The NFT space can feel like information overload at times, so we’ve cut through the noise to deliver you a curated dose of what matters most. Your all-in-one weekly companion.
Headline News - Metaverse meltdown
ETH is rallying with ‘the merge’ fast-approaching, a mega mutant bored ape sold for 2,300ETH, top metaverse lands are down around 90% and incoming EU laws will mean NFT collections are regulated like cryptocurrencies. For a more detailed look at all the top stories from the past week, please see the Curated News section below.
The story which caught my eye this week was the price destruction of metaverse assets. Even the largest players in the space have seen a considerable drop in value of their digital land offerings.
Using Decentraland, Sandbox and Somnium Space as examples, when comparing the highest average price to the lowest average price over the past 12 months, we can see about a 90% drop in land plot values. For a full article on this story please click here.
Mark Cuban also weighed in with his concerns over metaverse land this week saying “Buying Digital Land Is The Dumbest Sh*t Ever”. For a short article on this story, please click here.
You can also check out a recent YouTube video by the Two Bored Apes who discuss digital land and scarcity by clicking here.
Curated News - the best bits of the past week
BIGGEST NFT Sale: Trippy Mega Mutant Bored Ape Sold for 2300 ETH
New EU Law Will Regulate NFT Collections Like Cryptocurrencies
OpenSea introduces new stolen item policy to combat NFT theft
Consumer Group Demands Snoop Dogg, Paris Hilton, Other Celebs Disclose NFT Connections
Vitalik Buterin proposes stealth addresses for anonymous NFT ownership
60 million NFTs could be minted in a single transaction — StarkWare co-founder
Educational: ETH Merge is approaching (15th-16th September): Here’s all you need to know
Maybe Something - things we’re keeping an eye on
Pudgy Penguins announces the 15 penguins it’ll use for its upcoming Pudgy Toys Lineup, licensed directly from the community.
LinksDAO announced a partnership with @IMGPrestigeGolf which will give all @LinksDAO members access to over 200 elite courses across the globe!
Dapper Labs announced former Meta VP Nick Grudin as their new Chief Business Officer.
OpenSea backs NFT minting platform Fair.xyz in $4.5 million round.
Non-Fungible Film announced a creative partnership with National Lampoon.
Holders of PROOF Collective and specific Grail trait Moonbirds were airdropped their mint passes for Grails 2 on 9th August. The burn window to redeem the Mint Pass opens on 8/16.
One to watch: Petsland, by the Memeland team.
Magic Eden Wants to Build an ApeCoin NFT Marketplace Just for Bored Apes—Here’s Why.
Influencer CoopahTroopa announces the introduction of a Music NFT Launchpad.
A look at Rare Apepes Mega Price Break Out.
Historical Insight: If you’re interested in learning more about vintage NFTs, a good starting point is to follow Adam McBride’s Twitter page. He’s very active and offers a largely objective and honest opinion on the collectibles within this space. Follow him here.
Talking Point - How to Display your NFTs
NFTs, for the most part, are kept within the buyers wallet as either an adored collectible or an investment. Sometimes both.
The vast majority of buyers don’t tend to show them to friends and family or put them on display for themselves, which is a shame. So this week I thought we’d explore the various ways you can elevate your NFT experience by making them more visible to both yourself and a wider audience. Below is a list of 8 ways you can get your NFTs within eyesight.
Print - You can print your NFTs on anything from a home printer to a high-end professional finish with a frame. There’s a wealth of options available online with many outfits now offering services tailored to printing NFTs.
TV or LED Screens - To my mind this is one of the least practical options, but you can display NFTs on your TV at home. I’ve seen people create screensavers on their TV displays which rotate a selection of their favourite NFTs, but this can be better achieved with a dedicated digital frame in my opinion.
Smartphone, tablet, laptop or desktop - Any of these devices can easily provide a space for you to see your NFTs on a regular basis by making them your desktop image, screensaver or locked screen image. It’s on these devices that I often rotate my favourite NFTs.
Social media platforms - An obvious choice when it comes to PFP/avatar NFTs. You’ll often see NFTs used as Twitter profiles pictures as well as for Twitter banners. You can use them as profile pics across any platform and it is social media platforms which seem to be used most readily when it comes to sharing recent NFT acquisitions.
