Formerly ASX-listed blockchain gaming company Animoca Brands is launching a series of officially licensed Olympic NFT pins.

The pins will be available for purchase on the website of Animoca subsidiary Nway beginning on June 17, or they can also win them free of charge by playing a competitive Olympic-themed videogame to be launched in the lead-up to the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022.

The digital pins will have all the properties generally associated with physical pins – scarcity, authenticity and provenance. The NFTs will exist on the Flow blockchain, created by Dapper Labs and used for its NBA Top Shots range.

“Olympic pins started as a way to identify athletes, judges and officials, but over the past 125 years it has become an Olympic Games tradition, where everyone from athletes to event staff, journalists and spectators all take part to collect and trade pins in the Olympic Village and beyond,” said Timo Lumme, managing director of IOC Television and Marketing Services.

The announcement is part of the IOC’s digital strategy to embrace new digital strategies to promote Olympic values and connect with fans, he said.

Taehoon Kim, chief executive of nWay, said the San Fransisco-based company used its “experience as game developers to incorporate high-quality 3D models with animation and visual effects to create truly premium NFTs.”

“Today’s announcement is a natural evolution of this tradition, in line with Olympic Agenda 2020+5 and the IOC’s digital strategy to embrace new digital technologies to promote the Olympic values and grow direct relations with our fans. They can now connect with the excitement of the Games in a whole new way and own a piece of Olympic history.” 

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