decrypt.co
Veteran gaming company Atari has partnered with digital assets solutions provider Bondly Finance to launch non-fungible tokens (NFTs) that will underpin a new gaming platform, Atari Metaverse.
The full line-up of Atari Metaverse NFTs, which will include tokens for gaming, music, and more, will be announced over the coming weeks. “Our collaboration with Bondly is absolutely integral to the success of the upcoming collections of NFTs and of the Atari metaverse,” said Frédéric Chesnais, CEO of Atari Chain, which operates the Atari Token, in a press release shared with Decrypt.
NFTs are cryptographically-unique tokens and have been used to lend digital scarcity to crypto art, music, and collectibles. They enable music artists, sports stars and creators to engage fans in new, unique ways, according to Bondly CEO Brandon Smith. “Creators could mint their own NFT in-metaverse and distribute to fans, which then become access passes to new superfan experiences,” he explained.
Atari’s blockchain collaborations
Atari is pressing ahead with a range of blockchain and cryptocurrency projects; the gaming veteran launched its own native cryptocurrency, Atari Token, last year.
Earlier this week, Atari partnered with crypto casino builder Decentral Games for a cryptocurrency casino in “Vegas City”—a district in the Ethereum-based Decentraland virtual world.
Bondly was behind YouTuber Logan Paul’s recent NFT collectibles, ahead of his fight with boxer Floyd Mayweather. His first set of NFTs, which he sold alongside his Pokémon card booster auction, generated over $2.4 million, according to the release.
The startup also worked with musicians Tory Lanez and PelleKon on their NFT gaming brands, dubbed PolkaPets and BCCG. According to Bondly, the brands have garnered over $4 million in revenue within three months.
Atari, which launched in 1972, is set on gaining twenty-first-century relevance by placing its hat firmly in the crypto sector. It’s previously collaborated with blockchain gaming platform Enjin to launch digital fashion NFTs in partnership with fashion house The Fabricant, as well as tying up with Animoca Brands to turn the brand’s IP into digital assets in virtual world The Sandbox.
"I’m a strong believer in blockchain," Atari CEO Frédéric Chesnais explained to Decrypt in a previous interview. "I think it’s here to stay, not only for games but for other types of applications. It’s really a conviction about blockchain."
With crypto-collectible mania currently reaching fever pitch, NFTs are a sure-fire way of realizing that conviction.