-script" style="font-family: Poppins, sans-serif; font-size: 19.12px;"></div><p></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 40px !important; font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 36px; color: rgb(4, 17, 29); font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">As Bad Egg described in its<span>&nbsp;</span><a href="https://x.com/BadEggCompany/status/1838940888136868315" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">X announcement,</a><span>&nbsp;</span>this partnership puts Bad Egg, a web3-native brand, before a global audience via Panini America’s existing relationships with retailers like<span>&nbsp;</span><a href="https://x.com/Walmart" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">Walmart</a><span>&nbsp;</span>and<span>&nbsp;</span><a href="https://x.com/Target" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">Target</a>.</p><h2 id="museum-of-ai-arts-dataland-opening-in-los-angeles-california" style="margin-bottom: 40px; font-weight: bold; font-size: 32px; line-height: 1.25em; letter-spacing: -1px; font-family: Inter, sans-serif; color: rgb(4, 17, 29);">Museum of AI Arts — Dataland, opening in Los Angeles, California</h2><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; line-height: 25.2px; color: rgb(4, 17, 29); margin-bottom: 20px !important;"><a href="https://x.com/refikanadol" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Refik Anadol</a>, a new media artist best known for his innovative use of AI in creating data-driven art, announced on September 24 that he’s opening the world’s first museum of AI art. The museum, named “<a href="https://www.dataland.art/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Dataland</a>,” will occupy 20,000 square feet of space inside&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thegrandla.com/about" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">The Grand LA</a>, a contemporary multi-use development in downtown Los Angeles that opened in July 2022.</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; line-height: 25.2px; color: rgb(4, 17, 29); margin-bottom: 20px !important;">Anadol’s Dataland announcement hit during the same week of his&nbsp;<a href="https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/blog/2024/09/press-release-large-nature-model-coral-unga-exhibit/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">exhibition</a>&nbsp;at the United Nations headquarters during&nbsp;<a href="https://www.un.org/en/summit-of-the-future" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Summit of the Future 2024</a>. His installation, “Large Nature Model: Coral” uses a data set of 100 million coral reef images to highlight environmental conservation and the role of technology in addressing climate challenges.</p><h2 id="soulbound-unveils-web3-livestreaming-at-twitchcon" style="margin-bottom: 40px; font-weight: bold; font-size: 32px; line-height: 1.25em; letter-spacing: -1px; font-family: Inter, sans-serif; color: rgb(4, 17, 29);">Soulbound unveils Web3 livestreaming at TwitchCon</h2><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; line-height: 25.2px; color: rgb(4, 17, 29); margin-bottom: 20px !important;">On September 20, web3 social gaming company&nbsp;<a href="https://soulbound.gg/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Soulbound</a>&nbsp;introduced its new&nbsp;<a href="https://opensea.io/learn/blockchain/what-is-blockchain" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">blockchain</a>-based streaming platform at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.twitchcon.com/san-diego-2025/?utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fsearch.brave.com%2F" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">TwitchCon 2024</a>. As reported by&nbsp;<a href="https://venturebeat.com/game-development/soulbound-unveils-web3-livestreaming-at-twitchcon/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">VentureBeat</a>, the platform provides streamers and creators with enhanced tools to grow and monetize their audiences.&nbsp;</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; line-height: 25.2px; color: rgb(4, 17, 29); margin-bottom: 20px !important;">Soulbound’s features include automated transactions, prize pools managed by&nbsp;<a href="https://opensea.io/learn/blockchain/what-is-a-smart-contract" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">smart contracts</a>, and an NFT sticker marketplace designed to boost fan engagement.