NFT Market Data

The non-fungible token (NFT) market is very green today.

First of all, over the last 24 hours, the total sales volume increased by a whopping 24% to $69,481,710.

Buyers are up nearly 4%, sellers remain unchanged, and the number of transactions is down 4.4%.

Meanwhile, there was a significant shift in the top ten collections by sales volume, per CryptoSlam data.

Pandora is not only out of the first place anymore, but it’s out of the top ten list entirely now. It sits in the 11^th spot after it went down nearly 40% to $1.33 million.

Meanwhile, swEXIT has shot right up to the first spot following today’s increase of 4,113,852%. Yes, you’ve read that right.

It currently sits at $8.96 million in sales. Whether it stays in this position is a different story and remains to be seen.

Notably, however, there is little commentary about swEXIT on social media, so caution is advised when interacting with the project.

Uncategorized Ordinals have kept the second place. The collection’s sales volume is up 35% to 5.92 million.

As for the top ten blockchains, Ethereum is back to the first position after Bitcoin took over for a few days.

The former is up 45% to $31.2 million, while the latter is down 2% to $20.2 million.

Cross The Ages and Ubisoft’s Watch Dogs Reveal a Card Collection

Popular card trading came Cross The Ages and the action-adventure video game franchise developed by gaming giant Ubisoft, Watch Dogs, joined hands in a new collaboration.

In total, the collection will have 51 cards. Each month, the companies will unveil 17 cards on Cross The Ages TCG.

Per the announcement shared with Cryptonews, the first set of cards within the collab will launch on April 3.

It will feature 24 iconic characters from the Watch Dogs franchise. Each will be integrated into the fantasy/science-fiction lore of Cross The Ages.

Characters including Aiden Pearce, Clara Lille, and Marcus Holloway will appear in “a whole new universe.”

Exciting News for Web3 Gaming!
Cross The Ages is proud to announce the release of a new card collection in collaboration with @Ubisoft and the Watch Dogs license. Starting April 3, you'll be able to purchase cards featuring Watch Dogs characters in the continent of… pic.twitter.com/1CB6iBlQtc

— Cross The Ages (@CrossTheAges) March 5, 2024

Per the announcement, “the merging of these two amazing universes promises to deliver an extraordinary gaming experience for fans of both franchises.”

The award-winning franchise Watch Dogs launched in 2014. It was “the video game industry’s best-selling new IP at launch.”

It has so far registered more than 50 million unique players worldwide.

The hacker series extends to other entertainment media, including books and comics.

The latest opus in the franchise, Watch Dogs: Legion, was released on October 29, 2020.

Coachella Partners with OpenSea to Launch Three Collections with Festival Utilities

Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival announced its partnership with the OpenSea marketplace.

It will launch Coachella Keepsakes, a series of three unique collections that serve as an all-access pass to some of the festival’s limited experiences and products.

More specifically, each Coachella Keepsakes collection will pair collectible Coachella IP artwork with benefits, including exclusive access to VIP spots, VIP passes, limited edition merchandise, and more.

Moreover, the collections will be powered by the Avalanche blockchain.

Per the press release, “the utility-driven collectibles turn digital assets into real-world benefits, marking a major shift in the way festivals are ticketed and experienced.”

The floor price is 50 AVAX.

Introducing Coachella Keepsakes – virtual art with the power to unlock never before seen festival experiences. Collect Keepsakes and use their powers to craft your unique festival journey. The VIP Pass + Oasis Lounge Keepsake is available now on @opensea pic.twitter.com/Vs8KAqYOhK

— Coachella (@coachella) March 5, 2024

The first collection in the series, titled The VIP Pass + Oasis Lounge Keepsake, launches on March 5.

1,000 of these assets will be available for $1,499 through April 1 or until supplies last.

Upcoming drops are Welcome Box Keepsake, set for March 25, and Artist Collaboration Keepsake., scheduled for mid-April.

Sam Schoonover, Innovation Lead for Coachella, commented that the collaboration creates a new way to use NFTs to provide unique custom experiences for the festival in real life and online.

“We’re moving towards a future where Coachella isn’t just an event you attend, but an experience you can own and shape based on the digital tokens in your possession,” he said.

OpenSea CEO Devin Finzer added that the partnership “represents a significant milestone, uniting the digital with the physical in ways that promise to enrich the festival experience and usher in a new paradigm in the live event and ticketing industry.”

Jeju Island Aims to Become ‘NFT City’

Jeju-do, Korea’s largest island and popular holiday destination, is moving deeper into the NFT realm, aiming to include it in the tourism industry, as well as the agricultural, livestock, and fisheries sectors.

According to CNB News,  Jeju Island held a study on March 5, the theme being blockchain basics and application and NFT use.

Kwon Soo-ho, head of the Korea Blockchain Industry Promotion Association’s education center, gave a lecture and explained where NFTs can be used in the Jeju region.

NFTs, he said, can be used for “distribution combined with real assets and traceability of agricultural and livestock products.”

Areas where NFT technology can be applied include, but are not limited to:

• NFT for Olle Trail participants; also, discount benefits can be provided to the holders;
• NFTs by tourism type, such as museums, restaurants, and more – all organized into collections;
• donations to agricultural and marine products and local assets;
• currency exchange and payment;
• proof of origin: proving the origin of agricultural and livestock products.

Governor Oh Young-hoon stated that Jeju is gradually making preparations this year for digital transformation. The core of it, said he, is connected to Web3.”

Oh added that “it is possible to apply Web3, including the use of NFTs, to all areas of the government.”

He suggested that “with the goal of turning Jeju into an ‘NFT city,’ we can even think about making payments convenient for anyone, both domestic and foreign, anywhere in Jeju through a coveted exhibition using NFT.”

#jeju pic.twitter.com/RX1oTd7IS6

— edgar Cross (@edgarsora0925) March 2, 2024

The post Here’s The Latest NFT News Today appeared first on Cryptonews.

According to CNB News, the island – which has its own legal and administrative status – wants to use NFTs to spark growth in the tourism industry, agricultural, livestock, and fisheries sectors.

Jeju Island Revamps Crypto Hopes?

Jeju officials have been trying to use the island’s legal system to foster crypto-powered growth since 2018.

Little has come of such efforts so far, however. Seoul has thus far refused to budge on its hardline stance on ICOs, play-to-earn games, and NFT regulation.

However, it appears politicians are now ready to make a fresh bid for change in Jeju.

The Jeju Island Governor Oh Young-hoon told attendees at an IT-related forum this week:

“This year, we are gradually making preparations to focus on digital transformation. The core of all this is Web3. We can apply Web3, including the use of NFTs, to all areas of the government. This will be a step forward.”

Oh added that provincial officials and private sector representatives were “discussing ways to make further progress together.” The Governor added:

“We have a goal of turning Jeju into an ‘NFT city.’ We are even thinking about ways to make payments convenient for everyone – both South Korean and overseas visitors – everywhere in Jeju.”

How Could NFTs Help Boost Jeju Economy?

NFT technology, Oh suggested, could help Jeju Island achieve this goal. Kwon Soo-ho, the head of the Korea Blockchain Industry Promotion Association’s educational operations, also claimed that blockchain technology and NFTs could be used throughout Jeju.

Executives from the Jeju Research Institute, Jeju Creative Economy Innovation Center, and “other related organizations” also attended the event.

Attendees also suggested using NFTs for hikers and walkers on the Jeju Olle Trail, a 437 km network of footpaths on the island’s coastline.

The trail is a major draw for foreign and domestic tourists. Speakers suggested awarding discount-bestowing NFTs to visitors who complete certain sections of the trail.

They also said that officials could use NFTs to help Jeju producers prove the authenticity of their goods and foodstuff.

Hana Bank offers mobile financial certificates in 16 languageshttps://t.co/1J4fhGPTg0

— The Korea Times (@koreatimescokr) March 4, 2024

Jeju is famous for delicacies including pork products from Jeju Black pigs. Another renowned local specialty is the hallabong, a citrus fruit closely related to the satsuma.

They also resurrected talk of blockchain-powered “local currency” (aka local stablecoin) vouchers that could be pegged to the fiat KRW.

Officials said these could be used to provide subsidies and boost community spending in local outlets.

The post Jeju Island, South Korea, Eyes NFT-powered Growth appeared first on Cryptonews.

Led prominently by the NodeMonkes collection, the Bitcoin NFT market experienced an impressive 80% week-over-week growth, reaching a staggering $168.5 million in sales. 

In contrast, Ethereum generated $162 million in NFT sales during the same period, according to data from CryptoSlam.

Ordinals Revive Bitcoin NFTs

The rise of Bitcoin Ordinals has contributed significantly to this remarkable shift in the NFT landscape. 

Launched in January 2023, Ordinals introduced a novel approach by allowing users to associate files, such as images, with satoshis (sats), the smallest unit of Bitcoin, essentially creating NFT-like assets on the Bitcoin blockchain.

Among the best-selling NFT collections of the week, three out of the top five were Bitcoin Ordinals-based. 

The leading sales came from the uncategorized Ordinals, which generated over $43 million worth of sales through more than 47,000 transactions. 

