Lamborghini has formed a partnership with Animoca Brands to create a new gaming experience in the metaverse. The famous Italian luxury car brand is ready to offer unique experiences to its fans and customers. 

Lamborghini and gaming in the metaverse of Animoca Brands

Animoca Brands, the company that promotes digital property rights for gaming and the metaverse, has announced the new partnership with Lamborghini. 

“We are excited to announce our collaboration with @Lamborghini! Together, we will advance the digital culture of the vehicle to shape the future of brand engagement in the automotive industry. @IlMotorverso is involved. Wen Lambo”

The shared goal is to offer unique experiences to Lamborghini fans and customers, marking automotive excellence with cutting-edge technologies. 

In fact, Lamborghini and Animoca together also aim to shape the future of brand engagement in the automotive sector.

To achieve this mission, bull and bear have been chosen as exclusive partners for this initiative, the creative design studio Gravitaslabs and the tech company Motorverse.

Lamborghini enters gaming in the metaverse with Animoca Brands, Motoverse, and Gravitalabs

The leading Web3 company, Animoca Brands, has therefore managed to conquer even Lamborghini. 

Animoca Brands leverages blockchain to provide digital property rights to consumers around the world and contribute to the creation of an open metaverse.

The company develops and publishes a wide portfolio of products, including original games such as The Sandbox, PHANTOM GALAXIES, Life Beyond, and Crazy Defense Heroes. Not only that, there are also products that use popular intellectual properties from the world of sports and entertainment, such as The Walking Dead, Power Rangers, MotoGP and Formula E. 

Among the two special partners chosen for Lamborghini and the metaverse, there is also Motorverse, which is an open ecosystem and a global community for digital vehicles, racing games, and motorsports. 

Here, car and motorcycle enthusiasts, motorsport fans, and players can collect and trade officially licensed digital vehicles, play and compete in a growing range of racing games, developed in collaboration with leading car brands, top motorsport IPs, such as MotoGP, Formula Drift, Formula E. 

On the other hand, there is Gravitaslabs which is a creative design studio, as well as a tech company that manages an interactive and immersive marketing platform used by iconic global brands.

With Gravitaslabs, brands create a new audience and business from Web3, using blockchain technology, NFTs, and digital products and gamified eCommerce solutions. Gravitaslabs, with its partners Lightlink, Meta-Stadiums, and Rarible, serves companies in the automotive, entertainment, sports, and fashion sectors.

The NFT collections 

The news today brings Lamborghini into the metaverse sector, but the famous Italian automotive brand has been traveling in the NFT sector for some time. 

And indeed, there are already several Lamborghini NFT projects. Among the various, in February 2022, Space Time Memory was launched, a series of five photographs of a Lamborghini Ultimae taking off towards the stars and celebrating human exploration in space. 

Here, the Swiss artist Fabian Oefner has created the compositions from real elements, capturing more than 1,500 individual parts of a real car. 

Animoca Brands Japan, the strategic subsidiary of Animoca Brands, announced that on June 18 there will be the launch of its NFT launchpad Sorah. The platform will serve to support projects and creators in the sale of their Non-Fungible Tokens. 

Animoca Brands Japan and the launch of the new Sorah NFT launchpad

Animoca Brands Japan, the strategic subsidiary of Animoca Brands, will launch on June 18 its new NFT launchpad, called Sorah. 

In practice, Sorah will be a launch platform for NFTs that supports projects and creators in selling their Non-Fungible Tokens. 

Specifically, the launchpad by Animoca Brands Japan aims to provide sales opportunities and multifaceted support for sales and marketing strategies for the NFT projects that will be selected. 

At stake, there will also be a loyalty program like an NFT that will allow users to receive various benefits. 

Thanks to Sorah’s new platform, Animoca Brands Japan aims to become a Web3 portal that better connects Japan with the global community. In fact, among the various objectives is the promotion of Japanese IPs (such as manga and anime) worldwide, also developing content in Japan that generates global interest.

