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- WWE to drop John Cena NFTs at Friday’s SummerSlam.
- With the industry ever-growing, Alibaba confirmed the launch NFT marketplace in September.
WWE on Monday announced that it will launch Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) inspired by iconic wrestler John Cena. This news comes ahead of the August 21 WWE SummerSlam.
In collaboration with developer-focused blockchain wallet infrastructure provider Bitski, WWE will drop the NFTs in two parts, premium tier, and gold tier. The tokens will be available on both the Bitski and WWE platforms.
WWE’s foray into the world of non-fungible tokens
The launch of Cena-themed NFTs will be WWE’s second wrestler-themed NFTs. The first was in April when they launched a collection of Undertaker NFTs at WrestleMania 37 in Tampa, Florida. The collection was in celebration of WWE icon Undertaker’s career.
Auctioning for the platinum tier will begin at the start of Friday’s SmackDown at 8 pm ET and go on for 24 hours until the start of Saturday’s SummerSlam.
🖐 days until…
👆✌️👌#SummerSlam #TeamCena#WWERaw #Smackdown pic.twitter.com/J30IYqEGcR
— John Cena (@JohnCena) August 16, 2021
The highest bidder on the premium tier will receive a unique one-of-one NFT. This NFT comes with an experience for two at next year’s WrestleMania to be held at Dallas’ AT&T Stadium or the 2023 Wrestle Mania at LA’s Sofia Stadium. The package includes accommodation, VIP access and tickets for two front-row seats. The top bidder will also get a custom WWE Championship Title Belt with the bidder’s name engraved in it and Cena’s “Dr. of Thuganomics” style chain from WrestleMania 35.
The gold tier will feature 500 NFTs and an exclusive merch box curated by the WWE Superstar himself. The auction will start right after the close of the premium tier auction.
WWE’s Senior Vice President, Revenue Strategy & Development, Scott Zanghellini commented;
The Summer of Cena will be capped off by a phenomenal main event at SummerSlam as well as an opportunity for the WWE Universe to own unique collectibles inspired by one of the biggest stars in Hollywood today.
Alibaba Launches NFT marketplace
Meanwhile, Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba has announced the launch of an NFT marketplace on its platform. The marketplace, a section of Alibaba Auction dubbed “Blockchain Digital Copyright and Asset Trade” will reportedly enable creators to sell rights to their content using blockchain technology.
The platform will begin functioning in September and has already listed some products including a Star Wars image and Chengdu’s West Pearl Tower.
After bidding, winners will be able to view their prizes on their WeChat accounts using Bit Universe’s public account.
The platform’s NFTs will be issued by the Sichuan Blockchain Association Copyright Committee’s New Copyright Blockchain. This is evidence that despite the Chinese government’s recent crusade against ‘unregulated’ cryptocurrencies, it is still open to other use cases of blockchain technology. In fact, China hopes to become the world leader in technology by 2025.
The world of NFTs continues to experience mammoth growth since the surge in popularity early this year. Reports indicate that as of July, NFT sales had passed the $2.5 billion mark.