</p><h2 id="doodles-drops-its-first-ever-digital-comic-exclusively-for-og-holders" style="margin-bottom: 40px; font-weight: bold; font-size: 32px; line-height: 1.25em; letter-spacing: -1px; font-family: Inter, sans-serif; color: rgb(4, 17, 29);">Doodles drops its first-ever digital comic exclusively for OG holders</h2><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; line-height: 25.2px; color: rgb(4, 17, 29); margin-bottom: 20px !important;"><a href="https://x.com/doodles" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Doodles</a>&nbsp;just dropped&nbsp;<em>The Legend of Rubikron,</em>&nbsp;a whimsical digital comic that serves as a prequel to Captain Stoke’s adventures in the colorful animated film,&nbsp;<em>Dullsville and the Doodleverse.&nbsp;</em>The digital comic went out<em>&nbsp;</em>to OG holders who snagged a limited-edition&nbsp;<a href="https://rubiks.doodles.app/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Rubik’s Pack</a>&nbsp;during the sale running from September 18 to 20.</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; line-height: 25.2px; color: rgb(4, 17, 29); margin-bottom: 20px !important;">The comic expands the&nbsp;<em>Doodleverse</em>&nbsp;storyline and unlocks rare wearables, plus a chance to score a 1-of-1, 20-carat Diamond Rubik’s Cube by high-end jewelry brand&nbsp;<a href="https://eliantte.com/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Elliot Eliantte</a>.</p><h2 id="larva-labs-autoglyph-30-hits-auction-block-to-support-ocean-conservation-" style="margin-bottom: 40px; font-weight: bold; font-size: 32px; line-height: 1.25em; letter-spacing: -1px; font-family: Inter, sans-serif; color: rgb(4, 17, 29);">Larva Labs’ Autoglyph 30 hits auction block to support ocean conservation&nbsp;</h2><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; line-height: 25.2px; color: rgb(4, 17, 29); margin-bottom: 20px !important;"><a href="https://x.com/larvalabs" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Larva Labs</a>&nbsp;will auction&nbsp;<a href="https://opensea.io/assets/ethereum/0xd4e4078ca3495de5b1d4db434bebc5a986197782/30" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Autoglyph #30</a>&nbsp;on September 26 at&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/FairWarningArt" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Fair Warning</a>, an invite-only digital auction house that showcases rare art. The&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/CozomoMedici/status/1836491938276761979" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">proceeds</a>&nbsp;will benefit&nbsp;<a href="https://oceana.org/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Oceana</a>, a nonprofit organization that fights plastic pollution in the world’s oceans.</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; line-height: 25.2px; color: rgb(4, 17, 29); margin-bottom: 20px !important;">As the creators of&nbsp;<a href="https://opensea.io/collection/cryptopunks" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">CryptoPunks</a>, Larva Labs introduced the 512-item “<a href="https://opensea.io/collection/autoglyphs" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Autoglyphs</a>” collection in 2019 as one of the first generative art NFT projects. Today,&nbsp;<a href="https://opensea.io/assets/ethereum/0xd4e4078ca3495de5b1d4db434bebc5a986197782/25" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Autoglyph #25</a>&nbsp;is part of the permanent collection at the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.centrepompidou.fr/en/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Centre Pompidou</a>&nbsp;in Paris, while&nbsp;<a href="https://opensea.io/assets/ethereum/0xd4e4078ca3495de5b1d4db434bebc5a986197782/115" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Autoglyph #115</a>&nbsp;is on display in the&nbsp;<a href="https://whitney.org/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Whitney Museum</a>&nbsp;in New York City.</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; line-height: 25.2px; color: rgb(4, 17, 29); margin-bottom: 20px !important;">Autoglyph #30&nbsp;<a href="https://nftnow.com/art/larva-labs-autoglyph-30-fair-warning-oceana-auction/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">is estimated</a>&nbsp;to sell for $150,000 to $200,000.