Following closely behind was the NodeMonkes collection, a Bitcoin-based series of 10,000 unique pixelated profile picture (PFP)-style Ordinals. 

NodeMonkes recorded over $41 million in sales, marking a nearly 170% increase from the previous week. 

The Natcats collection, another Ordinals-based project, secured the fourth position with over $10 million in sales.

NodeMonkes, launched in December, claims to be the first 10,000-strong collection on Bitcoin. 

Although other 10,000-count Ordinals collections had emerged earlier, the NodeMonkes team engraved their collection onto the blockchain in February 2023, just a month after Ordinals’ initial release.

On March 2, user “NFTstats” reported that NodeMonkes’ market capitalization surpassed $500 million, positioning it as the third-largest PFP-style NFT collection across all blockchains, trailing only the Ethereum-based Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC).

NodeMonkes have flipped Pudgy market cap and jumped to the #3 overall spot in terms of PFPs.

Just 3 days ago, Pudgy market cap was more than 2x NodeMonkes.

Puppets have flipped Milady as well.

The speed of moves in this space is pretty insane. pic.twitter.com/ZMafTWJPl2

— NFTstats.eth (@punk9059) March 3, 2024

While the exact reasons behind NodeMonkes’ recent surge remain unclear, industry insiders speculate that its appeal lies in its “meaningful provenance.” 

Kevin Wu, the founder of NFT collection GRAYCRAFT, noted in a February 22 post that NodeMonkes holds significance as the first PFP-style NFT collection on “the first chain ever,” creating a compelling narrative that speculative investors may now be latching onto.

NFT Market Sees a Resurgence

It is worth noting that the market for NFTs has been on an upward movement recently amid the recovery in crypto prices.

In October, NFT trading volume surged by $99 million, reaching $405 million, signifying levels of sales not seen since August.

Likewise, sales of NFTs on the Bitcoin (BTC) network reached a new milestone in December 2023, surpassing $881 million for the first time ever. 

This included 111,713 buyer addresses and 98,744 seller addresses, both setting the highest single-month records to date.

More recently, it was revealed that the Musée d’Orsay, a renowned museum in Paris, is venturing into the world of blockchain and digital art with its first-ever commission of an on-chain NFT exhibition.

The museum is set to release a collection of tokenized artwork titled “The Convergence of Breath.” 

These five single-edition NFTs, minted on the Tezos blockchain, are a result of a captivating art installation and social experiment currently on display as part of the museum’s digital-themed exhibition, “Le Code d’Orsay.”

The post Bitcoin NFTs Eclipse Ethereum with $168.5 Million in Weekly Sales appeared first on Cryptonews.

The museum is set to release a collection of tokenized artwork titled “The Convergence of Breath.” 

These five single-edition NFTs (non-fungible tokens), minted on the Tezos blockchain, are a result of a captivating art installation and social experiment currently on display as part of the museum’s digital-themed exhibition, “Le Code d’Orsay.”

Artwork by Agoria and Lescure Included in the Musée d’Orsay NFT Installation

The centerpiece of the installation, a steel sculpture named “Sigma Lumina,” was collaboratively created by French artist and DJ Sébastian Devaud, also known as Agoria, and artist Johan Lescure. 

When illuminated by the perfect alignment of light from above, the sculpture casts a shadow that reveals a QR code. 

Curious museum visitors who scan the QR code are directed to mint a unique Musée d’Orsay NFT, inspired by other Impressionist works showcased at the museum. 

However, the NFT can only be generated if the participants breathe into their smartphones.

The data from these blows, which have resulted in over 2,000 “Sigma Lumina” NFTs minted by museum visitors thus far, has been collected and synthesized by Agoria and Lescure.

 The artists have transformed this collective breath into a series of five unique Musée d’Orsay NFTs, each representing one week of the exhibition’s duration.

To learn more about this incredible drop, please join us on: https://t.co/faYf8O1N3P https://t.co/opndcYj8Md

— objkt.one (@objktone) February 28, 2024

“I love the fact that all the blows of all the people coming [to the exhibition] are now connected together to create a global piece,” Agoria said. 

The five extraordinary “Convergence of Breath” NFTs will be available for sale on Thursday at 5 pm CET on Objkt. One, a curated platform specializing in one-of-one on-chain artworks.

“Le Code d’Orsay” continues its run at the Musée d’Orsay until March 10, providing visitors with an immersive experience at the intersection of traditional art and cutting-edge blockchain technology. 

Museums Continue to Engage With NFTs 

Museums and cultural organizations have been engaging with NFTs in various innovative ways, exploring their potential for revenue generation, expanding accessibility to art, and creating immersive digital experiences.

Last year, the Centre Pompidou in Paris announced an exhibition featuring NFTs from the CryptoPunks and Autoglyphs projects, among works by 12 other digital artists. 

Furthermore, museums like the Bruce Museum and the Institute of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles have hosted discussions and lectures focusing on the history, technology, and legal aspects of NFTs.

Museums have also explored NFTs as a means of fundraising and monetizing digital collections. 

For example, the British Museum launched a series of NFT postcards featuring Hokusai’s prints in 2021, with a notable sale of “The Great Wave” for 10.6 ETH (approximately $45,000 USD at the time). 

Likewise, the Uffizi Gallery sold an NFT of Michelangelo’s “Doni Tondo” for around $170,000, and the State Hermitage Museum auctioned tokenized versions of masterpieces, including works by Leonardo da Vinci, raising significant funds.

The post Musée d’Orsay Breaks New Ground with On-Chain Exhibition and NFT Auction appeared first on Cryptonews.

In an announcement, VanEck said, the idea for SegMint came out of VanEck’s digital assets research and the platform built around its “Lock and Key Model.” SegMint’s technology partners include Nueva.Tech, Delegate.xyz, MINTangible.io, Portals.to and Walletchat.fun.

What is SegMint’s Lock and Key Model?

VanEck explains that SegMint’s Lock & Key Model simplifies the process of managing self-custodied assets by introducing a straightforward solution for sharing access and ownership. Access to the new platform will be limited with interest expected from Europe and Asia. Users of SegMint will receive an “Adventurer NFT” with a verified profile and completed Know Your Customer (KYC).

“We identified a significant pain point in the digital assets ecosystem—the challenge of sharing access and ownership in a self-custody world,” explains Matt Bartlett, founder of SegMint in a press release, “The Lock and Key Model addresses this by offering a user-friendly solution that empowers individuals to securely share their assets while retaining control,” adds Bartlett.

NFT Volumes See Uptick in Crypto Bull Market  

On Monday, NFT sales volume was up 2.35% to $52,286,636 in 24 hours. Bitcoin has surpassed Ethereum per NFT sales volume. As is well-known, Ethereum tends to rule the list, typically sitting in the first spot for weeks on end, reports  Sead Fadilpašić from CryptoNews. Over the past week, Ethereum has recorded a sales volume of $136.7 million, while Bitcoin has seen $97.8 million.

VanEck Slashes Bitcoin ETF Fees Down to 0.20% 

In January, VanEck listed its spot Bitcoin ETF in the U.S. trading under the ticker symbol “HODL” – the investment firm slashed its fees for the VanEck Bitcoin Trust down to 0.20% from 0.25% as competition in the market heated up. Nearly a dozen Bitcoin ETFs are competing for investor attention in a saturated market.

The post VanEck Launches NFT and Digital Assets Market SegMint appeared first on Cryptonews.

The Aura Blockchain Consortium is a collective formed by leading luxury brands to establish a unified blockchain approach. According to Carrere, the number of Web3 customers engaged with luxury brands is growing rapidly, exhibiting exponential growth. 

Carrere shared his insights at the recent NFT Paris event, held near the iconic Eiffel Tower.

Aura counts luxury giants such as Louis Vuitton, Prada, Mercedes Benz, Dior, Cartier, and Bulgari among its 40 members.

Aura CEO Focused on Preparing Luxury Countries for Regulations

Carrere is currently focused on preparing these companies for the European Union’s anticipated regulations on Digital Product Passports (DPPs) that are expected to come into effect in 2026 or 2027.

DPPs are part of a series of EU regulations aimed at promoting sustainability in manufacturing. 

They will require luxury brands and various European companies to provide customers with comprehensive information about the origins and composition of their products. 

While these regulations do not explicitly mention cryptocurrencies, Aura sees an opportunity to create an industry-standard form of DPPs for luxury brands by leveraging on-chain technology.

Delve into how luxury brands are utilising blockchain solutions, such as the Digital Product Passport, to provide unprecedented authenticity & transparency throughout the supply chain – both upstream and downstream.

— Aura Blockchain Consortium (@AuraConsortium) February 19, 2024

According to Carrere, simply complying with the minimum requirements of the EU regulations by creating a digital product passport would not be sufficient to engage customers. 

The luxury brands guided by Aura are embracing the potential of on-chain DPPs, building on their previous successful blockchain experiments. 

Carrere envisions a future where European customers accessing the DPP associated with their Louis Vuitton handbag or Dior jacket will have a secure on-chain portal at their disposal. 

This portal will not only provide proof of the product’s authenticity but also offer additional features related to loyalty programs, warranties, and insurance.

