eBay Drops Sports-themed NFT Collection

American multinational e-commerce company, eBay has forayed into the NFT space after dropping a hockey-themed collection in partnership with OneOf, a green Web 3 company.

• The NFT collection of 13 limited-edition digital collectibles, dubbed “Genesis,” will have four tiers – green, gold, platinum, and diamond.
• It will feature 3D and animated interpretations of the iconic athletes featured on Sports Illustrated covers over the years, the official press release said.
• The first ones will feature Canadian hockey legend – Wayne Gretzky. In a statement, the former player said,

“Forty years ago, I was grateful to be on the cover of Sports Illustrated, it was a monumental moment in my life. I’m honored to bring this collectible experience to my hockey fans who have followed my career for decades.”

• The company also said that each NFT is “priced for the everyday fan” starting at $10 each.
• Dawn Block, Vice President of collectibles, electronics, and home at eBay, underscored that NFTs and blockchain technology are revolutionizing the collectibles space, and are increasingly perceived as an investment opportunity for many players. The exec further added,

“Through our partnership with OneOf, eBay is now making coveted NFTs more accessible to a new generation of collectors everywhere. This builds upon our commitment to deliver high passion, high-value items to the eBay community of buyers and sellers.”

• eBay has 142 million buyers across the world and is the second-largest player in the United States, trailing behind the e-commerce behemoth, Amazon.
• In February, CEO Jamie Iannone said the company would soon integrate cryptocurrency payments as it looks to capture the GenZ and millennial audiences.
• eBay also enabled the sale of NFTs for digital collectibles such as video clips, images, or trading cards last year.