Interactive NFTs the future for sport, Vegas Sphere excites: NFT Collector
Greg Oakford, co-founder of NFT Fest Australia, is your guide to the world of NFTs from a collector’s and fan’s perspective.
Andy Murray x Wimbledon x Refik Anadol
A special open edition NFT collaboration between tennis star Andy Murray, Wimbledon and well renowned digital artist, Refik Anadol. To commemorate the 10th anniversary of tennis star Andy Murray winning Wimbledon.
The Exposition” describes itself as ‘a world first exploration into the marriage of fine art, high performance sport and data science’. In the teaser video it reveals how the artwork is a visual representation of points played including body movement across Murray’s illustrious career at the last remaining grass court tennis major.
At a price point of $147, 248 editions have been minted to date with the mint window closing on 16 July. Buyers can mint using crypto or via a credit card on Manifold. Holders of the token will also later be afforded the opportunity to buy a physical print edition of the artwork.
I believe what we are witnessing here is the early signs of a trend for where sports memorabilia and general fandom is headed. The collaborative nature of digital art/collectibles and the ability to layer utility on top is too big of a value proposition for sports administrators and athletes alike to ignore.
The future will start with digital first. Scalability and accessibility are huge drivers for sports that command a global audience. As NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said last week at NBA Con:
“Because our buildings are essentially full, we can’t scale our arenas, 99.9-something of our fans only experience the NBA through our media. Through technology, how can we extend beyond that — products like NBA Top Shot are ways to do it.”
US Women’s Golf Open ArtBall
Last week, golf followed in the footsteps of the Australian Open tennis grand slam’s NFT project the AO ArtBall, rolling out a similar concept for the US Women’s Open. Using the same name ‘ArtBall’ the USGA teamed up with some of the same architects on the project, which ties a piece of the surface area of the sports field to an NFT.
More than 3000 people minted an NFT for free that correlated with a plot of the 17th green at host course Pebble Beach. In the tennis version a match point landing on your area saw your NFT upgraded, but the US Women’s Open opted for a variety of ways to provide upgradable traits including ‘landing points’, closest to the hole and longest hole out. More here on how the mechanics worked.
The ArtBall concept is a strong one where we see the integration of existing highly sophisticated sports data tracking technology and a new way to engage with fans by blurring the lines between physical and digital experiences.
Kudos to artist Amy Goodchild who spearheaded the generative art on the golf balls. They look very clean and crisp. This is another example of sport and art blending together via NFTs.
UFC to integrate collectibles with a mobile-first game
The UFC announced a new multi-year partnership with Concept Labs to help build upon the already launched UFC Strike collectibles product built on Flow.
Cornerstones of the new deal include UFC Strike: Fight Camp — a mobile-first roster management game compatible with UFC Strike digital collectibles, holders will also participate in matchmatcher sweepstakes where you can meet UFC president Dana White to pitch a dream fight matchup, plus other exclusive digital and IRL fan experiences.
What’s hot in NFT art markets
Some big sales for Fidenzas at 75 ETH and 71 ETH, Ringers #514 went for 88 ETH and a Bold Chromie Squiggle sold for 28.5 ETH.
Also read: Fidenza: Tyler Hobbs wrote software that generates art worth millions
But the past week has really belonged to Terraforms by Mathcastles with more than 145 sales for the onchain land art project that launched in December 2021. By comparison, the previous week saw 50 sales. The collection floor moved from 1.2 ETH up to 2.17 ETH the past seven days.
NFT Creator: tjo
We meet a genius of mixed media artists, tjo from Quebec, Canada.
Who is tjo?
Originally introduced to NFTs by friend Wally Sajimi around the end of 2020, tjo’s truly unique art is an outlet for his diagnosed OCD condition and strives to shine a light on mental health. He minted his first token on 23 February 2021, saying he understood very little about NFTs at the time but found it “mesmerizing.”
“My own emotions and experiences with pure OCD greatly influence my art. I don’t want people to feel a particular emotion when engaging with it, rather I hope it forces them to look into a deep place within themselves and get out feelings that were always there.”
“I also hope that the people who have dealt with mental disorders feel better about their differences by sharing these experiences.”
tjo’s style and influences
With a background in physical paintings and photography, tjo, like many other artists minting works on the blockchain doesn’t like to be pigeon holded as a particular type of artist.
