Twitter Adds Bitcoin Tipping and NFT Verification
Twitter users on Apple’s iOS are now able to link third-party tipping services and accept tips in Bitcoin. Twitter has also announced an NFT verification feature currently in development, which will boost the use of NFT avatars on the platform. These features are part of a push to increase the options for Twitter users to monetize their content.
AMC Theatres Accepting Crypto Payments – NFTs Next!
AMC Theatres announced on 16 Sep that it will begin accepting payments in Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, and Bitcoin Cash at its 978 movie theatres across the USA. CEO Adam Aron also told CNBC that the company is also exploring using NFTs to drive business – such as through commemorative NFT tickets.
Ripple Announces $250 Million Creator Fund to Evolve NFT Utility
Ripple, the leading provider of enterprise blockchain and crypto solutions that are faster, more transparent and more cost-effective, today announced a $250 million fund to provide creators with the financial, creative and technical support needed to explore and craft premium non-fungible token (NFT) and other tokenization projects on the XRP Ledger.
Spotlight on Solana
Solana’s Degenerate Apes Sell For Millions
Following the success of the Bored Ape collection on Ethereum, a competing Solana based project called the Degenerate Ape Academy has been gaining in popularity, with some Apes selling for up to $1.7 million. Apeing apes used to be a schoolyard joke but thanks to NFTs, it’s now a pretty profitable venture!
Solana Attacked By Bots
The Solana network suffered a 17 hour outage on Tuesday, 14 Sep, due to a massive surge in activity. Solana has attributed their resource exhaustion to a denial-of-service attack, in which bots spammed the network with 400,000 transactions per second – that’s roughly 13,333 times the amount of transactions that the Ethereum network can process per second!
NFT ART, MUSIC AND FASHION
Audius Partners with TikTok
The decentralized music streaming service, Audius, is the first to announce a major partnership with TikTok, which will allow its artists to upload their music to TikTok to be used in videos. According to TikTok, 75 percent of its 732 million active users say they discover new music on the app. This is a massive boost for Audius, which has already been gaining traction for upsetting the traditional model of profit distribution in the music industry and making sure that artists get their fair share.
Dreamverse NFT Music Festival Selling Tickets Now!
Metapurse has announced an NFT art, music, and tech fest called Dreamverse, which will take place in New York City in November this year. Dreamverse calls itself a two-part festival, with an interactive digital art experience during the day, and a Dreamverse party after dark headlined by Alesso. Admission to the festival comes in the form of an NFT Ticket designed by NFT Artist Alotta Money, which is available now on YellowHeart.
Crypto Fashion Week
September 13-17 was Crypto Fashion Week! Called the MetaGala, the virtual event featured NFT drops, real-time fashion virtual fashion shows, panel discussions around digital fashion and the future of the metaverse, live auctions, and an after-party with special musical guests Panther Modern feat. Reggie Watts. If you missed it, don’t fret – videos are available on their official website.
SEPTEMBER’S SCANDALS
NFT Game Epic Hero Battles Caught Stealing Art
Dan Hindes, developer of the indie game, Wildfire, called out Epic Hero Battles on Twitter earlier this month for stealing his art. Epic Hero Battles issued an apology, claiming that it was an honest mistake. Shortly after, however, an alarming number of other digital artists realized that their art had been appropriated too, and used on Epic Hero Battles’ website and twitter page. EHB has since stripped their website and deleted their twitter account.
OpenSea Bans Insider Trading
OpenSea has introduced policies to ban insider trading after their product head, Nate Chastain, was discovered to be buying artworks shortly before they were promoted on the site’s front page, and selling them after the hype for profit. Nate has since left the company, but the scandal has raised concerns about insider and wash trading in the NFT industry.
REMEMBER THE NAME
Snoop Dogg made waves this month by revealing that he is Cozomo de’ Medici, an NFT whale with an estimated $17 million in holdings.
Macallan is auctioning an ultra-rare 1991 whisky cask as an NFT. Valued at $2 million, this auction is set to break the record for the most expensive whisky cask ever sold.
Nascar partnered with GigLabs to launch RaceDayNFT.com, the first NASCAR-related NFT marketplace.
Miss Universe Thailand 2021 is to be the world’s first NFT beauty pageant, incorporating NFT collectible cards and tie-ins to Morning Moon Village, a decentralized game on Bitkub chain.
Time Magazine has launched an NFT initiative called TIMEPieces, featuring the art of 40 creatives inspired by the prompt “Building a Better Future.”
