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☆ NFTs are back, and this time they could wreck havoc on the crypto market
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Imagine if it's actually a way to serve fast food without you realizing it. Bored Ape Yacht Club NFTs in Times Square during an NFT conference in June. Look, the idea of borrowing against artwork is actually a well established, and smart, way to manage your money. Crypto's track record with risk management leaves a lot to be desired, and crypto lenders haven't exactly been crushing it. Here's more on how the bankrupt crypto exchange is trying to take back the $90 million in political donations.

Companies Hermes International SCA FollowNEW YORK, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Hermes International SCA (HRMS.PA) urged a U.S. jury on Monday to find that a creator of non-fungible tokens violated its trademark for Birkin bags, while lawyers for the "MetaBirkins" maker countered that the images were art. "He never tried to mislead anyone into believing that the MetaBirkins came from Hermes," Millsaps said, arguing that Rothschild wanted credit for the project. Warshavsky said Hermes was working on its own Birkin NFTs at the time, and accused Rothschild of "cybersquatting" by trying to beat the company to the market. He said Hermes would not have brought the lawsuit if Rothschild had complied with a December 2021 cease-and-desist letter demanding he stop selling the NFTs. Jonathan Harris, another lawyer for Rothschild, said his client added a disclaimer stating that Hermes was not associated with the NFTs after he received the letter.

☆ How Tom Brady's robust trademark and brand strategy that spans cookbooks to skincare is setting him up for life after the NFL
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Ashley Rodriguez | Madeline Berg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Tom Brady is retiring from football, but his trademark applications could set up his second act. Brady's trademarks speak to his range of business interests, from health and wellness products to digital collectibles and NFT marketplaces. He also has a swath of trademark applications for consumer goods, like eyewear, clothing, skincare, bags, and water bottles. This story was originally published in August 2022 and has been updated in light of Tom Brady's retirement announcement. Here's a breakdown of the pending trademark applications for Brady's personal brand (condensed and categorized by Insider):

☆ Why Hollywood's tech evangelists are bullish on NFTs and Web3 storytelling, even after the FTX scandal tarnished blockchain's rep
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Elaine Low | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Amid the FTX scandal and declining NFT sales, Web3 chatter has grown quieter in Hollywood. But proponents of NFTs and Web3 storytelling are betting on the tech's entertainment potential. Hollywood's evangelists of Web3 — the decentralized, blockchain-based future of the web that includes crypto and NFTs — were out in full force. She has worked to distance the creative and storytelling potential of NFTs and other blockchain-based technologies from the cowboy rep of the digital currency world. "I'm excited about moving Web3, blockchain technologies past sort of the hype cycle that we've seen with digital collectibles and NFTs," Greg Reed, Universal Pictures' VP of technology partnerships, told Variety.

☆ Premier League signs deal with NFT-based fantasy soccer game despite crypto downturn
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The Sorare NFT soccer trading card game has partnered with the Premier League on a multi-year licensing agreement. Sorare, the $4.3 billion fantasy soccer game, has signed a multi-year deal with the Premier League that will see the world's top soccer league license official player cards. Players of the game will be able to purchase and use official Premier League-licensed NFTs under the exclusive multi-year agreement. Sorare was first rumored to be in talks with the Premier League — the top tier of England's men's soccer leagues — about a licensing agreement in Oct. 2022. Sorare CEO Nicolas Julia said things took longer to wrap up than anticipated as the Premier League had an existing NFT licensing deal with another firm.

The deal gives Sorare a four-year license to sell digital sports cards of players from all 20 Premier League clubs, Sorare said in a statement on Monday. Sky News reported in October that the deal could be worth 30 million pounds ($37.13 million) per year. Paris-based Sorare raised $680 million at a $4.3 billion valuation in a 2021 funding round led by SoftBank. Britain's gambling watchdog has been investigating Sorare since 2021 to assess whether its game amounts to gambling. "The way that supporters follow their favourite teams and players is evolving and the Premier League is always looking for ways to engage with fans," said Richard Masters, chief executive of the Premier League.

☆ StoryCo and 'Halo' showrunner team up to launch 'Disco Ball,' a blockchain-based immersive story that's a model for Hollywood's move into Web3
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Elaine Low | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The blockchain-based creative platform StoryCo is launching a new immersive storytelling concept. People who sign up for a StoryPass (an NFT) can collect digital art and have creative control over "The Disco Ball." StoryCo just raised $6 million in a seed funding round led by VC firms Collab + Currency and Patron. At the end of "Disco Ball," NFT holders "will assume control over the infinitely expanding Disco Ball universe." Half of all net revenue from projects like "Disco Ball" would then be split among the treasury's members after its story writers and creators are compensated.

☆ Read the 15-page pitch deck that raised $6 million for StoryCo, a blockchain-based platform that links Hollywood creatives directly with fans
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Elaine Low | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

StoryCo founders Justin and J.P. Alanis are part of a wave of entrepreneurs building blockchain-based storytelling platforms. StoryCo raised a $6 million seed round from Web3-focused VC firms and Hollywood insiders. In other words, Hollywood studios have been gatekeepers to content — and profits — for far too long. StoryCo is one of several startups that see blockchain and Web3 technology creating big new opportunities for TV and film creatives. Passholders will have access to a project's treasury, which will include NFT sales, IP licensing revenue, and royalties.