&nbsp;</p><h2 id="ubisoft-completes-its-champions-tactics-technical-beta-and-prepares-for-full-launch" style="margin-bottom: 40px; font-weight: bold; font-size: 32px; line-height: 1.25em; letter-spacing: -1px; font-family: Inter, sans-serif; color: rgb(4, 17, 29);">Ubisoft completes its Champions Tactics technical beta and prepares for full launch</h2><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; line-height: 25.2px; color: rgb(4, 17, 29); margin-bottom: 20px !important;">Game publisher&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ubisoft.com/en-us/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Ubisoft</a>&nbsp;has wrapped up the technical beta for&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/ChampionsVerse?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Champions Tactics: Grimoria Chronicles</a>, which&nbsp;<a href="https://nftinsider.io/champions-tactics-beta/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">ran</a>&nbsp;from September 18 to 23, 2024. The web3 tactical RPG, built on the Oasis&nbsp;<a href="https://opensea.io/learn/blockchain/what-are-layer-2-scaling-solutions" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">layer-two blockchain</a>, allowed players to test its turn-based PvP gameplay using Champion NFTs, a Ubisoft Connect account, and compatible&nbsp;<a href="https://opensea.io/learn/web3/what-is-crypto-wallet" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">web3 wallet</a>.&nbsp;</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; line-height: 25.2px; color: rgb(4, 17, 29); margin-bottom: 20px !important;">Players can expect the full release later in 2024, when, according to the game’s roadmap, Champion Tactics will be unveiled as a free-to-play game. While earned gold from the beta will not carry over to the public launch, Champion NFT and their masteries earned through gameplay will be preserved, along with in-game titles, emotes, and profile pictures.</p><h2 id="sothebys-contemporary-discoveries-sale-spotlights-digital-art-in-beyond-the-canvas-auction" style="margin-bottom: 40px; font-weight: bold; font-size: 32px; line-height: 1.25em; letter-spacing: -1px; font-family: Inter, sans-serif; color: rgb(4, 17, 29);">Sotheby's ‘Contemporary Discoveries’ sale spotlights digital art in ‘Beyond the Canvas’ auction</h2><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; line-height: 25.2px; color: rgb(4, 17, 29); margin-bottom: 20px !important;">The latest Sotheby’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2024/contemporary-discoveries-5?departments%5B0%5D=Contemporary+NFT&amp;locale=en&amp;lotFilter=AllLots" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;"><em>Contemporary Discoveries</em></a><em>&nbsp;</em>auction features some well-known digital artists.&nbsp;</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; line-height: 25.2px; color: rgb(4, 17, 29); margin-bottom: 20px !important;">You’ll likely recognize&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/jeremybooth" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Jeremy Booth</a>, whose bold Wild West style has&nbsp;<a href="https://opensea.io/blog/articles/in-conversation-with-jeremy-booth" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">made an appearance</a>&nbsp;here in the Debit My Data blog. Additionally, a selection from&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/justinaversano" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Justin Aversano</a>’s touching “<a href="https://opensea.io/collection/twinflames" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Twin Flames</a>” collection is up for bid, starting at $8,000 USD.&nbsp;</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; line-height: 25.2px; color: rgb(4, 17, 29); margin-bottom: 20px !important;">Also available is&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/Mad_Dog_Jones" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Mad Dog Jones</a>’ futuristic piece, “<a href="https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2024/contemporary-discoveries-5/forever?locale=en" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Forever</a>,” known for blending cyberpunk aesthetics with philosophical undertones, along with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2024/contemporary-discoveries-5?departments%5B0%5D=Contemporary+NFT&amp;locale=en&amp;lotFilter=AllLots" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">pieces</a>&nbsp;from three more NFT creators among 373 total lots. Bids close on October 2.</p>