Metaverses - A more lavish option is to buy a piece of land in a metaverse such as Sandbox or Decentraland and create your own space where you showcase your collection of NFTs.
Online galleries without VR - There are several very simple options available which allow users to quickly and easily create a virtual gallery to showcase your NFTs. Two popular options are Lazy and Showtime.
Online galleries with VR - This is a nice option and are essentially virtual art galleries which you purchase and then fill with your favourite NFTs. The difference between these are the ones mentioned above are that they offer a VR (virtual reality) experience enabling viewers the chance to walk around a 3D gallery much like a real one. OnCyber and Spatial are popular choices.
Digital frames - These are a great choice in my opinion and allow you to easily display any NFT in your collection within your home or office environment in a dedicated digital frame. It’s also easy to change the NFT displayed in the frame so you can use different artworks for difference moods or events. Popular options here are Netgear, Infinite Objects and TokenFrame.
These are a few of the more popular and accessible options available to NFT owners which enables them to get more enjoyment out of their purchases.
I hope this inspires you to think about how you might best enjoy your NFTs, and helps connect you to them on a more experiential level.
Tip Of The Week - Metamask Security Update
Metamask recently released a thread providing an overview of their latest security improvements. It covers changes with regards to approving transactions that grant access to all of your NFTs within a given collection. Below we can see a screenshot of the Old Version vs. the New Version.
Following and understanding security protocols is an extremely important part of being active within the NFT space. For the full thread from Metamask regarding this latest update, please click here.
ZenAcademy and 333 Club Noticeboard
Regular Event Reminders
Join poker nights via our Discord. Events held weekly, with prizes to be won.
Weekly Movie Nights are going strong. Check out this Discord channel for the latest info.
As a ZenAcademy member you get exclusive access to periodic market health statistics in the Discord content channel.
As part of the ZenAcademy community you’ll also have free access to the Misfit Robot Discord, and several of their “Members Only” rooms. ZA believes mental health support should be accessible to everyone. Check them out here: https://discord.gg/misfitrobots
Season 2 of the ZenAcademy Trivia Challenge has started up again. Click here for more info.
Irregular Events and Community News
The 333 Club partners with OM to bring a 333 Club Neighborhood to their district.
The 333 Club partners with PNTHN, a professional network designed for the NFT/Web3 space
Attention 333 Club members: token verification will be moving from Collab Land to Vulcan (Premint). Click here for more details.
A bit of fun: Introducing The "Zenacademy x Glitched Food weekend". Community members can post images of food which include a small ZenAcademy & The Lost Glitches logo. It doesn't have to be anything fancy, and it can be anything. You can share photos in our Discord here throughout the weekend. At the end of each weekend a winner will be chosen and The Lost Glitches will pay 50$ for the winning meal!
A ‘global-events’ channel was launched in the ZA Discord to help facilitate IRL meet-ups amongst the community. Click here for more details. The FIRST ZenAcademy sponsored "Global-Local" Meetup will be taking place in Singapore. Community members click here for more details.
Zeneca shares his thoughts on the market and offers insight on his personal portfolio restructuring. Available to ZA community members by clicking here.
Additional ZA Content
Episode #49 of Two Bored Apes is available on YouTube. Click here to watch.
YouTube Video: CC0 NFT Projects EXPLAINED: Was Moonbirds going CC0 a good decision?
Watch ZenChats #38 where Zeneca talks about The future of decentralized IP w/ Chris Wallace from UltraDAO/Woodies
YouTube Video: Dutch Auction Strategies For Beginners
YouTube Video: Should Metaverse Land Be Scarce? - Digital Land And Scarcity Discussion
Zeneca’s latest Newsletter is now out, entitled ‘Impossible Expectations’. Click here to read the full article. Also includes a closer look at Proof, Moonbirds and Oddities.
Our GITBOOK is now live! It is a repository for all of the information relating to ZA (our values, the team, our partners, perks, and plenty of helpful resources). You can visit it by clicking here.
Nothing in this or any other ZenCaps publication should be construed as financial or investment advice. The views and opinions expressed in ZenCaps publications do not reflect those of Zeneca_33 or the ZenAcademy.
Always exercise caution within the NFT space and adhere to best practices when it comes to making any investments. There is plenty of potential, but this comes with inherent risks.
Stay safe, and as always, good luck.