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Step into the Future with Adidas' ALTS
Adidas has teased its newest venture, ALTS by Adidas, the third phase in its Web3 roadmap. It will offer a hyper-personalized, token-gated loyalty program which will be an avatar of the customer's alternate ego, which will be revealed to its NFT holders.
The avatars or ALTS will acquire one of eight traits with different rarities, focusing on identity, community participation, utility, and physical product. Each trait comes with its own specific utility, providing exclusive or early access to both physical and virtual products, as well as access to event tickets.
“ALTS brings the entire breadth of adidas as a sports and lifestyle brand into the digital space,” said VP of the adidas /// studio, Erika Wykes-Sneyd, in an exclusive interview last week. “Token holders will get special access behind the velvet rope.”
The brand aims to partner with different metaverse companies, including Gucci, to increase interoperability. The loyalty program is part of Adidas' Web3 strategy, which aims to bring the brand's sports and lifestyle portfolio into the digital space. As other brands have shyed away from Web 3 its obvious that Adidas continues to maintain a bullish strategy within the space.
HEIR, Michael Jordan's Web3 Platform, Launches Mobile App
If you're a sports fan looking for a new way to connect with your favorite athletes, then you're in luck. HEIR, the Web3 fan engagement platform that brought us some iconic NFT collections of Michael Jordan and Lonzo Ball, has launched a new mobile app.
The HEIR app is designed to connect younger fans with their favorite athletes, offering features like chats, community games, events, game highlights, player stats, and even Zodiac sign connections. The app will also provide users with access to exclusive content from the athletes themselves.
And, to celebrate the launch of the app during the NBA playoffs, HEIR is running an initiative called "23 Days," which will highlight celebratory NBA moments for a time period that's in connection to His Airness, Michael Jordan.
HEIR is a next-generation holding company that builds culturally-inspired consumer brands rooted in sports, tech, and entertainment. Founded by Jeffrey Michael Jordan, Jeron Smith, and Daniel George, HEIR has raised $10 million in venture capital from a pool of investors, including
Thrive Capital,
Solana Ventures,
Alexis Ohanian,
William Wesley
Lonzo Ball.
While the HEIR app marks an extension of the platform's mission to connect athletes with fans, the company isn't moving away from its Web3 endeavors. HEIR will continue to integrate Web3 components into its mobile experience, providing benefits to consumers such as paying with crypto or owning an NFT to unlock value.
The app will launch with seven HEIR Signature Athletes, including:
Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves
Tyler Herro, Miami Heat
RJ Barrett, New York Knicks
Bennedict Mathurin, Indiana Pacers
Lonzo Ball, Chicago Bulls
Josh Okogie, Phoenix Suns
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Chelsea FC
The HEIR app is available now on iOS and all Apple devices. HEIR will announce additional talent from various sports in the coming months, providing opportunities to connect with your favorite athletes like never before.
Shaq Takes the Court: Finally Served in FTX Class Action After 3-Month Chase
After a three-month-long chase, lawyers handling a class action lawsuit have finally served basketball star Shaquille O'Neal outside his Atlanta home. The lawsuit accuses more than a dozen celebrities and sports teams of promoting FTX, a now-bankrupt crypto exchange. O'Neal was so supportive of FTX that the company dubbed him "Shaqtoshi," a play on Satoshi Nakamoto, the alleged creator of Bitcoin.
But despite O'Neal's high profile, lawyers struggled to serve him official notice of the lawsuit. They had even asked a judge to allow them to serve him via Twitter, Instagram, and email. When that request was denied, lawyers resorted to tweeting at him from outside the TNT studios in Atlanta, where O'Neal is a fixture on "The NBA on TNT." Finally, after months of searching, they managed to serve him at his home, and the entire exchange was caught on camera.
Other celebrities targeted in the lawsuit include football star Tom Brady and "Seinfeld" creator Larry David. But O'Neal was the final figure to be served on Sunday, ending a dramatic chase for the lawyers involved.
This case illustrates just how difficult it can be to serve a celebrity, even one who often appears in public. O'Neal has homes in Florida, Georgia, Nevada, California, and the Bahamas, making it difficult for lawyers to locate him. O'Neal himself has sought to distance himself from FTX in the wake of the company's collapse, saying that he was just a paid spokesperson for a commercial.
Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried has pleaded not guilty to criminal fraud charges, while three other executives from the company pleaded guilty in federal court. It remains to be seen how O'Neal will fare in this lawsuit, but one thing is clear: it's not easy to serve a celebrity, even if they're hiding in plain sight.
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