The fourth iteration of the world’s biggest NFT conference—NFT NYC—wrapped up on June 23rd, 2022. Through panels, displays, and gamified experiences, crypto giants and rising stars gave groundbreaking previews of Web3 and the blockchain internet. MetaBlox and other presenters demonstrated how NFTs are quickly becoming an important element of Web3. That said, the following overview of the NFT event should therefore excite anyone curious about the future of the internet.
MetaBlox Unveils Its Plans for Web3
One of the most compelling presentations at NFT NYC 2022 was held by MetaBlox, which previewed their upcoming NFT collection and crypto miners, and demonstrated their cutting edge dapp.
MBLX’s NFT Roadmap
MetaBlox impressed at NFT NYC by showing what non-pfp NFTs can do. It announced that the high-utility MBLX NFTs will be a lot more than blockchain-encrypted profile pictures. Rather, it was unveiled that these NFTs will have features that create new value for holders over time.
For instance, MetaBlox’s utility-based NFTs will be linked to crypto miners that earn profits by data mining. Moreover, these NFTs will boost MetaBlox miners’ efficiency, delivering more tokens to the holder than a non-NFT linked MetaBlox miner would.
MetaBlox also announced that its NFTs will come in three varieties: gold, platinum, and diamond. The tiers offer varying levels of mining boost.
Attendees of NFT NYC 2022 were also happy to hear that MetaBlox NFTs work as premium passes to MetaBlox events, and that they are equipped to receive special airdrops in the form of tokens and other rewards.
MBLX Miner Preview
MetaBlox also previewed their NFT-linked miners at NFT NYC, demonstrating recent innovations in crypto mining technology. Unlike many mining rigs, MBLX miners will earn crypto by functioning as internet routers, mining data while validating public WiFi connections. Thus each miner will be one of a million WiFi passpoint nodes on a decentralized internet network.
MBLX App Demo
Lastly, MetaBlox previewed their app at NFT NYC 2022, providing an early glimpse of the major Web3 platform. The app’s main features were shown, including the decentralized ID (DID)-generator, which provides users with a high-security internet browsing credential for Web3.
Lans King’s ‘Psychic’ NFT
Besides MetaBlox’s preview of its Web3 tools, a few other demonstrations and announcements at NFT NYC stole the show. One such presentation was made by artist Lans King, whose new NFT ‘Terms of Use’ pushes the boundaries of NFT art.
During his presentation, King discussed how the image on his new NFT registers his brain waves via a microchip in his hand. The pattern making up the artwork thus changes depending on King’s mood and physical state. His talk, aptly titled ‘Manifesting NFTs with the Mind’, was a great success in showing the potential of blockchain-connected artwork.
Rise of Goblin Town
One of the most popular events at NFT NYC 2022 was held by the newly formed NFT group Goblin Town. Their NFTs, which held images of bizarre-looking goblin characters, received arguably the most attention of any collection at the conference.
Goblin Town even beat out the Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) to claim the top spot in NFT trade volume and sales during the week of NFT NYC 2022. At the height of the excitement at the conference, Goblin Town NFTs were selling for 5.5 ETH, or about $9600 USD.
So what made Goblin Town so popular at NFT NYC? Perhaps it was their unique personality, emphasized by their gibberish language. This strength of character was also evoked by the goblin-themed food trucks run by the group, which prepared burgers for conference goers and the public.
In addition to the collection’s infectious personality, the Goblin Town NFTs drew interest by its CC0 (creative commons zero) status. This means no copyrights are reserved by Goblin Town after their NFTs have been sold, allowing holders to create derivative works such as copies and derivates.
Coolcats’ Cooltopia
The crypto group Coolcat created another big attraction at NFT NYC event by building an NFT-powered, gamified experience for attendees. A room was turned into an immersive NFT ecosystem that integrated Coolcats’ trademark feline avatars throughout, and that was dubbed Cooltopia.
After using their coolcat NFTs as passes to the interactive demo, participants enjoyed otherworldly displays and obstacle courses. They also won prizes playing various digital and arcade-type games that incorporated Coolcat NFT-fueled animated characters. Attendees were even invited to replenish themselves with snacks and drinks at the Cooltopia ‘milk bar’.
Celebrity Involvement
This year’s NFT NYC event also attracted lots of celebrity involvement, including from rapper Snoop Dogg and supermodel Heidi Klum.
Heidi Klum Shows off Her NFT Artwork
Klum has lately been busy making vibrant NFT artwork based on the Bored Ape Yacht Club avatar. Her newest BAYC derivate was displayed on a billboard in Times Square, near the main NFT NYC venue. Her token was part of a larger series on display in Times Square curated by the NFT collector Cozomo de’ Medici.
The supermodel thanked Medici for including her work in a tweet saying “While it’s always exciting for me to see my face on a billboard, it’s even more exciting for me to see my painting up there!” Her colorful work drew many skyward glances from people entering the NFT NYC venue near Times Square.
BAYC Collabs With Snoop Dogg, Other Celebrities
The Bored Ape Yacht Club held a special NFT NYC-affiliated event—Apefest— for BAYC members. Celebrities including comedian Amy Schumer and rappers Snoop Dogg and Eminem performed at the event. The latter two guests also released a collaborative music video that featured their BAYC NFT avatars.
Pharrell Williams As Doodle Ambassador
The NFT group Doodle, like Coolcats, created an immersive, gamified environment that registered NFTs as passes for access to games and other attractions. They also brought the digital aesthetic of the Doodle universe to the physical world. During its keynote presentation at NFT NYC, the collective drew thunderous applause after announcing that music producer Pharell Williams is their new chief brand officer.
NFT NYC: A Growing Community
The crypto world converged on New York City for NFT NYC 2022, reminding everyone attending that the future of the internet involves blockchain technology, especially NFTs. As MetaBlox and other groups develop Web3 into a vast decentralized internet, the global NFT community is surely set to grow too.
