The Hype Report

Welcome to The Hype Report where we break down the latest news, stories & happenings around sports & web3.

In case you didn't notice, we've slightly rebranded!

The Hype is Real -------------> The Hype Report

Here's What Happened This Week:

• Adidas Drops Its First NFT Wearables Collection

• Cristiano Ronaldo Launches First NFT Collection With Binance

• Saudi Arabia’s NFT Collection Sky Rockets After Unexpected Win Against Argentina

• ImagineAR Adds Baltimore Ravens Players To VR Feature

Let's Dive Into It...

Adidas Unveils Its First Interoperable NFT Wearables Collection

Here's a quick summary:

• Adidas is expanding its metaverse strategy with the launch of NFT wearables.

• The wearables are designed to be worn by virtual avatars and NFT profile pictures.

• Every piece of the virtual gear is interoperable with other metaverse environments.

• The collection also includes wearables representing popular collections such as Bored Ape Yacht Club, Gmoney, and PunkComics.

This collection represents the sportswear company’s first collection of NFT wearables called “Virtual Gear” as Adidas accelerates its metaverse strategy.

The 16-piece collection is available within the wallets of holders of its capsule collection which was launched in May and airdropped to Into The Metaverse NFT holders who have claimed Phase 2. 

Holders of the Adidas Originals: Capsule NFT Collection can discover which of the 16 unique pieces they have been allocated once they choose to reveal and replace their Capsule NFT. This means they will have to agree to ‘burn’ the Capsule NFT they currently hold, in order to generate at random one of the 16 new digital wearables NFTs.

Erika Wykes-Sneyd, VP of the Adidas /// studio (‘Three Stripes Studio’) said this about the launch:

“I love the opportunity this collection represents for our most engaged community of holders. Every capsule holder has a choice at launch – burn and express their virtual identity with Adidas' first Virtual Gear collection, or list and allow others to join this community. With our community and creator ecosystem at the core, Adidas will explore every viable utility, platform, and experience within Web3 to unlock new possibilities for our wearables, with a focus on tangible value and immutable utility for our community members.”

Those who don’t currently hold an Adidas Originals: Capsule NFT can purchase the new Virtual Gear collection on relevant NFT marketplaces. As an added benefit, community members who hold a virtual wearable NFT and a compatible partner collection NFT (BAYC, MAYC, Inhabitants) will be able to outfit their NFT with their Adidas virtual wearable using a PFP tool that's launching soon.

Cristiano Ronaldo Launches NFT Collection With Binance

Cristiano Ronaldo’s first NFT collection launched this past Friday as part of an exclusive, multi-year partnership with Binance, the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange. The launch is supported by a global marketing campaign featuring Ronaldo, aiming to give fans an introduction to web3 with NFTs.

Binance Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer He Yi said this:

“We believe the metaverse and blockchain are the future of the internet. We are honored to collaborate with Cristiano to help more people understand blockchain and showcase how we are building Web3 infrastructure for the sports and entertainment industry.”

The inaugural Cristiano Ronaldo NFT collection features 7 animated statues with 4 rarity levels: Super Super Rare (SSR), Super Rare (SR), Rare (R), and Normal (N). 

Each NFT statue depicts Ronaldo in an iconic moment from his life, from career-defining bicycle kicks to his childhood in Portugal. Each rarity level will come with its own set of exclusive perks, ranging from:

• A personal message from Cristiano Ronaldo

• Autographed CR7 & Binance merchandise 

• Guaranteed access for all future CR7 NFT drops

• Complimentary CR7 Mystery Boxes

• Entry into giveaways with signed merchandise and prizes

Future sets of the Cristiano Ronaldo NFT collection will be available in early 2023. All collections will be available exclusively on Binance.com

Saudi Arabia’s NFT Collection Sky Rockets After Unexpected Win Against Argentina

The sales for the Saudi Arabia-themed NFT collection called “The Saudis” increased 387% this past Tuesday following the country’s surprise 2-1 win against Argentina, which is considered one of the best soccer teams in the world.

Argentina’s fan token (ARG), on the other hand, dropped 21% over those 24 hours and started trading at $5.44 as of press time, according to data from CoinMarketCap. The Argentinan team, led by star player Lionel Messi, was the clear favorite going into Monday’s match.

Crypto tokens have become popular among gamblers in this year’s World Cup. Chiliz (CHZ), the native token of the Chiliz blockchain that powers Socios.com, the largest sports fan token creator platform, surged 39% in the week before the start of the competition as fans basked in a fresh wave of hype.

ImagineAR Adds Baltimore Ravens Players To VR Feature 

ImagineAR, an AR company that enables sports teams and businesses to create their own AR mobile campaigns, recently announced that the Baltimore Ravens launched virtual players integrated into their mobile app.

According to the company, fans around the world can take videos and pictures with some of their favorite Ravens using the official team app.

AR versions of superstar football quarterback Lamar Jackson, linebacker Tyus Bowser, safety Kyle Hamilton, and mascot Poe were available during the launch, with new players being added to the app before each week's game.

Dave Lang, the director of Digital Strategy and Innovation for the Baltimore Ravens, said:

"After launching Ravens in Reality last month – giving our fans the ability to scan images and bring AR objects to life – we're excited to expand this platform with new features.”

To engage with this immersive AR experience, all fans have to do is download the official Baltimore Ravens Mobile app (available for both iOS & Android), choose "Ravens in Reality" from the menu, select a player, and then point their device's camera at the floor, or flat surface, to place the life-size virtual player. Users can take an unlimited number of videos and photos that can be instantly shared on social media. 

What To Watch:

KAKA's Prediction: Football, Web3, Sports Metaverse, and the future:

This is an interesting discussion about the future of soccer and how it's going to merge with the metaverse. 

Host:

• Gwen Regina: Investment Director at BNB Chain

Guests:

• KaKa: Football Legend, World Cup, UEFA Champions League and Ballon d’Or Winner

• Steve Milton: Marketing Lead, BNB Chain

• Xander: cofounder of TopGoal

What To Read:

What To Listen To:

Hope you had a great Thanksgiving!

Talk soon,

Malcolm