Dapper Labs targeting DAOs with Brud acquisition

Dapper Labs, the $7.5 billion team responsible for NBA Top Shot and Flow Blockchain, acquired virtual influencer start-up Brud this week. In the Monday announcement, CEO Trevor McFedries announced a new initiative titled Dapper Collective, which will aim to support communities in building decentralized autonomous organizations, or DAOs, through the Flow blockchain.

Brud is infamous for its creation of social media avatars, most notably Lil Miquela, a fictional 19-year-old Robot living in Los Angeles with three million Instagram followers.

The avatar influencer has intrigued social viewers with her fashion and beauty sponsorships, dramatized lifestyle with family and friends, and release of a nonfungible token (NFT) image series.

Brud has expressed ambitions for Lil Miquela to become the next Kardashian model and will focus on expanding the character's brand and influence, alongside other characters within the new Dapper Collective model.

Bundesliga partners with Sorare to launch ‘Moments’

Global fantasy soccer game Sorare announced a partnership on Wednesday with Bundesliga International, a subsidiary of DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga, the organizing body of the two top-tiers of German football: Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2.

This news establishes the Bundesliga as the second high-profile league — the first was Spain’s La Liga — to join forces with Sorare on NFT ventures.

The collaboration will enable supporters, collectors and gamers worldwide to play and trade NFT player assets from the Bundesliga divisions, which include illustrious teams such as FC Bayern München and Borussia Dortmund, as well as participate in the digital NFT Moments upon its 2022 launch, a feature akin to NBA’s Top Shot.

CEO and co-founder of Sorare Nicolas Julia spoke of the potential impact that this venture could have on the footballing world:

“The Bundesliga is one of the best leagues in the world, home to some of the most exciting clubs and footballers on earth. We are very proud to partner with them to launch our first NFT Moments — we are building the future of fandom together.”

The Paris-based NFT marketplace benefited from a $680m Series B funding round last month led by Japanese fintech giant SoftBank, a raise that took the firm's total valuation to $4.3 billion. In addition, Sorare recently announced its intention to invest in women’s sports initiatives, believing that NFT’s can “significantly accelerate the development” of the game.

CEO of Bundesliga International, Robert Klein also commented on the implications of digital assets in sporting ecosystems:

“We are delighted to be partners with such a dynamic and exciting company. NFTs are a digital technology of the future that should not be underestimated – especially in the sport sector. I am therefore convinced that this collaboration will give rise to further impulses."

Related: ‘We want to be the brand of the metaverse,’ says RTKFT’s Chris Le

Etched to debut hockey NFT to foster diversity inclusion

Social impact NFT marketplace Etched is set to launch their first asset offering on Oct. 12 in partnership with the Hockey Diversity Alliance, or HDA, a collective of former and active National Hockey League, or NHL, professionals assembled to enhance the diversity and representation of minority communities in the sport, as well as to eradicate racial prejudice.

The NFT is titled “The Formation'' and will be available as one of 2,400 NFT with an individual minting price of 0.08 Ether (ETH).

Founded in July 2020, Etched's purpose is focused on supporting good-willed community and charity initiatives that seek to improve the lives of individuals in need.

Cointelegraph spoke to Etched co-founder Ediz Basol to discuss how NFT's can make a genuine social impact in the space:

"At a basic level, NFTs present nonprofits and charity-led initiatives with a new and innovative fundraising tool. But NFT technology is fundamentally redefining how communities mobilize and endure, punctuated by the meteoric rise of PFP/avatar projects.

Basol concluded his thoughts with a sense of optimism:

"We’re excited by the potential to channel that collective energy and influence toward causes and organizations that make the world better."

The first Catholic Church NFT set to launch

The Archdiocese of Bangkok announced the debut release of a NFT asset by the Catholic Church on Monday. NFT marketplace Kalamint, a platform utilizing the energy-efficient Tezos blockchain, will be facilitating the release.

The NFT is a mosaic image of Pope Francis compiling 350 individual photographs taken during his apostolic visit to Thailand in November of 2019. The number of photographs was chosen in honor of the “350th anniversary of the establishment of the first Apostolic Vicariate of Siam during the papacy of Pope Clement IX in 1669.”

Although no exact date has yet been established for the drop, it has been stated that all proceeds from the sale will be donated to Communita Incontro School in Pathum Thani, Thailand, a primary school that provides free education to socially disadvantaged children.

Cardinal Francis X. Kriengsak Kovithavanij, Archbishop of Bangkok shared his views on the changing landscape of religious devotion:

“With the release of this NFT, the Roman Catholic Mission of Bangkok is looking forward to exploring a brand new way to engage with those in our community and beyond. Youths today use technology, not only for practical purposes but to also express their faith and identity.”