Welcome to the Debit My Data digest. Let’s look back through the biggest NFT and web3 news of the week.

this-week-in-web3-and-nfts-cool-cats-autoglyphs-ubisoft--more

This Week in Web3 and NFTs: Cool Cats, Autoglyphs, Ubisoft & more!

<div class="article-published-date" style="gap: 3px; color: rgb(18, 18, 18); flex-direction: row; max-width: 720px; margin-bottom: 60px; margin-left: 32px; margin-right: 32px; font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; display: flex;"><div>Published</div><div>September 19, 2024</div></div><div fs-richtext-element="rich-text" class="article-body-wrapper w-richtext" style="color: rgb(4, 17, 29); max-width: 720px; margin-left: 32px; margin-right: 32px; font-family: Poppins, sans-serif; font-size: 15.36px;"><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">Welcome to the Debit My Data digest. Let’s look back through the biggest NFT and web3 news of the week.</p><h2 id="cozomo-de-medici-acquires-beeples-first-everydays-in-motion-piece" style="margin-bottom: 40px; font-weight: bold; font-size: 32px; line-height: 1.25em; letter-spacing: -1px; font-family: Inter, sans-serif;">Cozomo de’ Medici acquires Beeple’s first ‘Everydays in Motion’ piece</h2><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">Michael Winkelmann — the digital artist more famously known as&nbsp;<a href="https://opensea.io/collection/beeple-everydays" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Beeple</a>&nbsp;— just announced the first acquisition of his new series, “Everydays in Motion.” The collector is none other than&nbsp;<a href="https://opensea.io/learn/nft/art-nfts" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">art</a>&nbsp;influencer Cozomo de’ Medici, who curates an online collection&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cozomomedicicollection.com/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">described</a>&nbsp;as “the defining works of the digital renaissance.”&nbsp;</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">On September 17, the Medici Collection acquired “<a href="https://opensea.io/assets/ethereum/0xf61644c36173a7738df728da07a6a16db86b8b70/1" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">MARCH INTO THE FUCKING LIGHT</a>,” which portrays a man walking through a futuristic landscape and encountering a turquoise light beam. Without hesitation, the avatar advances through the portal and reemerges into a grayscale grid on the other side.</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">Beeple made headlines in 2021 when Christie’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-two-years-historic-beeple-sale-happened-nft-market" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">auctioned</a>&nbsp;his piece, “<a href="https://opensea.io/collection/beeple-5000" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Everydays: The First 5,000 Days</a>,” for $69.3 million. The digital artist has continued creating images every day,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.beeple-crap.com/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">racking up</a>&nbsp;an impressive 6,350 consecutive artworks.</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">The new “Everydays in Motion” series explores more deeply the everyday worlds from Beeple’s images through animation. A total of 67 animated artworks currently exist, representing just 1% of the artist’s full body of work.&nbsp;</p><h2 id="pixelmon-participates-in-token2049-by-establishing-mon-hub" style="margin-bottom: 40px; font-weight: bold; font-size: 32px; line-height: 1.25em; letter-spacing: -1px; font-family: Inter, sans-serif; color: rgb(4, 17, 29);">Pixelmon participates in Token2049 by establishing MON Hub</h2><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;"><a href="https://opensea.io/collection/pixelmongen1" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Pixelmon</a>, the monster-collecting&nbsp;<a href="https://opensea.io/learn/web3/what-is-web3" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">web3</a>&nbsp;game that&nbsp;<a href="https://decrypt.co/110542/nft-game-pixelmon-attempts-comeback-after-70m-horrible-art-reveal" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">crowdsourced $70 million</a>&nbsp;in 2022, made a splash at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.token2049.com/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Token2049</a>&nbsp;this week by launching&nbsp;<a href="https://lu.ma/MONHubOpenHouse20Sept" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">MON Hub</a>, a free open house where visitors played games and kicked off a night of networking.&nbsp;</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">In addition to showcasing the Pixelmon intellectual property (IP), the MON Hub activation invited attendees to try out related gaming titles such as mobile RPG&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/wardensascent" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Warden Ascent,</a>&nbsp;the rogue-like action-adventure&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/pixelmonwont" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Warrior of Nova Thera</a>&nbsp;(where gamers play as Pixelmon avatars), and the multiplayer online battle arena&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/_EternalLeague_" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Eternal League</a>.