Animoca Brands Japan and the new NFT launchpad Sorah: the inaugural sales

As anticipated, the launch of Sorah will take place on June 18. On this occasion, there will be several inaugural sales such as the San FranTokyo PFP NFT collection “San FranTokyo Visions”, as well as the “Captain Tsubasa Team Collection” and the “SHIBUYA109 FASHION COLLECTION” for The Sandbox.

Specifically, the collection San FranTokyo Visions, sees the sale of 50 NFT at the price of 0.085 ETH each. To give an idea of the project, the description talks about San FranTokyo as an imaginary city that brings together IP and brands, focusing on anime, manga, and pop culture fandom. 

Another collection is then Team Captain Tsubasa of 100 NFT, which will be sold at the price of 60 MATIC each. Here, one is faced with a collection of avatars from The Sandbox of the immortal masterpiece Captain Tsubasa, consisting of a total of 2,060 avatars that include avatars wearing the famous uniforms of Nankatsu Junior High School and Toho Gakuen Junior High School.

And then, still on Sorah, there will also be the inaugural sale of the SHIBUYA109 FASHION COLLECTION, 100 NFT at the price of 60 MATIC each. Published on The Sandbox, here the 2060 total avatars incorporate Japanese trends and culture. 

The holders of this collection will be able to use their avatars to have fun with fashion-themed minigames and play with a series of experiential content that will be available in the metaverse of The Sandbox.

In general, the NFT launchpad of Animoca Brands Japan, Sorah, is supported by the Ethereum and Polygon chains. Not only that, to maintain a limit, the sales of its NFTs are not available to residents of the United States, the United Kingdom, countries subject to sanctions, and other restricted jurisdictions.

The 20 million dollar funding in the metaverse of The Sandbox

Recently, another division of Animoca Brands has also made headlines. It is the decentralized metaverse of The Sandbox which would have obtained a funding of 20 million dollars, thus reaching a maximum valuation of 1 billion dollars. 

The objective is to further develop the creators’ economy within an open metaverse. 

The financing was led by Kingsway Capital and Animoca Brands, with participation from LG Tech Ventures and True Global Ventures. 

The Sandbox, a division of Animoca Brands, has announced an investment of $20 million, reaching a maximum valuation of $1 billion, with the goal of further developing the creator economy within an open metaverse. 

This division of Animoca Brands is creating a decentralized virtual world where culture merges with the playful element, with more than 1,000 user-generated experiences and a community of over 5.7 million members.

Let’s see all the details below. 

Animoca Brands, operatore di The Sandbox, invests in the future of the metaverse 

Animoca Brands, un’azienda impegnata nella promozione dei diritti di proprietà digitale nel metaverso aperto operatrice di The Sandbox, una piattaforma di metaverso, ha annunciato oggi la raccolta di $20 million tramite cambiali convertibili, con un tetto di valutazione di $1 billion.

This strategic funding was led by Kingsway Capital and Animoca Brands, with the participation of LG Tech Ventures and True Global Ventures. 

I possessori delle note hanno la possibilità di convertirle in azioni di Bacasable Global Limited alle stesse condizioni delle azioni privilegiate esistenti.

Yat Siu, co-founder and executive chairman of Animoca Brands, commented as follows: 

“We are extremely honored by the continued support for The Sandbox’s vision and excited about the future of UGC games.”

McKinsey has predicted that by 2030 the metaverse could contribute 5 trillion dollars to the global economy. Today, games like Minecraft and Roblox are among the most popular, but they do not offer their users digital property rights. 

Sandbox represents the evolution of UGC games in the era of digital ownership.

The financing will be used to continue developing The Sandbox’s vision of a decentralized virtual world, where culture merges with gaming and the community can actively participate in growth and benefit from it. 

In line with this vision, The Sandbox will continue to improve earning opportunities for creators on its platform. 

