The surge in the digital collectibles market continues to attract big companies to incorporate NFTs into their platforms. One latest example is eBay, which recently launched its first NFT collection in partnership with Tezos- and Polygon-based NFT marketplace OneOf.
In announcing the news, eBay said that its “Genesis” NFT collection will feature 3D and animated interpretations of the iconic athletes featured on Sports Illustrated magazine covers over the years. The first in the series, which is already available, features Canadian hockey legend Wayne Gretzky.
The collection includes 13 limited-edition digital collectibles that are classified into green, gold, platinum, and diamond tiers. The number of NFTs available varies between tiers, with up to 299 editions each in the green tier, to only 15 editions in the highest-end diamond tier. As with all other items on eBay, these NFTs are also purchasable via fiat payment methods — no cryptocurrency needed — with prices ranging from $10 to $1,500.
Each NFT contains a 3D rendering or animation of Gretzky making his signature moves on the ice. eBay and OneOf plan to drop additional collections featuring more athletes throughout 2022. Prior to this, OneOf had already struck a deal with Sports Illustrated and released NFT collections of three different football legends: Jerry Rice, Dick Butkus, and Emmitt Smith. Some of the upcoming NFT collections that have been confirmed so far include Muhammad Ali, Shaquille O’Neal, Mia Hamm, Billie Jean King, and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
eBay’s first foray into the NFT business shouldn’t come as a surprise seeing that the company had already expressed interest since over a year ago. With a significant presence in the e-commerce industry, eBay is hoping that it can introduce NFTs to non-crypto-native mass consumers. Having the option to pay with traditional currencies certainly helps make coveted NFTs more accessible to the general population.
Source: CoinDesk.
