Cardano Metaverse Project Pavia sees Virtual Land Grab
Virtual land prices are surging in Pavia, the first Cardano-powered metaverse project. Land parcels can be bought in Pavia using ADA, Cardano’s native token. At the time of writing, the cheapest plots of land can be purchased for around 800 ADA, or about $1,144. However, the most expensive parcel in Pavia is currently priced at 58,425 ADA, or about $83,547.
The parcels in Pavia currently have no content, and are empty plots of land that investors appear to be speculating on based on the virtual world’s first-mover advantage on the Cardano network.
CoinBureau
#quicknews
Virtual land prices are surging in Pavia, the first Cardano-powered metaverse project. Land parcels can be bought in Pavia using ADA, Cardano’s native token. At the time of writing, the cheapest plots of land can be purchased for around 800 ADA, or about $1,144. However, the most expensive parcel in Pavia is currently priced at 58,425 ADA, or about $83,547.
The parcels in Pavia currently have no content, and are empty plots of land that investors appear to be speculating on based on the virtual world’s first-mover advantage on the Cardano network.
CoinBureau
#quicknews
SERPENTINE GALLERY GOES MULTIVERSE
With his NEW FICTION exhibition in London, KAWS (Brian Donnelly b.1974) presents his recent works in physical and augmented reality at Serpentine from 18 January – 27 February 2022. The exhibition is curated by Acute Art’s Artistic Director, Daniel Birnbaum. A parallel digital version of the show launches simultaneously in Fortnite, a video game developed by Epic Games. Source: Acute Art
Therefore, NEW FICTION show is displayed IRL (at Serpentine gallery, London), being additionally augmented by a set of digital objects that are viewable only through AR app Acute Art, and it is fully recreated in Fortnite game simultaneously.
Hans Ulrich Obrist, Artistic Director and Bettina Korek, CEO, Serpentine said that NEW FICTION is an “unique project that tests how Serpentine can enter the metaverse. This multi-dimensional project, accessible through virtual and physical portals, demonstrates the remarkable synergies between gaming, space, and sensorial experience." Source: Epic Games
In addition to the Fortnite collaboration, Acute Art application offers a bridge between the virtual and the physical worlds. All the physical paintings and sculptures in the exhibition will exist as AR works on the Acute Art app and can be placed and viewed at home by viewers globally. However, some of the works exist only in digital realm. For instance, AR version of a well-known “floating companion” is floating above an empty physical plinth now, it can be seen only through Acute Art’s smartphone app. The same goes for a giant blue sculpture named “SEEING”, 2022, which comfortably sits just right on the Serpentine’s building, watching the visitors through their smartphones. Of course, entire set of AR objects is presented in native virtual environment of Fortnite game, being not less welcoming to its players.
It's curious that the way artists talk about entering metaverse is unbelievably similar to the one that was about art entering the streets back in 70s, and later in 90s. Artists want more people to see their art, to interact with it. But, even though this new form is more advanced, so far its content is less disruptive (or challenging, if you like). Just imagine the hacking as a form of graffiti, and then a red Companion suddenly trying to crush you under his giant feet in the middle of your virtual journey in Fortnite. A Brave New Fiction.
With his NEW FICTION exhibition in London, KAWS (Brian Donnelly b.1974) presents his recent works in physical and augmented reality at Serpentine from 18 January – 27 February 2022. The exhibition is curated by Acute Art’s Artistic Director, Daniel Birnbaum. A parallel digital version of the show launches simultaneously in Fortnite, a video game developed by Epic Games. Source: Acute Art
Therefore, NEW FICTION show is displayed IRL (at Serpentine gallery, London), being additionally augmented by a set of digital objects that are viewable only through AR app Acute Art, and it is fully recreated in Fortnite game simultaneously.