This through the update of the Game Maker and VoxEdit 3D editor tools, the introduction of new social interactions and skills for the avatars. 

Furthermore, also through the expansion of gaming possibilities via a new multiplayer rules system, expected in Beta by the end of this year and to the public in 2025. 

Guide to the metaverse with the power of fandom and global partnerships

The Sandbox is also developing a version of its decentralized metaverse for mobile devices, scheduled for 2025.

Recently, The Sandbox has reached the milestone of 1,000 user-generated experiences, published on its virtual map, with over 5.7 million user accounts linked to the criptovalute wallet.

The Sandbox has consolidated its position as one of the leading flagship applications in Web3, attracting new users thanks to the support of fans and pushing the audience to explore the metaverse. 

With over 400 global partnerships, including Lionsgate, Hellboy, Magnificent Century, Habbo and many others, the platform is currently working on over a hundred experiences with global brands, scheduled for 2024.

In the last 12 months, more than 330,000 unique creators have adopted The Sandbox’s no-code Game Maker. The platform is now ramping up its efforts to engage emerging creators through educational initiatives, bootcamps, and game jams.

So far, over 60,000 NFT avatars have been sold and used to play in the virtual world of The Sandbox, including NFT from 19 official collections such as Hellboy, Magnificent Century, Rabbids, and others. 

Arthur Madrid, CEO e co-fondatore di The Sandbox, ha sottolineato: 

“The open metaverse offers everyone the possibility to express themselves and discover new cultures. Our mission is to promote equity and opportunities for creators in all aspects of culture in the metaverse.”

Sebastien Borget, COO and co-founder of The Sandbox, added: 

“We enthusiastically welcome new partners who share our vision of an accessible and inclusive metaverse for a global audience, where brands and communities collaborate to shape the future of gaming and entertainment.”

Anshul Agarwa, CEO di LG Technology Ventures, commented:

“We support the visionaries who are driving the adoption of Web3 and innovation in consumer entertainment. Sandbox’s distinctive approach could transform the global creator economy.”

Exponential growth and global expansion

In the last six months, The Sandbox has achieved several significant milestones. Among these, there is the success in enabling over 25,000 owners of virtual lands to publish their LAND experiences for the public. 

Furthermore, the Marketplace on L2 of Polygon has been inaugurated, offering creators the opportunity to create and sell their digital goods. This has led to the creation of a thriving economy, with more than 11,000 unique digital goods minted and sold over half a million times.

Currently, the ecosystem of The Sandbox includes over 250 Trusted Partner, individuals and agencies trained and certified to assist brands and intellectual property holders in creating metaverse experiences for their fans. 

The number of Trusted Partner is expected to continue to grow, as The Sandbox will explore new markets in Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Africa and beyond.

“Black Mirror: Smile Club”, the new project developed by Pixelynx, Animoca Brands and Banijay Brands, invites fans to mint their own NFT character. 

Not only that, the new evolving interactive experience has been built with iconic artists and collaborators and rewards fans with SMLE rewards. 

“Black Mirror: Smile Club” by Animoca Brands and others invite to mint NFT characters

Black Mirror invites its fans to mint an NFT character in the history books, through Smile Club, the first of many digital experiences of the dystopian franchise. 

The project “Black Mirror: Smile Club” is developed by Pixelynx, Animoca Brands, and Banijay Brands.

“Smile ID is now available. Do you want to participate in an iconic moment of culture with Black Mirror? Create your character in the Smile Club. Available for only 48 hours.”

Specifically, inspired by the episode “Nosedive”, Smile Club presents itself as an evolving interactive experience built with iconic artists and collaborators. 

Not only that, Smile Club invites fans to mint their own NFT character, to engage in missions and aim for the coveted 5-star rating, while earning rewards along the way thanks to the SMLE points and rewards system.