“I don’t particularly appreciate how we discuss style in markets like NFTs. It is weaponized as a vehicle for speculation without regard to historical context. If forced to pin down my art into a category, I would fall under mixed media. It is straightforward; I mix a variety of mediums and approaches, both digital and physical,” says tjo.
Greek mythology and anime are two big influences on his work.
“I get more and more influenced by Greek mythology. Something about those stories gets me fired up and curious. I also love anime like Cowboy Bebop, Ghost in the Shell and Neon Genesis Evangelion.”
“To find myself and a visual language I felt was proper to myself; many artists greatly influenced me, such as Francis Bacon (Irish-born British figurative painter), Jean-Michel Basquiat (American artist part of the neo-expressionism movement), Tim Walker (British fashion photographer), Frank Ockenfels (American photographer and artist of celebrities) Kazimir Malevich (Russian avant-garde artist) and many more.”
Rapid fire Q&A
What’s your favorite NFT in your wallet that’s not your own NFT?
“My Mathcastle Terraform. It is just a perfect crypto art piece.”
Is there an up and coming artist/s you think people should be paying attention to?
“There are thousands of artists people should be looking into, but if I had to point people towards a starting point, the Kula Collective and Making It are groups of amazing artists.”
Who is a notable collector of yours that makes you smile knowing they own one of your pieces?
“An OG that collected one of my early pieces was Path. I think that brought a lot of eyes to me, and I’m grateful that he still owns the piece he bought.”
Do you have any favorite pieces of your own work?
“I would say farther reaches, mon sanctuaire and my latest interactive artwork, “Prozac Youth“.
Vegas Sphere captures imagination of digital art enthusiasts
Las Vegas captured the imagination of the sports world last week with the debut of No.1 draft pick, 7’5” Victor Wembanyama in the NBA Summer League and T-Mobile Stadium playing host to UFC290 during international fight week. But for digital art enthusiasts the only game in town was the imagery coming from the Vegas MSG Sphere.
The $2.3 billion construction is the home of a new 17,500 seat stadium that doubles as the best interactive billboard you’ve ever seen.
As digital art continues to push the boundaries in a rapidly accelerating creative environment layered on top with provenance via NFTs, a big unanswered question remains of how to best display digital art to truly do the work justice.
We’ve seen the introduction of premium screens such as Danvas and digital galleries around the world like JRNY that just opened in Vegas and Oshi Gallery in Melbourne, Australia but it feels like we’re still scratching the surface. Well, what bigger surface area than 580,000 square feet of the Sphere.
Surely it’s just a matter of time until we see iconic digital art such as CryptoPunks, Fidenzas, Ringers, Chromie Squiggles, XCOPY having their moment on the Sphere, or maybe Jake Fried’s ‘Ball’. Could only imagine what a giant ball rolling down hill at you on the Vegas strip might look like as you jump into the Uber after a few drinks.
Tweet of the week
What do artists listen to when they create work: tjo edition.
Recently I have been listening to a lot of Violett Pi and Yves Tumor.
Investment firms with Bitcoin-focused treasuries are front-running global Bitcoin adoption, which may see the world’s first cryptocurrency soar to a $200 trillion market capitalization in the coming decade.
Institutions and governments worldwide are starting to recognize the unique monetary properties of Bitcoin (BTC), according to Adam Back, co-founder and CEO of Blockstream and the inventor of Hashcash.
“$MSTR and other treasury companies are an arbitrage of the dislocation between the bitcoin future and todays fiat world,” Back wrote in an April 26 X post.
“A sustainable and scalable $100-$200 trillion trade front-running hyperbitcoinization. scalable enough for most big listed companies to move to btc treasury,” he added.
Hyperbitcoinization refers to the theoretical future where Bitcoin soars to become the largest global currency, replacing fiat money due to its inflationary economics and growing distrust in the legacy financial system.
Related: Crypto sentiment recovers, but weekend liquidity risks remain
Bitcoin’s price outpacing fiat money inflation remains the main driver of global hyperbitcoinization, Back said, adding:
“Some people think treasury strategy is a temporary glitch. i’m saying no it’s a logical and sustainable arbitrage. but not for ever, the driver is bitcoin price going up over 4 year periods faster than interest and inflation.”
Back’s comments come nearly two months after US President Donald Trump signed an executive order to establish a national Bitcoin reserve from BTC forfeited in government criminal cases.