Hans Ulrich Obrist, Artistic Director and Bettina Korek, CEO, Serpentine said that NEW FICTION is an “unique project that tests how Serpentine can enter the metaverse. This multi-dimensional project, accessible through virtual and physical portals, demonstrates the remarkable synergies between gaming, space, and sensorial experience." Source: Epic Games
In addition to the Fortnite collaboration, Acute Art application offers a bridge between the virtual and the physical worlds. All the physical paintings and sculptures in the exhibition will exist as AR works on the Acute Art app and can be placed and viewed at home by viewers globally. However, some of the works exist only in digital realm. For instance, AR version of a well-known “floating companion” is floating above an empty physical plinth now, it can be seen only through Acute Art’s smartphone app. The same goes for a giant blue sculpture named “SEEING”, 2022, which comfortably sits just right on the Serpentine’s building, watching the visitors through their smartphones. Of course, entire set of AR objects is presented in native virtual environment of Fortnite game, being not less welcoming to its players.
It's curious that the way artists talk about entering metaverse is unbelievably similar to the one that was about art entering the streets back in 70s, and later in 90s. Artists want more people to see their art, to interact with it. But, even though this new form is more advanced, so far its content is less disruptive (or challenging, if you like). Just imagine the hacking as a form of graffiti, and then a red Companion suddenly trying to crush you under his giant feet in the middle of your virtual journey in Fortnite. A Brave New Fiction.
500 NFTs FROM THE CURRENCY COLLECTION (DAMIEN HIRST) WERE SUCCESSFULLY BURNED
The Currency by Damien Hirst is the artist’s first NFT drop. The Currency is a collection of 10,000 NFTs which correspond to 10,000 unique physical artworks by Damien Hirst. Each physical artwork is numbered, noscriptd, stamped with the Hirst logo and signed by the artist on the back. Additional authenticity features include a watermark, as well as a microdot and a hologram containing a portrait of the artist. Till 27th July 2022, every owner of non-fungible token has to decide either they want to keep NFT or to exchange it for physical work on paper. Exchanged NFTs are destined to be burned, exactly the same rule applies to physical artworks that weren’t exchanged.
It is a 6th month from the first NFT distribution, and only 500 NFTs were burned. Meaning, at this particular moment there are 500 owners of physical artworks, while 9 500 NFTs are circulating in the digital space. It is hard to predict the outcome, but considering the fact that The Currency NFTs are not exactly crypto collectibles, they hardly represent digital identity, and ecosystem around it is far from being strong, we can expect more NFT burnings within the next 6 months. However, most likely it won’t hit even the half of collection, entailing a huge IRL fire on the pile of paper works in July.
The Currency by Damien Hirst is the artist’s first NFT drop. The Currency is a collection of 10,000 NFTs which correspond to 10,000 unique physical artworks by Damien Hirst. Each physical artwork is numbered, noscriptd, stamped with the Hirst logo and signed by the artist on the back. Additional authenticity features include a watermark, as well as a microdot and a hologram containing a portrait of the artist. Till 27th July 2022, every owner of non-fungible token has to decide either they want to keep NFT or to exchange it for physical work on paper. Exchanged NFTs are destined to be burned, exactly the same rule applies to physical artworks that weren’t exchanged.
It is a 6th month from the first NFT distribution, and only 500 NFTs were burned. Meaning, at this particular moment there are 500 owners of physical artworks, while 9 500 NFTs are circulating in the digital space. It is hard to predict the outcome, but considering the fact that The Currency NFTs are not exactly crypto collectibles, they hardly represent digital identity, and ecosystem around it is far from being strong, we can expect more NFT burnings within the next 6 months. However, most likely it won’t hit even the half of collection, entailing a huge IRL fire on the pile of paper works in July.
ADIDAS ORIGINALS & PRADA LAUNCH AN NFT PROJECT
Two quick reminders before hitting the topic.