‘Black Mirror: Smile Club”: the NFT project by Animoca Brands and the SMLE rewards

The new NFT project sees the launch of a series of digital experiences that will bring the “Black Mirror” series to life in new ways.

This journey started with a life-size exhibition in Times Square, with a star-studded roll-out. Among the icons present, Transmoderna, Dixon, deadmau5, Richie Hawtin, Yat Siu, Farokh, Jesse Pollak, Blond:ish and many others.

Are you ready to reach your 5-star destiny with Black Mirror?

Bridge to @base ahead of 12th March to guarantee a successful mint experience.

Early buyers will benefit from a points drip that impacts your social score and status.

Earlier you mint, more points you earn.… https://t.co/xTNaWlpZEj pic.twitter.com/8PguMetEW5

— blackmirror_xp (@blackmirror_xp) March 10, 2024

Are you ready to reach your 5-star destiny with Black Mirror? Link bridge with @base before March 12th to ensure a successful minting experience. Early buyers will benefit from a drip of points that affect score and social status. The sooner you buy, the more points you earn. More points = higher status = better rewards. Your initiation into the Smile Club will begin soon.

Leave a message in the comments if you are ready to mint.”

Basically, early adopters are rewarded for their support. By accumulating points, they rise in the social hierarchy: the first to mint NFTs earn the highest status. The earlier you mint, the more points you accumulate, leading to a higher social status and higher rewards through the SMLE reward system.

At Smile Club, users can mint an NFT character and participate in missions to reach a 5-star score. Users who are unable to claim a Smile Pass can register to get a free Smile ID that will provide basic access to the experience and reward system. 

The complete experience and collection are built on Base, and the first collectible is designed to reflect the user’s character and social status. 

The latest news from the Non-Fungible Token world in March

In this first part of March, there are some news regarding the world of Non-Fungible Tokens, as well as the presence of Black Mirror: Smile Club. 

The latest one, in fact, concerns the NFTs of Coachella, the music festival that takes place every year in the Coachella Valley in California (USA), which have been launched on the OpenSea marketplace.

Not only that, in this month of March the second highest NFT sale of all time with CryptoPunk #3100 was recorded which was sold for 4,500 ETH, equivalent at that time to over 16 million dollars.

Shifting to NFT Art, also in this month the Italian artist Bruno Cerasi has returned to the spotlight, for dropping the new NFT artwork Faded22/ on the SuperRare marketplace.

This is the continuation of his story through the famous digital butterflies, which translate the artist’s eye visits through algorithms. 

The founder of Animoca Brands, Yat Siu, commented on Non-Fungible Tokens, stating that NFTs are an important component of digital capitalism. 

Animoca Brands: NFTs as pillars of digital capitalism, according to Yat Siu

In an interview with CoinDesk, the founder of Animoca Brands, Yat Siu, commented on what Non-Fungible Tokens mean to him, which are tokens that provide users with ownership of digital or tangible assets.

In practice, for Siu, NFTs are still underutilized, while they can become an important component of digital capitalism, transforming sectors such as rights management and education. 

Not by chance, by using NFTs, the blockchain would act as a sort of political system, favoring a consensus-based democratic process.

In this regard, Siu said:

“NFTs can revolutionize the distribution of educational content, offering significant financial opportunities, especially in less wealthy regions. […] Property rights and capitalism are the foundations of democracy.”

To give a practical example on this matter, the founder of the Web3 giant highlights his company TinyTap, acquired in 2022 and specialized in information technology. On this platform, teachers can monetize their content, overcoming traditional barriers such as publishers. 

The key to disrupting the multi-billion dollar industry of rights management and content distribution, which affects all sectors, remains the ability to have proper digital ownership on the blockchain. 

Animoca Brands and NFTs: genuine interest in the utility of technology

Looking at the numbers of the NFT market, it is clear that compared to the bull market of 2021, the sector is currently experiencing a certain decline.