Luxury Brands Consider Different Crypto and On-Chain Approaches

While Aura is establishing a unified framework for DPPs, the specific on-chain features offered by each brand may vary based on their preferences. 

Physical NFC chips are one approach, with some brands choosing to embed them into their fashion items.

Others are exploring innovative techniques like AI image fingerprinting, which verifies the product’s origin and authenticity by analyzing high-quality photos down to the pixel level.

Carrere believes that the commitment of leading luxury brands to connect their products to blockchain networks, and their collaboration through Aura, represents a significant milestone for the industry. 

Despite being fierce competitors, these brands are setting aside their rivalries to establish a standard that benefits the entire luxury industry. 

Carrere describes this collective effort as something unique and transformative.

It is worth noting that the market for NFTs has been on an upward movement recently amid the recovery in crypto prices.

In October, NFT trading volume surged by $99 million, reaching $405 million, signifying levels of sales not seen since August.

Likewise, sales of NFTs on the Bitcoin (BTC) network reached a new milestone in December 2023, surpassing $881 million for the first time ever. 

NFT sales on the Bitcoin chain reached $881,223,753.92 last month, setting the highest single-month sales record to date.

This included 111,713 buyer addresses and 98,744 seller addresses, both setting the highest single-month records to date.

The post Aura CEO: Luxury Industry on Verge of Embracing Crypto with On-Chain Digital Passports appeared first on Cryptonews.

Devin Alan Rhoden (a.k.a Denny or Deviinz), 24, of Florida, and Berman Jerry Nowlin Jr. (a.k.a Repulse or Zayous), 20, of Alabama were indicted for money laundering and conspiracy to commit wire fraud following an investigation by Homeland Security.

Over $300,000 Stolen in NFT Rug Pull

According to the indictment, Rhoden and Nowlin “convinced hundreds of victims to invest tens of thousands in cryptocurrency in a non-fungible token collection named ‘Undead Tombstone.’”

The duo failed to follow through on their victims’ investments, instead stealing and ultimately laundering the funds.

Beginning in March 2022, Rhoden and Nowlin opened a number of social media accounts to promote “Undead Tombstone” to the masses. The value increased “significantly” in the following weeks, with the duo launching collections titled “Undead Apes” and “Undead Lady Apes.”

The following month, the co-conspirators announced their collaboration on X “with a well-known and successful NFT project.”

That same day, Roden and Nowlin “abandoned Undead Tombstone” before ultimately laundering and transferring the funds to cash.

“In a matter of weeks, the three NFT collections resulted in Rhoden and Nowlin receiving more than $300,000 in cryptocurrency from hundreds of victim-investors all over the world,” the indictment noted.

A Classic “Rug Pull” Scheme In Action

The scheme, known as a “rug pull”, occurs when a founder or investor hypes up a product only to suddenly abandon it at its peak and disappear with the funds.

Blockchain data firm Chainalysis reported that over $2.8 billion was lost to “rug pull” incidents in 2022 alone.

In this case, Rhoden and Nowlin utilized a technique called “chain-hopping” to obfuscate customer investments, where funds are transferred between different cryptocurrencies in hopes of evading law enforcement.

According to Elliptic, cross-chain-hopping reached a fever pitch in 2023 when the value of illicit crypto laundered through the technique reached an estimated $7 billion.

Has Undead Apes Been Revived?

On February 26—three days after ICE’s statement—an NFT collection entitled “Undead Apes” was released on launchmynft.io by a user named AZEJGH…R57g.

PUBLIC FREE MINT IS LIVE https://t.co/hJKhwUHA3W#SolanaNFTs #Freemint #Solana #NFTCommunity

— Undead Apes ┃ FREE MINT (@Apes_undead) February 26, 2024

At the time of article publication, it’s unclear whether the project is related to Rhoden and Nowlin and if it’s also an NFT rug pull scheme.

If convicted, both Rhoden and Nowlin face a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison.

The post Senior U.S. Military Airman and Cyber Analyst Charged with Money Laundering for NFT “Rug Pull” Scheme appeared first on Cryptonews.

Robinhood Wallet users can now participate in the new giveaway from Notable.art, a new fine-art-centric platform bridging digital and physical art.

Specifically, they can acquire exclusive digital sketches from prominent American artist Hunt Slonem.

The campaign will consist of four total NFT giveaways happening once every two weeks. Each of these will feature different artwork by Slonem.

According to the press release shared with Cryptonews, the NFTs will be accessible via the Web3 tab in the Robinhood Wallet app on iOS.

They will be minted on Notable and delivered directly to users’ wallets.

Moreover, Notable will cover the network fees associated with minting up to the first 10,000 giveaway participants. After that, “giveaway participants will be responsible for any network fees associated with minting,” the announcement said.

Robinhood Launches Physical Prints For Limited NFTs

The giveaway will consist of four NFT mints on February 27, March 12, March 26, and April 9.

Also, US participants who collect all four pieces can buy a physical print of one of those four sketches.

Notably, physical prints will be limited to 400 total prints: 100 prints of each NFT. Prints will be available April 23 through May 6 or until they sell out.

Meanwhile, NFTs cost $ 1,500 each.

Notable CEO Zain Talyarkhan commented that,

“Notable seeks to break down the relatively high barriers to entry in fine art collecting.”

Therefore, the platform partners with renowned visual artists to offer unique digital artworks complemented by 1-of-1 museum-quality prints “sold at accessible price points.”

According to Johann Kerbrat, Crypto General Manager at Robinhood, the company sees an opportunity to increase access to Web3. Robinhood Wallet, he added, is “breaking down barriers and making it easier for people to access web3 and explore new projects or initiatives they might not have otherwise.”

Fresh Context

Slonem is a famous colorist known for his Neo-Expressionist style. Its “striking fauvist color palette [is] often used to emphasize his lifelong fascination with animals and exotic locations,” the announcement noted.

“Art is a way to inspect our lives and think beyond our ordinary experiences,” said Slonem. Commenting on the dive into the world of NFTs, he explained that,

“Through my work, I strive to capture not just the vividness of nature, but the essence that animates it. The union between art and life — and now technology — extends my practice beyond the brush. I’m looking forward to showing my work in a fresh context and engaging new audiences in a fun and spirited way.”

Moreover, Slonem’s physical artworks individually cost at least tens of thousands of dollars. His pieces have been featured in more than 350 international exhibitions at prestigious galleries and cultural institutions. These include the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City, USA.

Meanwhile, earlier in February, Robinhood reported that its transactions-based revenues in Q4 2023 rose 8% compared to the same quarter the preceding year.

Its increased profit-taking was “primarily driven by cryptocurrencies revenue of $43 million, up 10%,” it added.

The post Robinhood Wallet Launches Exclusive NFT Giveaway From Notable.art appeared first on Cryptonews.

In collaboration with vintage clothing brand MNTGE, Wrangler’s new line of vintage denim integrates blockchain technology.

Unveiled last week during the NFT Paris, the limited-edition digital wearables come with a near field communication (NFC) chip patches. The chips can be digitally signed, and reveals the history of the brand, that are recorded on-chain.

The collection featured 60 pieces of garments at the event, with phone-scannable NFC tags, a report said.

Vintage Wrangler + @mntge_io Tech

Hand sourced vintage western shirts, denim jackets and patches featuring NFC technology that links to a digital receipt with garment specific details and a claimable 3d asset.

Available only at the Future Fashion Summit. pic.twitter.com/fQpn6x7FpN

— MNTGE (@mntge_io) February 22, 2024

Bridging the Past and Future

Sean Gormley, global creative and concept director for Wrangler, noted that customers showed interest to know the brand’s history.

“They want to know more about how the brand is related to the rodeo and who buys our more exclusive products. It makes the feeling of being a customer richer if the brand is willing to reveal more about what goes into the product or how it’s made.”

As a result, the scannable tags links to a customized web page that features Wrangler’s 77-year-old legacy and story.

Further, the vintage western shirts and denim jackets were sourced from the 1970s through the 1990s by MNTGE and re-fashioned with the nascent blockchain integration. Some of the items were decades-old Wrangler pieces reportedly discovered on the floor of a barn in Germany, Gormley noted. He apparently purchased them through Instagram.

“There’s a nice connection between vintage pieces and storytelling. We have a program called Reborn focused on bringing old garments back to life.”

The brand is soon planning to add Reborn’s story, which customers can discover by scanning the NFC chip, he added.

Wrangler Uses Blockchain for Tracking

Additionally, the NFC tags also allow for tracing the item throughout its lifespan using blockchain. “We can update the metadata every time the item is scanned, resold or passed down,” Gormley noted.

Besides, this would ease customers on what label, age of the Wrangler jean or fabric to look for. Gormley believes that providing brand education and authentication could differentiate them from resale channels selling Wrangler.

“If a customer can get an authenticated Wrangler jacket with a bit more story and a bit more insight, that can give them more style credentials.”

The collaboration comes alongside Wrangler’s partnership with Grammy award-winning recording artist Leon Bridges, and under the name ‘Mr. Wrangler’. The product is an NFT, launched to mark the brand’s 75th anniversary, and costs 1.947 Ethereum or $2,609.17.

