eBay, OneOf Partner on NFT Development and Sales

Global commerce giant eBay and non-fungible token (NFT) producer OneOf announced Monday (May 23) that they are collaborating on the production and sale of animated versions of “Sports Illustrated” magazine.

“Through this partnership, eBay combines its global reach and unmatched inventory — and OneOf’s eco-conscious Web3 technology — to continue to bring a seamless experience that allows enthusiasts to buy and sell high passion and high value items with confidence,” the companies said in a press release.

“NFTs and blockchain technology are revolutionizing the collectibles space, and are increasingly viewed as an investment opportunity for enthusiasts,”  Dawn Block, vice president for collectibles, electronics and home at eBay, said in the release. “Through our partnership with OneOf, eBay is now making coveted NFTs more accessible to a new generation of collectors everywhere.”

The first NFT available on eBay through the new arrangement, as of today, is a “Sports Illustrated” cover featuring hockey superstar Wayne Gretzky.

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

In all, the NFT collection, called Genesis, will include 13 limited edition NFTs distributed through four tiers — green, gold, platinum and diamond. The tiers will range from 299 unique NFTs in the green tier to 15 NFTs in the diamond tier.

The announcement states: “Priced for the everyday fan starting at $10, each NFT contains a 3D rendering or animation of Gretzky making a signature move on the ice. Throughout 2022, additional drops of OneOf’s sports legends NFT series will take place in partnership with eBay, reinterpreting iconic Sports Illustrated covers in the era of Web3.”

Lin Dai, chief executive of OneOf, added, “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.”

In related NFT news, GameStop recently debuted a self-custodial ethereum wallet that will allow users to make transactions on its forthcoming NFT marketplace.

Read more: GameStop Jumps Into Crypto, NFTs With Digital Asset Wallet Launch