Hamish Barnes

Guest post by Autograph

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Sometimes graffiti is temporary, but this isn’t one of those times. Autograph & theBUKU + Art Project have partnered with renowned visual artists to bring together the first-ever official BUKU NFT collection for this year’s festival. 

Recognized for their contributions to the culture of New Orleans via street art, graffiti, murals and other mediums, each artist has created a 1-of-1 NFT that will be auctioned off via OpenSea beginning on March 25th at 1pm EST and running through March 28th at 3pm EST. 

In advance of the auction, we’re previewing the entire collection to learn more about the artists and the inspiration behind each of their pieces.

Ceaux

Bio: Courtney “Ceaux” Buckley is a New Orleans-born multidisciplinary artist living and working in New Orleans, Louisiana. For over a decade, Ceaux’s robustly vivid paintings have pierced through the rich pulsating cultural fabric of New Orleans and its people. His career background includes musical production, education, and fashion design, which has given him a unique capability to focus on a range of subjects not commonly covered by other visual artists.

About the piece: “Vieux Dew” represents a modernized priestess. She is clairvoyant and reads energies exceptionally well. She’s a native-born New Orleanian from a family that shares her same talents.

View the NFT: ‘Vieux Dew‘

Dvote

Bio: Dvote is an artist, specializing in graffiti art, and illustration.  Currently living and working in New Orleans, LA.  He has made many contributions to both BUKU and the New Orleans graffiti community.  Subjects generally depicted include distorted and melted skulls, faces, and other organic mutations, and general sense of fear and weirdness.

About the piece: The inspiration for this comes largely from watching Ancient Aliens, and the idea that humans are the byproduct of an alien science experiment, mixing their own outworld DNA with that of earth primates from centuries past, resulting in the creation of humans. Also the Interconnectivity of different life forms through time.

Link to NFT: ‘Ancient Aliens Number 2‘

Fat Kids

Bio: Born in the early 80s, stranded in New Orleans since 2004. I get a great deal of satisfaction from creating. I don’t think art has to have a purpose, narrative, or meaning all the time. I believe there is a general joy and positivity in creating just for the sake of creating.

About the piece: I was watching DUCK-MAN PRIVATE DICK/FAMILY MAN and smoking. This was the result of said combination.

Link to NFT: ‘States of a dancing white worm, the Devils, and the infected individuals in turn‘

Hugo Gyrl

Bio: Hugo Gyrl is the pseudonym of a street artist and curator based in New Orleans. Their work can be seen on murals and gallery walls in most major cities. While Hugo Gyrl is often cloaked in costume, and their identity remains mostly a mystery, they have generated a cult following due to the comical innuendos and femme-friendly symbolism echoed in their art.

About the piece: Like a grilled cheese sandwich and a bowl of tomato soup; this piece combines my two most savory passions: Graffiti and Drag.

Link to NFT: ‘Working the Corner‘

MK Ultra

Bio: MK ULTRA is the latest nom de plume of new orleans artist Meek One (TM).  For the last 15 years he has been contributing to the culture of New Orleans through his screenprint + design company that supplies garment decoration services to designers, entrepreneurs and local businesses.  His work has been seen in the pages of the Times-Picayune and on the walls of the Ogden Museum of Southern Art. He also produces interior and exterior murals under the name New Orleans Paint + Design, working for such notable clients as Yoko Ono and the Ace Hotel.

About the piece: This piece is inspired by my interest in hermetic philosophy and ancient history.

Link to NFT: ‘As Above So Below‘

Monica Rose Kelly

Bio:  Monica Rose Kelly is an analog and digital artist who has always been heavily influenced by the elements of hip hop. She specializes in murals, illustration, projection art, and public art collaborations via the non-profit she founded, People for Public Art.

About the piece: Monica Rose has always been passionate about dance as a form of expression and is a lover of the Earth. Dancing Roots combines her early influences of breaking and graffiti, showing love to all of the different forms of dance that root us from our feet to our planet.

Link to NFT: ‘Dancing Roots‘

Paws 

Bio: PAWS creates work across media spanning from screen to paper to wall to train. At the age of 18, PAWS relocated to New Orleans, 3 days before Katrina made landfall, and spent the next 12 years coming of age with the city and cutting his teeth making art in the abandoned structures that the hurricane left in its wake. During that time he participated in, supported, and celebrated the city’s graffiti scene, most notably by founding the BUKU Live Art Gallery in 2012.