</p><h2 id="azuki-creator-chiru-labs-buys-animecom" style="margin-bottom: 40px; font-weight: bold; font-size: 32px; line-height: 1.25em; letter-spacing: -1px; font-family: Inter, sans-serif; color: rgb(4, 17, 29);">Azuki creator Chiru Labs buys anime.com</h2><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">Chiru Labs, creator of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.azuki.com/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Azuki</a>&nbsp;brand, surprised the internet with its recent purchase of the&nbsp;<a href="http://anime.com/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">anime.com</a>&nbsp;domain name. The X&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/Azuki/status/1834396583867416704" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">announcement</a>&nbsp;stated the brand is providing “a new way to anime,” ostensibly teasing more to come. Currently, you can visit the new website and join the waitlist to collect limited-edition stickers.&nbsp;</p><h2 id="ccp-games-reveals-new-eve-frontier-space-survival-game" style="margin-bottom: 40px; font-weight: bold; font-size: 32px; line-height: 1.25em; letter-spacing: -1px; font-family: Inter, sans-serif; color: rgb(4, 17, 29);">CCP Games reveals new EVE Frontier space survival game</h2><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">Icelandic game developer CCP Games just announced a new&nbsp;<a href="https://opensea.io/learn/nft/gaming-nfts" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">blockchain-based survival game</a>. Titled&nbsp;<em>EVE Frontier</em>, the game is set in a harsh hypothetical future swarming with feral drones. From the looks of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ccpgames.com/news/2024/awake-eternally-as-ccp-games-reveals-eve-frontier?utm_campaign=twitter&amp;utm_content=1726150441&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">teaser trailer</a>, players can expect some visually stunning (if a little macabre) graphics, intriguing subplots, and strategic collaboration among fellow gamers.</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;"><div class="w-embed w-script" style="font-family: Poppins, sans-serif; font-size: 15.36px;"></div></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 40px !important; font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 36px; color: rgb(4, 17, 29); font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Those interested in applying for the closed playtest can visit<span>&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.evefrontier.com/" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">www.evefrontier.com</a><span>&nbsp;</span>or read through the game’s<span>&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.evefrontier.com/en/faq" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">FAQ</a>.</p><h2 id="claynosaurz-goes-mobile-with-new-gameloft-partnership" style="margin-bottom: 40px; font-weight: bold; font-size: 32px; line-height: 1.25em; letter-spacing: -1px; font-family: Inter, sans-serif; color: rgb(4, 17, 29);">Claynosaurz goes mobile with new Gameloft partnership</h2><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">The popular Solana NFT collection&nbsp;<a href="https://claynosaurz.com/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Claynosaurz</a>&nbsp;and French game publisher&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/gameloft" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Gameloft</a>&nbsp;are joining forces to bring their clay-style prehistoric world to your mobile phone. Web3 news outlet&nbsp;<a href="https://decrypt.co/249031/gameloft-claynosaurz-mobile-game-solana-nfts" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Decrypt</a>&nbsp;described the forthcoming game as a choose-your-own-adventure experience with hints of Pokémon Go, though full details haven’t been released yet.</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">Gameloft Chief Sales Officer Guilherme Lachaut&nbsp;<a href="https://venturebeat.com/games/claynosaurz-and-gameloft-partner-on-mobile-game-starring-titular-dinos/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">wrote</a>&nbsp;in a statement that the partnership represents an exciting moment for the company. He described Claynosaurz as “a brand that has rapidly built an engaged and passionate community,” acknowledging a shift in how traditional gaming IP can be built.