The post Jean Manufacturer Wrangler Unveils NFC-Chipped Traceable Vintage Denims appeared first on Cryptonews.

The NFT was stolen in May 2023 after the original owner fell victim to a phishing scam. 

In a recent post on X, ZachXBT, known for his extensive investigations in the crypto space, revealed the outcome of his nine-month probe into the DeGods #3251 NFT theft.

The stolen NFT, which was sold in May 2023 for 99 Ether, equivalent to approximately $177,000 at the time, has now been returned to its rightful owner. 

“I am pleased to share that I was able to help recover a decent chunk of the stolen funds which have now been returned back to the victim,” he announced.

How ZachXBT Recovered Stolen Funds

ZachXBT’s investigations can span various durations depending on the complexity of the case. 

He often employs visual aids, such as diagrams, to elucidate the mechanics of phishing scams and trace the movement of funds, even when they have been laundered through crypto mixers. 

“While recovery can be a lengthy process, it does happen, and I am always happy to share these success stories,” ZachXBT stated.

However, the renowned blockchain investigator also shared his intention to conclude his pro bono work in the field of blockchain investigations soon. 

This decision comes in response to frustration expressed by some users on X who expected him to help recover their stolen cryptocurrencies as well. 

Despite reiterating that his services are provided free of charge, ZachXBT decided to halt his public goods work due to the mounting criticism. 

“This is exactly why I am stopping all public goods work soon,” he declared.

ZachXBT Continues to Uncover Crypto Scams

ZachXBT has been a prominent figure in the crypto industry, lending his expertise in deciphering crypto crimes to individuals and even national authorities. 

In fact, in October 2022, French authorities relied on ZachXBT’s research to apprehend fraudsters involved in a $2.5 million NFT theft. 

Christophe Durand, the deputy chief of France’s national cyber unit, acknowledged that they became aware of the incident through ZachXBT’s investigation shared on social media.

More recently, ZachXBT tried to uncover concerning behavior involving the influencer Crypto Rover. 

The investigation revealed that Rover ghosted a crypto project he was paid to promote. 

1/ An investigation into how the influencer Crypto Rover ghosted a project he was paid to promote, mislead followers about his trading positions, and also his shills for pump and dump meme coins. pic.twitter.com/s4fDQubYwu

— ZachXBT (@zachxbt) February 20, 2024

The online sleuth alleged that the influencer misled followers about his trading positions and participated in pump and dump schemes with meme coins.

To verify Rover’s involvement, ZachXBT mapped out transactions tied to Rover’s address.

The tracker found the connections to posts matching the amounts. 

Prior to this, ZachXBT alleged YouTube star KSI engaged in pump and dump scams. 

The accusations stem from KSI’s posts about crypto token investments. This includes a screenshot showing his wallet dumping $850,000 in XCAD Network (XCAD) tokens shortly after an endorsement. 

ZachXBT highlighted a similar pattern in 2021, where KSI posted favorably about Ethernity Chain (ERN) before selling around $350,000 in ERN tokens hours later.

The post Blockchain Investigator ZachXBT Retrieves Most of $177K Stolen DeGods NFT Funds appeared first on Cryptonews.

“Cultivating Connections Between the Digital and Physical Worlds”

Powered by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, space exploration company Intuitive Machines, and NASA, spacecraft Odysseus’ successful Thursday landing marks the first mission to touch down on the Moon in over half a century. To commemorate the launch, Koons designed a multi-component sculpture focusing on “the Moon as a symbol of human curiosity and the desire to achieve,” a statement on the project’s website reads.

Just a couple hours away from the launch at 1AM EST Feb 14 of my artworks Moon Phases on Intuitive Machines’ IM-1 mission. The images capture the Nova-C lunar lander being encapsulated on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket. I am honored to have the first authorized artwork on the Moon. pic.twitter.com/RpuSjbr7de

— Jeff Koons (@JeffKoons) February 13, 2024

Entitled Jeff Koons: Moon Phases, the artist’s latest work is comprised of three parts: 125 miniature moon sculptures “installed on the Moon in perpetuity,” 125 larger mirror-reflective stainless steel sculptures of the Moon to remain on Earth, as well as corresponding NFTs encapsulating both components.

“Each unique NFT is paired with a sculpture that will reside on the Moon within the cube and a sculpture that will reside on the Earth, cultivating connections between the digital and physical worlds,” the project’s website reads. “The NFT itself will include an image of the sculptures installed on the Moon’s surface, as well as other images. Along with the other two components of Moon Phases, the NFT will feature Jeff Koons’s iconic signature.”

Inspiring Future Generations Through Past Achievements

Partnering with female-owned space company 4Space, each component is named after “people who have made accomplishments in human history,” including Albert Einstein, Susan B. Anthony, Michelangelo, and more.

“These and other names will be individually displayed in front of the Moon Phases, memorializing the figures on the occasion of the Moon mission,” the project’s website states. “In this way, Koons honors some of the greatest achievements of the past to inspire future generations.”

An Out Of This World Art Piece

Koons’ NFTs, released through Pace Gallery’s virtual art platform, Pace Verso, will allow art lovers, space enthusiasts, and NFT collectors alike to own a piece of history.

“The sculptures remaining on the Earth will feature a precious stone, either a white diamond, yellow diamond, blue sapphire, green emerald, or red ruby,” the project website reads. “The stone’s position on the sculptures will indicate the location of the landing site on the Moon, which will become a Lunar Heritage Site where the related Moon sculptures will be installed permanently.”

The world of high art often has ties with Web3 – just this week, auction house Sotheby’s made headlines for its sale of Ether Rock, “an early NFT collectible.”

Moon Phases, however, appears to be Koons’ first foray into the NFT space.

“I am so honored to have “Moon Phases” be the first authorized artwork to be placed on the Moon,” a recent Instagram caption by the renowned artist reads.

More information about the project can be found at jeffkoonsmoonphases.com.

The post Artist Jeff Koons’ Sculpture Becomes First ‘Authorized’ to Land on the Moon, Launches Matching NFTs appeared first on Cryptonews.

The collaboration, announced on February 23, allows customers of Unstoppable Domains to purchase top-level domain names ending in “.pudgy,” which can be associated with Pudgy Penguin NFTs. 

The integration introduces numerous possibilities for domain holders, including the ability to send and receive web3 messages, make crypto payments between domain addresses, and collect exclusive utility badges through the new domains.

“We are thrilled to welcome Pudgy Penguins, a true innovator and a strong brand, into the Unstoppable Domains family,” said Sandy Carter, COO at Unstoppable Domains. 

“This partnership is not just about adding another domain; it’s about embracing a community that embodies the spirit of Web3 and the future of digital identity.”

Unstoppable Domains to Launch Pudgy Ambassador Program

Unstoppable Domains has also launched the Pudgy Ambassador Program and the Pudgy Storytelling Campaign in order to further engage the community.

The Ambassador Program aims to select ambassadors from Pudgy’s prominent community members who will promote the use of “.pudgy” domain names and receive special Pudgy Ambassador badges. 

We are excited to announce our collaboration with Pudgy Penguins and rolling out the ".pudgy" domain extension for their community! But how does it benefit holders? pic.twitter.com/XtXxVYfzJg

— matt.crypto | matt.pudgy (@matthewegould) February 23, 2024

Meanwhile, the Storytelling Campaign encourages users to create and share Pudgy-related content on social media. 

Each month, Unstoppable Domains will choose community Storytellers to showcase on its website, with winners receiving multiple “.pudgy” domains free of charge.

Unstoppable Domains is well-known for providing easily readable domain names that can be linked to wallet addresses, enabling users to consolidate their digital identity across the web3 ecosystem. 

Instead of relying on complex alphanumeric strings for crypto wallet addresses, individuals can associate their wallets with simple domain addresses ending in web3-centric extensions such as “.crypto,” “.eth,” or now, “.pudgy.”

With the addition of “.pudgy” domains, Unstoppable Domains expands its partner portfolio to include the tenth top-level domain.

Pudgy Penguins Sees Surge in Trading Volume

The announcement comes on the heels of a successful month for Pudgy Penguins. 

The collection experienced a surge in popularity, briefly surpassing the renowned Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) in terms of floor price, according to NftPriceFloor. 

Presently, the floor price for Pudgy Penguins stands at 19 ETH, marking a 25% increase since the beginning of February. 

In USD, the collection is trading at $56,540 after a remarkable 66% rally. 

With a market cap of $504 million, Pudgy Penguins currently holds the third position, trailing only CryptoPunks with $1.6 billion and BAYC with $651.7 million.

Moreover, Pudgy Penguins recently announced an expansion of its collectible toy line across 1,100 new Walmart locations, bringing the total number of stores carrying Pudgy toys to 3,100. 

Yesterday’s @pudgypenguins haul from @Walmart! Go to a local store to support if they have them in stock. Add some toys to your collection. Give a gift to a friend. Let’s bring Web3 to the masses with fun and cute IP. For the culture. pic.twitter.com/uaT3MHkkZA

— STMcFly (@ST_McFly) February 21, 2024

Alongside this expansion, the project unveiled 30 new toy designs. 

