eBay has just launched a collection of non-fungible tokens on its website. This first round of tokens is dedicated to Canadian hockey legend, Wayne Gretsky. Other athletes will be honored in the coming months. This initiative aims to democratize NFT technology by targeting Internet users who are not familiar with cryptocurrencies.
The rise of non-fungible tokens (NFT) is pushing many companies to enter the market for digital works certified on the blockchain. In recent months, Meta announced the arrival of NFTs on Instagram, luxury brands like Gucci launched their own collection, and Sega confirmed the development of AAA games that include non-fungible tokens.
Anxious to ride on the success of NFTs, eBay has just launched its first collection, called Genesis. These digital collectibles are dedicated to the greatest athletes in the worldlike National Hockey League legend Wayne Gretsky.
eBay is launching a collection of NFTs, the rarest tokens are already sold-out!
The collection includes animated versions of Gretsky, inspired by Sports Illustrated magazine covers. “Forty years ago I was grateful to be on the cover of Sports Illustrated, it was a monumental moment in my life”explains Wayne Gretsky, who claims to be “honored to bring this experience” to his fans.
eBay offers NFTs with different levels of rarity. The collection is indeed split into 4 different levels of rarity. NFTs stamped “green” are produced in 299 copies. “Gold” NFTs are available in 199 units, platinum NFTs in 99 assets and diamond tokens in 15.
The rarer an NFT, the higher its price. The diamond, platinum and gold rarity levels are respectively sold at $1,500, $100 and $25 on the eBay platform. The rarest NFTs are already out of stock. There are only the green NFTs left, with a print run of 299 copies. “NFTs and blockchain technology are revolutionizing the collectibles space and are increasingly seen as an investment opportunity for enthusiasts”Explain Dawn Blockvice president of collectibles at eBay.
Read also: Cannes launches into the metaverse and will sell its heritage in the form of NFT
eBay turns to NFTs while the market is down
To develop this collection of tokens, eBay turned to OneOf, an NFT exchange platform specializing in sports and music. “Through our partnership with OneOf, eBay is making coveted NFTs more accessible to a new generation of collectors everywhere”welcomes eBay in a press release.
For its part, OneOf believes that this partnership will make it possible todemocratizing NFT technology. As the platform points out, it is no longer necessary to know about cryptocurrencies to afford a non-fungible token. “You don’t need to be a cryptocurrency expert to buy, sell and collect NFTs. OneOf and eBay bring transformative Web3 technology to 100 million mass consumers not accustomed to crypto”details Lin DaiCEO of OneOf.
Gradually, the NFT market seeks to address the general public by emancipating itself from cryptocurrencies. In the same vein, an NFT vending machine has been installed in New York. It allows NFTs to be purchased directly with US dollars via a bank card.
Later this year, eBay will put online other collections dedicated to athletes high level. The auction platform’s shift to NFTs comes as the blockchain digital asset market has seen a steep decline. This drop was caused by the collapse of the cryptocurrency market following the crash of UST, Luna’s stablecoin. In recent days, the NFT market has gradually stabilized. While most cryptocurrencies are still in the red, NFT sales appear to be weathering the financial market turmoil.
Calling all collectors, you can score our first exclusive NFT drop brought to you by @OneOfNFT with a @SInow x @WayneGretzky digitalcollectible. ?
Starting at $10, you can get a limited edition NFT along with bragging rights, unless you decide to sell it.#NFT #eBayExclusive
— eBay (@eBay) May 23, 2022