Related: Serbia’s Prince Filip says Bitcoin is being stifled, expects huge rally
Global firms continue Bitcoin accumulation
Continued Bitcoin investments from the likes of Strategy, the largest corporate Bitcoin holder, may inspire more global firms to follow suit.
Strategy’s approach is proving to be lucrative, with the firm’s Bitcoin treasury generating over $5.1 billion worth of profit since the beginning of 2025, according to Strategy’s co-founder, Michael Saylor.
Japanese investment firm Metaplanet, also known as “Asia’s MicroStrategy,” adopted a similar strategy, since surpassing 5,000 BTC in total holdings on April 24, Cointelegraph reported.
As Asia’s largest corporate Bitcoin holder, Metaplanet plans to acquire 21,000 BTC by 2026.
US financial institutions may also have more confidence in adopting Bitcoin after the US Federal Reserve withdrew its 2022 guidance discouraging banks from engaging with cryptocurrency. “Banks are now free to begin supporting Bitcoin,” Saylor said in response to the guidance withdrawal.
“Banks will now be supervised through normal processes, signaling a more open regulatory environment for digital asset integration,” Nexo dispatch analyst Iliya Kalchev told Cointelegraph.
Magazine: Altcoin season to hit in Q2? Mantra’s plan to win trust: Hodler’s Digest, April 13 – 19
SEC Commissioner and head of the crypto task force, Hester Peirce, says US financial firms are navigating crypto in a way that’s similar to playing the children’s game “the floor is lava,” but in the dark.
“It is time that we find a way to end this game. We need to turn on the lights and build some walkways over the lava pit,” Peirce said at the SEC “Know Your Custodian” roundtable event on April 25.
The lava is crypto, says Peirce
Peirce explained that SEC registrants are forced to approach crypto-related activities like “the floor is lava,” where the aim is to jump from one piece of furniture to the next without touching the ground, except here, touching crypto directly is the lava.
“A D.C. version of this game is our regulatory approach to crypto assets, and crypto asset custody in particular,” she said.
Peirce said that, much like in the game, firms wanting to engage with crypto must avoid directly holding it due to unclear regulatory rules. “To engage in crypto-related activities, SEC-registrants have had to hop from one poorly illuminated regulatory space to the next, all while ensuring that they never touch any crypto asset,” Peirce said.
Peirce said that investment advisers are often unsure which crypto assets qualify as securities, what entities count as qualified custodians, and whether “exercising staking or voting rights” could trigger custody violations.
“The twist in the regulatory version is that it is largely played in the dark: burning legal lava and no lamps to illuminate the way.”
Peirce also said that a broker or ATS that cannot custody or manage crypto assets will struggle to facilitate trading, making it unlikely for a “robust market” to develop.
Echoing a similar sentiment, SEC Commissioner Mark Uyeda said at the event that as more SEC registrants work with crypto assets, it’s essential that they have access to custodial options that meet legal and regulatory requirements.
Uyeda said the agency should consider letting advisers use “state-chartered limited-purpose trust companies” with the authority to hold crypto assets as qualified custodians.
Related: Blockchain needs regulation, scalability to close AI hiring gap
Meanwhile, the recently sworn-in chair of the SEC, Paul Atkins, said that he expected “huge benefits” from blockchain technology through efficiency, risk mitigation, transparency, and cutting costs.
He reiterated that among his goals at the SEC would be to facilitate “clear regulatory rules of the road” for digital assets, hinting that the agency under former chair Gary Gensler had contributed to market and regulatory uncertainty.
“I look forward to engaging with market participants and working with colleagues in President Trump’s administration and Congress to establish a rational fit-for-purpose framework for crypto assets,” said Atkins.
Magazine: Bitcoin $100K hopes on ice, SBF’s mysterious prison move: Hodler’s Digest, April 19 – 25
Politics
Labour and Reform in battle for Runcorn by-election seat – but disillusionment could be eventual winner
On the banks of the Mersey, Runcorn and Helsby is a more complicated political picture than the apparent Labour heartland that first presents itself.
Yes, there are industrial and manufacturing areas – an old town that’s fallen victim to out-of-town shopping, and an out-of-town shopping centre that’s fallen victim to Amazon.
But there are also more middle-class new town developments, as well as Tory-facing rural swathes.
