The online marketplace eBay has announced that it is introducing its first collection of NFTs in collaboration with web3 platform OneOf, making it the most recent corporation to enter the NFT industry.
The new “Genesis” NFT Collection from the company will include 3D and animated depictions of the legendary athletes who have appeared on Sports Illustrated covers throughout the years.
According to eBay, its first-ever collaboration in the NFT field is the result of the boom in the collectibles industry.
Hockey superstar Wayne Gretzky from Canada will be featured in the first NFT collection, which goes on sale today. There are 13 limited-edition digital collectibles in the collection, available as green, gold, platinum, and diamond-tier NFTs.
The NFTs, which start at $10, features an animation or 3D representation of Gretzky performing one of his trademark moves on the ice. eBay plans to drop additional collections featuring more athletes throughout the year.
“Through our partnership with OneOf, eBay is now making coveted NFTs more accessible to a new generation of collectors everywhere,” said Dawn Block, the vice president of collectibles, electronics, and home at eBay, in a statement. “This builds upon our commitment to deliver high-passion, high-value items to the eBay community of buyers and sellers.”
Today’s launch isn’t exactly a surprise, as eBay revealed last year that it was going to embrace NFTs and add new capabilities that bring blockchain-driven collectibles to its platform.
eBay has a significant presence in online shopping, but the company will have its work cut out for it competing with dozens of crypto-native NFT marketplaces already out there.
eBay now joins a growing number of companies looking to incorporate NFTs into their platforms. Instagram recently announced that it will start testing NFTs with select creators in the United States. In addition, Spotify confirmed last week that it’s testing a new feature that allows artists to promote their NFTs on their profiles.