Actually, for Siu, these current lower valuations of NFTs indicate a healthier and more genuine interest in the utility of the technology. Moreover, this situation could be crucial in addressing global financial inequality and promoting financial literacy.

In this regard, Siu argues that without speculators, the only people left are those who are truly interested in technology, strengthening its foundations. 

Not only that, the founder of Animoca Brands also spoke about the different legal frameworks around the world related to the sector. About the USA, for example, Siu explained that there is still a need for evolution to support the idea that NFTs are the antidote to inequality. In fact, according to Siu, in the United States there is a rejection of digital capitalism.

On the contrary, Siu speaks about Asia as follows:

“In Asia, NFTs and blockchain cryptocurrencies are popular because they are seen as an extension of digital capitalism. The biggest threat I see now is that we don’t understand capitalism and therefore when we see what happens in the world with money, we think it’s unfair.”

The 2023 report: volume is decreasing but not users

A few days ago, NFT18 published its annual report for 2023 regarding the performance and key metrics of the NFT market.

In general, the report highlights how 2023 has been a year of significant decline for the NFT market, but despite the bear market and massive losses, the community has remained active. 

To confirm this theory, there seems to be a 62% reduction in the overall volume of trades, which dropped to 10 billion dollars, offset by a decrease of only 10% in the number of active wallets, both compared to 2022. 

In practice, despite the decrease in interest, the number of active addresses for NFTs is still a solid 2 million. 

The report also specifies that the NFT Art, which refers to artworks in the Non-Fungible Token format, is losing the largest market share. 

Not only that, looking at the annual trend of 2023, the fourth quarter instead showed signs of recovery both in terms of the number of active wallets and the volumes traded. 

Crypto news: the launch of the Official ApeCoin ($APE) Accelerator by Forj, the subsidiary of Animoca Brands, comes following the favorable approval of the AIP-209 proposal, part of the ApeCoin DAO system of proposed ideas. 

The main goal of the $APE Accelerator is to enhance the ApeCoin ecosystem and improve opportunities for ApeCoin holders. See below for all the details. 

ApeCoin on the rise with Animoca Brands: an inaugural series of projects poised to revolutionize the crypto universe 

As anticipated, Animoca Brands’ subsidiary, called Forj, today announced the official launch of the $APE Accelerator, a community-funded Web3 accelerator run by ApeCoin DAO, a leading Web3 technology project.

Applications to participate in the $APE Accelerator program are currently open, giving selected projects the opportunity to present their innovative business ideas in the Web3 world to a large community of more than 200,000 members, starting in the fourth quarter of 2023.

The $APE accelerator was conceived by Forj following the successful approval of the AIP-209 proposal within the ApeCoin DAO idea proposal system. 

In addition, this accelerator was designed with the goal of enhancing the ApeCoin ecosystem and increasing the value offered to ApeCoin holders.

APE token holders will have the opportunity to support approved ApeCoin projects through the $APE Launchpad, acquiring NFTs and other tokens, as well as participating in decisions on project proposals to be accepted.

Web3 innovation revolution led by Forj and Animoca Brands

Harry Liu, the CEO of Forj, enthusiastically shared the launch, stating the following about it: 

“Today marks the beginning of a step change in innovation for the ApeCoin community. The $APE Accelerator welcomes any founder with an exciting Web3 project to apply now, and join us in our mission to enhance the ApeCoin ecosystem.”

On the other hand, Yat Siu, co-founder and executive chairman of Animoca Brands, underscored the importance of community-driven initiatives such as the $APE Accelerator, emphasizing how they capture the very essence of Web3 entrepreneurship. 

Indeed, in this context, APE holders place themselves at the forefront of innovation in the ecosystem to which they belong: 

“APE Accelerator provides us with a roadmap for the future of online ecosystem growth, and all eyes will be on the incredible new projects to emerge from the program.”

Finally, as pointed out, projects interested in participating in the $APE Accelerator can apply by visiting the dedicated website and filling out the specially provided application form.