Jan. 13, 2022, Adidas and Prada introduced the new chapter of their ongoing collaboration. The exclusive 21-piece collection aimed “to demonstrate a relentless commitment to environmentally-conscious innovation with a selection of clean and sharp silhouettes, meticulously crafted in Italy by Prada artisans” – Adidas
Basically, the main deal is that entire collection is crafted from Prada’s signature Re-Nylon fabric, an infinitely-recyclable blend of repurposed plastic waste (brand’s recently-established proud alternative for the virgin nylon), and that collection obtained a streetwear connotation through the expertise of Adidas Originals. It is not a secret that many luxury brands realize the importance of the streetwear culture (alongside new tech developments) and the fact that without incorporating it, their business model won’t cover the growing demand from upcoming generation of consumers. Therefore, Prada decided to make two friends with one gift: to have a streetwear and NFT in one pack.
Reminder #2.
In December 2021, Adidas launched their debut NFT project noscriptd Into the Metaverse. Edition of 30,000 nonfungible tokens was created in collaboration with gmoney, PUNKS Comic and Bored Ape Yacht Club. Multibranded series of digital collectibles attracted quite a number of crypto-believers and fancy monkeys’ admirers. Ongoing project envisions 4 phases, offering exclusive physical merchandise and prolonged digital utility to NFT holders. During defined time periods in 2022, NFT holders have a chance to redeem physical merchandise by verifying token ownership. When one claims a physical product, their NFT is burned. In return, they receive an exclusive physical product and a replacement NFT with an increased phase number. Same procedure repeats for 3 times until the final product redemption period, when participants have to burn their Phase 3 (ERC-1155) token and receive a Phase 4 (ERC-721) token in exchange. This final token cannot be exchanged for physical product. Note: as you might guess, everything happens on Ethereum blockchain.
And finally, {ADIDAS: PRADA, RE – SOURCE}
Adidas for Prada Re-Source is a digital art creation project comprising 3,000 individual tiles created by the community. This culminates in a final artwork canvas designed by digital artist Zach Lieberman, with revenue shared between all contributors and Slow Factory, a non-profit organization.
To participate in the project, one should create a digital image, join the waitlist and to mint it on the Polygon, an Ethereum-compatible network. There will be no gas fees for participants. After Jan 25th, Zach Lieberman will “curate” and combine 3,000 tiles in one final piece to be auctioned on SuperRare from Jan 28, 2022. Note: the final NFT artwork is an Ethereum mainnet ERC-721 token. The proceeds from the auction sale will be split, with 80% donated to Slow Factory, 5% to Zach Lieberman, and 15% shared between all participants who created a tile.
It's not too long till we see the final artwork. But is it exciting? – most definitely not. The efforts from Adidas Original and Prada are surely appreciated, yet there’s not much innovation in here. NFT artwork composed of 3,000 accidental images… Well, we don’t want to bother even mentioning that name. Prada and Adidas are both well-known for their brave experimentations at the crossroads of industries. Therefore, much more is expected from their side. Self-proclaimed “first-of-its-kind open-Metaverse&user-generated NFT project”, Re-Source seems to be overly simple and fairly plain. However, royalties for community and Slow Factory support is definitely something that should be praised.
And what do you think on this matter? Join discussion on twitter.
Two quick reminders before hitting the topic.
Jan. 13, 2022, Adidas and Prada introduced the new chapter of their ongoing collaboration. The exclusive 21-piece collection aimed “to demonstrate a relentless commitment to environmentally-conscious innovation with a selection of clean and sharp silhouettes, meticulously crafted in Italy by Prada artisans” – Adidas
Basically, the main deal is that entire collection is crafted from Prada’s signature Re-Nylon fabric, an infinitely-recyclable blend of repurposed plastic waste (brand’s recently-established proud alternative for the virgin nylon), and that collection obtained a streetwear connotation through the expertise of Adidas Originals. It is not a secret that many luxury brands realize the importance of the streetwear culture (alongside new tech developments) and the fact that without incorporating it, their business model won’t cover the growing demand from upcoming generation of consumers. Therefore, Prada decided to make two friends with one gift: to have a streetwear and NFT in one pack.