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailFTX's Big Tech connections revealed, and what soulbound NFTs mean for web3 users: CNBC Crypto WorldCNBC Crypto World features the latest news and daily trading updates from the digital currency markets and provides viewers with a look at what's ahead with high-profile interviews, explainers, and unique stories from the ever-changing crypto industry. On today's show, Calanthia Mei of Masa Finance explains the company's new soulbound NFT protocol on Ethereum.

☆ Artist Àsìkò explores Yoruba culture through mythology
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Lamide Akintobi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Lagos, Nigeria CNN —Appreciating cultural heritage and using it to imagine a better future: that’s one of the goals of self-taught photographer and visual artist Ade Okelarin. Drawing on aspects of traditional Yoruba culture has been an important aspect of his creative journey. In this work, Okelarin reimagines Olokun, the Yoruba goddess of the oceans, seas and wealth. Okelarin also uses digital rendering, layering the photographs with aspects of his cultural heritage, such as fabric and textures. “Living in the diaspora, now more than ever, my cultural heritage is a big part of my identity and who I am.

Persons: Ade Okelarin, ”, Okelarin, ” Okelarin, Thor, Okelarin reimagines Olokun, “, ’, – Okelarin, didn’t, – Organizations: Nigeria CNN, Sun Locations: Lagos, Nigeria, ”, West Africa, Caribbean, South America, UK

☆ MoviePass CEO Stacy Spikes on his plans to relaunch the service (for real) and bring back an unlimited option
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Jason Guerrasio | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +20 min

Stacy Spikes told Insider he plans to put MoviePass out of beta and make it available for all by the summer. You would think Spikes would want to run as far away as possible from the movie-ticket-subscription startup. Before Stacy Spikes created MoviePass he created the Urbanworld Film Festival. I wanted to put that down because I see so many times people approach me and think MoviePass was my first business. MoviePassThe MoviePass beta version is focused on the credits system, e-ticketing, and fixing bugsWhat have been the biggest challenges in getting this beta version of MoviePass off the ground?

☆ A Nike exec says a phisher stole his NFTs. Here are 3 things everyone should do to protect a digital wallet
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Matthew Kish | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

In a tweet, Gopalani said the phishers stole his Clonex NFTs and some other digital collectibles, including some "Cryptokicks." Decrypt, a publication that covers web3, estimated the stolen NFTs were worth $173,000. Don't keep your digital assets in one place. Hardware wallets store keys to digital assets offline, making them inaccessible to cyber thieves. There's a growing suite of tools for digital assets, too.

☆ Crypto comeback is just a 'mean-reversion' rally, Bernstein says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

That's one observation about the current crypto bounce Bernstein analysts made in a note to investors Monday. They called it a mean-reversion rally, meaning that they see bitcoin prices reverting to their long-term mean or average level. "We reckon, the mean reversion of crypto still has some headroom," analyst Gautam Chhugani said in the note. BTC.CM= 6M mountain Bitcoin Nevertheless, Chhugani attributed the recent bounce to capital already within the crypto industry, namely "sidelined stablecoins" being deployed. As the crypto asset class becomes "more regulated," Chhugani expects to see institutions take crypto positions this year, he said.

☆ Sneaker resale platform StockX says it turned away $100 million in fake items in 2022
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Danni Santana | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

StockX says it rejected $100 million worth of counterfeit products from resellers in 2022. The resale marketplace said in its annual report that it recorded record revenues in 2022. Overall, the resale platform turned away over 330,000 fake items shipped by sellers for verification last year, according to its latest annual marketplace report. StockX currently inspects over 1 million items a month at its 13 authentication centers worldwide. Nike, Jordan Brand, Adidas, New Balance, and Converse once again were the top selling sneaker brands on the platform.

☆ I'm a top OnlyFans creator who sold $30,000 worth of NFTs in one month. I love that it gives me ownership of my content, and I don't plan to leave Web3 anytime soon.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Jenna Gyimesi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Jean says she has no plans of leaving the Web3 space. Artist credit: MeaI sold over $30,000 worth in just one month, and I don't plan on leaving the Web3 space anytime soon. The exclusive content I offer for holders isn't available anywhere else; I host virtual parties, post voice notes, and other things. And for me, it keeps my content exclusive and more valuable to my community who invests in it. I don't think NFTs are going to fall off.

According to Orange County Superior Court records, Roiland pleaded not guilty to both charges in October 2020. Roiland was arrested and released on a $50,000 bond in August 2020 and arraigned in October 2020. Over the past three years, as the domestic violence case has inched along, Roiland’s career has progressed. Roiland also released the video game “High on Life” in 2022, which he developed through his studio Squanch Games. Roiland won an Emmy for “Rick and Morty” in 2020 and a Hollywood Critics Choice Association TV award for the show in 2022.