</p><h2 id="moviepass-unveils-plans-to-integrate-usdc" style="margin-bottom: 40px; font-weight: bold; font-size: 32px; line-height: 1.25em; letter-spacing: -1px; font-family: Inter, sans-serif; color: rgb(4, 17, 29);">MoviePass unveils plans to integrate USDC</h2><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;"><a href="https://www.moviepass.com/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">MoviePass</a>, a subscription-based ticketing service for cinema lovers, has partnered with the&nbsp;<a href="https://sui.io/about" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Sui Foundation</a>&nbsp;to integrate stablecoin payments on the Sui blockchain. Previously, MoviePass offered an “all-you-can-binge” movie theater subscription plan for $9.99 per month. However, it&nbsp;<a href="https://decrypt.co/249702/moviepass-crypto-pivot-sui-usdc-integration" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">reportedly</a>&nbsp;overhauled its model to a credit-based system, which will soon be available for purchase via Circle’s USDC stablecoin.</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">According to web3 outlet&nbsp;<a href="https://decrypt.co/249702/moviepass-crypto-pivot-sui-usdc-integration" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Decrypt</a>, the Sui Foundation is an equity investor in MoviePass.&nbsp;</p><h2 id="dookey-dash-unclogged-available-on-ios-and-android-this-thursday" style="margin-bottom: 40px; font-weight: bold; font-size: 32px; line-height: 1.25em; letter-spacing: -1px; font-family: Inter, sans-serif; color: rgb(4, 17, 29);">Dookey Dash: Unclogged available on iOS and Android this Thursday</h2><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">Bored Ape’s viral runner&nbsp;<a href="https://dookeydashunclogged.com/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Dookey Dash: Unclogged</a>&nbsp;dropped (no pun intended) on iOS and Android this Thursday. The team at BAYC celebrated with a live&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/BoredApeYC/status/1836102868073365811" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Download Party</a>&nbsp;on X Spaces at 2 p.m. ET, where co-founder&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/CryptoGarga" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Greg Solano</a>&nbsp;and chief product officer&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/EverydayZukini" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Spencer Tucker</a>&nbsp;made an appearance.</p><h2 id="phantom-rolls-out-new-username-capabilities" style="margin-bottom: 40px; font-weight: bold; font-size: 32px; line-height: 1.25em; letter-spacing: -1px; font-family: Inter, sans-serif; color: rgb(4, 17, 29);">Phantom rolls out new username capabilities</h2><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;"><a href="https://phantom.app/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Phantom Wallet</a>, the leading&nbsp;<a href="https://opensea.io/learn/web3/what-is-crypto-wallet" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">digital wallet</a>&nbsp;compatible with the&nbsp;<a href="https://opensea.io/learn/blockchain/what-is-solana" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Solana</a>&nbsp;blockchain, has introduced optional usernames to simplify digital identity for users. The new functionality is expected to boost usability and allow users to more easily send crypto to others with Phantom wallets.</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">In addition to usernames, Phantom Wallet&nbsp;<a href="https://www.altcoinbuzz.io/cryptocurrency-news/phantom-wallet-adds-easy-swaps-with-mayan-finance/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">has added</a>&nbsp;an easy-swap function that streamlines the process of bridging&nbsp;<a href="https://opensea.io/learn/blockchain/what-is-ethereum" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">ethereum</a>&nbsp;(ETH) to over 30 tokens on Solana.</p><h2 id="september-20-is-international-nft-day" style="margin-bottom: 40px; font-weight: bold; font-size: 32px; line-height: 1.25em; letter-spacing: -1px; font-family: Inter, sans-serif; color: rgb(4, 17, 29);">September 20 is International NFT Day</h2><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">Friday marks the second annual&nbsp;<a href="https://www.internationalnftday.org/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">International NFT Day</a>, which honors the day the&nbsp;<a href="https://ethereum.org/en/developers/docs/standards/tokens/erc-721/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">ERC-721</a>&nbsp;non-fungible token standard was first developed.&nbsp;</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">Web3 enthusiasts first celebrated International NFT Day in 2022 to commemorate the day developer Dieter Shirley — part of the Dapper Labs team who created the early&nbsp;<a href="https://opensea.io/learn/nft/what-are-nfts" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">NFT</a>&nbsp;game&nbsp;<a href="https://opensea.io/collection/cryptokitties" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">CryptoKitties</a>&nbsp;— coined the term to describe the concept of indelible crypto tokens. Shirley first published the ERC-721 token standard on September 20, 2017.</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">You can read more about how to get involved in International NFT Day&nbsp;<a href="https://opensea.io/blog/articles/how-to-celebrate-international-nft-day-2023" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">on our blog</a>.</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;"><br></p></div>