Reminder #2.
In December 2021, Adidas launched their debut NFT project noscriptd Into the Metaverse. Edition of 30,000 nonfungible tokens was created in collaboration with gmoney, PUNKS Comic and Bored Ape Yacht Club. Multibranded series of digital collectibles attracted quite a number of crypto-believers and fancy monkeys’ admirers. Ongoing project envisions 4 phases, offering exclusive physical merchandise and prolonged digital utility to NFT holders. During defined time periods in 2022, NFT holders have a chance to redeem physical merchandise by verifying token ownership. When one claims a physical product, their NFT is burned. In return, they receive an exclusive physical product and a replacement NFT with an increased phase number. Same procedure repeats for 3 times until the final product redemption period, when participants have to burn their Phase 3 (ERC-1155) token and receive a Phase 4 (ERC-721) token in exchange. This final token cannot be exchanged for physical product. Note: as you might guess, everything happens on Ethereum blockchain.
And finally, {ADIDAS: PRADA, RE – SOURCE}
Adidas for Prada Re-Source is a digital art creation project comprising 3,000 individual tiles created by the community. This culminates in a final artwork canvas designed by digital artist Zach Lieberman, with revenue shared between all contributors and Slow Factory, a non-profit organization.
To participate in the project, one should create a digital image, join the waitlist and to mint it on the Polygon, an Ethereum-compatible network. There will be no gas fees for participants. After Jan 25th, Zach Lieberman will “curate” and combine 3,000 tiles in one final piece to be auctioned on SuperRare from Jan 28, 2022. Note: the final NFT artwork is an Ethereum mainnet ERC-721 token. The proceeds from the auction sale will be split, with 80% donated to Slow Factory, 5% to Zach Lieberman, and 15% shared between all participants who created a tile.
It's not too long till we see the final artwork. But is it exciting? – most definitely not. The efforts from Adidas Original and Prada are surely appreciated, yet there’s not much innovation in here. NFT artwork composed of 3,000 accidental images… Well, we don’t want to bother even mentioning that name. Prada and Adidas are both well-known for their brave experimentations at the crossroads of industries. Therefore, much more is expected from their side. Self-proclaimed “first-of-its-kind open-Metaverse&user-generated NFT project”, Re-Source seems to be overly simple and fairly plain. However, royalties for community and Slow Factory support is definitely something that should be praised.
And what do you think on this matter? Join discussion on twitter.
LAMBORGHINI ANNOUNCES ITS FIRST NFT COLLECTION
Italian supercar manufacturer Lamborghini has revealed that it has partnered with Swiss artist Fabian Oefner in order to create its drop of non-fungible tokens noscriptd Space Key.
In 2019, Lamborghini sent a sample of carbon fiber materials to the International Space Station (ISS) in order to determine the effects of cosmic radiation. Now that the luxury carmaker has received the material back, the company decided to use it to create an art collection that is comprised of five "space keys."
Each small piece of carbon fiber is accompanied by its own NFT. Oefner engraved QR codes in the physical items in order to link them to their digital components.
So far, there is no information regarding when the drop will be available for sale.
AlexMorris, U.Today
#quicknews
Italian supercar manufacturer Lamborghini has revealed that it has partnered with Swiss artist Fabian Oefner in order to create its drop of non-fungible tokens noscriptd Space Key.
In 2019, Lamborghini sent a sample of carbon fiber materials to the International Space Station (ISS) in order to determine the effects of cosmic radiation. Now that the luxury carmaker has received the material back, the company decided to use it to create an art collection that is comprised of five "space keys."
Each small piece of carbon fiber is accompanied by its own NFT. Oefner engraved QR codes in the physical items in order to link them to their digital components.
So far, there is no information regarding when the drop will be available for sale.
