Arijit Sarkar
Bitcoin (BTC) has been attributed as the most prominent blockchain use case, showing the technology’s prowess in successfully delivering an immutable and truly decentralized ledger over the past 13 years. Adding to the years of innovations since then— that saw the introduction of altcoins, nonfungible tokens (NFT), decentralized finance (DeFi) and more, a study conducted by fintech giant Deloitte highlighted the untapped potential of the crypto ecosystem to open up newer markets for the sports industry.
Fan tokens and NFTs were first introduced to the sports industry to increase fan engagement via collectibles and voting mechanisms. However, Deloitte, one of the Big 4 accounting firms, envisions the industry further embracing crypto and blockchain technology over the coming years:
“A nexus will form around sports collectibles, ticketing, betting, and gaming. We are just beginning to see its [cryptocurrency’s] potential, as well as the new markets it could lead to.”
Highlighting incoming trends in the sports industry, Deloitte’s 2022 sports industry outlook report expects an eventual rise in blockchain-enabled innovations, as a result of which “The use of NFTs, crypto, fan tokens, and ticket innovations will grow and evolve.”
“Moving beyond NFTs,” Deloitte expects the sports industry to start soon linking spectators with season tickets over the blockchain. While the initial move toward this goal would mean merely associating game tickets with NFTs as means to reward fans, innovations around smart contracting could potentially open up new use cases:
“We could see fractional ownership of season tickets and suites and a reinvention of the ticket resale process.”
As a result, new revenue streams can be created for sports organizers and teams as smart contracts streamline the processes related to dynamic ticket pricing and resales. However, Deloitte shared four key factors that need to be addressed by the ecosystem: implementing new standards, educating fans and considering compliance and tax implications.
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Garri Zmudze
Depending who you ask, NFTs are either a new and exciting way to invest, or a bearish, overhyped sector. Regardless, journalists, investors and collectors have paid significant attention to the growing NFT market in the past year. NFTs continue to be one of the most popular Web3 entry points, an opportunity for everyone from casual art fans to crypto billionaires to own a unique asset stored on the blockchain.
As NFT visionaries have recently pointed out, NFTs also have the potential to be used for incredible causes beyond digital asset collection. In the past six months, communities have launched NFTs to raise support for causes like testicular cancer, human trafficking and the war in Ukraine. While many believe the NFT trend is finally on the path to sustainable growth, its potential as a tool for charities is poised to reach exciting new highs in the coming months.
This mission-driven innovation is not a new concept for the crypto and Web3 worlds. Metaverse worlds connect people that may have otherwise never met in the real world. Digital currencies and DeFi have created financial access and freedom for millions, if not billions, of people. In the closely related longevity space (the science behind healthier, longer human lives), research advancements are making it possible for people to live comfortably in their bodies for longer. The world we live in now is vastly different than it was even five years ago — and it isn’t stopping. The next element to be disrupted (or, in my view, upgraded) will be charitable giving through NFTs.
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Arijit Sarkar
Attendees to the BlockDown Croatia 2022 festival were witness to Cointelegraph’s discussions around sociopolitics of the Web3 ecosystem, nonfungible tokens (NFT) and the Metaverse. It turns out that ongoing innovations across the crypto ecosystem are well-positioned to dictate the future of media and entertainment.
While crypto continues to blur the lines between the virtual and physical worlds, Cointelegraph’s editor-in-chief, Kristina Cornèr, agreed that “It’s been a crazy year” when talking about the rising impact of crypto innovations within media companies during the BlockDown festival.
Cornèr highlighted use cases within the NFT space that gives independent artists and journalists a platform to raise funds and counter real-world challenges such as climate change. In a separate discussion with Dylan Dewdney, the founder of NFT3, a unified identity network, Cornèr raised questions related to the merging of virtual and physical worlds in the Metaverse.
According to Dewdney, real-world problems have a good chance of seeping into the Metaverse despite the merger of the two worlds. However, he suggested developing a pseudonymous system wherein users are verified but can choose not to disclose their identities to other members of the Metaverse.
As the world slowly shifts into its new home, the Metaverse, Dewdney believes that “the real world will become better.” However, it will require the people to inculcate some of the ethos of crypto, especially in relation to equitability and personal responsibility:
“I think its time for the world to evolve and we are starting to lay the technical foundations for a lot of that. You have to be careful about how this plays out and really take individual responsibility about spreading that message.”
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This Daily Dose was brought to you by Cointelegraph.
