Jesse James
The online marketplace known as eBay is getting into the NFT business. After permitting the sale of NFTs around May last year, the company returns with some big news today. The company has announced it will be launching 13 limited-edition digital collectibles in collaboration with Web3 platform OneOf. The move marks eBay’s first foray into the world of NFTs. The debut collection is a collaboration between Sports Illustrated and NHL legend Wayne Gretzky.
The design features animated 3D renderings of Gretzky as a digital action figure. Oneof explained the move recently. The platform released a statement that reads: “With blockchain technology making digital collectibles possible—and to complement the nostalgia we feel for the bygone era of these sporting legends—the Sports Illustrated NFT collection hearkens to the original collectability fads of yesteryear: action figures.” It adds, “Each legend in this collection is a hero to so many, and now as NFTs, they are memorialized as such.”
The first Sports Illustrated drop marks the first of many, and it’s made easily accessible through eBay. Following the sale, the digital assets are delivered to buyers through a redemption link sent through either chat or email. The assets can be traded on the secondary market via OneOf.
eBay’s VP of collectibles, electronics, and home, Dawn Block, stated: “Through our partnership with OneOf, eBay is now making coveted NFTs more accessible to a new generation of collectors everywhere. This builds upon our commitment to deliver high passion, high-value items to the eBay community of buyers and sellers.” OneOf CEO Lin Dai added, “You don’t have to be a crypto expert to buy, sell, and collect NFTs. OneOf and eBay are bringing transformative Web3 technology to the next 100M non-crypto-native mass consumers.”
eBay’s Wayne Gretzky x Sports Illustrated sale is now live, and you can find out all the details via the OneOf website. Keep it locked with The Culture Curators for more art news and NFT drops coming soon.
Photos via eBay
