ZenCaps: Edition #8
Your weekly NFT recap to cut through the noise
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 - CoinbaseNFT beta is launched
It’s here! The news everyone’s been eagerly waiting for came yesterday in the form of a tweet from the official @CoinbaseNFT account stating ‘ATTN: INTERNET. Our beta is officially live!’.
This was followed shortly after with a marketing video, shown below.
Both tweets led to a flurry of activity as users scrambled to check if their favourite collections were on the site, which can be visited here:
https://nft.coinbase.com
The first users invited to experience full-access of the platform were those who joined the waitlist earliest.
CoinbaseNFT have said there will be no fees for a limited period of time, and that users will be able to interact with the platform using any self-custody wallet. This means Metamask and the like, and is exactly what users wanted to hear.
As stated on a press release, the ambitions of CoinbaseNFT are to offer more than the existing NFT marketplaces:
“We’re building a place that’s for more than just buying and selling. On Coinbase NFT you can follow other profiles, post comments directly on NFTs, and up/downvote comments as conversations unfold”
On top of this, they have an exciting range of features they’ll be adding over the coming weeks and months, including the following:
Drop functionality
Minting options
Token-gated communities
Credit card purchases
Additional blockchain support
Migration to more decentralized solutions
For the first time ever OpenSea has a real and formidable competitor, and from their public statements, it seems CoinbaseNFT are genuinely listening to what users want.
Their initial offering and suggested additions over the coming weeks and months certainly leads me to believe CoinbaseNFT will be a dominant force within the NFT space. Can’t wait to see how this unfolds. I’ll be keeping you updated on developments so you that don’t miss a beat.
Curated News - the best bits of the past week
BIGGEST NFT Sale: CryptoPunk #416 for 250ETH ($756,000 USD)
Japan’s most popular social messaging app Line adds NFT marketplace
What are Moonbirds, the NFT Collection That Broke All Records in a Weekend?
NBA Teases Ethereum NFTs for Playoffs After Launching Discord Server
Why NFT Artist Pplpleasr Prefers Rarible and Foundation Over OpenSea
Maybe Something - things we’re keeping an eye on
CryptoDads. Not seen many projects build out so much utility as these guys. Seriously undervalued IMO, and now on CoinbaseNFT. See for yourself what they’re up to.
Historical NFT Insight: CryptoArte precedes AutoGlyphs as the 1st generative art project on Ethereum by some 10 months. 2018 mint date floor at just under 2ETH, and thin. Alpha? I think so.
WarKittens sold out their 9500 mint at 0.077, and is holding at around 0.115
BFF (Blockchain Friends Forever) mints today. See details here
UTA Signs Exclusive Deal with Deadfellaz Ethereum NFT Collection
Get Access To The World’s Best Restaurants With Exclusible’s New NFTs
KnownOrigin Marketplace Launches Early Access Sales Using POAPs
Dolce & Gabbana x InBetweeners NFT Start An Exciting Partnership
Mfers holders got airdropped a free NFT called CREYZIES, now holding a floor of around 0.45ETH
Ponderware May Be Selling Off The IP Rights To MoonCat Rescue NFTs
Pudgy Penguins announced a ‘Quest Map’, the 1st bit of info since the new team took charge on 1st April.
Talking Point - Punk 6529 and The Open Metaverse (OM)
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll know of Punk6529, and you’ll be aware of his pinned tweet from 14th October 2021 where he talks of an ‘Open Metaverse’. If not, i’ve it included below. The tweet also includes all his tweet-storms in a mega-thread outlining his thoughts and views on crypto, web3, NFTs, decentralization and the metaverse, amongst other things.
On 15th April 2022, Punk6529 finally spilt the beans on what he’s been up to with regards to his so-called Open Metaverse, or OM. And to say it’s interesting is an understatement. To read the full thread (some 87 tweets in total), please click the link below.
