Times Square Set to Host Digital Billboard Featuring NFT Content

A platform for nonfungible tokens (NFT), featuring content from singer Akon and creators and producers from entertainment franchises such as Marvel, Batman and Ghostbusters, is to launch and will curate the first digital billboard for NFTs in Times Square in New York. Having raised $2.5 million in first-round funding, the Envoy Network will aim to be a premium NFT label developing collectible content from the world of brands, music and entertainment, which will be available to everyone to purchase. The platform will aim to offer fans the ability to buy NFTs related to their favorite artists and will begin with the digital billboard in Times Square on Aug. 14 named the "Decentraboard." Backing the initiative is a board of advisers from entertainment and gaming companies such as Austin Kramer, formerly head of dance for Spotify and Miranda Huybers from Nvidia. The board will offer 1,040 opportunities for individual and notable pieces to be curated and displayed on the screen as NFTs, offering publishing rights to appear all year-round. Confirmed to contribute the first NFT releases by the network are comic book and Marvel producer Benjamin Jackendoff, singer and producer Akon, DJ and producer Like Mike, contemporary artist Pablo Lucker, Batman movie producers David and Michael Uslan, and writers and artists on titles such as Ghostbusters, Back to the Future and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, including Erik Burnham. Backing the initiative is a board of advisers from entertainment and gaming companies such as Austin Kramer, formerly head of dance for Spotify, Miranda Huybers from Nvidia and formerly Activision, Paul Doherty, AIA president and CEO of the Digit Group Inc. Marlon Flohr from Bassjackers and Perry van de Mosselaar, CEO of Smash the House. In a statement, van de Mosselaar said that the “tremendous success” of NFTs internationally being bought by fans led to the ambition to evolve the business further by giving artists more access to them. “Through an amazing team of partners across tech, gaming, music and entertainment, we feel with Envoy we have the ability to shake this business up and bring something new and never before seen to the industry,” he added. The initial investment has come from companies such as 3comma, Prometheus Labs, Solidity Ventures, Spark Digital Capital, Paribus, Kyros Ventures, Stakely.vc and Maven Capital. Meanwhile, the company has also partnered with crypto company SuperFarm to allow NFTs to be bought using the currency and to build accessibility through online communities. Perks for those making purchases through the site will include the ability for members to trade and collect NFTs with one another and to gain rewards through its incentivization scheme. https://www.adweek.com/media/nfts-guide-nonfungible-tokens-cryptomedia-trend-ownership-internet/