Series will bring new, unmatched inventory to collectors – with 3D and animated interpretations of Sports Illustrated covers of iconic athletes like Wayne Gretzky

eBay, a global commerce leader that connects millions of buyers and sellers around the world, announced the launch of a series of exclusive NFTs through a strategic partnership with OneOf, a premier green NFT platform for communities across music, sports, and lifestyle. Through this partnership, eBay combines its global reach and unmatched inventory – and OneOf’s eco-conscious Web3 technology – to continue to bring a seamless experience that allows enthusiasts to buy and sell high passion and high value items with confidence.

“NFTs and blockchain technology are revolutionizing the collectibles space, and are increasingly viewed as an investment opportunity for enthusiasts,” said Dawn Block, VP Collectibles, Electronics and Home at eBay. “Through our partnership with OneOf, eBay is now making coveted NFTs more accessible to a new generation of collectors everywhere. This builds upon our commitment to deliver high passion, high value items to the eBay community of buyers and sellers.”

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eBay’s first-ever “Genesis” NFT Collection will feature 3D and animated interpretations of the iconic athletes featured on Sports Illustrated covers over the years, the first of which – available beginning today at eBay.com/oneofgretzkynft – features record-breaking Canadian hockey legend Wayne Gretzky.

“Forty years ago, I was grateful to be on the cover of Sports Illustrated, it was a monumental moment in my life,” says Wayne Gretzky, Sportsman of the Year. “I’m honored to bring this collectible experience to my hockey fans who have followed my career for decades.”

The collection includes thirteen limited-edition digital collectibles as green, gold, platinum, and diamond tier NFTs, with up to 299 editions each in the green tier, to a highly coveted 15 editions only in the diamond tier. Priced for the everyday fan starting at $10, each NFT contains a 3D rendering or animation of Gretzky making a signature move on the ice. Throughout 2022, additional drops of OneOf’s sports legends NFT series will take place in partnership with eBay, reinterpreting iconic Sports Illustrated covers in the era of Web3.

“We are excited to partner with eBay, the largest and most trusted e-commerce platform in the world, to introduce NFTs and the power of the blockchain to eBay’s community of enthusiasts through a dynamic, user-friendly experience,” said Lin Dai, CEO, OneOf. “You don’t have to be a crypto expert to buy, sell, and collect NFTs. OneOf and eBay are bringing transformative Web3 technology to the next 100M non-crypto-native mass consumers.”

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The surge in the collectibles market has fueled this first-ever collaboration between eBay and an NFT seller. As a global commerce leader, eBay has connected its 142 million buyers and millions of sellers all over the world, bringing incredible inventory to enthusiasts and fostering new economic opportunities through community building. Its collaboration with OneOf is driven by the collective goal of maintaining an open marketplace and making high value collectibles more accessible.

A longtime leader in the collectibles space, eBay continues to introduce new tech capabilities and greater confidence to enthusiasts. In 2021, eBay introduced industry-leading tools including Price Guide and Collection and Image Scan. This year, eBay expanded its Authenticity Guarantee service to trading cards and soon will launch the eBay vault: a secure storage facility and digital marketplace for trading cards that will foster fractionalization and allow users to transfer ownership from seller to buyer in a matter of seconds, with no need to re-authenticate, or ship the item anywhere.