Elton John enters NFT world with fundraising auction
Melanie May | 21 June 2022 | News
Elton John has partnered with augmented reality (AR) game-world Jadu, and NFT platform and marketplace Sweet in his first foray into the NFT world.
The singer has joined forces with Jadu and Sweet to auction a one-of-a-kind Rocket Man Jadu Hoverboard NFT and release a series of access tokens that provide an opportunity to unlock future fan experiences as part of the Rocket NFT Club. All proceeds will go to the Elton John AIDS Foundation.
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Commenting, Elton John said:
“Whilst I’m no metaverse expert (!) I wanted to make sure that my first NFT was something true to me, and collaborating with LGBTQ+ artist Voxel Bunny and Jadu on something so unique which benefits the Elton John AIDS Foundation for Pride month, was the perfect opportunity.
“Web3 has the potential to bring people from across the world together like never before and I’m excited for the opportunities to connect with my fans in a vibrant and growing community.”
Released in the run up to NFT.NYC as well as during Pride, the Jadu Hoverboard auction began on Monday 20 June and will close on Wednesday 22 June at 6pm EST.
The Rocket Man Hoverboard has been produced by Jadu, which is built around virtual items owned by its players and uses web3 avatars in gameplay, and is the rarest of the 6,666 items within the Jadu Hoverboard collection. It has been designed by Voxel Bunny, who built Jadu’s jetpacks and hoverboards, and references a keyboard pinball machine. Paying tribute to Elton John “Pinball Wizard” Video from 1975, it is built inside the chassis supported by classic Elton John features including star glasses, piano keys and the actual musical notes from “Rocket Man”.
Voxel Bunny said:
“As a fellow LGTBQ+ artist, it’s hard to put into words the pride I feel paying tribute to Elton John & his legacy which continues to make a meaningful impact on the lives of so many.
“And knowing that my creation will play a role in helping to end the AIDS epidemic for the most vulnerable individuals and communities means the world to me.”
About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.