Crypto

Mayweather returns to crypto ring after legal KO… Reef gets NFTs

03/24/2022
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Legendary boxing champion Floyd Mayweather is taking another jab at the crypto space by launching a new NFT and Metaverse project called the Mayweverse.

The nonfungible tokens (NFT) will feature the likeness of Mayweather himself and provide various utilities and prizes for holders depending on the rarity of the item. Little more is known about the project at the time of writing other than that the Metaverse will contain a boxing gym.

The launch date and prices is yet been determined, but the hype for the project is growing rapidly. The Discord channel dedicated to the project already has over 5,000 members.

Mayweather’s involvement in this new NFT project is notable considering his sub-par record with crypto projects in the past. Mayweather promoted a high-profile crypto scam called Centra Tech which defrauded investors out of over $25 million in 2018. By 2019, Mayweather and co-promoter DJ Khaled were forced to pay $600,000 and $150,000 respectively for their parts in marketing the project.

Twitter personality Coffeezilla claimed that Mayweather is now “frantically deleting evidence of his last NFT scam,” in order to appear to be in good faith for the Mayweverse launch. Other projects he has promoted include Floyd NFT, Bored Bunny, and Bored BAD Bunny.

Own a piece of the Great Barrier Reef

A marine biologist is looking to spark new conservation efforts for Australia’s Great Barrier Reef by re-mapping the world’s largest coral reef system and selling the results as NFTs one hectare at a time.

Dr. Brett Kettle is working with ReeFi DAO to digitally map the entire Great Barrier Reef off the northwest coast of Australia and give people around the world a chance to see it with their own eyes. Dr. Kettle believes that access to one of the great natural wonders of the world will inspire environmental preservation efforts from owners of the NFTs.

Each NFT will be “an actual three-dimensional photo-realistic model,” Dr. Kettle told Australian national broadcaster ABC. He believes that NFT owners will both be able to experience something they may not otherwise have a chance to, and help the reef’s health. The reef is suffering due to climate change and ocean acidification according to climate researchers at climatehotmap.com.

Collectors will be able to act as proxy stewards of the NFT reef plot they own.

“You might be sitting in an attic in upstate New York with no chance of seeing the Great Barrier Reef, but you can pull down your service provider and choose someone to remove [crown of thorns] starfish from your piece of reef.”

Australia’s Qantas Airlines to drop NFTs

Australia’s biggest airline will drop a series of NFTs as memorabilia commemorating the airline’s 102-year history in aviation.

The airline announced the drop on Mar. 22 on its website and stated that the collection would not just be a simple piece of history to hold. The first buyers of the NFTs will earn frequent flyer points called Qantas Points and the airline said it has “more exciting future benefits for Qantas NFT holders underway.”

The NFTs are due to drop by mid-year.

Krafton and Solana partner

South Korean gaming company Krafton has sealed a partnership with Layer-1 blockchain project Solana (SOL) to develop and operate blockchain-based games using NFTs.

Web3 Lead at Krafton Hyungchul Park said in the company’s official statement that he expects the partnership will allow Krafton to “acquire the insight needed to accelerate its investment in and output of blockchain-based experiences.”

Krafton is the company behind the popular PUBG: Battlegrounds game. It is not yet clear what direction the company will take with the partnership and whether it will tokenize in-game assets from its popular battle royale game.

Krafton saw its biggest profits ever in 2021 and raked in more than $1.5 billion thanks to the success from its flagship game title.

Other Nifty News

Video game retailer Gamestop has launched an NFT marketplace on the Loopring Layer-2 solution. The beta version of the marketplace is now live. Loopring’s Head of Growth says the marketplace will allow collectors to mint and trade NFTs in a “fast, cheap, and secure” way.

NFT marketplace Veve experienced a security breach on Mar. 22 that saw millions of its in-app tokens known as gems being stolen. The marketplace was shut down while an investigation took place.