Space Cafe director Marie Moss says a sense of community has faded
One thing this area does mirror with many across the country, though, is a fed-up electorate with little confidence that politics can work for them.
In the Space Cafe in Runcorn Old Town, its director Marie Moss says many in the region remember a time when a sense of community was more acute.
“People were very proud of their town… and that’s why people get upset and emotional as they remember that,” she says.
It’s this feeling of disenfranchisement and nostalgia-tinged yearning for the past that Reform UK is trading off in its targeting of traditional Labour voters here.
Party leader Nigel Farage features heavily on leaflets in these parts, alongside spikey messaging around migration, law and order, and Labour’s record in government so far.
Runcorn 2024 result
Taxi driver Mike Holland hears frequent worries about that record from those riding in the back of his cab.
A Labour voter for decades, he says locals were “made up” at last year’s election result but have been “astonished” since then, with benefit changes a common topic of concern.
“Getting a taxi is two things, it’s either a luxury or a necessity… the necessity people are the disabled people… and a lot of the old dears are so stressed and worried about their disability allowance and whether they are going to get it or not get it,” he says.
But will that mean straight switchers to Reform UK?
Taxi driver Mike Holland has voted for Labour for decades, but is now looking at the Lib Dems and Greens – or may not vote at all
Mike says he agrees with some of what the party is offering but thinks a lot of people are put off by Mr Farage.
He’s now looking at the Liberal Democrats and Greens, both of whom have put up local politicians as candidates.
Or, Mike says, he may just not vote at all.
It’s in places like Runcorn town that some of the political contradictions within Reform UK reveal themselves more clearly.
Many here say they were brought up being told to never vote Tory.
And yet, Reform, chasing their support, has chosen a former Conservative councillor as its candidate.
It’s no surprise Labour has been trialling attack lines in this campaign, painting Mr Farage’s party as “failed Tories”.
As a response to this, look no further than Reform’s recent nod to the left on industrialisation and public ownership.
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Read more:
Tough test for Labour after MP quits
MP jailed for late-night brawl
Local elections could re-shape politics
But head 15 minutes south from Runcorn docks, and this by-election campaign changes.
Rural areas like Frodsham and Helsby have, in the past, tended towards the Tories.
The Conservatives, of course, have a candidate in this vote, one who stood in a neighbouring constituency last year.
But Reform is now making a hard play for their supporters in these parts, with a softer message compared to the one being put out in urban areas – an attempt to reassure those anxious about too much political revolution coming to their privet-lined streets.
Labour, meanwhile, is actively trying to mobilise the anti-Farage vote by presenting their candidate – another local councillor – as the only person who can stop Reform.
Makeup artist Nadine Tan is concerned about division and anger in the community
The pitch here is aimed at voters like Frodsham makeup artist Nadine Tan, who are worried about division and anger in the community.
“I think they need to kind of come together and stop trying to divide everyone,” she says.
But like Mike the taxi driver five miles north, disillusionment could be the eventual winner as Nadine says, despite the “thousands of leaflets” through her door, she still thinks “they all say the same thing”.
One factor that doesn’t seem to be swinging too many votes, though, is the insalubrious circumstances in which the area’s former Labour MP left office.
Labour MP Mike Amesbury was convicted of punching a man in the street. Pic: Reuters
Mike Amesbury stepped down after being convicted of repeatedly punching a constituent in a late-night brawl outside a pub.
But across the patch, many praise their ex-MP’s local efforts, while also saying he was “very silly” to have acted in the way he did.
That may be putting it mildly.
But it’s hard to find much more agreement ahead of Thursday’s vote.
A constituency still hungry for change, but unsure as to who can deliver it.
Full list of candidates, Runcorn and Helsby by-election:
Catherine Anne Blaiklock – English Democrats
Dan Clarke – Liberal Party
Chris Copeman – Green Party
Paul Duffy – Liberal Democrats
Peter Ford – Workers Party
Howling Laud Hope – Monster Raving Loony Party
Sean Houlston – Conservatives
Jason Philip Hughes – Volt UK
Alan McKie – Independent
Graham Harry Moore – English Constitution Party
Paul Andrew Murphy – Social Democratic Party
Sarah Pochin – Reform UK
Karen Shore – Labour
John Stevens – Rejoin EU
Michael Williams – Independent
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