About the piece: This piece of animated graffiti is a love letter from PAWS to american freight graffiti. He loves watching graffiti roll by on freight trains so much that he asked himself, “what if I could watch freight trains roll by on graffiti as well?”

Link to NFT: ‘Under the Bridge‘

The Reader

Bio: Hailing from parts unknown, The Reader, aka Boaney Mane, age 47 1/2, has been a staple of the woke graffiti world since 1992. His message is simultaneously ephemeral and enduring.   Most known for large scale and legible typography, this enigmatic artist has repeatedly canvassed the continental 48.  Offering simple instructions such as “Open Your Eyes” and “Read To Your Children”,  the work of this graffiti vandal goes beyond sub-culture and resonates with the masses, and their ability to be swayed towards practically any agenda.  Trading an itinerant lifestyle for real-estate acquisitions and automobile hoarding, The Reader has anchored himself to New Orleans in await of the rising sea levels.

About the piece: The piece is an animation comprised of chalk drawings done in the hobo tradition of affixing iconography to the sides of train cars. Honoring this archetypal American anti-hero, while citing quotes from literature and contemporary music, this is a small sampling out of thousands that the artist has applied to the freight lines of North America.

Link to NFT: ‘Rail Spit‘

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Guest post by James Mollison

As the greenlist for the presale of the #JAPES project opens, James Mollison talks about his journey to realizing this extraordinary collection, which combines the NFT community’s obsession with apes with his portraits of great apes shot over four years and across four continents. Greenlist registration is now open at art3.io/japes ahead of the exclusive drop on OpenSea later this month.

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My Name is James Mollison and I’m a British photographer, currently living in Venice. After capturing a chance shot of a gorilla on the very last frame of my roll of film, an incredible journey began. This shot ignited my fascination with capturing these magnificent animals. It also reminded me how fast and how chaotic taking pictures really is. The gorilla was looking right through the lens and right at me, almost into me, and what I saw staring back was very familiarly human. 

This powerful moment acted as a catalyst to ‘James & Other Apes’. A collection of just over 50 passport-style photographs capturing the unique identity of apes from sanctuaries spanning four continents. Since accompanying a solo exhibition at the Natural History Museum in 2004, this collection has been globally observed, both in print and digitally. Now, as my genesis blockchain collection, these intriguing portraits will soon be available as exclusive NFT editions of one. NFTs are a new exciting journey for me as an artist. But this kind of escapade isn’t foreign to me.

Whilst creating the collection I was continuously challenged with feelings of both fear and excitement. I had to quickly learn how to act around the apes in a way that made it clear I wasn’t a threat. I learnt to sit in a submissive manner with my shoulders quite hunched down, and kind of nodding to them, trying to make it clear I was their friend rather than their foe. I’d often have to think on my feet and trial new techniques to gain the trust of these beautifully dominant animals.

One of the first monkeys I photographed was a large chimpanzee from Cameroon called Gino. During my time with Gino, I quickly realised the challenging nature of photographing apes. He had feisty energy but after composing my anxiety, I eventually established that I could use a peanut taped to the end of my lens to encourage the chimp to look into the camera. He loved this game as he continued to snatch peanuts from the top of my lens at the speed of lightning! During my time with Gino I had the opportunity to analyze his face and this caused me to deeply reflect on how similar he was to me.

We think of apes as different species. But, like us, they each have their own individual personalities and characteristics. Genetically, they are incredibly close to us. We are very different from most animals, but monkeys inspire questions about ourselves, because they are so alike us! Working with these apes took me straight back to my childhood. There’s a naughtiness to young apes that reminds me of being a cheeky young boy. They embody the grey area between man and animal and they easily connect with our inner child. To me, having an ape as a way to express who you are, as an avatar, makes perfect sense. 

Except for two, all of the apes I photographed are orphans. For quite a few, their parents had been killed for bushmeat. Sadly, there’s a masculinity belief amongst some groups that eating gorilla meat can make you virile. I hope this collection, at the very least, helps us to truly consider the relationship between man and animal. 