For those who aren’t inclined to read the entire thread, i’ll summarize: in short, Punk6529 has deep concerns about a metaverse developed and controlled by web2 giants such as Meta. His vision is to create a community owned and community governed, decentralized metaverse, without the trappings of a closed (centralized) equivalent. He states the three main issues with the latter are as follows:
The owner can be unreasonable - Facebook wants to take 47.5% of the revenue (not profit!) of artists and creators in its metaverse. More than any hyper-socialist government!!!
The owner can prevent applications that compete with the owner (happens all the time).
The owner may lose control of the metaverse to a future dictator because the state can easily take over centralized tech companies.
Of course the complexities run deeper than this, but you get the idea. Punks 6529’s first order of business is to educate, and to that end, he’s developed a Museum in OM to facilitate this. You can read more about this here.
This is certainly an ambitious project, but it epitomises everything this space is about. The costs associated with achieving Punk6529’s goals are enormous, but with a huge community effort and some generous donations of both time and money, he believes it’s not impossible. And he’s not alone. Follow the project’s progress in the Discord channel, or get updates via his Twitter feed.
If nothing else, it will be an amazing journey, but i’ve a sneaky suspicion, they might just pull it off.
Tip Of The Week - How to stay safe from most recent scam
Sadly, the NFT space is under constant attack by unscrupulous individuals trying to steal our assets. In the latest such example users are sent SMS messages seemingly from Apple Inc., then a series of steps unfolds which leads to the victims entire wallet being drained.
Here are the steps in summary, courtesy of the ever-diligent @Serpent:
Scammer requests random password resets to make the victim suspicious.
Using a caller ID spoofer, the scammer will call the victim as Apple and claim there is suspicious activity on the account.
The scammer will request a password reset for the victim's Apple ID.
The scammer will ask the victim for the code, claiming it is to verify they are the real owner of the Apple ID, when in reality they are using that code to reset the victim's password.
The scammer will have access to the victim's iCloud account, giving them free access to everything, including all the data MetaMask stores on iCloud
Wallet is compromised, assets are vulnerable.
For the full run-down of how the attack unfolded for one unfortunate victim, and more info on the scam, please click the link below.
ZenAcademy and 333 Club Noticeboard
Regular Event Reminders
Join our poker nights via our Discord. Events held every Saturday 10pm GMT, with prizes to be won.
Join our weekly community initiative Weekly Creative Prompts! Find out more in our Discord by clicking here.
Our Book Club has started up. Join in on the discussions here.
Reminder: As a ZenAcademy member, you get exclusive access to market health statistics and analysis updated every 12hrs. For a full rundown of how to get the most out of these charts, click here.
Irregular Events and Info
Our New Logos are here! Exciting. Check out behind-the-scenes details in this tweet here, from our amazing artist @unickate.
The 333 Club now has an Official Twitter account. Please check it out and ‘follow’. Thanks for your support.
Office Hours has reopened for 333 Members if you’d like to book a 1-on-1 chat with Zeneca.
A little secret: a PFP project is in the works, yes. Wen? We don’t know yet. We want to do it right, and these things take time.
We are planning an event for NFT NYC. If you are interested in attending, please join 🗽 | nft nyc meetup so we can begin to get a rough head count.
We’re also planning an IRL meetup at MET Amsterdam which is taking place from the 14th-17th June. Join the chat here for more info.
Signup for Zeneca’s Nas Academy course is now live for anyone holding a ZenAcademy Genesis NFT or a 333 Club NFT. Access is very straight forward. Head to https://nasacademy.com/zeneca, click on "join this class".
Zeneca’s latest Newsletter is available here: ‘Letter 26: On cc0, Intellectual Property, and NFTs’
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.
Always appreciate the efforts for these weekly recaps :D also excited for the pfp project for Zen Academy! Good things take time, definitely trusting the process
always love these weekly recaps! Excited for the PFP project :D Good things takes time, trusting the process for sure