ApeCoin (APE) continues to touch new lows: prospects for long-term recovery?

The recent decline in the prices of crypto ApeCoin (APE) has revealed the difficulty of bullish traders in sustaining a meaningful reversal, mainly due to the prevailing bearish trend that characterizes APE.

In fact, Apecoin has faced constant downward pressure for most of the year. Recently, it tried to break through the support level at $1.09, but the rebound attempt was quickly thwarted by the downward trend.

This resulted in the $1.09 support level turning into resistance on Oct. 9. Despite the efforts of buyers, the price of the APE remained below the new resistance level.

However, technical signs indicate that buyers may soon see positive developments. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) has moved firmly out of the oversold zone, although it is still below the neutral level of 50.

Similarly, the On Balance Volume (OBV) rose from 25.2 million to 40.25 million between Oct. 10 and Oct. 14. With Chaikin Money Flow (CMF) turning positive, there is a possibility of seeing a long-term bullish reaction.

However, data from Coinalyze indicate weak enthusiasm in the futures market. Open Interest (OI) declined despite the slight increase in price, suggesting a decline in interest in buying Apecoin.

Similarly, the funding rate has fluctuated, highlighting uncertainty among market participants. This could hamper the prospects for a long-term bullish rally.

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Animoca Brands, a gaming software and venture capital company, says it remains optimistic about the future of the Web3 world, which encompasses metaverse, NFTs and crypto. This was stated by co-founder Yat Siu in his mid-year statement. 

Animoca Brands: Yat Siu is optimistic about the future of Web3, metaverse, NFTs and crypto

According to reports, Yat Siu, co-founder and executive chairman of Animoca Brands, released his mid-year statement, remaining optimistic about the advancement of Web3, metaverse, NFTs and crypto, despite market concerns that have arisen since the beginning of the year. 

“Despite current market concerns, we remain undeterred and positive about the future… The current market conditions will not kill Web3, the open metaverse, NFTs, or cryptocurrencies. There will be bumps on the road, cyclical variations, and the occasional black swan event, but the map to the future is legible by anyone who takes a broader and longer view”.

Broadly speaking, Animoca Brands is deeply involved in the technology sector and Web3 in particular, with a portfolio of over 340 investments and several subsidiaries and projects, including The Sandbox, GAMEE, REVV Motorsport, TOWER and many others. 

Due to this presence, the vision of its co-founder remains positive and optimistic, based on solid financial results. 

Animoca Brands’ journey from early 2022 to today

Continuing with his speech, Siu points out that in the first four months of 2022 they generated an impressive $573 million in revenue, $352 million in cash and $659 million in other digital assets. 

Not only that, Animoca Brands’ reserves of portfolio investments and digital assets were valued at around $5.7 billion in total. 

Staggering numbers that add up to interesting partnerships developed during this first half of the year, such as with Yuga Labs, OneFootball, Planet Hollywood, Cube Entertainment and Untamed Planet.

Siu also goes on to describe the NFT sector, which is showing lively and steady growth, reaching out to major companies such as the partnership of The Sandbox and HSBC. 

Regarding gaming, Siu points out that Web3 games represent only a small fraction of the 3.2 billion people who play games or the 5 billion people who are online. 

Finally, describing the philosophy of Animoca Brands, Siu affirms their long-term vision, investing in open, innovative and favourable Web3 projects for the emergence of the open metaverse. 

MetaHollywood: the Hollywood-themed NFT metaverse and marketplace

Another stunt by Animoca Brands this year was the launch of the MetaHollywood joint venture, the new Hollywood-themed NFT metaverse and marketplace. 

Basically, together with Planet Hollywood Group, the idea was to create a Web3 metaverse that brings back the Hollywood experience, dedicated to film lovers, studios and creators. 

At the same time, the metaverse also includes an NFT marketplace of digital collectables of moments, events and clips reminiscent of movie star scenes.

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