eBay is the latest corporation to offer NFTs in cooperation with web3 platform OneOf. The new “Genesis” NFT Collection will contain 3D and animated versions covering sportsmen (Sports Illustrated covers). eBay claims that revolutionizing the collectibles space led to its first NFT partnership.
The first NFT collection features hockey legend, Wayne Gretzky. The series includes green, gold, platinum, and diamond-tier NFTs. The NFTs start at $10 and have a 3D image or animation of Wayne Gretzky making one of his most famous moves on the ice. They plan to add more athlete collections this year in the eBay community.
” Through our cooperation with OneOf, eBay is making coveted NFTs more accessible to a new generation of collectors”, said eBay’s Dawn Block (Vice President). It builds on our mission to bring buyers and sellers high-value items.
eBay announced last year that it would accept NFTs and introduce blockchain-powered collectibles to its platform. eBay has a significant online retail presence, but it must compete with dozens of crypto-native NFT marketplaces.
eBay’s NFT Collection
On its website, OneOf said, “As part of OneOf’s mission to bring the next 100 million users onto Web3, we’re bringing NFTs to eBay, which is one of the biggest online marketplaces of all time.”
The NFT collection will feature 3D and animated renditions of well-known athletes who have appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated throughout its history, even though this is eBay’s first-ever NFT collection.
Wayne Gretzky NFT collection
The first drop of a year full of bubbles and releases features Wayne Gretzky, the best hockey player. Wayne’s NFT collection will come in tiers, with the most common and easy-to-get collectibles in the green level and the most valuable ones in the diamond tier.
At the green NFT platform 299 Gretzky-themed 3D renderings or animations, the price will begin at $10. The rarest diamond-tier collectibles with only 15 editions. eBay has not announced the price for the diamond-tier NFTs.
In a press release about this collection, Gretzky shares:
“Forty years ago, I was grateful to be on the Sports Illustrated covers; it was a monumental moment in my life. I’m honored to bring this collectible experience to my hockey fans who have followed my career for decades.”
Getting Into the Mainstream
Since its start as AuctionWeb during the pinnacle of the 1990s dot-com bubble, eBay has introduced millions of online users to the high-stakes world of auctions. eBay hopes the new project of NFT will bring the investment opportunity in the online mainstream
By making Wayne Gretzky the face of eBay’s first attempt at selling and curating collections, both eBay and OneOf hope that this will be a big step forward in bringing high-passion people into the web3 space. In a press release, OneOf CEO Lin Dai said, “You don’t have to be a crypto expert to buy, sell, and collect NFTs.” It shows how important it is to make the NFT space more accessible.
If this campaign is successful, Dai hopes it will allow eBay combines Oneof and other interested parties to “bring transformative Web3 technology to the next 100 million non-crypto-native mass consumers.”
But the key to reaching this goal isn’t doing a project that’s easy to sell and market. Both OneOf and eBay know how important it is to eliminate “technical friction” for the end-user. So, eBay uses its decades of experience in the online collectibles, electronics, and home market to make it easy for people who aren’t used to crypto to start using it. After releasing its first collection, eBay intends to establish the eBay vault, a dedicated, hassle-free digital marketplace for trading cards.
OneOf’s role in this project is also essential, as this online marketplace for music and sports memorabilia runs on the Polygon blockchain. OneOf says that transactions on its platform use up to two million times less energy than transactions on platforms that use the Ethereum blockchain. Aside from saving energy and having a much smaller effect on the environment, the Polygon blockchain is so efficient that platforms that work with it, like OneOf, don’t have to charge users for blockchain gas fees at all.
NFTs Adoption by Other Companies
Besides eBay, Instagram has also stated that it will start testing NFTs. They are working with some producers in the United States.
Lately, Spotify has announced that it is now testing a new tool, which will allow artists to advertise their NFT collections on their profiles.
