The Ethereum-based NFT Marketplace – The Cryptonomist

BlockBar.com, the world’s leading Ethereum-based NFT marketplace for luxury wines and spirits, has announced its partnership with Maison Ruinart, the oldest champagne house. 

As such, Maison Ruinart is proud to release its first asset-backed NFT, an accomplishment for both the house and its artistic ethos. Also included in this exclusive offer on BlockBar.com is an invitation for two to enjoy an exceptional immersive experience at Maison Ruinart in Reims, France. 

Partnership between BlockBar and Ruinart: here’s what to expect 

The Ruinart NFT will be presented at the Ruinart lounge at Art Basel Miami Beach, along with the physical version of Ruinart Rosé by world-renowned artist Jeppe Hein. 

Indeed, there will be a chance to win number eight of twenty-five of Jeppe Hein’s Ruinart Limited Edition. Including, an engraved Jeroboam of Ruinart Rosé by Jeppe Hein, a box set and “Bubble” artwork, as well as an invitation for two to enjoy an exceptional immersive experience at Maison Ruinart in Reims, France.

The exclusive offer on BlockBar.com includes an immersion in the Ruinart cellars, including the chalk quarries, known as Crayères, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, to discover Maison Ruinart’s multi-century heritage. 

In addition, to celebrate the release of Ruinart on BlockBar.com, early access to pre-purchase NFTs will be granted exclusively to BlockBar NFT holders, prior to the global release on 5 December.

Frédéric Dufour, President and CEO of Maison Ruinart, commented about the launch of Maison Ruinart NFT on BlockBar: 

“Maison Ruinart laid the first foundation stone in the history of champagne and we continue to create history today with our first NFT offering; a mix of product excellence, contemporary art and a unique experience.”

Finally, as anticipated, the Ruinart NFT will be presented at the Ruinart lounge at Art Basel Miami Beach. On this subject, Dov Falic, co-founder and CEO of BlockBar, said: 

“We’re delighted Maison Ruinart has chosen to drop its first ever NFT on BlockBar.com as we continue our mission to bridge the digital and physical worlds of luxury. We’re delighted to release this unique offering during Art Basel Miami Beach and look forward to bringing our community and Ruinart’s more exclusive drops together in 2023.”

BlockBar.com: what it is and how the Ethereum-based NFT marketplace works 

Founded in October 2021, BlockBar sells NFTs directly from luxury wine and spirits brands. Each NFT corresponds to an actual physical bottle, exclusive to BlockBar, which can be purchased by ETH, credit card or bank transfer. 

Owners can resell, collect, give away or at any time “burn” their NFT in exchange for the physical bottle, shipped from BlockBar’s secure facility in Singapore. 

BlockBar only works directly with brand owners including LVMH, Diageo, Bacardi, Pernod Ricard, Sazerac, William Grant & Sons and others, and does not accept collections from third parties or collectors. 

In addition, BlockBar is working on solving real-life problems that brands and consumers are currently facing in the wine and spirits industry. These include: authentication, storage, insurance, and transportation, using blockchain to authenticate luxury wine and spirits products.

Like any wine and spirits retailer, BlockBar sells access to physical wine and spirits products that retain their value, meaning that Ethereum fluctuations will not affect consumers’ purchases or investments.

BlockBar’s proprietary smart contracts verify authenticity, tracing each transaction directly back to the partner brand. Finally, its partnership with top cybersecurity and cryptographic companies ensures that transactions are fully protected and transparent.

Another breakthrough for the NFT world: Sony and the study of NFTs and blockchain 

Although it appears that the PlayStation Stars loyalty program has nothing to do with NFTs, a patent recently revealed that, with regard to the PS5, it appears that Sony is actively studying the possible uses of NFTs and blockchain in the world of video games.

The Sony patent was reported by Gamesual, originally filed last year and published this month, and is titled: 

“Tracking unique game digital assets using tokens on a distributed ledger.”

The paper describes a system that could be used to track the creation, use, modification and transfer of digital assets created within a game and/or assets created based on the gameplay of a video game. 

In this way, Sony is juxtaposing celebrities from the world of sports and entertainment with those from the video game industry, including streamers, pro players, and content creators who are particularly popular with the public.

So, Sony’s next goal might just be to turn classic in-game objects into NFTs, converting digital assets associated with video games from fungible to non-fungible. 

Tracking a digital asset history and monitoring asset history may include, for example, verifying when, how, and by whom the digital asset was created, used, modified, rented, sold, purchased from, licensed, traded, and/or other actions. 

However, none of this confirms to us that Sony will integrate NFTs and blockchain in its upcoming titles, but the impression is that the company is by no means uninterested in these aspects, as, on the other hand, had previously emerged.