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PlaySwoops SSN0 drop
Swoops, is a basketball strategy game that leverages the blockchain and a NFT-player based gaming. Their mission is to help empower the next generation of sports fan and turn you from a spectator into a owner. Fans will be able to choose the roles of Owner, General Manager, Coach, and Player, where they can stake, trade, and own players to be used in cash prize contests (Starting Season 1).
Released this past Friday on January 6th was the inaugural launch of Season 0, where participants will need at least one Swoopster to build out their lineup. In the seasons that follow , cash tournaments and games will be available through antes posted by users.
You’ll set a lineup featuring two Guards, two Forwards, and one Center (certain Swoopsters/free agents have the capabilty of being used for multiple positions). Owners will be able to fill out their rosters through the use of free agents, so the ultimate focus should be to acquire a Swoopster that has traits you value and strategically over time build your lineup. SSN0 will be a great opportunity for you to build out your strategy and test out which Swoopster traits work best for your respective lineups.
If you are looking for a breakdown on how to evaluate Swoopsters check out this article below written by Swoops Illustrated.
For a deeper breakdown of Swoops and SSN0 please refer to my Mirror writeup below:
Web3 sports tech startup Play Today launches with $1.2m investment from Clive Mayhew
Tech entrepreneur and investor Clive Mayhew has invested $1.2m in Play Today, a web3 golf company that enables 70 million golf players around the world to score, experience and connect online.
Play Today has created a digital wallet that is integrated into a golf scoring app, a golf non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace and a golf MetaVerse, which uses web3 technology to link the physical game with digital wallets and an immersive online community. The Play Today digital wallet offers access to an exclusive online community and premium features. The Play Today scoring app is available in Apple and Google stores, and the NFT marketplace can be found at: https://playtodaynft.com/
A demo of the MetaVerse, which is set to launch in March 2023, which will be available at: https://golf3.com
Clive Mayhew, CEO of Play Today, said: "Watching the web3 sector develop reminds me of my days at Netscape when we were pioneering the first iteration of the internet. There appears to be a misconception that web3 is all about digital currencies and speculation, but we are actually seeing meaningful innovation and value creation that will fundamentally change so many aspects of our digital lives.”
Sports company Fanatics to sell majority stake in Candy Digital
Sports collectibles company Fanatics is reportedly divesting its majority 60% stake in the NFT firm Candy Digital. Candy Digital, which was founded in 2021 and has produced collections of NFTs for sports leagues and groups such as MLB, WWE, and NASCAR, as well as for the Netflix franchise "Stranger Things," will have its shares sold to an investor group led by Galaxy Digital, which is also a founding shareholder of Candy Digital.
According to an internal email obtained by CNBC, Fanatics founder and executive chairman Michael Rubin cited the sustainability and profitability of NFTs as a standalone business as the reason for the divestment. Rubin stated that digital products will have more value and utility when connected to physical collectibles, and referred to an "imploding NFT market" with a decline in transaction volume and item prices. However, despite this pessimistic outlook, recent estimates show that the value of the NFT market is still 11 times larger than it was two years ago.
Fanatics owns various non-crypto collectible companies, including Topps, Mitchell and Ness, and Steiner Sports, and traditional physical trading cards reportedly make up 99% of the sports collectibles business. None of the companies involved in the sale have publicly announced the deal.
Virtualness secures Multi-Year Web3 Deal for Rights to Philippine Basketball Association's NFT Digital Collectibles
The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) has announced a partnership with mobile platform Virtualness to offer an easy-to-use digital experience for basketball fans through the use of branded NFT collectibles. The collectibles will range from commemorative items to topical items to gamification elements, and will be used to unlock unique virtual and real-world experiences such as player meet and greets or special seats at games. The customized community built around the purchasing, trading, and owning of digital collectibles will be available on the Virtualness platform in the first half of 2023, with loyalty fan experiences and rewards to follow later in the year.
The Philippines is a tech-savvy nation with a strong interest in NFTs, and the NFT industry in the country is expected to grow at a CAGR of 32.6% during 2022-2028, reaching $12.5B+ by 2028, according to the ResearchandMarkets Philippines NFT Market Intelligence Report 2022.
In addition to increasing relevancy, especially for younger audiences, the PBA hopes that the partnership with Virtualness will further fuel fandom and encourage more children to participate in and learn about basketball.
"We believe this will help us leverage next-generation technology to continue basketball's relevancy as a cultural phenomenon in the Philippines and around the world," said Willie Marcial, Commissioner of PBA. "We've found a like-minded partner who understands how to make it super simple and entertaining for our amazing fans to extend their fandom via digital collectibles and experiences."
How will the crypto market crash affects digital collectibles NBA Top Shot and NFL All Day?
Sports collectible company Dapper Labs has seen the value of its NBA Top Shot digital video highlight collectibles decline amid market declines and concerns about the environmental impact of non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Despite the market decline, Dapper Labs CEO Roham Gharegozlou said the company was "well-positioned for the future" and was working on making its platform mobile-first. The NBA, which has a licensing deal with Dapper Labs, said NBA Top Shot remained a "key partner". Dapper Labs has also signed deals with the NFL and UFC, as well as Spanish soccer's top-flight La Liga.