Nike joined the question of brands buying into excitement implicit virtual goods arsenic the sportswear elephantine announced it has bought integer sneaker shaper RTFKT.
Why bargain the latest brace of sneakers, erstwhile you tin bargain the latest brace of virtual ones instead?
Nike joined the question of brands buying into excitement implicit virtual goods Monday arsenic the sportswear elephantine announced it has bought RTFKT, a institution that makes integer sneakers.
RTFKT—pronounced "artifact"—sells integer items successful the signifier of non-fungible tokens (NFTs), virtual assets that are authenticated utilizing the aforesaid blockchain exertion arsenic cryptocurrencies.
"This acquisition is different measurement that accelerates Nike's integer translation and allows america to service athletes and creators astatine the intersection of sport, creativity, gaming and culture," said Nike CEO John Donahoe.
Nike said the presumption of the acquisition would not beryllium disclosed.
But the acquisition reflects increasing involvement from large brands successful NFTs. In May, an NFT of a Gucci handbag sold online for much than the existent mentation would cost.
The clamor implicit virtual goods comes implicit feverish predictions that the "metaverse"—a virtual world mentation of the internet—will yet regenerate the web of today.
Retail is 1 assemblage that could beryllium transformed, with shoppers possibly yet donning virtual world goggles to analyse 3D replicas of existent clothes.
Nike has already opened "Nikeland", a virtual showroom connected gaming level Roblox, wherever visitors tin formal their avatars successful Nike clothes.
Founded past year, RTFKT seized connected a similarity betwixt sneakers and NFTs: some are often coveted arsenic collectible items.
In March, RTFKT reportedly sold 600 pairs of carnal sneakers for $3.1 million—but the items promoted arsenic having "real" worth were the NFT versions of the sneakers sold with each pair.
"We're excited to turn our marque which was afloat formed successful the metaverse," RTFKT co-founder Benoit Pagotto said successful a connection released by Nike.
NFTs person generated immense involvement implicit the past year, with enthusiasts predicting they volition go a wide signifier of ownership.
Skeptics accidental the conception is over-hyped, with immoderate NFTs changing hands for hundreds of thousands oregon adjacent millions of dollars.
© 2021 AFP
Citation: Nike buys virtual sneaker steadfast arsenic metaverse buzz grows (2021, December 14) retrieved 14 December 2021 from https://techxplore.com/news/2021-12-nike-virtual-sneaker-firm-metaverse.html
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