10% of the net proceeds we raise will be donated to the sanctuaries in Africa that rescued these incredible animals and invited me in with my camera. 
For more information about me and the project, and to register for the #JAPES greenlist, please visit art3.io/japes

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Guest post by India Price, GAZELL.iO

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GAZELL.iO is pleased to present a solo presentation and NFT drop of trailblazing Azerbaijani digital artist Orkhan Mammadov (Booth X-15 at Art Dubai). The exhibition and NFT drop, Singularity in Heritage, derives from his ongoing research project and autonomous AI art, first shown at the Venice Contemporary Art Biennale in 2019 and the Moscow International Art Biennale. This NFT drop consists of a series of video works and stills, resulting from an AI algorithm designed by the artist to understand and find similarities between carpet designs and traditional ornaments. After processing over 150,000 archival images of carpets, rugs, kilims, miniature paintings, and ornamental patterns found in museums and libraries worldwide, a neural network computing system brings together the heritage through a digital lens, enabling the viewer to encounter the visual history of traditional carpets. Mammadov revives a “tangible” cultural heritage and turns it into the first-ever carpets and Middle-Eastern-inspired wall designs in the Metaverse.

The NFT drop collection comprises of 333 unique NFTs split into 3 different themes that Mammadov has explored throughout his artistic career; carpets, Persian miniatures, and oriental patterns all dating Pre-Islam. Within each category there is a range of videos and still images available at a variety of prices from .1 ETH for the still images, to 5ETH for the full 3 minute, 4k resolution NFTs in an attempt to make the series available to a breadth of collectors. The drop will be live from the 9th of March. The NFTs will be on physical display available for the public to view at Art Dubai Digital from March 11th- 13th and the World of Web3 summit, located at Burj Park Dubai, from the 13th-16th March.

Orkhan Mammadov’s practice focuses on the representation of Eastern culture through innovative art-making methods. Born and raised in Azerbaijan’s culturally rich Ganja city which gifted to the world poets such as Mahsati and Nizami Ganjavi, Orkhan was interested in the idea of preserving and regenerating history, society, and national identity through creating AI generated art. Through strong research-based practice, Orkhan’s works undeniably display the significance of the traditions and history, to understanding and caring for the legacy of tangible and intangible heritage from the Middle East and ancient Persia. Internationally, he is recognized by his striking visuals and interactive installation, such as in the recent series of AI-generated work Repetition (2018-present), which explored the alienation and escapism felt by a disaffected and displaced culture that cast itself as a fictional but physical element. The interplay between virtual and real worlds, utopia and dystopia, and the past and the present would remain major themes for Mammadov, as his cultural commentary remains a consistent focus. Orkhan concentrates on the intricacies of Middle Eastern patterns and kilim motifs, rather than popularised common leitmotifs, as he sees the visual culture of the middle east as an emblem of the diverse cultural wealth from the ancient history of the Middle East.

Orkhan emerged into the NFT community unlike many artists, rather than focusing on the possibilities of technology and the future, Orkhan interrogates the beauty of the tangible past. In Singularity in Heritage, Orkhan continues his journey to document and preserve vast cultural history and tradition of the NFT future. As a result, Mammadov pushes the boundaries of tradition and digital, questioning technology’s role as a form of memory and a tool of power.

Reach @orkhan_art and @gazell_io on Twitter or join the Discord channel for further information.

Collection: https://opensea.io/collection/singularityinheritage

Contact email: [email protected]

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Guest post by Orange Comet

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From Orange Comet comes the first-ever official NFTs for AMC’s The Walking Dead, available exclusively on OpenSea. 

Commemorating the last season of the original series, which kicked off one of the biggest TV franchises in history, the drop is centered around The Walker Access Pass NFT, sold for just 24 hours on OpenSea starting at 9:00am PT / 12 noon ET / GMT 17:00 on March 3 and not sold again for at least an entire year…if ever. Bear in mind the prophetic words of TWD patriarch Rick Grimes: “I don’t take chances anymore.” In other words, mark your calendars.

THE LIMITED-EDITION WALKER ACCESS PASS NFT:

The limited edition of The Walker Access Pass NFTs are not only visually stunning, intricately crafted pieces that will captivate fans, collectors and the undead, but each also comes with a veritable flesh-eater buffet of fresh perks for diehard fans and collectors alike. 

Each Walker Access Pass will feature one of ten different 3D Walkers set in a variety of backgrounds.  The passes will be cloaked at the time of purchase as each will be randomly minted.  For each purchase the grand reveal of all passes will take place two weeks after the close of the drop.  

THE WALKER ACCESS PASS RARITIES:

The passes will fall into one of five different categories: Legendary, Epic, Super Rare, Rare and Uncommon. Beyond the base level of Uncommon there are 4 additional variant levels of passes.