Notably, these toys will feature QR codes that allow buyers to unlock digital traits and collectibles within Pudgy World, the project’s ZkSync Era-based open-world game.

Furthermore, Pudgy holders whose NFTs are depicted as toys sold in-store will earn royalties from sales through the OverpassIP platform, which simplifies the licensing process and adds real-world utility and value for Pudgy holders.

The post Pudgy Penguins Partners with Unstoppable Domains to Launch ‘.pudgy’ Domain Names appeared first on Cryptonews.

Created by crypto influencer, Gmoney, 9dcc merges high-quality apparel with blockchain technology to create both an immersive and wearable experience.

“The First Crypto-Centric Luxury Brand Pioneering ‘Full Fashion Collection On-Chain’”

Each design from the fashion house’s latest collection features a near-field communication (NFC) chip linked to an Ethereum NFT to enhance interoperability with both 9dcc and other wearers of the brand. Gmoney’s vision for the collection extends beyond aesthetics.

“9dcc is thrilled to unveil its groundbreaking collection of fashion and lifestyle ‘Networked Products’ during NFT Paris and Paris Fashion Week, marking an exclusive debut that masterfully blends effortless luxury with digital innovation,” a statement from the company reads.“Conceived by the visionary mind of @gmoneyNFT, the first crypto-centric luxury brand presents a pioneering ‘full fashion collection on-chain,’ setting a historic milestone in the fusion of high fashion with blockchain technology.”

A Timeless Collection Featuring Modern Technology

Designed for the “crypto mob,” the latest collection features luxury pieces including classic ball caps, plaid jackets, and trousers for the crypto community and beyond.

Ernest wears the 9dcc Signature Essential Structured Ball Cap, a 9dcc Luxe Glen Plaid Blazer, 9dcc White Poplin Tailored Shirt, and 9dcc Leather Cargo Trouser⁠
⁠
⁠
Footwear courtesy of adidas⁠
Model: Ernest Klimko⁠
Photo: Aldo Carrera pic.twitter.com/ZI3SgwqnBy

— 9dcc (@9dccxyz) February 20, 2024

In a February 20 interview on the Grateful Show, Gmoney discussed the importance of the collection subverting the criminal image given to crypto by bad actors such as FTX fraudster, Sam Bankman-Fried, by flipping it on its head through sophisticated pieces.

Taking style inspiration from classic American gangster style, the 9dcc founder highlighted the value of celebrating the positive attributes of those in the crypto space, including their capacity for risk-taking and innovation.

“Crypto isn’t SBF and Ponzis or whatever,” Gmoney stated. “There’s more to this.”

9dcc’s Award Winning Legacy

Launched in August 2022, 9dcc takes its name from “the last four digits of the Ethereum wallet of the house from which all product expressions of the brand will be born.”

In late 2023, the company launched its “Powered by 9dcc” platform to “support brands, creators, and artists to produce quality products with ‘networked products’ technology.”

Most recently, 9dcc took home “Phygital Brand of the Year” at the Phygicode Impact Awards at the 2023 World Economic Forum in Davos.

Currently, Gmoney is scheduled to speak on February 23 Morning at NFT Paris, with private appointments available throughout fashion week.

Interested consumers will be able to buy pieces from the collection in limited quantities this week in Paris as well as shop the full collection online starting this Friday.

The post Web3 Luxury Fashion House 9dcc Set to Debut First NFT-Linked Collection During Paris Fashion Week appeared first on Cryptonews.

NFT Market Data

The non-fungible token (NFT) sales volume is largely unchanged today.

Over the past 24 hours, it decreased 0.5% to $43,401,772, according to CryptoSlam.

Meanwhile, buyers, sellers, and transactions are all up today. While the number of sellers increased by 2%, both buyers and sellers are up nearly 9%.

The ERC404-based Pandora maintains the first spot with a sales volume of $5.3 million. Notably, however, five other collections have sales volume above $1 million – meaning that the majority of the top ten collections does.

This includes CryptoPunks, Mad Lads, Transdimensional Fox Federation, Uncategorized Ordinals, and Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC).

The best performer among the top 10 is Sappy Seals with an increase of 241% to $853,816. BAYC lost the most (43%), recording $1.032 million over the past day.

Autoglyphs NFT Set Sells for $14.5 Million

A full set of ten Autoglyphs was recently sold for a whopping 5,000 ETH ($14,544,550).

The buyer remained anonymous, only described as “a Distinguished Private Collector.”

Fountain, which facilitated the purchase, said that this is one of the top NFT sales ever recorded onchain.

“The team at Fountain is proud to have played a role in this historic acquisition,” it said.

Moments ago, a full set of ten Autoglyphs, minted originally by Larva Labs themselves, was sold to a Distinguished Private Collector for 5,000 ETH, making it one of the top NFT sales ever recorded onchain…
Congratulations to the buyer and the seller!

The team at Fountain is… pic.twitter.com/nZjHndQVFU

— Fountain (@Fountainxyz) February 19, 2024

Larva Labs, the famous creators of the popular CryptoPunks collection, revealed the generative art project Autoglyphs in 2019. It comprises 512 items.

The set is one of the three “developer sets” in existance. “Securing a full set of Autoglyphs — hands down, the most important early collection of generative art on Ethereum — is nothing short of a legendary achievement,” Noah Davis, Senior Specialist at Fountain, told nft now.

According to OpenSea, Autoglyphs are the first “on-chain” generative art on the Ethereum blockchain. The collection is a completely self-contained mechanism for the creation and ownership of an artwork.

Its current total volume is 22,677 ETH, and the floor price is 230 ETH. There are 162 unique owners.

Meanwhile, another collector also acquired a couple of Autoglyphs via Fountain in January.

A stellar pair of Autoglyphs from the collection of Larva Labs was acquired earlier today by “Kanbas”, a pseudonymous collector who recently exploded onto the digital art space with a series of high-profile acquisitions.

At Fountain, we not only aim to source the most beautiful… pic.twitter.com/w41GJP8yr8

— Fountain (@Fountainxyz) January 22, 2024

Fountain is a brokerage for art on the blockchain, incubated by FLAMINGODAO. The team stated that Fountain is a purely peer-to-peer OTC desk. “Bespoke, white-glove, and high-touch.”

Among other pieces, it said, it has helped a number of collectors acquire CryptoPunks.

7/8 – How does Fountain help collectors?

Fountain is a brokerage for art on the blockchain. We help connect buyers and sellers of the most iconic and rarest works of digital art. Fountain is bespoke, white-glove, and high-touch.

If you want to buy or sell a high-value NFT… pic.twitter.com/aOGaWn5VEP

— Fountain (@Fountainxyz) February 8, 2024

Is eBay Exiting NFTs?

E-commerce giant eBay reportedly fired over 30% of its Web3 team.

This may indicate its intention to shutter its NFT business, Binance News reported, citing PANews.

The information was first reported by NFTgators, citing a source claiming that many of those involved with Web3 operations have recently left the organization.

The source also said that the business and strategy officer of the division, Stefanie Jay, left the company. Meanwhile, David Moore, one of the founders of the NFT marketplace KnownOrigin, has “been made redundant.”

Jay is still listed among the company executives.

eBay acquired KnownOrigin in June 2022. The news reports allege that the giant has since pivoted and changed its Web3 strategy.

The company has suspended all digital art projects. It has also seen increasing internal criticism of the leadership and strategy teams.

Notably, there has so far been no official information provided by the company or the mentioned individuals, so the situation is still unclear, the details unverified, and the future of eBay’s NFT business unknown.

Fischer Reveals 100-Year Anniversary NFT Ski Bundle

In other NFT news, Fischer Sports, an Austrian winter sports equipment manufacturing company, has revealed its “Fischer 100 Years Anniversary NFT-Bundle.” It described it as a fusion of cutting-edge technology and alpine heritage.

According to the website, the bundle features the Fischer NFT and a uniquely designed RC4 ski.

The NFT is a strictly limited and unique art piece available on the Solana blockchain. Depending on the future development of Web3, the company may add functionalities and benefits (e.g. airdrops or whitelisting) to existing Fischer Sports NFTs, it said.

The buyers will receive the physical, specially crafted, “100 Year” ski at their home address in fall 2024. This special ski is made of ash tree wood, the material with which ski construction began 100 years ago.

The company will generate a maximum of 100 NFTs and 100 physical skis.

The Fischer NFT bundle started selling on February 14 and is available until March 24.

Per the FAQ, the NFT costs €1,924 ($2,079).

The company said that, “as the first ski company to pioneer the NFT frontier, we’re revolutionizing the way you experience winter sports.”

The post Autoglyphs NFT Set Smashes Records With $14.5 Million Sale + More NFT News appeared first on Cryptonews.

NFT Market Data

Over the past 24 hours, the non-fungible token (NFT) sales volume is up 23% to $46,077,452.

According to CryptoSlam, the number of buyers is down 2.4%, and the number of sellers is up 2.4%.

Also, the number of transactions is unchanged over the past day.

Meanwhile, Pandora is still in first place per sales volume at $5.4 million, holding its top NFT news position as well.

