MekaVerse
The metaverse is a collection of 8,888 generative Mekas with hundreds of elements inspired by the Japan Mecha universes.
The MekaVerse project was created by Mattey and Matt B, two friends and 3D artists who have jumped feet first into the NFT space.
The roadmap of the MekaVerse project includes bringing to life the Mekas through high-quality, 3D-printed toys. The MekaVerse project continues to unfold as the roadmap is driven by the founders and holders of the characters. The project’s future ambitions include streetwear, collaborations with famous artists, and potential short films using the characters.
Join the MekaVerse Discord
Nouns
The Nouns project attempts to bootstrap identity, community, governance, and a treasury that the community can use to create long-term value and project expansion.
Nouns. wtf will be minting one Noun (NFT character) every day, forever. The unique aspect of the Noun project is the formation of their own DAO treasury (decentralized autonomous organization) which collects 100% of the funds from the NFT sales. The treasury is controlled and governed by the Noun holders who will decide its future use, project direction, and more.
Join the Nouns.wtf Discord
Creature World
A 21-year-old visual artist from NYC, Danny Cole strives to actualize imagination through his Creature World project.
The project itself has a ton of buzz around it in the NFT space but is still somewhat mysterious. There is www. creature.world, an interactive space where the creatures guide you through a virtual journey. It is unclear if your purchased characters will eventually make it into the virtual world or the project’s overall intention. Regardless of the direction, we are excited to see how this one unfolds, as the secrecy behind the project is quite captivating.
Join the Creature World Discord
Adam Bomb Squad
If you are a fan of streetwear fashion, then the Adam Bomb Squad project is for you. The Adam Bomb Squad project was created by The Hundreds (a famous streetwear brand that launched in 2003).
The project’s premise is three-fold, where they look to bring identity, community, and ownership to the NFT space. The “Adam Bomb” is The Hundred world-famous logo/character and the Adam Bomb Squad project looks to chronicle the 18-year history and use of this character.
“As is customary, we will be anointing NFT holders with perks like exclusive merchandise and early links to drops. Our dreams are outrunning the infrastructure, but a major unlock with these NFTs will resolve that outstanding Ownership piece in promoting a brand. We are working on technology to allow Adam Bomb Squad NFT holders to 1) buy The Hundreds clothing featuring their bomb and 2) be rewarded for the sales of the clothing to others. We want The Hundreds to win, but there’s no reason why our community shouldn’t also partake in the upside.”
The Hundreds
Join the Adam Bomb Squad Discord
Claylings
The Claylings are another highly sought-after project and are currently ranked 5th in overall trending volume ($6.42 million as of the writing of this article).
The Claylings project looks to bring clay animation to the blockchain, where they intend to launch 4,040 characters. One of the project goals is to establish a Claymation short film that can feature one of the previously minted characters (it would be cool to see your character in the movie).
Join the Claylings Discord
Autograph.io
Autograph.io is more of a marketplace than an individual project focused on athletes, entertainment, culture, and unique digital experiences.
The project was Co-founded by Tom Brady and had tremendous backing, including a well-represented board of advisors from Naomi Osaka, Wayne Gretzky, Tiger Woods, and more.
Athletes drive the current focus of Autograph.io focused NFT’s, including the professional’s authentic signature, future drops access, and private Discord channel entry.
It will be interesting to watch this project unfold due to the support and backing of all those involved. Though it is very athletic-focused now, keep an eye out for a quick expansion into entertainment and unique digital/in-person experiences.
Join the Autograph.io Discord
Decentraland
Decentraland is a virtual world with its own DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization) that hands over control to the virtual space users.
Decentraland’s world is fueled by their marketplace of virtual in-game assets like land, wearables (for your characters), and more.
All that is needed to play is a web browser and a cryptocurrency/digital asset wallet like MetaMask. While the wallet is unnecessary, it improves the game’s experience as your wallet keeps all your digital assets safe, like names, collectibles, and LANDS.
Join the Decentraland Discord
Honorable Mentions
Here are some honorable mentions that we have been keeping our eyes on in 2021. We will continue adding to the above list as new projects of note are released.
Other Projects We Love
Women Rise
Women Rise is a 10,000 randomly generated collection by the internationally acclaimed visual artist Maliha Abidi. The goal of the collection is to make the NFT space more inclusive and diverse by introducing more women characters as well as donating a percentage of primary sales to funds that focus on gender equality, girls’ education, and mental health in marginalized societies.
Cryptoon Goonz
Crypto on Goonz is by creator and tattooer @SeanTat2s and is a 6969 generative rubber hose style characters project with hundreds of unique traits.
Cryptoon Goonz reminds us of early Mickey Mouse style art, and each piece is decked out in pop culture, hip-hop, and streetwear references.
Cryptoon Goonz has a solid and passionate Discord community of >10,000 members and is worth the following to learn more about the project.
Property’s Virtual Reality
Properties is the most innovative real estate collecting game in the NFT & metaverse space. Bringing together the mechanics of the world’s most popular games, they aim to provide an experience never seen before – on & off the metaverse. Each NFT is a collectible card that displays a piece of real estate inspired by different cultures & economics.
Properties has been feverishly adding partnerships with other brands and NFT communities ahead of their launch. One such partnership is with the Crypto Baristas where the Property’s game will feature Crypto Barista-themed coffee shops and carts throughout the land.
Keep an eye on Property’s as their game is part of the Sandbox user-generated world which is just beginning to take shape.
Conclusion
It is not always easy to determine what makes a great NFT project or a worthy investment. When choosing the best NFT projects in 2022, we assembled projects that were more than just artwork (called Utility NFTs).
Utility NFT’s are those that assign a user to the piece of artwork, such as access to an event, exclusive in-person membership, or assets in a game. When deciding what to look for with your first purchase of an NFT, find a utility project that you would benefit from. For example, Crypto Barista’s is a coffee-themed NFT project that funds a café in NYC while giving caffeinated perks back to the holders (such as discounted coffee, free drinks, and more). VeeFriends is another Utility NFT that provides access to a multi-day super conference. Both of these NFT’s hold value beyond the artwork, which makes the purchase more sound.
As we monitor the NFT space in 2022, we will continue to add to our Top 10 NFT Projects to Follow the list and ensure to have the latest and greatest project.
Until then, catch up on some of our other reading regarding NFTs.
