Metaversal is a Bankless newsletter for weekly level-ups on NFTs, virtual worlds, & collectibles

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Dear Bankless Nation,

The Coinbase NFT beta arrived this week, and generally speaking the NFT ecosystem absorbed the initial rollout without much ado. 

It’s no mystery why. I think the space’s initial response speaks to just how much is going on around NFTs lately. Coinbase NFT is definitely new and cool and can be a force to be reckoned with going forward, yet these qualities are true of many NFT projects these days. 

If the beta had arrived even as recently as late 2020, the initial response would’ve been much more explosive on account of things simply being quieter then. Now, projects big and small have to contend with the fact that everyone’s attention is being pulled in dozens of compelling directions. 

My grand takeaway here? NFTs are alive and well. 

-WMP

🙏 Sponsor: Brave Wallet – the secure crypto wallet. No extension required.✨

🛒 NFT News & Platforms

• Coinbase NFT, which leverages Manifold’s Royalty Registry, launched in beta this week:

Yano 🟪 @JasonYanowitz

Coinbase didn’t launch an NFT platform… they launched Web3 Instagram

April 20th 2022

1,460 Retweets9,014 Likes

• Flip, an NFT portfolio tracker app, released its public beta. 

• LooksRare started a listing rewards campaign to incentivize more NFT listings on the marketplace.  

• Mintbase, a NEAR-based NFT marketplace, raised a $7.5M Series A round. 

🏆 Digital Collectibles

• Akutars kicked off its public sale. 

• Anata started its mint event. 

• Deadfellaz signed with the United Talent Agency (UTA). 

• Forgotten Runes Wizard’s Cult completed Season 1 of Beasts. 

• Louis Vutton released NFT PFP rewards in its Louis: The Game mobile app. 

• Pudgy Penguins underwent a visual rebrand.

• Moonbirds burst onto the scene in unprecedented fashion. Go deeper in this week’s Bankless interview with Kevin Rose:

🎨 Cryptoart

• Sotheby’s held its Natively Digital 1.3: Generative Art auction event, which tours the history of generative art and was masterfully curated by Sofia Garcia, Anne and Michael Spalter, and Itzel Yard: 

<div class="tweet" data-attrs="{"url":"https://twitter.com/michaelbouhanna/status/1516841847083220996","full_text":"Natively Digital: Generative Art sale exhibited in our @Sothebys galleries until the 24th. Come visit us and see amazing works by @dmitricherniak @tylerxhobbs @VanArman @sofiagarcia_io @annespalter @manoloidee @ix_shells @Sothebysverse @pointline_ @CharlesCsuri and more.. ","username":"michaelbouhanna","name":"Michael Bouhanna","date":"Wed Apr 20 18:10:52 +0000 2022","photos":[{"img_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/media/FQznnfXXMAA9Xh8.jpg","link_url":"https://t.co/RPL76Ym36i","alt_text":null},{"img_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/media/FQznnfYWUAIVb-N.jpg","link_url":"https://t.co/RPL76Ym36i","alt_text":null},{"img_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/media/FQznnfmWYAARKJt.jpg","link_url":"https://t.co/RPL76Ym36i","alt_text":null},{"img_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/media/FQznnfWXsAIqiQC.jpg","link_url":"https://t.co/RPL76Ym36i","alt_text":null}],"quoted_tweet":{},"retweet_count":17,"like_count":100,"expanded_url":{},"video_url":null}”>

Michael Bouhanna @michaelbouhanna

Natively Digital: Generative Art sale exhibited in our @Sothebys galleries until the 24th. Come visit us and see amazing works by @dmitricherniak @tylerxhobbs @VanArman @sofiagarcia_io @annespalter @manoloidee @ix_shells @Sothebysverse @pointline_ @CharlesCsuri and more..

• SuperRare artists can now import Manifold Studio smart contracts as SuperRare Series. 

• Redlion.news released txt.art, an NFT poetry anthology featuring works from 40 writers and 40 illustrators. My poem “Ascent of the NFTers” was included:

🎮 NFT Gaming

• Axie Infinity released balancing modifications and other updates to Axie Infinity: Origin. 

