Previously, we reported that the event dates for local NFT ConFest by M1NTED will be shifted from June to late August at the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre in order to extend the event.
And though it seemed like no other Malaysian media had released their own NFTs after we minted our single NFT on Pentas.io, that has since changed. Free Malaysia Today (FMT) has now joined the metaverse to mint 100 NFTs by local artists.
Here’s what we have to share this week.
The rise of F&B businesses adopting NFTs
What do you get when you merge F&B brands with NFTs? Perhaps it’s free steaks or Korean food like in the case of AD, Butcher & Steak and MyeongDong Topokki (MDT) respectively. Or maybe it’s e-vouchers for KFC orders made via the brand’s in-house delivery app.
Now, another Malaysian F&B player has launched its own NFT-themed ice cream parlour in Sunway Pyramid: Crème De La Crème (CDLC).
“Like what The Louvre is for traditional art, enter CDLC Sunway Pyramid and be immersed in a world of popular blue-chipped NFTs, such as Bored Apes Yacht Club, Moonbirds, Doodles, and Gutter Cat Gang,” its press release said.
Did you know: A blue-chip NFT is generally well-known, established, stable, and considered to be a good long-term investment. Blue-chip NFTs are also thought to be a safer investment than most and have a proven track record of growth and value.
Cyber Scrilla
The store is imagined to feature historical NFT collections such as PunksVoxels and Dooggies, as well as trending NFTs like Kiwami Genesis and Imaginary Ones. All these pieces are part of an extensive collection of the ice cream chain.
At CDLC Sunway, the ice cream brand hopes this outlet can be a collaborative space for the NFT community to immerse themselves. They’re hoping that customers can enjoy the exclusive flavours that are especially conceptualised for the NFT-themed outlet and inspired by their most popular NFTs.
CDLC also welcomes patrons to register their interest in sharing their NFTs on five dedicated LED display screens, and plans to host more NFT events in order to cement itself as an active player in the community.
A new battle-arena NFT game in development
The scene for Malaysian-developed P2E games is gaining traction, with small-time devs promoting their NFT games on Twitter, and League of Ancients expected to launch in Q4 this year.
More often than not, these games fall in the MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena) genre too. Early this month, we received an email about a new NFT game under development called Carnage Carnival.
Raja Iskandar, the Project Lead of Carnage Carnival shared with us a link leading to the trailer of the game. While the video itself didn’t tell us much about what to anticipate, the wholly Malaysian team has already set up fully-fledged social media accounts and a website to begin their community-building activities.
Based on the project’s roadmap on its site, Carnage Carnival will soon launch a pre-sale for the game’s NFTs.
Through its MOBA game, Carnage Carnival aims to build a platform for both crypto enthusiasts and gamers alike to be involved in a community-driven economy.
The game will have a Free-to-Play system that allows non-NFT owners to earn through the P2E function that rewards players for their respective skills and knowledge of the game.
“As NFT gamers, we know what the current GameFi space lacks and we are here to improve it,” said the team. “Our building system will be at its core as the barrack or armoury will be the only method of obtaining most NFTs aside from the limited edition/collaboration items after our initial sales.”
We will soon be conducting a full interview with Carnage Carnival’s team to find out more about the game and what players can expect from it in the near future.
Are NFTs a full-time job?
We’ve heard viral stories in the NFT scene of artists making it big by selling their NFT for millions of Ringgit. So much so that it might have inspired more to join the NFT world.
To make a living from NFTs, do these NFT artists then have to make it their full-time job? We spoke to five Malaysian NFT creators: PandaPunk, RoachPunks, Gamer Punks, Rich Cats Nation (RCN), and BadApe to find out.
When asked whether they had to quit their jobs to find success in NFTs, it was a blanket no from most of the creators. While it is possible, it’s not necessary.
Most of the creators who still held day jobs shared that their used-to-be-free time is now spent working on and developing their NFT collection.
Another interviewee we spoke to believes creators can consider quitting their day job when the NFT salary has surpassed their day job’s salary consistently.
To further understand their thoughts on a career in NFTs, check out their consolidated opinions here.
Malaysian companies leveraging NFTs’utility
Seeing that the hype around NFT art has peaked, it appears that more brands are starting to use NFTs as a utility to complement their business models. In an article we published this week, we found six different brands with six unique use-cases of NFTs as utilities.
From NFT tickets by a Malaysian miniature museum and a loyalty programme from a family restaurant, to ad spaces in the metaverse and NFT property investment. The possibilities to capitalise on NFTs’ traceability, immutability, and transparency on the blockchain are endless.
However, it can be argued that not every kind of business needs to use such tech. After all, there are environmental concerns surrounding the use of NFTs and the blockchain.
Nonetheless, it is certain that NFTs’ utility can benefit certain types of businesses, especially where authenticity comes into play. Other than ticket sales, NFTs’ advantages stretch to benefit industries concerning identity theft, false certifications, and the like.
- If you’ve got something NFT-related to share that’s both exciting and locally-relevant, hit us up with your story at malaysia.team@vulcanpost.com.
- Read other articles we’ve written on NFTs here.
Featured Image Credit: Carnage Carnival/ The Astaka / PandaPunk / Crème De La Crème