NFT & Crypto Updates

2023-10-01 04:02:56 Meta Quest 3 Shows Us the Metaverse Dream isn’t Dead Yet

Watching the Meta Quest 3 being announced by Meta made me realize something – the hardware available for virtual, augmented and mixed reality is finally catching up with the big idea pitches everyone had about this concept called the “metaverse” a couple of years ago. Seeing this $500 headset, part of a product line formerly known as Oculus from a company formerly known as Facebook, shows just how far we’ve come in achieving the sci-fi-like dream. Besides being a bit smaller, with better controllers and higher-resolution screens inside, the big thing the Quest 3 adds is high-quality color passthrough cameras. That’s what enables you to view the real world and overlay interactive digital objects on top of that. The Quest 2 offers only a grainy black-and-white view of the outer world that’s useless for anything other than making sure you don’t bump into the coffee table. Having tested nearly every consumer VR headset going back to a very early Oculus prototype built into a pair of ski goggles I tried back in 2012, the ability to not feel cut off from the outside world is the thing almost all of them were missing.

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2023-09-30 21:23:35 Datarock Shares Funky New Single “Metaverse”

The thrilling dance punk band Datarock shared a new single “Metaverse.” “Metaverse” is taken from the new album Media Consumption Pyramid which is out today with YAP Records. The tempo is baseline beat-heavy and combines sounds of hip-hop amongst the unlikely blend of retro-futuristic electrorock. The intentionally stimulating sound and visual demands us to dance, regardless of residence, in an effort to engage with ourselves in a freeing and illusive meditative movement. Datarock announce that ‘this track sums up and brings forth the best parts of the collaborative, and collective nature of the entire body of work assembled on our new album. Secondly, it reflects the lyrical content of Media Consumption Pyramid as a whole, encapsulating a center core of our signature endeavors, going back all the way to our early days while simultaneously shining a light on that primal need to dance.’ Aldea enlighten us on their creative process by suggesting they ‘utilized cutting-edge technology to produce a series of music videos, each distinctively crafted for four tracks from their new album. In the world where A.I. meets creativity, these advanced models translate the core emotions and narratives of the music into compelling visual experiences.’

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2023-09-30 16:02:57 NFT artist raises $140K for cancer support charity

A nonfungible token (NFT) artist raised nearly $140,000 (114,000 British pounds) from an art event in Edinburgh, Scotland to support cancer treatment. According to Maggie’s Edinburgh Fundraising, the funds collected by Jones amounted to the highest single donation from an art event recorded in the Edinburgh Center’s 27-year history. A spokesperson representing Maggie’s Edinburgh attributed the success to “the support and enthusiasm of the NFT art community.” The total money raised from the fundraiser will go toward helping 4,000 people impacted by cancer and locals who need vital support. The exhibition held at Château de Vallery near Paris saw participation from 30 artists. Ever since NFTs got mainstream attention in 2021, the sub-ecosystem has helped the community contribute to several philanthropic initiatives. Moreover, the United States Federal Election Commission approved using NFTs as a campaign fundraising incentive last year. Major brands, such as Coca-Cola and the Singapore Red Cross, and government bodies have previously opted for NFT and crypto donations to fuel various philanthropic initiatives.

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2023-09-30 10:02:57 IYK secures US $ 16.3 million to pioneer NFT-driven fashion tech

New York-based Web3 and digital startup, IYK (if you know), secured US $ 16.8 million in seed funding on 28th September, to revolutionise fashion with NFTs. As both traditional and crypto-savvy brands delve into tech-infused apparel, IYK leads the way, directing this funding to fortify its NFT infrastructure and roll out the IYK Platform. This platform, a user-friendly hub for brands and artists, facilitates digi-physical experiences without necessitating technical expertise. IYK provides NFC chips for embedding into apparel and products, alongside the infrastructure to link them to blockchain tokens or NFTs. This permits people to scan connected apparel or accessories with any smartphone, even without an app, to retrieve a tokenized certificate of authenticity. This certificate doubles as an access pass to digital content and communities. The startup has collaborated with major traditional brands like Adidas, Atlantic Records, Billionaire Boys Club, Johnnie Walker, and crypto brands like Coinbase and MNTGE. Ouyang emphasised in an exclusive interview that their tech empowers creators to shape these experiences, rooted in physical actions.

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2023-09-30 04:02:57 PayPal applies for NFT marketplace patent for on- or off-chain asset trading

PayPal made major progress toward creating its own blockchain ecosystem by filing a patent application for a nonfungible token (NFT) purchase and transfer system. The application, filed in March and published Sept. 21, describes a means of carrying out transactions with NFTs, both on- and off-chain. The patent application, which is still pending, describes a system where users can buy and sell NFTs through a third-party service provider. That provider is not specified, though Ethereum is mentioned in the text. The system could be customized in a variety of ways. For example, it could accommodate fractionalized purchases through the distribution of governance tokens, which then could be traded themselves. In addition, a decentralized autonomous organization “associated with the service provider may be used to promote NFT liquidity through a dedicated platform.” NFTs could also earn income from royalties. Processing by the service provider could include compliance and risk management. Users could have their own digital wallets but would not be required to. A third-party broker could provide a variety of storage and checkout services as an alternative. Off-chain transactions could be handled within an “omnibus wallet” associated with the service provider and containing both the buyer and seller’s wallets.