Among the top ten collections, only one is down and less than 1%. DMarket has decreased 0.33% to $997,040.

The best performers in this group are NodeMonkes and Mutant Ape Yacht Club. The former’s sales volume is up 197% to $922,424, while the latter’s increased 194% to $1.2 million.

Azuki Among Top Gainers Today

The Azuki collection has been among the top performers per sales volume over the past 24 hours.

According to CryptoSlam, its sales volume is up 196% to $230,650. It’s currently ranked #38.

Furthermore, buyers and sellers are up 100% and 120%, respectively, in the same period. The number of transactions increased 140%.

Over the past 30 days, the sales volume has gone down 64% to $5 million. The all-time sales volume is $1.097 billion.

Overall, it has seen a significant decrease in sales volume since its high in May 2022.

Per the OpeanSea marketplace, the collection’s floor price is 6.377 ETH.

Meanwhile, Azuki continues its tour.

Shanghai will welcome Azuki this Thursday. As the website says, this is a community-run event hosted by the Azuki CN Garden community.

It is powered by the Garden Tour Passport. Buying a ticket grants the participant a stamp in their Passport.

Exclusive community apparel from @metaknight_sf's upcoming brand, @nxt_labs, will be available for sale in person. See you in Shanghai pic.twitter.com/rfEvthRont

— Azuki (@Azuki) February 19, 2024

Also, the Japan leg of the tour is scheduled for April 15.

The Azuki Garden Tour heads to Tokyo on April 15

Collect the Tokyo Passport stamp by attending the event or minting an event NFT. All proceeds go directly towards organizing the local events with the community.

Event Tickets: https://t.co/EDYl47iB8W

Stamp-only:… pic.twitter.com/a7q0TpO5lN

— Azuki (@Azuki) February 11, 2024

Furthermore, the Azuki Winter Trial is now live, Azuki founder Zagabond announced. Holders can participate in PVP mini-games for a chance to win on-chain prizes.

Arcade Announces Multi-Chain Airdrop

Ethereum-based, NFT-focused decentralized finance (DeFi) protocol Arcade has announced its latest ARCD token airdrop.

The airdrop will take place on February 21. The protocol will distribute 750 ARCD tokens to 4,000 NFT and Bitcoin Ordinals holders.

The blog post stated that Clash of Claims is a PVP airdrop where holders of selected collections enter for a chance to win 3% of the total supply of ARCD.

The event will continue until the total allocation of 3 million ARCD has been fully distributed to the community.

The snapshot date is February 19. The whitelist publication will follow on February 20, then ARCD Claim Raffle Whitelist and ARCD Public Claim on Feb 21.

// ARCD airdrop claim incoming

Code name: Clash of Claims – A PVP airdrop where holders of selected collections enter for a chance to win 3% of the total supply (3 million) of Arcade’s token ARCD.

Next week, the first 4,000 wallets will have the ability to claim 750 ARCD each,… pic.twitter.com/hotbOlZAyz

— Arcade (@Arcade_xyz) February 14, 2024

The whitelist for phase 1 will consist of 2,000 wallets holding a Pudgy Penguin, Lil Pudgy, or Sappy Seal, as well as 2,000 wallets that successfully linked a Solana or Bitcoin wallet containing Mad Lads, Tensorians, BTC Puppets, NodeMonkes, or RSIC.

Both types will be randomly selected at the snapshot time.

Phase 2 has no secured whitelist. It will include all wallets and holders who have not claimed but met the criteria in Phase 1.

3/
Phase 2: Public Claim (PvP mode):
First come, first serve.

Phase 2 has no secured whitelist & will be containing all wallets & holders who have not claimed but met the criteria in Phase 1.

Phase 2 claim will remain open until all remaining spots leftover from Phase 1 (3M…

— Arcade (@Arcade_xyz) February 15, 2024

Yuga Labs Acquires Proof

In other NFT news, Yuga Labs – the team behind the Bored Ape Yacht Club, Otherside, TwelveFold, and owners of Meebits, CryptoPunks, and 10KTF – has acquired PROOF, which includes the PROOF Collective, Moonbirds, Oddities, Mythics, and Grails exhibition series.

According to the blog post, the acquisition includes PROOF’s team, intellectual property, and artistic portfolio.

“Yuga will start by bringing Moonbirds into Otherside, the place where content creators, communities, and brands will come together to participate in the social fabric of web3,” it stated.

Per the press release, PROOF’s CEO and Founder, Kevin Rose, will go through “a brief handover period” before becoming an advisor to the company.

Josh Ong, Jesse Bryan, and Amanda Gadbow will oversee the transition of the Moonbirds collection and other key elements into the Yuga ecosystem.

Yuga Labs has acquired @PROOF_XYZ, which includes PROOF Collective, @Moonbirds, Mythics, @oddities_xyz, and @Grails exhibition series.

For more information, see the official Yuga News blog: https://t.co/ly3fTYxCBk pic.twitter.com/ouvIM4Hr4S

— Yuga Labs (@yugalabs) February 16, 2024

Daniel Alegre, CEO of Yuga Labs, commented that “Moonbirds is a collection with great potential and many unifying brand elements with Otherside.”

PROOF’s Rose added that, “with the PROOF Collective on board, it shows Yuga’s commitment to digital fine art, and our combined resources will allow us to innovate faster and reach more people.”

I’ve had the privilege of working closely with the PROOF team over the last year, and I’m thrilled to see them join Yuga Labs today. I’m signing on as an advisor to support the transition. As both a day one ape and a day one bird, I’m looking forward to building stronger… https://t.co/6j0cHPZLdJ

— Josh Ong (@beijingdou) February 16, 2024

The post Azuki Is Among Top Sales Volume Gainers Today + More NFT News appeared first on Cryptonews.

The decentralized prediction market website Polymarket reflects that there is a 57% chance that the EtherRock NFT will sell for over $600,000 at the Sotheby’s auction. On February, 12, EtherRock number 46 sold for $496,658.

For those unfamiliar with the term ‘sealed-bid auction’ this is a type of auction in which bids are not viewed until the actual auction date and this instance Wednesday. The bids are sealed physically in an envelope, and will all be opened at once.

EtherRock NFTs are digital collectables representing ownership of virtual rocks on the Ethereum blockchain. Each EtherRock is a unique token, with ownership recorded on the blockchain, giving buyers the ability to buy, sell, and trade these digital rocks as they would physical collectables. They gained attention for their simplicity and scarcity, as only 100 EtherRocks exist, making them highly sought after by collectors in the NFT space.

Sotheby’s Achieved $30M in NFT Sales 2023

In terms of total sales in 2023, Sotheby’s has achieved more than $30 million in total digital art or NFT sales, which marked about a 50% increase year on year, a spokesperson told Cryptonews.com.

“There were many highlights in our sales in 2023. Namely, we held multiple sales from the Three Arrows Capital (3AC) collection, including a dedicated live auction in June that totalled more than $11 million. The highlight of that sale was a work by Dmitri Cherniak, called The Goose, which sold for $6.2 million,” said a Sotheby’s spokesperson.

NFTs have gained huge popularity in 2021, generating over $23 billion in trading volume, reports Rachel Wolfson from Cryptonews. In 2022, the NFT industry saw a major decline following the collapse of the crypto exchange FTX and a major market downturn.  Wolfson reports that organizations want to help implement regulatory frameworks for NFTs, but confusion around these digital assets persists.

Sotheby’s Breakdown of Digital Art Sales

The GRAILS: Starry Night collection sold in the January auction for a total of $1,046,099. The pre-sale estimate for this lot was between $339,500 – and $480,700 and the final sale total more than doubled. According to Sothbey, 55% of bidders were under 40 and an estimated 40% of buyers were under the age of 40. The auction house said 53% of buyers were new to Sotheby’s

Natively Digital: An Ordinals Curated Sale also sold in the January auction and 19 lots sold for a total of $1,097,534. This was more than twice the low estimate for the sale originally as $412,000. Sotheby’s said there were a total of 641 bids, 78% of buyers were new to Sotheby’s and more than 50% of bidders were under 40.

BitcoinShrooms: An Ordinals Auction took place in December and all three lots were sold for a total: of $450,850. This total was five times the high estimate (combined estimate for the three lots: $60,000 – $90,000) This sale marked the first-ever Ordinals sale at Sotheby’s.

The post Sotheby’s EtherRock Auction Closes Wednesday, Expected to Fetch Over $600K appeared first on Cryptonews.

However, there were also considerable spikes in sales activity in the days leading up to the revalation, which has sparked speculation of potential insider trading.

Moonbirds NFT Trading Volume Spiked Before Yuga Deal

Data from blockchain analytics platform CryptoSlam reveals that daily sales volume for Moonbirds NFTs remained below the $100,000 mark for each day throughout this month until February 13, with only one exception on February 4, totaling approximately $141,000.

On February 14, daily sales volume skyrocketed fivefold to about $460,000, accompanied by almost four times the number of transactions seen previously.

The elevated sales volume persisted on February 15, amounting to roughly $333,000.

Following the afternoon announcement on February 16, sales surged even further, with the current daily tally at approximately $3.1 million and rising.