• Purchasers will have a 1 in 100 chance to score one of the Legendary level passes. 
• In all, your chances of scoring a pass from the 4 variant levels will be 1 out of 4.

Purchasers will not know which pass they have purchased until the date of the reveal which will be Friday, March 18, 2022. 

The pass also offers fans and collectors the chance to establish themselves as early members of the official AMC’s The Walking Dead NFT community. 

BENEFITS AND UTILITIES THAT GO ALONG WITH THESE HIGHLY COVETED PASSES:

VIP:  Each Walker Access Pass grants lifetime access to exclusive THE WALKING DEAD NFT drops. At least five exclusive drops per year are planned.

WHITELISTING:  You will be Whitelisted on all general public drops of THE WALKING DEAD. Pass holders will be allowed into drops one hour before the general public. These drops will be scheduled during the year and will contain new character avatars, animations and 1:1 generative designs.

REAL-WORLD THE WALKING DEAD MERCHANDISE:  Pass holders will have access to exclusive autographed THE WALKING DEAD merchandise before being offered to non-pass holders.

IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCES:  There will be opportunities throughout each year for Pass Holders to qualify for member events including a planned in-person SERIES FINALE party at a location to be announced.

BETA ACCESS:  Pass holders will be granted first looks / beta access to our planned The Walking Dead virtual universe.

FREE AIRDROPS:  You will receive throughout the year, at various times, when you least expect it, a FREE THE WALKING DEAD NFT airdropped into your wallet. Who knows what utility these NFTs might bring you in the future?

PRIVATE DISCORD CHANNEL:  Pass Holders will be granted access to a Private Discord Channel where members can participate in special AMA (Ask Me Anything) sessions, get advanced information on future drops and see sneak peaks of upcoming TWD NFTS. 

And more surprises to come….

SPECIAL OPENSEA EXCLUSIVE AUCTIONS:

In addition to the intricately crafted The Walker Access Pass NFTs, Orange Comet is also announcing an auction of four 1 of 1 amazing commemorative golden variant pieces of fan favorite characters: MICHONNE, RICK, DARYL and MAGGIE. These high-grade NFTs will be available to the general public starting at 0.11 ETH. The auction will only last 48 hours.

Moving forward, Orange Comet will continue to release The Walking Dead NFTs to coincide with the final season of the beloved show as it comes to an epic crescendo. The story will die but these NFTs will live forever because Orange Comet is busy building, planning and designing an entire The Walking Dead virtual universe for fans and collectors to enjoy for years to come. 

Orange Comet is sharing these commemorative NFTs exclusively with the OpenSea community for the inaugural drop on March 3rd at 9:00am PT / 12 noon ET / GMT 17:00. 

So, don’t walk, don’t run, but leap into OpenSea for your pound of digital, non-fungible flesh.

Join the TWD NFT family on our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/thewalkingdeadnft 

For additional information on this drop:  https://orangecomet.com

Remember… The Dead don’t wait.

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Guest post by Cameo (Oliver Maroney and Devon Townsend)

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For years, Cameo has been the place that delivers unique, personalized, and authentic fan experiences to millions across the world. We make the impossible happen. Web3 is about making connections – connections that become surprisingly meaningful and impactful over time. For a long time, our talent and community have been asking us when we are going to start building in Web3. But our approach to Web3 has been thoughtful and deliberate. Today, we’re so excited to announce the public launch of our genesis collection, Cameo Pass. 

An NFT where art from our favorite artists in the world acts as a pass to Cameo’s unique platform, celebrity access, events and more. The art represents the three phases of the day and gives holders something awesome on day one that gets better over time. Partnering with artists BurntToast, Vinnie Hager, and Luke McGarry, we’ve created a limited supply of 6,000 NFTs. We believe it’s in everyone’s best interests to focus on a high-quality, limited community. Pass-holders will become the starting audience for anything Cameo does in Web3 and RL. 

Our team has worked tirelessly to put a project together that represents the values of both the projects we look up to and our own personal beliefs. We’re not here to be another project. We’re here to be the gold standard of NFT collections and a place that allows Web3 enthusiasts, fans and celebrities to engage, create and move this space forward. We truly believe we have a chance to change the narrative and push the boundaries of what can be done in this space.

Stay tuned for more updates in this space in the coming months on the Cameo Pass website and follow us on Twitter @CAMEOPASS!