AlexMorris, U.Today
#quicknews
GREYSCALE REVEALED THE LIST OF THEIR POTENTIAL INVESTMENTS
Grayscale, one of the largest digital assets manager, demonstrated a great interest in some particular crypto assets.
Assets Under Consideration lists some digital assets that are not currently included in a Grayscale investment product, but that have come to its attention as part of exploration of this sector, and that Grayscale team has identified as possible candidates for inclusion in a future investment product.
Interestingly, metaverse & GameFi tokens received quite a portion of attention from Greyscale. Among 35 potential investments there are Axie Infinity (AXS), Enjin (ENJ), Gala (GALA), The Sandbox (SAND), and Yield Guild Games (YGG).
Although Greyscale notes that not every asset under consideration will be turned into one of their investment products, we can clearly see that their interest in Metaverse and gaming is reaching far beyond their all-time favorite Decentraland.
Grayscale, one of the largest digital assets manager, demonstrated a great interest in some particular crypto assets.
Assets Under Consideration lists some digital assets that are not currently included in a Grayscale investment product, but that have come to its attention as part of exploration of this sector, and that Grayscale team has identified as possible candidates for inclusion in a future investment product.
Interestingly, metaverse & GameFi tokens received quite a portion of attention from Greyscale. Among 35 potential investments there are Axie Infinity (AXS), Enjin (ENJ), Gala (GALA), The Sandbox (SAND), and Yield Guild Games (YGG).
Although Greyscale notes that not every asset under consideration will be turned into one of their investment products, we can clearly see that their interest in Metaverse and gaming is reaching far beyond their all-time favorite Decentraland.
NETVRK UNLOCKED ITS LAND NFTS FOR SALE
Netvrk is a social Virtual Reality platform on the blockchain and it promises a plethora of possibilities for its users. After NFT unlocking event on Jan 25, Netvrk Metaverse Land now is in the top 15 trending NFT collections in volume on OpenSea (surpassing 1000 in $ETH volume, at the time of writing).
Surely, with a growing interest to the virtual land in general, it is not surprising that among the digital assets proposed by Netvrk (Transport, Avatars, Bonuses), Land attracted the biggest attention.
Entire Netvrk metaverse is presented in 5 districts: Entertainment, Creative, Education, Business, and Adult. Therefore, besides the main center of this universe, each district has its own center of some sort. It seems like different districts also obtained a slightly different geography which makes Netvrk metaverse akin to real world. Of course, practically it’s not very important since users are welcomed to create their own worlds (with their own characteristics). Yet, symbolically, it makes a lot of sense, because one of the special features of Netvrk is its physics: elements, created within the Netvrk virtual space, have physical attributes such as gravity, weight or breakability, so users can interact with created virtual space as if it was IRL.
Further developments in this field could facilitate faster adoption of Netvrk metaverse. Immersive quality of Netvrk virtual reality alongside its possibility to provide near-to-real-life conditions for trainings (tryouts, or bench tests) could bring Netvrk to the top. But can it beat the hype around Decentraland & Sandbox (enhanced by mainstream brands, celebrities and investors) in the nearest future?
Netvrk is a social Virtual Reality platform on the blockchain and it promises a plethora of possibilities for its users. After NFT unlocking event on Jan 25, Netvrk Metaverse Land now is in the top 15 trending NFT collections in volume on OpenSea (surpassing 1000 in $ETH volume, at the time of writing).
Surely, with a growing interest to the virtual land in general, it is not surprising that among the digital assets proposed by Netvrk (Transport, Avatars, Bonuses), Land attracted the biggest attention.
Entire Netvrk metaverse is presented in 5 districts: Entertainment, Creative, Education, Business, and Adult. Therefore, besides the main center of this universe, each district has its own center of some sort. It seems like different districts also obtained a slightly different geography which makes Netvrk metaverse akin to real world. Of course, practically it’s not very important since users are welcomed to create their own worlds (with their own characteristics). Yet, symbolically, it makes a lot of sense, because one of the special features of Netvrk is its physics: elements, created within the Netvrk virtual space, have physical attributes such as gravity, weight or breakability, so users can interact with created virtual space as if it was IRL.
