Disney, Apple & Walmart all make metaverse plays

Welcome to the Exit Liquidity newsletter, the place to stay up to date on the ridiculous things that happen in the Crypto, NFTs & Web3. If you are looking to join the community check out the AlphaMint Discord where all the degens gather to chat in the dojo.

With OpenSea volume hitting pre-summer 2021 bull run lows, PVP trading getting more competitive and many Discords dying a slow death, it's hard to stay positive and engaged in the space. Then a flicker of hope shines bright and lets you know that you are in the right place and you are early. The last few days there were a few of those for us. They came in the form of big, corporate brands. We're talking Disney, Apple and Walmart. These are not the typical brand names you hear talked about in the Crypto, NFT or Web3 space, but right now they are and for good reason. As retail investors get more and more hopeless and bearish, the big money and brands show they are bullish on the space. Degen, you are in the right place and you are early.

In our opinion, Disney joining the Web3 space was only a matter of time. Disney is the king of story-telling, experiences, and, most importantly, merchandising. They have taken over the world with the mouse leading the way and I'm sure they are looking for a whole new digital world to cash in on. Over the weekend they posted a job on LinkedIn looking for a transaction lawyer to explore emerging technology opportunities including NFTs, blockchain, metaverse and decentralized finance. The mouse is coming to the metaverse.

Disney has so many different ways to play this. NFTs are going to become a critical part of the empire. We are sure if you sit here for a 30 seconds you can think of 10 different revenue streams they can instantly spin up that involve NFTs and the metaverse. If this doesn't get you excited for the future of NFTs and Web3 we don't know what will. Obviously a company like Disney isn't going to drop a 10k, PFP project in the next month or two. Web2 companies like Disney are all long term and carefully planned. Definitely keep your eyes out for more Disney updates as there will be more.

The next big hitter to show some love to our beloved NFT space was Apple. They are officially allowing NFTs to be bought and sold through applications listed on the Apple App Store. This is a huge step forward for NFT projects. We have always been advocates of NFTs bridging into mainstream via gaming. With mobile gaming being a huge part of that industry, it's one more pathway for the average person to get their hands on NFTs.

People were quick to criticize and call out that Apple will use the same Web2 monetization structure and take a 30% cut from all purchases. Personally, who cares? In the long run it won't matter. Does is suck for first movers? Of course, but long term this is a huge win for Web3 and NFTs specifically. Over time we may see this monetization structure change, doubt it, but now NFT projects have direct access to a huge market and a new, vast pool of users.

There are no ifs, ands or buts about it, Walmart is not a cool or cutting edge brand. That's not what they are known for. They are definitely not a brand you'd expect to be leading the charge into the Metaverse and yet, here they are. With a relatively safe and low risk approach, Walmart has partnered with Roblox to bring users two new immersive experiences – Walmart Land and Walmart’s Universe of Play.

Is this ground breaking tech or a guarantee that Walmart is going to be a trailblazer in Web3? Not at all, but when brands like Walmart get in on the metaverse it's a sign of the times to come. For all we know it's all a marketing ploy to reach younger demographics and some consulting agency convinced them on buzzwords alone. Regardless, it is amazing to see a brand and massive company like Walmart showing up in the space.

Again Degens, if this doesn't get you excited and keep you bullish on this space then we aren't sure what will. If you can weather the bear and get into some good positions now, you will be sitting very happy on those gains in the near future. More brands will come. This space is going to grow and bring collecting to unimaginable levels.

Crypto

• United Kingdom Introduces a bill to make Crypto seizures easier and quicker. That's exactly what everyone wants, right?

• Interpol has requested law enforcement agencies worldwide search for and arrest Do Kwon, founder of Terra/Luna

• Apple is going to allow apps to sell NFTs on the App Store

• Disney is hiring a transaction lawyer for NFT and DeFi plans

• Blockchain firm, Veritaseum, sues Coinbase for $350M alleging patent infringement

• Payment processor Stripe now offers USDC payouts

NFTs

• Pixelmon is back with new leadership. LiquidX acquired a 60% stake in the company. This is either going to be one of the greatest come back stories of all time or LiquidX was also bait and switched like the OG Pixelmon minters

• Reddit NFTs are seeing some big sales, but most are worth nothing

• Jack Daniels looks to join the NFT game and files NFT related trademarks

• Hugo Boss announces they are here to 'make magic' in the metaverse and teases an NFT

• Looks like it's an end of an era for the Art Blocks Curated series collection. They officially announced they are done releasing curated series

• Azuki opens the ruins. Not much detail is given about the ruins, but it is another interactive webpage on their website that lets people click around

Web3

• Walmart dips their toes into the metaverse via Roblox with two immersive experiences

• Music NFT collector shares why they collect by @brokeinvstr

• The Invisible Metaverse by Kevin Buist

• Customize your Mastercard debit card with your favorite NFT. It'll be a great way to remind yourself you overpaid for a jpeg every time you swipe or tap to pay for things in fiat

• Doodles is hiring for many positions. They are putting that $54M to work

Disclaimer: The Exit Liquidity Newsletter is meant to be an informational and entertaining way to share interesting things found in and around the Crypto, NFT and Web3 space. Nothing in this newsletter should be taken as the contributor's, Exit Liquidity's or AlphaMint's personal opinion or views. Nothing in this newsletter constitutes as professional and/or financial advice. Cryptocurrencies and crypto-related assets can be extremely risky investments, invest at your own risk.

Forever hodling your favorite influencer’s bag: @R2Degen @DRTYMLK @dripcult

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