Weekly Web3 Recap 09/03/2024

Thanks to the?352 readers?who are exploring the intersection of Web3 with sports, brand and business. If you are not yet a subscriber, click on "Subscribe" right away - thanks???

Hey, it's Lorenz here.???

After a forced break last week due to technical problems we're back for the most important news at the intersection of Web3 with sports and business.

In today's edition we'll talk about the most successful English football club, an Argentine professional footballer, esports, the Deutsche B?rse, fashion, more sportier fashion, books, a festival and some important news from last week.

Enjoy!???

?? Manchester United launches Bruno Fernandes collection

After various successful Web3 based activations and programs that leveraged a range of the club's IP, Manchester United launches it's first player specific collection. It features the club's captain Bruno Fernandes and his 10(/11) best goals. Those who collect all 10 will unlock a 11th collectible and the chance to get a once-in-a-lifetime VIP Old Trafford matchday experience. Additionally, there will be 50 special digital collectibles that will come with a physical version. Collectibles are available as packs of 3 for ￡15.00 per pack. Link

Quick take: In general I really like Manchester United's Web3 strategy. Besides the fact that they are focused on engagement and building on-chain reach, they have integrated players into their collectibles but have not yet put this IP in the spotlight. This is quite a contrary strategy to many others, which is kind of refreshing. It will be interesting to see how they'll continue to utilise their players and especially if or how this will give fans access to their stars.

?? Messi's football shoe is getting phygital

Messi has collaborated with "Join the Planet" and tokenised his left boot in a sustainability project. The sculpture was made from recycled materials from the Parana River near Messi's hometown in Argentina. Every collectible can be fully traced, enabling users to see where the material comes from, who made it and even tracking the CO2 emissions of the process. Link

?? Team Liquid relaunches its loyalty program

The esports team that was established in 2000 and is one of the oldest in the space plans to relaunch its loyalty program in collab with Red Bull Racing partner Sui that rewards fans for team support. The new platform is set to launch Q2 2024 and will let fans earn digital collectibles to customise their avatar. There will also be benefits linked to those collectibles such as discounts, event access, experiences with the athletes and all that kind of stuff. Link

?? Deutsche B?rse starts crypto trading platform

Deutsche B?rse Group has launched the Deutsche B?rse Digital Exchange (DBDX), which is a crypto spot platform. DBDX offers a fully regulated solution for trading, settlement and custody of crypto assets. The service will be available for institutional clients only. Link

?? Maison Margiela goes phygital

The french luxury fashion house will release the "MetaTABI", a version of their iconic split-toe boot Tabi. There will be two different versions. One, in white, will be limited to 15 pieces and will exist both in the physical and digital world. A black version will be limited to 1500 units and comes with a physical leather wallet. (would be cool if these were blockchain wallets) Collectors of the "MetaTABI" will also get further benefits within the Web3 ecosystem of Maison Margiela. Link

?? Adidas opens its first stand alone store in Roblox

After launching some pop-up stores across various Roblox experiences, adidas is now going its own way. They've launched their own experience, their own store on the platform. It will feature 800 different products including some of the brand's iconic footwear such as the currently trending adidas Samba. Link

?? Thalia launches the "Booklover Society"

Thalia - one of the biggest book retailers in the DACH-region - has launched a digital community platform. This should elevate the transactional experience of buying books online. The platform also utilises Web3 based digital collectibles to reward members. Link

??? Coachella brings VIP tickets on-chain (again)

After collaborating with the infamous exchange FTX to offer NFTs with various benefits for example a lifetime pass that ended in a debacle, the festival tries again. This time the festival will enable fans to purchase NFTs that let them gain access to VIP areas and exclusive merchandise. The passes will be sold via Opensea and will be issued on the Avalanche blockchain. Link

For completeness the most important news of last week:

????ApeCoin DAO????A Formula 1 team

A proposal was submitted to the ApeCoin DAO that plans a multi-year partnership with a Formula 1 team. The name of the team is unknown which will change if the DAO agrees on the partnership.?Link

Quick take:?In the end this would be a typical sponsorship deal with one major difference: The sponsor is a DAO. Consequently, their motivation to do so finally comes down to the benefits of sports sponsoring in a globally known "league" like Formula 1. Personally, I think it's quite interesting to see entities from Web3 that are not blockchains/infrastructure providers and exchanges to get into sports partnerships.

?

???VanEck launches NFT platform

The investment management firm has launched an NFT marketplace and digital assets platform called SegMint. The platform especially focuses on sharing and fractionalising ownership of digital assets. In the beginning those will mostly be Web3 native IP projects but first RWAs (stuff from the "real" world) such as Rolexes and wines will be available by the end of March.?Link

?

?????Saudi Arabia national heritage metaverse

The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Culture launched a metaverse that showcases the nation's cultural heritage. The world takes users through the history of the country, all the way back to 1727. The information and events presented can be experienced in different ways.?Link

?

???Union Investment launches blockchain fund

Union Investment has launched the?UniThemen Blockchain?multi-asset fund, which allows investors to participate in the development of blockchain technology and crypto markets. The fund invests into stocks and bonds of companies that are working on blockchain, DLT or digital assets and into certificates that enable participation in the crypto market.?Link

???Read of the Week

I stumbled across an article this week that dives a little deeper into the topic of wallets. A little more nerdy, but a good overview of the current state of things. And since a lot of things have changed here over the past 2 years, this helps...?LINK

?? Podcast of the Week

One person from Web3 that I always enjoy listening to is Yat Siu. It's especially his statements on the importance of digital property rights that I found quite interesting. He'll talk about that and various other Web3 related topics in THIS PODCAST