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NFTs, Cyberpunk, and the Real-Life Metaverse Cantina

Co-authored by Marguerite deCourcelle, CEO of Blockade Games
and Francesca Bassa, Co-Founder & Experiential Designer at Lucid Dreaming 

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Large scale communication networks.
Anti-establishment movements. 
Growing computer systems, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality. 
A ubiquitous datasphere of computerized information. 
Invasive modification of the human body.
A technological revolution contrasted with crippling inequality
How does one survive in an unequal society? 
Can we fight back?

Perhaps the most interesting question is the most surprising.
Does this describe our current world, or is this collection of statements simply part of a story?

Maybe it’s both. 

Games as Portals

At Blockade Games, our mission is to create immersive, multiplayer experiences that give players agency to fight for what they believe in.

Drawing on cyberpunk themes, art, and storylines–we provide a portal into the world of Web3 and a mechanism for players to acquire their first cryptocurrencies through gamification. 

Neon District, our flagship game, is a cyberpunk role-playing adventure where players collect in-game NFTs to enrich the gaming journey. We want everybody from blockchain pros to mainstream gamers to enjoy a shared experience. Games don’t end inside the vacuum they were created, and great experiences transcend mediums.

The Metaverse Cantina 

Most multi-player games have a gathering place. A location where players congregate, good banter is exchanged, the fashionable are admired, stories are shared, ranks are noted, missions are given, and bounties are paid. This proverbial watering hole is where all the storylines coalesce, and becomes a genesis for later action. 

This belief and framework inspired the recent collaboration between Superchief Gallery, OpenSea, and Blockade Games to create a real-life gathering space to bridge the gap between digital art, virtual games, NFTs, blockchain, and physical spaces. 

Cyberpunk Vol. 1 showcased the world’s first curated gathering of Cyberpunk NFT sponsored by OpenSea and Blockade Games, and curated by Random Ghost.

In true metaverse fashion, the show lived both online (via an auction hosted on Open Sea), as well as in-person launch events held simultaneously in NYC and LA at the Superchief NFT Galleries.

Superchief, the world’s first NFT gallery, and Random Ghost, whose digital collections are considered the longest-running major cyberpunk inspiration resource, set on a mission to elevate cyberpunk artists in a group showcase. The IRL show experience featured neon-lined walls, digital displays, dystopian vibes and moody electronic music to transport the attending audience into a cyberpunk metaverse– with a well placed wink and nod to our own world.

This “metaverse cantina” is the first of many installments that build the mechanism for game experiences to carry over into virtual art, that then carry over to a physical reality–where art is then viewed, engaged, played with, purchased–and sent back to the digital realm.

Blockade Games sponsored the event as part of our commitment to cultivating the Cyberpunk genre throughout the metaverse, as well as to explore how physical space can provide deeper social involvement with NFTs and gamification. This fusion of spaces and assets, both physical and virtual, has endless possibilities. 

Art as Agency

Our main focus is not to convert gallery foot traffic into gamers, but to convert game assets into fine art, turning art enthusiasts into appreciators of fine art game assets–elevating game artists into new worlds that give them real agency. 

The metaverse is a fusion of the spaces and assets we occupy under our individual identities. NFTs have the ability to be transported out of digital applications and have representation in the physical world.

We believe games don’t end inside the vacuum they were created, but great experiences transcend mediums. that real life, and the art that creates it, is a game in and of itself. 

And it seems, others agree.
“We believe we can use technology to lean into the ‘reality’ of augmented reality — encouraging everyone, ourselves included, to stand up, walk outside, and connect with people and the world around us. This is what we humans are born to do, the result of two million years of human evolution, and as a result those are the things that make us the happiest. Technology should be used to make these core human experiences better — not to replace them.” 
John Hanke, Founder & CEO, Niantic The Metaverse is a Dystopian Nightmare. Let’s Build a Better Reality)

Cyberpunk Vol. 1: Talent Spotlight

Cyberpunk Vol. 1 featured a slew of artists, ranging from freelancers to game developers, all with a unique vision on translating cyberpunk into thematic assets that bleed between the digital and physical worlds. 

For many, this was their genesis piece. Here are a few highlights:

Ben Mauro shocked the world last year, netting millions in his first major drop. Speaking to Decrypt, he highlighted the game-changing potential NFTs have for digital artists. “I feel like I’ve been waiting for this my entire career, and finally technology and art came together in a beautiful way that allows every artist to do this for the first time. It’s incredible.” In addition to a prolific resume, Mauro continues to create innovative stories through Huxley, a comic book series built by NFTs.  

