Basketball fans can soon buy and trade NBA blockchain-based collectibles

The Block • July 31, 2019, 11:45AM EDT
UPDATED: July 31, 2019, 11:50AM EDT
The Block

Basketball fans will soon be able to purchase, trade and own digital National Basketball Association (NBA) collectibles on a blockchain.

The NBA, National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) and the creator of ‘CryptoKitties,’ Dapper Labs, have partnered to launch a platform called NBA Top Shot, according to an announcement Wednesday.

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The platform, which is scheduled to launch in the fall, will feature digital collectibles such as a "Kevin Durant 3-point shot" or "Joel Embiid dunk." It will also host a game, which is expected to go live in early 2020.

It is interesting to note that Caty Tedman, head of marketing and partnerships at Dapper Labs, recently told The Block that blockchain-verifiable ownership could find its way beyond cats to include sports, entertainment and TV.

“It’s things like a digital sports shirt that you can showcase online [including Tinder!]…Or proving a CryptoKitty was owned by a major NBA player. I’d be stoked about that,” she said at the time.

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Yogita Khatri is a senior reporter at The Block, covering all things crypto. As one of the earliest team members, Yogita has played a pivotal role in breaking numerous stories, exclusives and scoops. With nearly 3,000 articles under her belt, Yogita holds the records as The Block's most-published and most-read author of all time. Prior to joining The Block, Yogita worked at crypto publication CoinDesk and The Economic Times, where she wrote on personal finance. To contact her, email: [email protected]. For her latest work, follow her on X @Yogita_Khatri5.

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