Using blockchain technology, the platform will give creators a new way to immortalize their most influential events, starting with an unforgettable piece of tennis history, in collaboration with Wimbledon and Andy Murray
Today, pioneering digital artist Mike Winkelmann, more commonly known as Beeple, announces the launch of WENEW, a curator and provisioner of iconic moments as non-fungible tokens (NFTs).
After bringing NFTs into the mainstream with Christie's $69-million sale of his digital masterwork, "Everydays: The First 5000 Days," Beeple seeks to change the way the public interacts with history-making moments and our collective memory of them. By curating and releasing NFTs of the most memorable moments in music, fashion, sports, politics and more, WENEW unites the world's most celebrated icons with savvy collectors of culture and legacy.
Billed as "the memory palace of the metaverse," WENEW is partnering with renowned stewards of our cultural heritage, including TIME, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, Wasserman, and Endeavor. Brokered by Endeavor's IMG, the first release is in partnership with the most iconic tennis tournament in the world, Wimbledon, and will celebrate Andy Murray's historic win in 2013.
"NFTs represent a new paradigm, not just in how people can invest their money but in how we conceive of our shared experience and how we celebrate remarkable achievements," said Beeple. "They give people a way to meaningfully engage with the memories and moments that matter to them — maybe even inspired them or shaped who they are in some way. WENEW exists to facilitate and make concrete these once-abstract connections."
WENEW uses the Ethereum blockchain to offer single and multiple edition NFTs for auction and direct sale at a variety of price points. A comprehensive editorial experience will complement each release and provide deeper contextual meaning. In addition to the digital token, purchasers will receive the moment in the form of a Physical Artifact - a looping video on a museum-quality screen for display at an office, home, or gallery. Select sales will come with a once-in-a-lifetime experience — from dinner with a favorite artist to a one-on-one game with an all-star athlete.
In partnership with Wimbledon, WENEW's inaugural auction will take place from July 2 - 5, 2021, featuring the monumental moment when Andy Murray won the Grand Slam tennis tournament in 2013, ending Britain's 77-year wait for a male singles winner. The moment is being put up for auction by Wimbledon and Murray together, and reflects the tournament's desire to embrace new and innovative ways to celebrate fandom.
The highest bidder will own Murray's match-winning point and get to play tennis with Murray on a court at Wimbledon, a VIP behind-the-scenes tour, two tickets to Centre Court for the 2022 men's Wimbledon finals, and signed souvenirs.
Fans can also purchase additional NFTs in larger editions of 20, 50, 100, and 500, starting at $49 and featuring Murray's iconic 'trophy lift,'his victory interview, his 2012 runner-up speech, and a highlight reel of his best shots from Wimbledon 2013.
"We are so excited to be collaborating with Andy Murray and WENEW to bring to life such an iconic piece of Wimbledon history in NFT form," commented Alexandra Willis, Communications and Marketing Director elect at the AELTC, which stages the Wimbledon tournament. "Leveraging innovation to keep our traditions relevant is at the core of our marketing and brand strategy, and so we are delighted to be bringing about a first for tennis through the release of these wonderful moments."
Murray added, "The Wimbledon Final in 2013 was such a big moment in my life. It was amazing to be able to share it with the British public, after so long without a male singles winner. I decided to work with WENEW and Wimbledon to turn this moment into an NFT so that fans can share in that memorable day. Working with the platform made sense given their focus on legacy. It's a new and exciting space and one I am looking forward to being involved in."
WENEW is cognizant of the environmental impacts of blockchain-based technology and is partnering with the Open Earth Foundation to establish best practices to minimize energy-intensive transactions as well as donating a portion of each purchase to further the foundation's work on systemic solutions to climate change. Additionally, the platform will be building its high circulation NFT offerings on Polygon, an Ethereum scaling solution, which will reduce the environmental impact to absolute minimal levels.
TIME will serve as a curation partner for WENEW and will help identify the most iconic moments in culture to release on the platform. TIME President Keith A. Grossman said, "For nearly 100 years, TIME has captured the moments that mattered most. WENEW has built the ideal environment for us to continue to curate the moments and events that define our time in new ways, while expanding TIME's existing presence within the NFT ecosystem."
Beginning today, WENEW is accepting member signups at http://WE.NEW. Bidding on the Andy Murray and Wimbledon NFT releases will take place beginning on July 2, 2021 at 10 a.m. PT and end on July 5, 2021 at 10 a.m. PT. Additional NFT releases will be announced in the coming weeks.
About WENEW
WENEW is the premier curator of iconic moments, immortalizing culture's most consequential moments as NFTs on the blockchain, editorializing them within their cultural contexts, and connecting them to the collectors for whom they mean the most. Collectors can purchase or bid on NFTs directly on the WENEW web platform. WENEW is the brainchild of artist Mike Winkelmann, known as "Beeple," and co-founders Michael Figge, Guy Oseary and Tim Smith. More information on WENEW's approach, environmental standards and upcoming releases can be found at https://WE.NEW.
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