Further developments in this field could facilitate faster adoption of Netvrk metaverse. Immersive quality of Netvrk virtual reality alongside its possibility to provide near-to-real-life conditions for trainings (tryouts, or bench tests) could bring Netvrk to the top. But can it beat the hype around Decentraland & Sandbox (enhanced by mainstream brands, celebrities and investors) in the nearest future?
"I think the underlying value of clothing that you would wear to a meeting or a concert or whatever—wearing some cool clothes that you bought from a designer—is similar to the value of buying clothes in the real world. Right now, because of the speculative, tulip-bulb type thing going on, it’s impossible to separate the speculative noise from the value of the underlying assets. But if you ask what is the actual value of a digital painting that you can hang on your wall in your digital house, or a digital pair of shoes you can wear on your avatar? I think Second Life provides at least some guidance, which is to say that the value of those things is, sensibly, lower than it is in real life, but it's certainly not zero. " - Philip Rosedale
Full interview with Second Life creator Philip Rosedale on WIRED (by Gilad Edelman)
Full interview with Second Life creator Philip Rosedale on WIRED (by Gilad Edelman)
Wired
How to Build a Better Metaverse
Second Life creator Philip Rosedale wants to prevent the Facebook-ization of virtual reality.
APPLE DEMONSTRATES AN INTEREST IN METAVERSE
Time Cook, Apple CEO, said that Metaverse applications have a lot of potential and that his company is investing in AR developments on its devices.
Cook pointed out that Apple (APPL) already has a bevy of 14,000 apps on its App Store that have been designed using the AR developer platform ARKit. Apps designed using ARKit could help users gain access to the Metaverse.
Brian Newar, Cointelegraph
#quicknews
Time Cook, Apple CEO, said that Metaverse applications have a lot of potential and that his company is investing in AR developments on its devices.
Cook pointed out that Apple (APPL) already has a bevy of 14,000 apps on its App Store that have been designed using the AR developer platform ARKit. Apps designed using ARKit could help users gain access to the Metaverse.
Brian Newar, Cointelegraph
#quicknews
NIKE CONTINUES TO MAKE ITS WAY TO THE METAVERSE
It started in Dec 2021, when NIKE Inc. acquired RTFKT, a virtual shoe company that operates within the twilight zone between fashion and gaming.
However, creation of digital shoes "for the Metaverse" is not enough for Nike. It looks as though Nike is preparing to enter the metaverse, as the fashion giant is looking to hire at least five metaverse specialists.
According to the job denoscription, director of metaverse engineering will “lead the development of rapid end-to-end proof of concepts, prototypes, and production of metaverse software and device solutions…for use within Nike, as part of existing Nike products, and for new lines of business” - NME
The company is also looking to fill four other metaverse-related roles, including a senior 3D game designer, metaverse engineer, a program manager specializing in Blockchain, and a virtual material designer.
That seems like a lot of plans..
NME
#quicknews
It started in Dec 2021, when NIKE Inc. acquired RTFKT, a virtual shoe company that operates within the twilight zone between fashion and gaming.
However, creation of digital shoes "for the Metaverse" is not enough for Nike. It looks as though Nike is preparing to enter the metaverse, as the fashion giant is looking to hire at least five metaverse specialists.
According to the job denoscription, director of metaverse engineering will “lead the development of rapid end-to-end proof of concepts, prototypes, and production of metaverse software and device solutions…for use within Nike, as part of existing Nike products, and for new lines of business” - NME
The company is also looking to fill four other metaverse-related roles, including a senior 3D game designer, metaverse engineer, a program manager specializing in Blockchain, and a virtual material designer.
That seems like a lot of plans..
NME
#quicknews