Solana NFTs are mooning! 🚀

Data shows that trading volume across Solana-based NFT marketplaces like Magic Eden and Metaplex reached $115 million on Sept. 6, the highest since May. The number of new NFTs created on the Solana blockchain also jumped to 300,000 on Sept. 7, a significant increase from the 39,000 NFTs minted on Sept. 4. Magic Eden, the most popular Solana-based NFT marketplace, also increased its market share of the overall NFT market to 36.6% as of Sept. 7, from 12% at the beginning of the month.

A recent report also revealed that Web3 games and Metaverse projects raised $748 million in funds last month. This was up 135% from July but is still a decline of 16% compared with June.

Doodles NFTs are in demand, and sales are surging following the announcement of a $54 million funding round. As a result, the Ethereum NFT collection has recorded a more than 1,200% sales surge over the past 24 hours.

Starbucks has officially made its first foray into web3 with the “Starbucks Odyssey”, a Polygon-based NFT loyalty program created to onboard Starbucks customers to the next iteration of the internet.  The program will allow Starbucks Rewards loyalty program members and Starbucks partners in the United States to earn and purchase digital collectible stamps in the form of NFTs.

Starbucks sees the “Starbucks Odyssey” as a huge opportunity to engage with its Starbucks Rewards customers in exciting ways. Holders of the Starbucks Odyssey NFTs will gain the opportunity to unlock unique coffee experiences from various collaborations with leading artists and invitations to exclusive events.

“Building Starbucks Odyssey using technology that aligns with our sustainability aspirations and commitments is a top priority. We took a very thoughtful and thorough approach when evaluating which blockchain to utilize and Polygon’s fast, low-cost, and carbon-neutral network is the perfect foundation for our first digital community,” said Ryan Butz, VP of loyalty, strategy and marketing for Starbucks.

In other headlines,

• NFT Collection Doodles Raises $54M at $704M Valuation. Read More
• Magic Eden Launches MetaShield to Protect Creator Royalties. Read More
• European Union Wants to Fight Counterfeiting and Forgery with NFTs. Read More
• Japanese gov’t issues NFTs to reward local authorities’ work. Read More
• Lamborghini’s “The Epic Road Trip” Announces Its September NFT Utilities. Read More

Shiba Inu has released the first concept of SHIB: The Metaverse’s Rocket Pond. According to the announcement, the team used the name “Rocket” based on its widespread adoption in the crypto space to signify that the value of an asset class is “going to the moon.”

The first concept of the Rocket Pond is depicted in black and white. It gives the feeling of a hidden resort situated inside a mountain. The environment is also saturated with clear waters and wildlife, as well as resort buildings that extend to the mountain.

“We will be sharing [details of the metaverse project with the community, and helping to get people fully involved in the process. This will be via dedicated channels on Discord. First, the community will need to understand the feel, the design, and the inspiration of the world,” Shiba Inu said in a statement.

In other news,

• LaLiga enters the metaverse thanks to StadioPlus deal. Read More
• Rarible Integrates with Immutable X to Bring Gaming NFTs to Its Marketplace. Read More
• Ford Files 19 Trademark Applications Preparing a Possible Metaverse Push. Read More
• Dubai Set to Be the World’s First Virtual City in Global Metaverse Launch. Read More

Crypto Rebel is a proud media partner of this year's World Of Web 3 (WOW) Summit in Lisbon!

The WOW Summit is set to bring together stakeholders from all over the world to network and chart the course for the future of Web3!

Be sure to join us at the event this November!

Universal Music Group has announced that its virtual metaverse band, Kingship - which features characters based on Bored Ape Yacht Club NFTs - has tapped a pair of very real music producers that have created hits for superstars like Beyoncé, Jay Z, and Bruno Mars.

The veteran producers—Chauncey “Hit-Boy” Hollis and James Fauntleroy—will take the roles of co-executive producers and songwriters behind the Bored Ape band, and work to create music for the NFT-inspired characters to perform in videos and immersive online metaverse worlds.

Kingship (music video above) hails from UMG’s 10:22PM label and was created by label head Celine Joshua. The characters in the band are based on Bored Ape Yacht Club and Mutant Ape Yacht Club NFTs licensed from notable collector Jimmy “j1mmy” McNelis. It’s similar to the seminal virtual band Gorillaz, albeit with a handful of valuable NFTs used as source material.

In other news,

• Quentin Tarantino, Miramax Settle Lawsuit Over 'Pulp Fiction' NFTs. Read More
• Jim Carrey Dropped Secret NFT Collection Under Alias ‘String Bean’. Read More
• OpenSea to Drop ‘Bowie on The Blockchain’ NFTs Despite Immense Backlash. Read More