A closer look at the project’s price floor, which represents the lowest listed asset price in the collection, reveals a similar pattern of spikes in the days leading up to the Friday announcement.

On Monday afternoon, the price stood at around $2,680 worth of ETH according to data from NFT Price Floor.

It began climbing on Wednesday, reaching $5,000 before experiencing a slight decline.

However, on Friday, after the announcement, it briefly peaked at over $6,000 worth of ETH before settling at approximately $5,170 at the time of writing.

Insider Trading?

While it is not surprising for asset prices to rise following a deal announcement, the surge prior to the announcement raises suspicions of potential insider trading.

Influencers, developers, and community members took to Crypto Twitter on Friday to highlight this possibility.

Pseudonymous blockchain developer cygaar tweeted a sales/price chart for the week, showing the unexplained spike on Wednesday.

“Moonbirds chart before the Yuga acquisition tweet. Nope, definitely no insider trading here,” he sarcastically said.

Moonbirds chart before the Yuga acquisition tweet.

Nope, definitely no insider trading here. pic.twitter.com/UqV0DeXUr8

— cygaar (@0xCygaar) February 16, 2024

Another well-known pseudonymous crypto trader and influencer, Cirrus, jokingly referred to a wallet that had purchased over 150 NFTs from the Proof ecosystem in the past few days as “Nancy Pelosi’s wallet,” alluding to accusations of the U.S. Representative and former Speaker of the House trading stocks based on insider knowledge.

Cirrus also mentioned being in profit after the Yuga news.

Found Nancy Pelosis NFT wallet

80 Moonbirds, 71 Moonbird Mythics, 28 Oddities, and 13 Mythic eggs bought in the last 7 days

Sitting on a couple hundred thousand in profit after the Yuga news pic.twitter.com/VqImNT77tA

— Cirrus (@CirrusNFT) February 16, 2024

Last year, Nathaniel Chastain, former Head of Product at OpenSea was arrested and charged with wire fraud and money laundering in connection with insider trading in NFTs.

At the time, prosecutors in New York’s Southern District accused the 31-year-old of “using confidential information about what NFTs were going to be featured on OpenSea’s homepage for his personal financial gain.”

Chastain earned over $50,000 by trading at least 45 NFTs he knew would be featured on OpenSea’s homepage.

He was then sentenced to three months in prison for profiting tens of thousands of dollars through insider trading.

The post Insider Trading in the NFT Market? Moonbirds’ Unusual Sales Activity Before Yuga Deal appeared first on Cryptonews.

NFT Market Data

The non-fungible token (NFT) market is quite green today.

The sales volume is up 5% in 24 hours to $36,117,430, according to CryptoSlam.

At the same time, NFT buyers are up 10%, sellers 1%, and transactions 12%.

The novel ERC-404 token Pandora has kept the first space. Its sales have increased 26% to $5.4 million.

Among the top ten collections, Open Solmap has increased the most: 219% to $790,160.

Uncategorized Ordinals saw the largest drop among the top ten. It’s down 29% to $800,040. Pudgy Penguins is close with a 25% fall to $702,251.

New WWE Collection Hits the Shelves

As the biggest NFT news of the day, Panini, a major publisher of trading cards, stickers, comics, and children’s magazines, has revealed its latest digital trading card collection.

This one features globally known figures from the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).

The Donruss Elite collection comprises a hundred Superstars, as the wrestlers are called in WWE. It also features inserts, including Star Status, Spellbound, and Title Waves, said a press release.

The wrestlers include the “legendary and current” Superstars. One of the most famous names among the cards is John Cena.

Others include Chelsea Green, Chyna, Kiana James, Roman Reigns, Sika Anoa’I, The Undertaker. “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Finn Bálor, Damian Priest, Rhea Ripley, and Lyra Valkyria.

Get ready for the WWE debut on #PaniniBlockchain!

Wednesday, Feb 14 at 10am CT, Panini #DonrussElite WWE packs will be available on Panini Blockchain and feature the debuts of more than 100 legendary and current Superstars!

More info: https://t.co/x0AyqICbeX#WhoDoYouCollect pic.twitter.com/EhnHSMTyAB

— Panini America (@PaniniAmerica) February 14, 2024

Jason Howarth, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Athlete Relations, commented that for the last three years, “we’ve been focused on delivering a top-tier Blockchain product to our collectors, and adding a brand like WWE to the roster, with such a rabid audience, and deep history is in line with what our community has come to expect.”

Additional Blockchain WWE releases will follow with other brands, including Panini’s flagship brand Prizm.

Unique Network Reveals $350,000 NFT 2.0 Codecraft Grant Fund

NFT-focused blockchain platform Unique Network has announced the launch of its NFTs 2.0 CodeCraft Grant Fund for developers, designers, and enthusiasts worldwide.

According to the press release, the grant offers a prize pot of $250,000. It aims to empower participants to leverage NFT tech in creating novel applications using Unique Network’s advanced economies.

The participants get to “explore the vast potential of advanced NFTs by creating customizable, utility-driven solutions and pushing the envelope of innovation in the non-fungible token space.”

During the event, participants will learn about the Unique Network-supported NFTs. These include Customizable NFTs, Composable NFTs, Nested NFTs, Dynamic NFTs, Multi-asset NFTs, and Multi-resource NFTs.

All of these types can be deployed to create decentralized applications (dapps) and Micro dapps, said the team.

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What does this entail?

We’re here to push the boundaries of #NFTs on Polkadot! We want to work with individuals and projects with inspiring ideas that leave an impact on communities for years to come

All you’ve got to do is think of different ways and create…

— Unique Network (@Unique_NFTchain) February 15, 2024

To start the program, the platform has awarded developer grants to DED GAMES and MusicMoon.

DED GAMES is working on developing its latest projects, utilizing Unique Network’s NFTs to enhance gaming experiences.

At the same time, MusicMoon – a Polkadot APAC Hackathon winner – uses blockchain and advanced NFTs to empower artists to retain control over their work and earnings.

Meanwhile, Unique Network said it would “consistently announce new winners from grant applicants.”

Also, it plans to open up challenges within the grant framework.

Soon after this announcement, the platform revealed that AWS Startups decided to contribute $100,000 in AWS Activate Credits to support grant participants.

Exciting News! Following our incredible announcement of the NFTs 2.0 CodeCraft Grant Fund for developers, we’re thrilled to share that @AWSstartups is contributing $100k USD in #AWS Activate Credits to support grant participants!

We’re pleased to bring forward…

— Unique Network (@Unique_NFTchain) February 16, 2024

NFT Art to Be Displayed at Paris Exhibition

In other NFT news, Palm Collective and PolyArts have announced that digital art will be displayed during Polygon Lab’s NFT Paris exhibition, nous nous sommes déjà rencontrés.

The collection is a part of the joint exhibition with The Sandbox Game and the Web3 fashion house SYKY.

Tweets by PalmDAOapp

Per the website, the three most-voted artists from the competition will see their work displayed during the 1-night-only exhibition party, along with other new and established artists. They will also win a $1,000 grant from the Palm Foundation.

Also, the artist with the most votes will receive the Open Call Winner Proof.

The top three artists will get invitations to attend with a +1. The tickets are transferable if the artist cannot make the event.

The exhibition will use projectors to showcase art and installations in THE RÉAUMUR SPACE, a vacant retail space, on February 23 during NFT Paris.

The submission end date is February 16.

Amazing!!!

Submissions ends this Friday, 16th. https://t.co/MaBPacM6p2 https://t.co/GMZinUlTIK

— Palm Collective (@PalmDAOapp) February 13, 2024

The post New WWE Collection Hits the Shelves + More NFT News appeared first on Cryptonews.

NFT Market Data

The non-fungible token (NFT) market sales volume is just slightly down today compared to yesterday. It dropped less than 1% to $34,816,770, according to CryptoSlam.

NFT buyers are up 2% over the past day. Sellers are down 8% and transactions 11%.

Only two of the top ten collections per sales volume have decreased over the past 24 hours. The popular, ERC404-based Pandora fell 30% to 4.2 million, while DMarket dropped 5% to $757,178.

Meanwhile, Art Blocks has had another good day. The collection is the day’s bigger gainer: its sales volume is up 588% to $774,173.

Moonbirds, with a rise of 304% to $690,352, is the second-best performer. The increase led it into the top ten collections, now sitting in 10^th place.

YouTuber KSI Accused of Pump-and-Dumps

Popular crypto investigators ZachXBT and Coffeezilla have accused YouTuber Olajide Olayinka Williams Olatunji, aka KSI, of conducting several pump-and-dump schemes.

KSI reopened his crypto-related Twitter account on Tuesday. He posted his first tweet on this account since November 2022.

And this wasn’t exactly welcomed news, based on the comments.

And one investigator was waiting. ZachXBT commented that KSI will share “garbage again.”

ZachXBT went on to share projects the YouTuber had posted on his account, including XCAD Network (XCAD) and the NFT-focused Ethernity Chain (ERN).

After ‘praising’ a project, he’d sell the coins within hours or days. For example, hours after tweeting that he was bullish on EARN, he sold $349,571 of it.

