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Tom Farren

Tom Farren

Tom is a Web3 reporter from London, England with a passion for covering all things NFTs. Outside of work, he is a budding screenwriter and loyal Manchester United fan.

Stories by Tom Farren

  • Artwork from the DeGods NFT project. Image: DeLabs

    DeGods Tease Next Moves With 'Early Facebook' Vibes Because 'Roadmaps Are Stupid'

    DeLabs, the startup behind NFT projects DeGods and y00ts, has launched a cryptic website—inspired by old-school Facebook—ahead of the rollout of its DeGods Season III and y00ts2 content and feature expansions in July. Founder Rohun “Frank” Vora called the site “performance art,” and an alternative to the traditional written roadmap approach. “Roadmaps are stupid,” the website claims. The launch has prompted community members to scour for hidden clues and Easter eggs, and speculate on upcoming fe...

    NewsNFTs
    4 min read
    Tom Farren
  • Image: Laguna Games

    Why Laguna Games Rejected 'Game of Thrones' to Make 'Crypto Unicorns'

    A couple years back, Laguna Games faced a crossroads that will be familiar to many studios—embrace the relative safety of being acquired by a major company and working on a huge IP, or stay independent and take a risk on something totally new. In this case, it was a choice between dragons or unicorns. Laguna picked the latter and developed the NFT game Crypto Unicorns. But in an interview at the recent 3XP conference, leaders at the company told Decrypt that they shunned an opportunity to work o...

    NewsGaming
    5 min read
    Tom Farren
  • VaynerSports VP of Gaming Darren Glover speaks with Decrypt's Kate Irwin at the 3XP gaming expo. Image: Decrypt

    'Don’t Over-Web3 It': VaynerSports Gaming VP's Advice to Content Creators

    Gamers have been broadly skeptical of the prospect of NFTs and tokens in video games, due in part to factors like fervent market speculation, wild price fluctuations, scams, and a fear that publishers will simply use Web3 elements to extract even more value from them. That’s made it challenging both for indie upstarts making NFT games and major game publishers exploring the space. Likewise, it’s been a hurdle for streamers and content creators that have gravitated towards the crypto world, but m...

    NewsGaming
    4 min read
    Tom Farren
  • Artwork from the FC Barcelona "Masterpiece" NFT (cropped). Image: FC Barcelona

    FC Barcelona, World of Women Reveal 'Empowerment' Soccer NFT Auction

    Spanish soccer giant FC Barcelona has teamed up with NFT project World of Women for the second release of the club’s 10-part “Masterpieces” collection, which artistically spotlights the achievements of iconic players past and present. Titled “Empowerment,” the digital artwork created by artist Rhi Madeline celebrates women’s club captain Alexia Putellas and “symbolizes transformation and a catalyst for progress,” according to the club. The gold-adorned artwork depicts Putellas during the Women’s...

    NewsNFTs
    3 min read
    Tom Farren
  • Adidas and Fewocious have teamed up for an NFT-based sneaker drop. Image: Adidas

    Adidas Reveals Sneaker Collab With NFT Artist Fewocious

    UPDATE: Adidas announced on June 21 via its Discord server that the collaboration with Fewocious "has been put on hold for the time being," following accusations of sexual assault against the artist from a former partner. Fewocious has denied the allegations. ORIGINAL STORY: Global apparel giant Adidas has teamed up with prominent digital artist Fewocious on a physical sneaker collaboration, with the kicks to be sold via an NFT redemption pass. Exploring the “art of play,” Fewocious' collaborati...

    NewsNFTs
    3 min read
    Tom Farren
  • Artwork from Web3 Warriors, a game from Thirdweb. Image: Thirdweb

    Thirdweb Plots Web3 Gaming Push With Ex-Facebook Exec Hire

    Infrastructure startup Thirdweb has appointed former Facebook executive Atif Khan as its new Vice President of Gaming in a bid to accelerate the growth of the Web3 gaming industry—and the firm recently built a game from scratch to demonstrate its capabilities. The San Francisco-based startup offers a Web3 infrastructure toolkit for developers to build a suite of decentralized applications, from blockchain games to NFTs, DAOs, and more. The firm raised a $24 million Series A round at a $160 milli...