Other artist highlights from Cyberpunk Vol. 1 include Anthony Eftekhari, Art Director at AAA Games Studio Blizzard Entertainment, who has worked on titles such as Diablo III, World of Warcraft, StarCraft and Overwatch. His work has been published in many 3D magazines and won the Annual D.I.C.E. Awards, an awards event that honors the best games in the video game industry.

Benjamin Bardou, another featured artist, is creating Megalopolis where he is building a continuous and ever-growing world based on a dystopian future Paris. 

Mehdi Hadi and his short film, NOMANKIND, available in its entirety in Cyberpunk Vol. 1 was selected for seven film festivals, winning awards at LACA Los Angeles, and New York Movie Awards Best Indie Short Film

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Guest post by Unstoppable Domains

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We believe in a vision of the internet that brings us all together, makes us all heard, and creates equal opportunities.

An internet owned by the people.

We’re building that vision by providing people lifetime ownership over their NFT domains, data, and identity.   

Let’s take a closer look at a few specific features of Unstoppable NFT domains, all designed to give control of the internet back to the people. 

Easy payments. Ease of mind: universal crypto address

Power up your wallet by turning all your complicated addresses into one easily readable name. NFT domains give you the power to send, store, and receive hundreds of cryptocurrencies and NFTs with one simple domain name.

All you and all yours: verified NFT profile pic avatars

Level-up your digital identity. Verify ownership of your favorite NFTs with Unstoppable Domains and use it as your PFP avatar across web3.

Login with Unstoppable: the only login you need

Leave the days of signing in with email addresses, user accounts, and passwords behind. Your Unstoppable domain is all you need to verify your identity and access sites and apps on the decentralized web. With nothing holding you back, the metaverse is yours to explore.

Own the future: a better way to build decentralized websites

Your Unstoppable NFT Domain provides an easy access point for launching a Web3 site that people can actually find. Plus, we have a great set of site design templates to simplify the buildout. 

Similar to the benefit of connecting your domain and crypto wallets, your domain translates cumbersome, crypto-generated alphanumeric hash values into actual words, with actual meanings so your site address can look more like: “My-Super-Dope-Website.crypto” instead of “999534864327D4353434FT425 etc. etc.”

Ever-evolving you-tility: more features, services, and benefits on the way

Our goal is to create better ways for everyone to own their digital identity and to unlock better, faster, and more secure experiences across Web3…and we take it pretty seriously.

We launched well over 100 product features and improvements last year, and have no plans to slow down in 2022!

More power, less gas: mint your NFT domain for free, and own it forever

You can mint your NFT Domain on Ethereum, which can get pricey with gas fees, or you can use Polygon and, because we think you’re awesome, we’ll cover the cost. Seriously! 

We’ve saved our community over $100M (and counting) in gas fees.

Regardless of which chain you choose, once your NFT Domain is minted, you own it forever. No renewal fees, no BS. Just a better Web3 experience.

But wait, there’s more…

We’re teaming up with OpenSea for an exclusive drop of over 100 of our most watchlisted premium domains, including football.nft, digital.nft, moon.nft, and more. The drop will be going live on Feb 8th @ 9 am EST on OpenSea. 

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Guest post by KONAMI

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About the KONAMI MEMORIAL NFT series  

We’re excited to introduce our genesis NFT collection and let fans preserve beloved in-game scenes from KONAMI titles as collectibles. No matter how old you are, the famous scenes and background music from the games you played as a child will never fade.  

About Castlevania 

Castlevania is an action-adventure game series, first released in 1986 as a Family Computer Disk System exclusive title. The unique world, beautiful visuals, and majestic background music have made the series popular around the world, and the latest title, ‘Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls’, is currently available on Apple Arcade. Additionally, all 4 seasons of the animation series ‘Castlevania’ are currently streaming on Netflix.  

Official Castlevania Portal: https://www.konami.com/games/castlevania/ 

About the Castlevania 35^th Anniversary NFT

To celebrate the 35th anniversary of Castlevania, we have turned the most memorable game scenes, background music, and newly designed art into NFTs.  

The art was created by a KONAMI staff member who played the original Castlevania as a child 35 years ago and is a massive fan of the series. We have picked up the cuts and art our fans remember the most and immortalized them on the blockchain.  