☆ Analysis: Bankman-Fried fraud charges sidestep debate over how U.S. law sees crypto
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

"It's a pretty simple deception," said Shane Stansbury, a professor at Duke University School of Law and former Manhattan federal prosecutor. The debate matters to cryptocurrency companies because it could determine which agency regulates the trading of digital assets. Both have pleaded not guilty and argued the charges should be dismissed because insider trading charges must involve securities or commodities. In bringing wire fraud charges in both cases, prosecutors avoided taking a position on how cryptocurrencies or NFTs should be classified. It is unlikely Bankman-Fried's lawyers will attempt a similar argument because the wire fraud charges are more straightforward, Kasten said.

WASHINGTON — Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., doesn't care that former President Donald Trump backs Kevin McCarthy for speaker of the House. "Endorsements don't matter to me," said Norman, one of 20 Republican holdouts who have blocked McCarthy, R-Calif., from winning the majority he needs on a series of deadlocked votes for House speaker. Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., another anti-McCarthy voter, took umbrage at Trump calling recalcitrants on behalf of the beleaguered House GOP leader. "I think it actually needs to be reversed; the president needs to tell Kevin McCarthy that, sir, you do not have the votes, and it’s time to withdraw." "But I don't think when you have eyes on an institution for years and you've made up your mind, I don't think President Trump or anyone else is going" to change it.

☆ Fanatics is divesting its 60% stake in NFT company Candy Digital
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Ian Thomas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Michael Rubin's sports platform company Fanatics is divesting its 60% stake in NFT company Candy Digital, according to an internal email obtained by CNBC. Candy Digital was founded in June 2021 in the middle of the sports NFT boom, competing with companies like Dapper Labs in the digital sports collectible space. It also released digital collectibles with Netflix 's Stranger Things, WWE , and several Nascar teams. Dapper Labs, the company behind NBA Top Shot and NFL All Day digital trading platforms that ranked No. "Over the past year, it has become clear that NFTs are unlikely to be sustainable or profitable as a standalone business," Rubin wrote.

☆ Crypto had a catastrophic 2022. Here are 3 reasons it will bounce back again, according to analysts.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Emilia David | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Analysts from Bernstein laid out why they're still bullish on the crypto space. But Bernstein analysts Gautam Chhugani and Manas Agarwal offer crypto true believers a few reasons to keep the faith. In a note published on January 3, they wrote that despite a catastrophic 2022, the larger crypto ecosystem still has potential. Much of the crypto space remains decentralized. Chhugani and Agarwal said FTX's collapse had hastened DeFi adoption, which makes DeFi a bright spot in crypto investing, according to crypto VCs.

☆ Bernstein analysts offer a cautious bull case for crypto recovery after a year from hell
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Emilia David | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Analysts from Bernstein laid out why they're still bullish on the crypto space. But Bernstein analysts Gautam Chhugani and Manas Agarwal offer crypto true believers a few reasons to keep the faith. Crypto keeps bouncing backThe past year was not the first "crypto winter," and crypto always bounced back fairly easily. Much of the crypto space remains decentralized. Chhugani and Agarwal said FTX's collapse had hastened DeFi adoption, which makes DeFi a bright spot in crypto investing, according to crypto VCs.

☆ Watch: Crowds Mourn Brazil's Pelé Ahead of Soccer Legend's Burial
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

NFT Artist Beeple on the Future of Digital ArtThe artist Mike Winkelmann, better known as Beeple, is one of the most valuable living artists. But now that demand for non-fungible tokens has cooled and the crypto winter has set in, what does he see as the future of NFTs? Beeple spoke with WSJ art-market reporter Kelly Crow at this year’s WSJ Tech Live event. Zoe Thomas hosts.

☆ When Oligarchs’ Superyachts Flee Sanctions, Here's How to Find Them
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried-backed Solana soars after ecosystem sees shiba inu-themed token airdrop
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( Brian Evans | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Solana soared as much as 20% in the past day on news of a Bonk token airdrop. After losing nearly all its value in 2022 as Sam Bankman-Fried's crypto empire collapsed, solana ended a streak of nine consecutive losses. The Bonk airdrop is likely being used for Solana-based non-fungible tokens. After losing nearly all its value in 2022 as Sam Bankman-Fried's crypto empire collapsed, solana finally ended a streak of nine consecutive days of losses. Of the Bonk tokens being airdropped, roughly 20% could be used for an ecosystem of 297,000 Solana-based non-fungible tokens and 10% could go to Solana-based artists, according to CoinDesk.

☆ Bernstein says crypto industry set to rebound from this latest 'winter' like it has before
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

If history is any indication, crypto prices will rally exponentially when this crypto winter is over, according to Bernstein. "Prior to 2022, crypto has gone through two winters in its 13-year history and the track record of buying into crypto stress has been spectacular," said Bernstein analyst Gautam Chhugani in a note Monday. "Crypto as an industry has a great track record of fighting back from its lows and taking punches when down." "Today, crypto touches less than 5% of total internet users with significant headroom for application led adoption." "Crypto today has 200 million holders, but around 10 million monthly active wallets using apps," he added.

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