    NewsGaming
    5 min read
    Tom Farren
  • LeMelo Ball with his Puma x Gutter Cat Gang sneakers. Image: Puma

    Puma Plots NFT Sneaker Drop With NBA's LaMelo Ball, Gutter Cat Gang

    Global sports apparel company Puma is continuing its foray into Web3 with a sneaker-based collaboration with NBA star LaMelo Ball and the NFT project Gutter Cat Gang. Titled “GutterMelo MB.03,” the limited-edition kicks will initially be sold for $175 via the OpenSea marketplace as an NFT collectible on June 29. The NFT can later be redeemed for the physical sneakers during a month-long window from July 18 through August 20. A Puma representative told Decrypt that the total number of NFTs has ye...

    NewsNFTs
    3 min read
    Tom Farren
  • Image: Women and Weapons

    More Than 'Frens': How Two Family-Run NFT Projects Found Success in a Volatile Industry

    The notion of separating work and personal life has long been ingrained in traditional business culture. Never mix business with pleasure, claims the old adage. Establishing well-defined boundaries to foster a healthy work/life balance is viewed as a milestone of success. However, the internet has made the world a smaller place, connecting humans more than ever before. We are digitally closer, but physically further apart; a paradox of isolation. And the rise of remote working and a changing wor...

    Deep DivesLong Reads
    11 min read
    Tom Farren
  • Image: Reddit

    Reddit Just Dropped Thousands More NFTs on Polygon From Over 100 Artists

    Major online message board platform Reddit launched its third-generation (Gen 3) NFT collection today, significantly expanding the number of artistic collaborators while turning its focus towards the theme of future realities. Previous collections began releasing on Ethereum scaling network Polygon in June 2022, depicting the platform’s alien mascot Snoo in various styles and themes. Over the following months, Reddit released Halloween-themed avatars and Super Bowl tie-ins, generating significan...

    NewsNFTs
    6 min read
    Tom Farren
  • Ethereum is the second-largest crypto by market cap. Image: Shutterstock

    How the Ethereum Shanghai Upgrade Could Impact the Price of ETH

    Ethereum will conclude its two-year transition to proof of stake this week with the launch of the Shanghai upgrade on April 12. The move will introduce a number of technical improvements to the network, but most Ethereum traders only care about one thing: staking withdrawals. With more than 18 million ETH—worth roughly $34 billion—locked up on the Ethereum network set to finally become available to validators, investors are understandably uneasy about what this might mean for the price of the se...

    NewsCoins
    4 min read
    Tom Farren
  • Image: Shutterstock

    Staked Ethereum Withdrawals Could Take Weeks After Shanghai Upgrade: Analyst

    Ethereum shifted to a more energy-efficient proof-of-stake model in September, but there’s still one upgrade that needs to be completed to let users unstake their ETH from the network. It's coming up next week—but the process could ultimately take weeks to complete, an analyst at crypto data platform Nansen told Decrypt. Following September's merge event, Ethereum's transition will conclude with the launch of the Shanghai upgrade on April 12, which is paired with another upgrade called Capella....

    NewsCoins
    4 min read
    Tom Farren
  • Elon Musk and Twitter. Image: Shutterstock

    Twitter Killing Legacy Blue Checks Is a 'Wake-Up Call to the Dangers of Centralized Social Media': CyberConnect CEO

    On April 1, Twitter will carry through with new owner Elon Musk’s threat to remove existing verification checkmarks from legacy accounts on the platform—part of a push to make users and brands pay for the feature through the Twitter Blue subscription service. The long-expected move has drawn widely negative comments from users who see it not as a way to democratize verification on the platform, as Musk and his supporters have suggested, but rather a move that will nullify the whole point of veri...

    NewsTechnology
    5 min read
    Tom Farren
  • Image: DeLabs

    At Least $37M Worth of y00ts NFTs Migrate to Polygon From Solana in One Day

    Solana profile picture (PFP) collection y00ts is the most prominent NFT project to date to migrate from one chain to another—and early data suggests the community of holders is supporting the move, with nearly 77% of the NFTs already migrated to Polygon since the late Monday launch. DeLabs, the Web3 startup behind both y00ts and the even more valuable DeGods project on Solana, announced in December that both collections would undergo the process of “bridging” to a new blockchain in the coming mo...