NFT #1: Castlevania – Dracula’s Castle Pixel Art  

Shown above is the newly designed pixel art for the ‘KONAMI MEMORIAL NFT’. Based on the map of the Castle that appears in-game, corresponding stages and enemies have been placed to recreate the challenging journey in Castlevania.  

NFT #2: Castlevania – Highlights

For the production of this NFT, we gathered several KONAMI employees who played Castlevania in their childhood and recorded their gameplay.  

The filming took longer than expected, but we obtained a large amount of video material. And as we played, memories of challenging enemies and stages came back to life…  

This is a highlights movie focusing on the most impressive Castlevania scenes, with the great vampire hunter Simon Belmont’s adventure of conquering the Castle condensed into 3m 34sec.  

NFT #3: Castlevania – Vampire Killer 

The song ‘Vampire Killer’ is still remembered as a classic by fans of Castlevania. This NFT utilizes the background music and gameplay from Block 1 of Castlevania.  

First purchaser campaign 

Customers that purchase the NFT from the official ‘KONAMI MEMORIAL NFT’ account will be able to post their desired nickname on KONAMI’s official website (https://www.konami.com/games/memorialnft/). Please check the official website for details.  

About the drop  

• There are 14 different types of art NFTs, and only one of each is available.  
• The auction will be held on the below schedule;  

(US East) Jan.12 17:00 – Jan.14 21:00 EST
(US West) Jan.12 14:00 – Jan.14 18:00 PST
(UK) Jan.12 22:00 – Jan.15 02:00 GMT
(Japan) Jan.13 07:00 – Jan.15 11:00 JST
*Auction beginning times are approximate and may alter.

• Bidding will start at 0.0573 wETH.
• Collection link: https://opensea.io/collection/castlevania-35th-anniversary

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Guest post by ART3.io

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Now live exclusively on OpenSea, the Edition365 NFT collection is a portrait of the year that changed everything.

Since the coronavirus pandemic swept the world in March 2020, all of humanity has shared – and documented – an extraordinary experience. History has unfurled in front of our eyes; cracks in our systems have been magnified, and across oceans and borders, ways of thinking, acting, and existing remain in flux. 

Uniting the voices of renowned photographers, emerging artists, and everyday people alike, Edition365 began as a vast and immersive digital exhibition with New Art City, all of the work created between 11 March 2020, when the World Health Organisation officially announced a global pandemic, and 10 March 2021: 365 days, captured through 365 artworks, from a diverse and dynamic array of creators from all around the world. 

Traversing tales of love, loss, hope, solidarity – humankind’s collective will to resist, persist and rebuild – Edition365 is a once-in-a-century photography collection, conceived to stand as a historical reference for decades to come. 

And now, it’s available to own as an NFT collection 

“As the hosts of some of the most viewed photographic exhibitions in the ‘real’ world, we wanted to build something of equal ambition in the metaverse,” says Marc Hartog, CEO of ART3.io. “Edition365 is a time capsule of incredible works which tells the story of a unique moment in history, with artists from all over the world offering their own creative insight into this uniquely shared human experience.”

“Creators were hit incredibly hard during the pandemic,” he continues. “The NFT sale will create an opportunity for collectors to own unique works while supporting a large group of participating artists, who will receive the lion’s share of income generated. The concept of the metaverse is ever-evolving and, in what we believe will be a world first, one collector will be able to own the entire exhibition as part of the sale, with proceeds split between the artists.” 

During a conversation streamed into the exhibition private view, Hamish Barnes of OpenSea added “Straight away we understood the opportunity of a big legacy brand in the photography space understanding the potential, seeing what was happening in the market”. He continued “Being a part of what was helping lots of young, independent artists make their way in this space and understand the technology was interesting to us”. 

Drop information 

• The curated collection of 365 individual artworks from the exhibition will be on sale exclusively via OpenSea for 0.25ETH from 30 November 

• The full virtual exhibition itself will be sold to one owner via auction on OpenSea, bidding beginning on 30 November. The winning bidder will be able to place a portal to the exhibition anywhere in the Metaverse, and personalise it with their own room of favourite NFTs from both within and outside of the Edition365 exhibition 

• All NFTs will be editions of one, with unlockable content throughout the collection, including a certified, limited edition, archive quality print, delivered free to first time NFT buyers

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