Nifty News: The Sandbox hosts its first wedding, Hollywood actor auctions photo of eye as NFT and more

Published at: Sept. 20, 2022

Decentralized blockchain-based metaverse The Sandbox has held its first hybrid digital and real-life wedding on its Metaverse. 

The bride and groom, Singaporean couple Joanne Tham and Clarence Chan, CEO of music company Bandwagon, celebrated their matrimony on Sept. 17 in a “70s disco glam” themed wedding, which took place in a digital replica of Singapore's famous Alkaff Mansion.

❤️ A @TheSandboxGame wedding just happened a few hours ago. Congratulations @clarcrypto ! A special thank you to @borgetsebastien . A feature video dropping today. @thecobbleland #wedding #metaverse pic.twitter.com/141o915Hew

— Smobler Studios (@smoblerstudios) September 17, 2022

While the couple was physically present at a real-world hotel venue along with some guests, their digital avatars were also present within The Sandbox metaverse and could be seen by guests who joined remotely. The event was officiated by The Sandbox co-founder and COO Sebastien Borget in a digital avatar form.

Following their first virtual kiss as husband and wife, the couple exited the Metaverse to continue their celebrations offline.

The wedding was the result of a collaboration between 1-Group, Smobler Studios, and The Sandbox, with Web3 design agency Smobler Studios recreating The Alkaff Mansion and its distinctive architecture in The Sandbox. 1-Group manages the real-world mansion counterpart.

Eyeing an NFT auction

Hollywood star Javier Bardem is set to “donate” a close-up photo of his iris via an NFT as part of a fundraising campaign aimed at restoring sight to people in the developing world.

Bardem, a well-known Spanish actor and director is known for his roles spanning his 30-year career, including Dune, James Bond Skyfall, and his award-winning performance in No Country for Old Men.

The photo of his eye is set to be auctioned off by Ojos del Mundo (Eyes of the World Foundation) on Sept. 29, with a starting price of 9,000 Euros. The digital photograph will come in the form of nonfungible token (NFT), and will also come with a printed photo signed and dedicated by the actor himself.

Part of the group's new fundraising campaign, Iris of the World, the Eyes of the World Foundation hope to raise enough money to expand "lines of action and/or promote new projects in the Saharawi camps, Mozambique, Bolivia or Mali."

"I am happy to collaborate with 'Irises del mundo' by donating a photograph of my iris to auction and continue helping the Foundation's collaboration on avoidable blindness," Bardem said in a statement.

Javier Bardem is the first celebrity to support the initiative by 'donating' his iris but the group has teased other auctions at some point in the future without revealing specific names.

NFTs set to be a 'hole-in-one' 

PGA TOUR, which runs a series of men’s golf tournaments in the United States and North America, has partnered with NFT marketplace Autograph to create a golf-based NFT platform.

Set to launch sometime in 2023, the deal will allow golf fans to buy digital content featuring their favorite players and moments from the archives and the current FedExCup Season.

.@TigerWoods: “Enhancing the golf world with NFTs will create a connection between us as players and the fans.”Tiger is on the Board of Advisors for @Autograph, a web3 brand co-founded by @TomBrady, which announced a partnership today with the @PGATOUR. https://t.co/On52vM7CAx

— Jeff Eisenband (@JeffEisenband) September 19, 2022

PGA TOUR NFT collectors will also have a chance to gain access to exclusive digital, in-person and onsite experiences.

PGA Tour’s chief legal officer Len Brown said the latest partnership is aimed at engaging fans and bringing them closer to the game and their favorite players.

Autograph is an NFT marketplace co-founded by NFL quarterback Tom Brady which has also featured NFT collections of top-rated tennis professional Rafael Nadal and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway collection Indianapolis 500. 

Related: NFTs will bring crypto to billions of users, explains VC investor

The PGA joins other major sporting leagues inking deals to enter the Web3 space.

The National Football League (NFL) and National Basketball Association (NBA) both have long-term deals with Flow blockchain creator Dapper Labs and Major League Baseball (MLB) also has an NFT partnership with Candy Digital.

Palm Beach gets its own NFT restaurant

Downtown West Palm Beach in Florida has become home to a new NFT restaurant, the Vinyl Fish Club (VFC).

Using blockchain technology, the restaurant are using NFTs as membership tokens for diners to gain access to special events both on and off the premises, as well as a concierge service.

Membership also allows access to a special dining menu, whiskey tastings, and the VFC’s private room for after hours cocktails and tastings.

The tokens are trading for a floor price of one ETH, with a total of 50 available.

The restaurant is open to the public, but the VFC say they will prioritize members when it comes to seating.

More Nifty News:

Despite Minecraft creator Mojang Studios being against the integration of NFTs, a Metaverse-focused firm managed to introduce NFTs into several games including its own Minecraft server. 

Japanese gaming giants are positioning for mainstream blockchain game adoption, despite the potential backlash from the gaming community. 

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