E-commerce giant, eBay has officially launched its first non-fungible token (NFT) with a series of tokenized collectibles showcasing National Hockey League (NHL) icon Wayne Gretzky.
This collection features animated Wayne Gretzky variants inspired by Sports Illustrated magazine covers. They are available in four levels of rarity: green (299 editions), gold (199), platinum (99), and diamond (15).
Investors King understands that the NFT collection is currently selling on eBay’s marketplace. However, the limited-edition diamond, platinum and gold tiers worth $1,500, $100 and $25 respectively are sold out.
According to eBay, the collection was created in collaboration with OneOf, an ecologically focused NFT platform that enables different “energy-efficient blockchains” to deliver sustainable NFT collections.
eBay first allowed NFT listings in mid-2021 but is yet to incorporate blockchain technology to support sales on its platform. Users will be provided a redemption code through in-platform messaging or email to obtain their NFT outside of the platform for this formal drop.
The NFTs were created using the Ethereum scaling platform Polygon and are also available for sale on OneOf.
However, secondary trade for the NFTs on OneOf has been limited thus far, with only three individuals advertising platinum tier tokens at a floor price of $199, and one user listing a gold tier NFT for $69.
Dawn Block, eBay’s vice president of collectibles, electronics and home stated that NFT tech is “revolutionizing the collectibles space” and emphasized that the company is working to introduce NFTs to popular collectors across the world: “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.” Dawn said
Similar comments were also expressed by OneOf CEO Lin Dai, who stated that the company is working to make NFTs more accessible to consumers who aren’t familiar with crypto: “You don’t have to be a crypto expert to buy, sell, and collect NFTs. OneOf and eBay are bringing transformative Web3 technology to the next 100M non-crypto-native mass consumers.”