this-week-in-web3-and-nfts-beeple-pixelmon-dookey-dash--more

This Week in Web3 and NFTs: Beeple, Pixelmon, Dookey Dash & more!

<div class="article-published-date" style="gap: 3px; color: rgb(18, 18, 18); flex-direction: row; max-width: 720px; margin-bottom: 60px; margin-left: 32px; margin-right: 32px; font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; display: flex;"><div>Published</div><div>September 18, 2024</div></div><div fs-richtext-element="rich-text" class="article-body-wrapper w-richtext" style="color: rgb(4, 17, 29); max-width: 720px; margin-left: 32px; margin-right: 32px; font-family: Poppins, sans-serif; font-size: 15.36px;"><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">Why just&nbsp;<em>collect</em>&nbsp;trading cards when you can step into their universe?</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">This week at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.asia.token2049.com/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Token 2049</a>&nbsp;in Singapore, web3 game developer&nbsp;<a href="https://parallel.life/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Parallel Studios</a>&nbsp;unveiled a new expansion of its popular trading card game that will flesh out the existing artwork into a 3D third-person shooter game built on Unreal Engine 5.</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">With over 300,000 users already immersed in Parallel’s dystopian trading card universe, the new shooter — currently codenamed&nbsp;<em>Tau Ceti —</em>&nbsp;will evolve the franchise into a fully immersive experience. The new game’s name comes from the G-type star in a parallel&nbsp;<a href="https://science.nasa.gov/exoplanet-catalog/tau-ceti-e/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">solar system</a>&nbsp;about 12 lightyears from earth.</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">While blockchain integration is core to the game’s DNA, Parallel Studios has crafted an experience that appeals to both hardcore crypto fans and casual gamers alike. Before venturing into gaming, Parallel’s universe began with a story. It is, first and foremost, a rich intellectual property (IP) rooted in a bleak futuristic sci-fi world. The team at Parallel Studios has consistently embraced the idea of deep narrative immersion, so much so that the founding team of six friends produces&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/7Majn1wI5JmPOzpTzX7zoL?si=216890bea0884670" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">a podcast</a>&nbsp;peeling back the curtain to reveal its creative process.</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">Parallel debuted as a gaming universe in March 2021 with its&nbsp;<a href="https://opensea.io/collection/parallelalpha" target="_blank" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Alpha</a>&nbsp;NFTs, which remain the most-traded set in their ecosystem. By May 2023, the team rolled out&nbsp;<a href="https://opensea.io/collection/parallel-companions" target="_blank" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Companions</a>, which are interactive digital gameplay-enhancing collectibles. In October 2023, the&nbsp;<a href="https://opensea.io/collection/parallelplanetfall" target="_blank" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Planetfall Expansion</a>&nbsp;dropped, adding 120 new cards and customizable cosmetics to upgrade the game’s factions battling for control of a revitalized Earth.</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">By June 2023, Parallel introduced the&nbsp;<a href="https://opensea.io/collection/parallel-avatars" target="_blank" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Avatars</a>&nbsp;collection, 11,000 handcrafted profile pictures (PFPs) that doubled as NFT "backpack wallets” allowing players to more easily store items like skins, weapons, and in-game collectibles. The Avatar NFTs were developed according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://opensea.io/blog/articles/opensea-digest-may-20-2023#new-token-standard-erc-6551-has-arrived" target="_blank" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">ERC-6551</a>&nbsp;token standard, which designates the NFT as an independent account with the ability to own a wallet of its own. This development set the stage for&nbsp;<a href="https://parallel.life/colony/signup" target="_blank" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">Parallel Colony</a>, which launched in March 2024, where AI-based NFT characters are the primary players, guided by human gamers.</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">Parallel’s world-building hasn’t stopped there: By mid-2024, the team partnered with an artist collective known as Royal Academy of Illustration &amp; Design (<a href="https://www.raid.world/about/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">RAID</a>) — which they detail in a company&nbsp;<a href="https://parallel.life/blog/behind-the-scenes-parallels-comic-process" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">blog post</a>&nbsp;— to release NFT comic books, thereby expanding the sci-fi lore and deepening fan engagement with the Parallel universe even more.</p><h2 id="bringing-your-favorite-cards-to-life-in-3d" style="margin-bottom: 40px; font-weight: bold; font-size: 32px; line-height: 1.25em; letter-spacing: -1px; font-family: Inter, sans-serif; color: rgb(4, 17, 29);">Bringing your favorite cards to life in 3D</h2><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">Parallel’s new shooter game builds on the success of its trading card game’s foundations by taking familiar characters from its 2D artwork and turning them into fully rigged, animated 3D models using Unreal Engine 5.&nbsp;</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">"We’re repurposing the 2D art from the cards and making it for this new world," said Kohji Nagata, head of game design and development at Parallel Studios. "It’s one of our first forays into this kind of crossover between our card game and the broader gaming universe."</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">Nagata says the game offers a new way to interact with the characters, especially for players who found the slower pace of card-based strategy games less appealing. Now, the action takes center stage in an extraction shooter, a genre where players compete for valuable assets on a map to navigate richly detailed environments.