KSI posts on 3-20-21 at 12:08 PM UTC saying

“2 NFT coins I'm VERY bullish on SUPER ERN”

Just hours after that post KSI proceeds to sell ~$349K worth of ERN

0xdd7a79dadf3ac202c2caa13e7cdd7e48153189b0f7be332c1a3c8686a9f10803… pic.twitter.com/odGfiqROc9

— ZachXBT (@zachxbt) February 14, 2024

When contacted by Coffeezilla, KSI replied that he is still “HODL gang” for those coins – meaning, somebody who does not sell. But as to why he did sell XCAD, for example, KSI said that he wanted to make more money elsewhere to buy more XCAD, but failed.

KSI went on to say that he “didn’t have any malicious intent in trying to scam etc” and that he wished “he was an evil genius that would pump and dump at the right time etc,” suggesting that he wasn’t clever but bad at investing.

Called out for inconsistencies, KSI claimed that he thought he was being “trolled.” Every time he’d tweet something, the opposite would happen. Hence, he said, he decided to “tweet the opposite” of what he “was actually doing.”

Pandora’s Sales Volume Nearly Double That of Ordinals

In other NFT news, the famous ERC-404 token Pandora launched on February 2. In less than two weeks since its launch, it has hit $86,778,798, according to CryptoSlam.

This is a notable rise. For context, Uncategorized Ordinals are in second place per sales volume in the past 30 days with $44,045,731.

This means that Pandora has nearly doubled that number in less than double that time.

Other metrics are a different story, though. Uncategorized Ordinals have significantly more transactions, buyers, and sellers, despite the drop in numbers.

Meanwhile, as reported, the popular ERC-404 token recorded $190 million in trading volume just a week after its launch.

Notably, 50% of these NFTs were retained in the wallets since the initial purchase without selling. Blockchain analytics firm Nansen.ai described this as a “quite impressive” rate for a new project.

But zooming out to the all-time best performers, Pandora still has ways to go.

The top ten group is populated with some of the world-famous collections, including Axie Infinity and Yuga Labs’ collections.

Pandora is currently in the 80^th place.

Pudgy Penguins Floor Price Flies High

Pudgy Penguins is an 8,888-piece strong, Ethereum-based NFT collection first launched in July 2021. It has been rising in popularity since.

Its total volume is 293,837 ETH, according to the OpenSea marketplace.

Meanwhile, the current floor price is 20.899 ETH. The floor price has been increasing for a while now. Over the past 90 days, it has gone up 257.3%.

In mid-November, the price stood at 5.85 ETH. Following a relatively steady period within the 10-11 ETH range, it jumped from 11 ETH to nearly 20 ETH within a week in mid-January.

Subsequently, the floor price reached 22 ETH on February 11 and again on February 12.

Though the price has dropped 5% since, it has nonetheless reached notable heights.

Pudgy Penguins, floor price, 90 days:

As for related collections, Lil Pudgys’ floor price is 2.02 ETH. This collection, too, has seen a significant increase over the past 90 days. The floor price is up 349% from 0.45 ETH recorded on November 17.

It, too, jumped in mid-January, from 0.875 ETH to 1.9655 ETH, then to 2.39 ETH on February 11.

Its total volume is 52,872 ETH.

Lil Pudgys, floor price, 90 days:

Meanwhile, Pudgy Rod’s floor price is 0.6169 ETH. Over the past three months, it has gone up 95% from 0.316 ETH. Its highest point was 1 ETH on January 27.

The collection’s total volume is 15,338 ETH.

The post YouTuber KSI Accused of Pump-and-Dumps + More NFT News appeared first on Cryptonews.

In addition to financial burdens, societal pressures of being in a relationship during Valentine’s Day can be stressful. A 2020 study from the online dating site Plenty of Fish found that 51% of 2,000 singles felt pressure to be romantic on Valentine’s Day, while 43% felt the need to be in a relationship.

Celebrating Love in The Metaverse

Sebastien Borget, COO and Co-Founder of The Sandbox – a Metaverse gaming platform – told Cryptonews that while Valentine’s Day can create a unique set of pressures, the Metaverse can provide an option for celebration without any of the traditional societal burdens surrounding the holiday.

“The metaverse allows for boundless creativity and expression beyond what is possible in the real world as well as in traditional games,” Borget said. “One of the core values of the open metaverse is inclusivity, which has a strong connection to the ideals of Valentine’s Day and what Valentine’s Day should be about.”

Given the potential behind the Metaverse, Borget shared that The Sandbox will feature a “Love and Music” festival that will take place from February 14 until the end of March this year.

LOVE IS IN THE AIR! Celebrate the season in The Sandbox, where the best artists express themselves. Start playing today!https://t.co/r7tVKcWBcl#LoveAndMusicTSB

pic.twitter.com/YPXw5Dbzki

— The Sandbox (@TheSandboxGame) February 14, 2024

According to Borget, the Love and Music festival is a Metaverse event designed for users to meet fellow players in The Sandbox ecosystem while enjoying experiences from popular music artists.

“Music has always had a strong, thematic connection to love and we think the experiences within the festival are a celebration of this,” he said.

Borget added that all Sandbox users are invited to join the event for free. He noted that the festival includes a Love and Music Hub, which is designed to bring players together while meeting guest stars.

“Featured artists and music partners include Warner Music, Steve Aoki, The Notorious B.I.G., Elvis Presley, BLOND:ISH, Sueco, Nuclear Blast Records, and many more,” said Borget.

The Metaverse Enables Self-Expression

While The Sandbox hosted a successful interactive dating experience for Valentine’s Day last year, Borget explained that events in the Metaverse enable expression and access in unique ways.

“The metaverse allows for people to express themselves however they wish to, free from the traditional norms and bounds of the real world,” he remarked.

For instance, Borget pointed out that avatars used in metaverse environments allow players to represent themselves however they wish, both visually and in action. He added that the Metaverse enables access for everyone to participate in festivities without restrictions.

“People are able to meet and uniquely interact with others from any location or interest, across a diverse set of experiences not enabled by the real world,” he said.

David Paskett, Head of Content and Community at gaming company Upland, told Cryptonews that he believes personal expression is a central feature of the Metaverse. Therefore, he views Valentine’s Day as an enhanced opportunity for players to showcase their individuality.

“This Valentine’s Day Upland will offer a range of in-game cosmetics and Block Explorers, allowing users to customize their appearances and interactions within this virtual space,” said Paskett. “These tools serve not only as a means of personalization, but also as a way for players to engage more deeply with the game’s community and events, particularly during special occasions like Valentine’s Day.”

Valentine’s Day NFTs Create Ongoing Value

Paskett added that Upland’s Valentine’s Day Block Explorers, which are in-game assets, can be sold as non-fungible tokens (NFTs). This creates additional utility and revenue for users during the holiday.

Other Valentine’s Day NFT projects are also coming to fruition as non-fungible tokens gain traction this year.

For example, “Heartsleeves” is a generative-NFT video project that allows individuals who participate to experience an immersive, love-themed video environment. Artists Tali Hinkis and Kyle Lapidus – also known as “LoVid” – created the Heartsleeves series presented by Tonic.xyz, which launched on Feb. 8 this year.

“Heartsleeves embraces the theme of human emotions and connection in the age of technology and Web3,” Hinkis said. “Romance and other forms of love are included in this series.”

According to Hinkis, Heartsleeves contains two parts.

“Part 1 is an algorithmically generated abstract video that will play forever without repeating. Ownership of one of these tokens unlocks access to use that generative “skin” in the portrait studio,” she said. “In this browser-based studio, participants can step inside this immersive video environment, record, and ultimately mint video portraits.”

Lapidus added that the project leverages decentralized ownership – one of the main properties of NFTs – to allow for official portraits to be minted by the Heartsleeves community. “It invites collectors to become co-creators, celebrating collaboration and connection in our digital world,” he said.

Will The Metaverse Attract The Mainstream?

While Valentine’s Day celebrations in the Metaverse may appeal to existing ecosystem participants, the question remains if these experiences will attract the mainstream.

Statistics from Influencer Marketing Hub show that the metaverse global market value could reach $936.6 billion by 2030. Findings also suggest that the metaverse has more than 400 million active users each month.

Given this, Lapidus believes that projects like Heartsleeves will cater to people from various backgrounds.

“The series includes both a generative video which is mesmerizing to look at and a portrait studio that draws the viewer in that welcomes play and exploration for everyone,” he said.

Metaverse growth will also likely increase with the release of new technologies centered around virtual and augmented reality. For example, Apple’s headset Vision Pro will be incorporating a metaverse app from Victoria VR, which is a company that combines blockchain with virtual reality to ensure real-world experiences.

Borget mentioned that Metaverse platforms should strive to create authentic experiences as an extension of physical cultural moments to attract mainstream consumers.

“We expect visitors at the Love and Music Festival to be a combination of Web3 enthusiasts alongside the broader gaming community and fans of the featured IPs/partners who are excited to interact with their favorite brands and celebrities in a unique way,” he said.

The post Valentine’s Day in the Metaverse: Fostering Inclusion and Connection appeared first on Cryptonews.