Dapper Labs, the parent organization of the blockchain-based game Cryptokitties has secured a patent in Brazil to create collectible digital tokens in collaboration with the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Intellectual Property Magazine of Rio de Janeiro reported that Dapper Labs will now be able to use photos of NBA players and games in order to promote its collectibles in Brazil. The campaign which has been named ‘NBA Top Shot’ will enable basketball enthusiasts to interact with their favorite players using these tokens. Interestingly, the tokens are linked to games and players’ contracts.
Dapper Labs’ CEO, Roham Gharegozlou said, “With the NBA Top Shot, basketball fans can engage with their favorite players, teams, and each other in entirely new ways. We’re using blockchain technology to create assets and experiences that are guaranteed limited edition and authentic, not to mention portable and permanent, in a way nothing digital has ever been before.”
You can sign up for the NBA Top Shot official website to claim early access.
A blockchain-oriented organization like Dapper Labs does make enough sense to integrate the technology in an international forum like the NBA. With the kind of fan following and credibility that it has, the NBA can definitely boost crypto adoption by offering crypto-backed perks to its fans.
Crypto Penetration in the Sports Industry
Sports teams across the globe are gradually adopting crypto as a means to allow fans to interact with their favorite players.
US-based sports firm Chiliz is providing engagement tokens through its Socios platform to National Football League and Major League Baseball franchises. On the other hand, the NBA’s Sacramento Kings recently executed a player-gear auction in collaboration with blockchain development firm ConsenSys. Famous Italian football club Juventus announced last month that they will be rolling out digital trading cards of their players through the blockchain-enabled platform Sorare. Even sports like cricket are adopting blockchain to optimize their operations. English county cricket club Lancashire has already introduced blockchain-based ticketing in partnership with TIXnGO to do away with counterfeit tickets.