    NewsNFTs
    4 min read
    Tom Farren
  • Image: Shutterstock

    Sony's Latest NFT Patent Push Suggests Web3 Path for PlayStation

    No video game console maker has publicly embraced NFTs to date, but tech giant Sony—the firm behind the massively popular PlayStation brand—continues making moves behind the scenes, as revealed by its latest NFT-related patent application. The application, submitted in September 2021 in the United States and published last week, outlines Sony’s intentions to create standardized digital infrastructure that would allow gamers to own and transfer digital NFT assets across various video game platfor...

    NewsGaming
    3 min read
    Tom Farren
  • Image: The Sandbox

    Ethereum Metaverse Game The Sandbox to Launch LAND Sale With Playboy, Tony Hawk, Snoop Dogg

    The Sandbox, an Ethereum-based metaverse game, is kicking off its three-part LAND sale on Thursday in collaboration with popular brands like Tony Hawk, Snoop Dog, and Playboy, among others, the platform told Decrypt.  The Sandbox is a crypto-powered game akin to Roblox or Minecraft, but which harnesses blockchain technology to provide users with ownership of in-game assets via NFTs and the ability to trade virtual land on marketplaces such as OpenSea.  The upcoming sale will auction 1,967 LANDs—...

    NewsNFTs
    3 min read
    Tom Farren
  • The FIFA World Cup 2022 had many crypto elements. Image: Shutterstock.

    Adidas' Bored Ape NFT Makes Appearance With Messi, Benzema in New World Cup Trailer

    Adidas continues its long tradition with the FIFA World Cup, this time with a crypto twist. The sports brand included its Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) character named Indigo Herz in a recent promotional trailer published alongside footballing superstars like Lionel Messi and Karim Benzema. Herz was depicted on a cereal box of “Indigoooooals” with the message that Benzema eats goals for breakfast. The video trailer was narrated by British rap icon Stormzy, who made a cameo appearance at the end as...

    NewsNFTs
    2 min read
    Tom Farren

  • Success of the Open Metaverse Comes Down to User Experience: Sandbox CEO

    Since the launch of the Open Metaverse Alliance (OMA3), 50 members have registered for the not-for-profit organization, according to Sebastien Borget, co-founder of The Sandbox, and Sarojini McKenna, co-founder and CEO of Dacoco. Borget also gave Decrypt an update on its “Alpha Season” metaverse experience. Borget and Dacoco were speaking at a press conference at WebSummit in Lisbon this week about the new consortium of Web3 firms dedicated to protecting the interoperability of the metaverse.  F...

    NewsBusiness
    3 min read
    Tom Farren
  • Image: Shutterstock

    Pharrell Williams 'Integral' to Ethereum NFT Project Doodles, Says CEO

    Naming famed musician and producer Pharrell Williams as the chief brand officer of Ethereum NFT project Doodles might have seemed like a stunt to some observers. However, the company’s CEO claims that Williams is actually key to the project’s growing mainstream push. At WebSummit in Lisbon today, Doodles CEO Julian Holguin spoke on the subject and others during an onstage discussion with Katelin Holloway, founding partner at VC firm Seven Seven Six and member of the Doodles board, alongside Will...

    NewsNFTs
    4 min read
    Tom Farren
  • Image: Yuga Labs

    Yuga Labs Is Hiring the ‘Best and Brightest’ to Build the Next Internet, CEO Says

    Nicole Muniz, CEO Yuga Labs, spoke on center stage at Lisbon’s annual technology conference WebSummit on Thursday, addressing the importance of security and safety of digital assets, the potential of IP rights, and the origins of the Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC). When challenged on the distinction between an NFT and a typical JPEG image perpetually shared across the internet, Muniz said the NFT conveys “the rights and the fact that you have true ownership of that asset.”  Yuga Labs’ collections B...

    NewsBusiness
    3 min read
    Tom Farren
  • Image: Shutterstock

    Fan Tokens Are More Utility Driven Than NFTs, Says Socios CEO

    Alexandre Dreyfus isn’t a sports fanatic, nor does he play sports. The self-confessed “geeky tech guy” is nonetheless committed to enhancing the sports fan experience with Web3. The CEO of sports fan token platform Socios sat down with Decrypt at WebSummit in Lisbon to discuss the progress of their three-month old strategic technology partnership with FC Barcelona, the nuances and potentials of fan tokens, as well as next month’s Men’s FIFA World Cup in Qatar.  Socios x Barca Socios penned a $10...

    NewsCoins
    4 min read
    Tom Farren
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