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2023-09-29 21:02:57 French Museum Leverages Tezos Blockchain to Offer Patrons Digital NFT Souvenirs

Fusing art and technology, the Musée d’Orsay, in partnership with the Tezos Foundation, is launching digital NFT souvenirs for its upcoming exhibition, “Van Gogh in Auvers-sur-Oise: The Final Months.” KERU crafted these unique digital collectibles, including a representation of Van Gogh’s final palette, and you can also share them via augmented reality on mobile devices. Christophe Leribault, president of the Musées d’Orsay and de l’Orangerie, expressed his enthusiasm for the initiative, stating. The Musée d’Orsay’s collaboration with the Tezos Foundation extends beyond digital collectibles. It includes web3 education and outreach to foster a deeper understanding of blockchain technology and its applications in the art world. This initiative aligns with the museum’s broader commitment to embracing digital art and sustainability. Meanwhile, the Centre Pompidou is reportedly still showcasing its first collection of NFTs until February 2024. The exhibition features 18 digital works, including iconic NFT collectibles like CryptoPunks and Bored Apes. The exhibition aims to elevate NFTs to the same level as traditional fine art while contextualizing their contemporary popularity within the broader discourse of art and digital media.

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2023-09-29 16:03:58 'Hoofster' NFT-Backed Shoe Hits AVAVAV's Milan Fashion Week Runway

During Milan Fashion Week on Sunday, a distinctive shoe with crowdsourced design decisions and NFT functionality made its debut on the AVAVAV runway. Dubbed the Hoofster, the cloven-toed boot with a faux-fur overlay recalled the hooves of a shaggy pony. And now you can order it. The Hoofster, created in partnership with Web3 design studio OnlyEver, is linked to an Ethereum NFT thanks to an embedded near field communication (NFC) chip. The shoe was co-created with the AVAVAV community, whereby details from structure to color and materials—and even the name—were all put to a vote. Ultimately, it can be worn with or without the faux-fur, revealing a black leather. “By embracing blockchain technology and involving our community in the design process, we are pushing boundaries and challenging traditional norms,” OnlyEver founder Rocco Bressanin said in a statement. He also emphasized his belief that the future of fashion lies in community and co-creation. OnlyEver is the newly launched arm of luxury Italian design and production company RubensLuciano, which boasts a 35-year history in the footwear industry.

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2023-09-29 10:02:58 Osura, a Premier Marketplace for the Bitcoin NFT Gold Rush, Launches with Asprey Bugatti Egg Collection

Ordinals saw a meteoric rise, with over 33 million inscriptions as of earlier this month. Ordinals are quite different and offer many benefits compared to NFTs stored on Ethereum. NFTs on Ethereum are designed around digital certificates, or pointers to data and images stored off-chain on services like AWS (Amazon Web Services) or IPFS (InterPlanetary File System). In contrast, Bitcoin NFTs are designed as digital artifacts that are immutable, uncensorable, self-sovereign, permissionless, and stored fully on-chain (all data lives on Bitcoin). OCM Dimensions 300 is arguably the most innovative art collection on Bitcoin. Inscribed in February 2023, OCM Dimensions stands out among Bitcoin collections. It is a high-resolution, 3D art collection that pioneered recursion, one of the most significant aspects of Bitcoin Ordinals. The animated art scales with display size, presenting pixel-perfect clarity even on 8K screens. Remarkably, this quality is achieved with a file size of less than 1 kilobyte per inscription. These are some of the many things Dimensions achieved that were thought impossible on Bitcoin. The Asprey Bugatti Egg is a cutting-edge 3D digital artifact. Working with Asprey Studio, Metagood crafted the generative code to encapsulate the essence of nature’s perfection.

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2023-09-29 04:03:58 Louis Vuitton launches Discord server with exclusive content for NFT holders

Louis Vuitton has launched its Discord server to add a new layer to its Web3 strategy. With the server, it looks to form stronger connections to its online communities with a focus on its NFT holders. The Louis Vuitton Discord server will be a chatroom with a variety of threads. There will be one for general conversation and another for innovation currently available on the platform. There are also new chrome Louis Vuitton emojis with the house emblems that members can use on the server. Members of the server will also have access to exclusive content with some conversations only accessible to those who hold NFTs from its Via NFT project. In fact, its Via NFT community will be invited to participate in the development of new ideas while contributing to the NFT experience, as reported by Vogue Business. The Via project was announced in June with the launch of a Treasure Trunk token that only selected private sale participants had access to according to the brand’s site. Selected participants will have access to a journey where they can collect a series of digital keys to unlock collectables. The first of which is an orange monogram duffle bag which was revealed during Pharrell Williams’s debut men’s runway show as creative director.

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2023-09-28 21:02:58 Funko and Marvel collaborate on collectible physical and NFT figure

Marvel Comics and Funko have announced they’re working together on a new digital/physical figure via VeVe that features Iron Man. Releasing on October 18th, the collaboration “merges the realms of physical and digital collecting.” Marvel and VeVe have been in the NFT business since 2021 after VeVe announced its plans to be the first-ever carbon-neutral NFT platform. The collaboration is in celebration of 60 years of the character’s rich comic book history. The first Funk Gold premium vinyl collectible will feature Iron Man with only 3,000 pieces available, costing $150, with a matching digital collectible figure available on the VeVe platform included with every purchase. “Our approach to collectibles is centered on creating new ways for fans to show off their most treasured IPs,” said Steve Nave, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer. “Being able to be a part of Marvel’s celebration of Iron Man through this collaboration with VeVe is the perfect way to show Funko’s commitment to collectability and ability to bring fandoms to fans in all forms.”. Veve has committed to 100% carbon neutral NFTs as well as offering grants to help causes, but when they will reach carbon neutrality remains to be seen.

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