NFT.NYC 2022 Special Edition
NFT.NYC 2022 Special Edition
1. CloneX Ships ‘3D’ Files to Holders
A major step was made on the roadmap towards an Open Metaverse with the release of CloneX’s 3D files. Owners also receive commercial rights and can now bring their specific avatar to life wherever they want.
Hundreds, maybe even thousands, of NFT PFP projects have ‘3D Avatars’ on their roadmaps. But few have delivered as of yet. Turns out it takes significant resources to deliver 10,000 different, customizable files that can be integrated into games based on the Unreal Engine, Blender, and into AR and VR platforms like Snap.
RTFKT expects to see these avatars not just in games… but as streaming personalities and brand ambassadors. Who knows, the next generation may grow up with a favorite CloneX influencer.
2. Virgil’s Yellow Brick Road to Infinity
To honor the late and great designer Virgil, the SS23 menswear show held at the Louvre had a different take on a one of his original concepts: the Yellow Brick Road.
Virgil Abloh debuted the Yellow Brick Road four years ago. The path towards ‘The Emerald City’ in The Wizard of Oz was symbolic for good choices on the way to a better life. But the The Emerald City was not everything promised. Dorothy would discover corruption, ego and greed at it’s heart… making Virgil’s use of the metaphor in the world of fashion somewhat subversive.
In LV’s final sendoff to Virgil, the end of the Yellow Brick Road was not so clear. Instead, it led to Infinity and a collection by the same name.
And far from a funeral atmosphere, the collection is vibrant and colorful. A celebration of legacy rather than mourning.
Fans of the late great designer residing in NY can see a restaging of the “Virgil Abloh: Figures of Speech” at the Brooklyn Museum now through Jan. 29, 2023— a retrospective of his work in fashion, music, architecture and art. A true polymath, no one else threw open the doors to the ivory tower to underserved voices quite like him.
3. NFT NYC: Did a 70%+ Decline in NFT Markets affect their ‘Super Bowl’?
The second annual NFT NYC Conference took place last week amidst market conditions that were nearly opposite from the previous in October of 2021.
Then, ETH was near all -time highs (≈$4000) and the NFT markets were booming. Now, ETH is teetering around $1,000 and NFT marketplace volume is down 70-80%.
How would this affect attendance, engagement, and ‘the vibe’?
In short, it didn’t. Compared to the ICO driven crash in 2018, sentiment on the street was positive. Those optimists largely believe that the current market is a result of macro-conditions rather than the ‘end’ of crypto and NFTs. Instead, speakers talked of building opportunities with less outside distraction and pressure.
And similar to year’s past, the conference and surrounding events served as a set for many ambitious activations, high profile hires, and product announcements. See below for some of the larger headlines.
Doodles Announces First Fundraise and Pharrell as Chief Brand Officer
New CEO, Julian Holguin (previously Billboard) introduced Pharrell via video at a private Doodles event
The hiring of music industry heavy hitters signals a direction for what was once a ‘PFP’ only project
Snoop Dogg and Eminem premiered a new music video featuring their Bored Ape NFTs at BAYC’s Apefest event
Cool Cats launched an IRL ‘Cooltopia’ a gamified, immersive experience leveraging NFC wristbands to collect points which could be used to purchase IRL prizes
PUMA announced their largest web3 partnership to date with 10KTF via Vogue Business and IRL at 10KTF’s Neo Tokyo event
And Solana announces a ‘web3 mobile phone’ and accompanying developer tools for decentralized mobile applications, leaning further into their belief that NFT/crypto/wallet adoption will be mobile first globally
…And In Case You Missed It