• Secret Project Team opened up Elixir of the Ancient NFT claims for ChainFaces Arena holders:

<div class="tweet" data-attrs="{"url":"https://twitter.com/secretproject/status/1517099002512220160","full_text":"🚨 Did you claim your elixir?nn✅ So far around 780 people claimed ~2.600 elixirs…nn💡You are eligible to claim your elixir if you were holding a ChainFacesArena on 4/18 (EDT) during the snapshot.nnMore info in our Discord 👉 discord.gg/secretproject ","username":"secretproject","name":"Secret Project Team","date":"Thu Apr 21 11:12:43 +0000 2022","photos":[{"img_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/media/FQ3QtyBXMAAEj8H.jpg","link_url":"https://t.co/s3SoV0r6tc","alt_text":null}],"quoted_tweet":{},"retweet_count":11,"like_count":59,"expanded_url":{},"video_url":null}”>

Secret Project Team @secretproject

🚨 Did you claim your elixir?

✅ So far around 780 people claimed ~2.600 elixirs…

💡You are eligible to claim your elixir if you were holding a ChainFacesArena on 4/18 (EDT) during the snapshot.

More info in our Discord 👉 discord.gg/secretproject

💽 Music

• Catalog introduced custom ERC721 smart contracts for its artists. 

• Coopahtroopa.eth published This Week in Music NFTs – April 18th. 

• SoundMint raised a $1.7M seed round led by Animoca Brands. 

🌐 Virtual Worlds

• Crypto Cannabis Club celebrated 4/20 in Cryptovoxels this week:

<div class="tweet" data-attrs="{"url":"https://twitter.com/CryptoCannaClub/status/1516793920482643973","full_text":"Join us for our @cryptovoxels metaverse 420 celebration! Come hang at 4pm EST before Toker Talk today, with sounds by n@DjStenny 💚n#CCC ","username":"CryptoCannaClub","name":"Crypto Cannabis Club","date":"Wed Apr 20 15:00:25 +0000 2022","photos":[{"img_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/media/FQy8B21WUAcJlbB.jpg","link_url":"https://t.co/iyawZq1tBS","alt_text":null}],"quoted_tweet":{},"retweet_count":18,"like_count":79,"expanded_url":{},"video_url":null}”>

Crypto Cannabis Club @CryptoCannaClub

Join us for our @cryptovoxels metaverse 420 celebration! Come hang at 4pm EST before Toker Talk today, with sounds by
@DjStenny 💚
#CCC

• The Vienna Tourist Board sent a Sigmund Freud avatar to Decentraland as part of a playful tourism campaign for the city of Vienna. 

• The Sandbox partnered with the FlickPlay NFT collection. 

💎 DeFi x NFTs

• Cobie published ApeCoin and the Death of Staking:

<div class="tweet" data-attrs="{"url":"https://twitter.com/cobie/status/1517086096173469697","full_text":"ApeCoin &amp; The Death of Staking – cobie.substack.com/p/apecoin-and-… ","username":"cobie","name":"Cobie","date":"Thu Apr 21 10:21:26 +0000 2022","photos":[{"img_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/media/FQ3FuJ1agAAjCVg.png","link_url":"https://t.co/CRcZNvWvKr","alt_text":null}],"quoted_tweet":{},"retweet_count":905,"like_count":5048,"expanded_url":{},"video_url":null}”>

Cobie @cobie

ApeCoin & The Death of Staking – cobie.substack.com/p/apecoin-and-…

• Element Finance launched the next minting phase of the Elfiverse. 

• Index Coop introduced the JPG NFT index token. 

• Injective Pro released Bored Ape NFT floor price perpetuals. 

• JPEG’d unveiled JPEG-ETH bonds in collaboration with Olympus DAO.

Action steps

• 🔭 Check out my other Metaversal write-up from this week: NFT worldbuilding projects

• 🌐 Read my latest tactic A Beginner’s Guide to Terra in Bankless

• 📺 Watch Nifty Gateway’s co-founders talk shop on Overpriced JPEGs

Author Bio

William M. Peaster is a professional writer and creator of Metaversal—a Bankless newsletter focused on the emergence of NFTs in the cryptoeconomy. He’s also recently been contributing content to Bankless, JPG, and beyond!

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Not financial or tax advice. This newsletter is strictly educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. This newsletter is not tax advice. Talk to your accountant. Do your own research.

Disclosure. From time-to-time I may add links in this newsletter to products I use. I may receive commission if you make a purchase through one of these links. Additionally, the Bankless writers hold crypto assets. See our investment disclosures here.