</p><h2 id="the-action-isnt-just-for-blockchain" style="margin-bottom: 40px; font-weight: bold; font-size: 32px; line-height: 1.25em; letter-spacing: -1px; font-family: Inter, sans-serif; color: rgb(4, 17, 29);">The action isn’t just for blockchain</h2><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">Parallel Studios has always been committed to integrating blockchain technology, but with this shooter, they’re making it optional. “In order to make these games approachable for web2 people, you have to lower the barrier to entry. That includes things like gas fees and wallets,” Nagata explained. “Our goal is to make the blockchain elements optional.” He says this approach allows players to dive right into gameplay without worrying about the technicalities of web3.</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">For those who want to engage with web3 elements, however, a blockchain layer will enable players to mint items like weapons, skins, and characters as NFTs. Perhaps the biggest benefit of owning items as NFTs, says Nagata, will be the ability to carry them into different gaming environments, a feature known as “interoperability.”</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">"The idea of ownership and being able to extract things of value from a given map, then bring those into another map — or even lose them — that’s exciting," said Nagata. But for those who don’t care about that element, Parallel will still be a fun, competitive shooter.</p><h2 id="unreal-engine-5-sets-the-stage" style="margin-bottom: 40px; font-weight: bold; font-size: 32px; line-height: 1.25em; letter-spacing: -1px; font-family: Inter, sans-serif; color: rgb(4, 17, 29);">Unreal Engine 5 sets the stage</h2><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">The game is using Unreal Engine’s high-fidelity graphics and dynamic lighting to create a next-level gameplay experience. Nagata says this is a step up from the simpler graphics seen in earlier blockchain-based games and signals the possibility that web3 games can be as visually stunning as AAA-quality titles.</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">It’s not about ego, either: Nagata says this level-up in graphics quality serves the story, going back to Parallel’s ethos from the beginning.&nbsp;</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">“We don’t want to limit the story and art we’ve created to a narrow audience,” he said. “Our goal is to distribute [the story] as broadly as possible. What we’ve created is more than just a simple, idle game. There’s deeper direction and engagement involved.”</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">At the heart of the Parallel IP lies a central question: can humanity, despite its differences, ever truly get along? The game’s five character factions — Marcolians, Augencore, Kathari, Shroud, and Earthen — represent divergent paths that humanity has taken after the earth goes dormant and mankind scatters across the galaxy. Each faction embodies different philosophies. All are shaped by their environments and survival strategies, yet they share a common origin: Earth.</p><h2 id="the-dystopian-narrative-invites-players-to-reflect-on-the-state-of-our-world" style="margin-bottom: 40px; font-weight: bold; font-size: 32px; line-height: 1.25em; letter-spacing: -1px; font-family: Inter, sans-serif; color: rgb(4, 17, 29);">The dystopian narrative invites players to reflect on the state of our world</h2><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">Nagata says that within Parallel’s driving lore is a familiar cautionary tale: our self-destructive tendencies as humans. Particularly, he thought a lot about the way science and technology can lead to the earth's devastation when writing the game’s narrative with his co-founders.</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">"Through tinkering with science, humans basically ravage the earth,” said Nagata, who studied both political science and philosophy in university. That’s kind of how the whole thing starts." The game therefore reflects a warning about the dangers of unchecked actions.</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">Still, he stresses that we’re all here together. Despite belonging to different factions with drastically different values and experiences, "If you asked any of these factions what they are, they would say, 'Well, we’re humans,'" Nagata explained.</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">This central theme of commonality amid division serves as a cautionary reflection on our own world. "We're all fighting each other, thinking we're so different, but really, we all came from the same place," Nagata continued. "Unless we are able to see past those differences, it’s only going to end in the same conflicts. If you don’t learn from the past, you’re doomed to repeat it.”</p><div><h2 id="the-road-ahead-and-parallels-2025-alpha-release" style="margin-bottom: 40px; font-weight: bold; font-size: 32px; line-height: 1.25em; letter-spacing: -1px; font-family: Inter, sans-serif; color: rgb(4, 17, 29);">The road ahead and Parallel’s 2025 alpha release</h2><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">Though no firm release date has been set for the new game’s release, Parallel Studios expects early alpha testing for the shooter to begin in 2025. Nagata says PC will be the primary platform, with potential expansions to mobile and consoles in the near future.</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">As the Parallel community eagerly awaits more details, the excitement is palpable. One independent (and admittedly non-crypto-loving) game reviewer praised the existing trading card game as “one of the most promising NFT games” on the market, while web3 news outlet Bankless&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bankless.com/parallel-vs-hearthstone" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(32, 129, 226); cursor: pointer;">plugged</a>&nbsp;it as “legitimately strong.”&nbsp;</p><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;">Fans can expect even more with Parallel’s evolution beyond trading cards into the lore of a high-octane third-person shooter. Think stunning graphics, intense gameplay, and the option to participate in the Web3 side of things — or not, if you’re just in it for a thought-provoking tale.</p></div><div><br></div><p style="font-family: Inter, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 40px !important;"><br></p></div>

Parallel Studios announces new 3D shooter game powered by Unreal Engine

DebitMyData

0fung and Logos Advertising Ledger Marketplace

Parallel Studies announces new 3D shooter game

news

features

announcements

DebitMyData

I understand i can unsubscribe at any time.Privacy Policy

Marketplace

My Account

Stats

Resources

Company