Another popular blockchain project, once dubbed the “Ethereum killer,” departs the blockchain.
Athlete NFT platform Blockasset announced today that it will be switching from Solana to Chiliz Chain 2.0, the Ethereum Virtual Machine-compatible Layer-1 blockchain developed by sports enthusiast token company Chiliz.
In the meantime, Chiliz, which controls the Socios fan token and rewards platform, will invest in Blockasset. Socios collaborates with over 170 partners, such as teams from the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLS, and other international soccer leagues. The investment was made through Chiliz Labs, a $50 million incubator that Chiliz and VC firm Jump Crypto created to support blockchain-based sports initiatives.
Over than 40 athletes, including former English soccer player Wayne Rooney, NHL star Alex Ovechkin, New Zealand rugby player Jonah Lomu, and UFC star Jorge Masvidal, offer NFTs through Blockasset.
Blockasset has moved onto Chiliz’s blockchain, joining livestreaming provider FanFest and media gamification platform LiveLike.
The departure of Blockasset from Solana comes after DeGods and y00ts, two NFT collections that departed Solana in January to join the Ethereum sidechain Polygon. Sam Bankman-Fried was a significant Solana investor and built on its blockchain when FTX collapsed in late 2022, precipitating a decline in Solana’s prestige.
“Blockasset’s athlete-verified token approach is different yet completely complementary to our Socios.com team Fan Token model, allowing us to strengthen the utility of our Fan Tokens and increase our catalog of rewards through cross activations,” Chiliz CEO Alexandre Dreyfus said in a statement.
Fans can purchase NFTs from Blockasset to gain access to benefits such as Discord chats with athletes, merchandise, and signed memorabilia.
Chiliz provides comparable rewards through Socios, its fan token platform that enables users to vote in polls relating to their favored teams. Socios has additional agreements with the UFC, Professional Fighters League, and FC Barcelona’s digital studio. Lionel Messi, soccer’s greatest star, is a global brand ambassador for Socios.
Chiliz intends to invest more in web3 projects that will be integrated into its blockchain, with a focus on NFT ticketing and Play 2 Earn games.
Content Source: decrypt.com
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