A Pontifex carpet gifted to Pope Francis by Sheikh Mohamad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, during his visit to the Vatican in September 2016, was sold as a non-fungible token (NFT) for 25 Eths, approximately $81,886 on January 14.
The original carpet, 272cm x 183cm, is woven by Afghan women, the physical version of the Pontifex carpet remains with Pope Francis at present. Zuleya, a retail arm of the Fatima Bint Mohamed bin Zayed Initiative, created a replica measuring 187cm x 125cm to be presented to anyone who buys it as an NFT.
The proceeds are to be channelled for a good cause of helping needy families in Afghanistan based on the challenge of harsh winter, according to local media outlet Khaleej Times.
Musfir Khawaja, the co-founder of nftOne, welcomed this move and stated:
“This is perhaps the most iconic NFT to be sold in the Middle East. The buyer will get the physical replica of the carpet besides an ornate gold frame on a 165cm digital canvas with the NFT loaded on it.”
The chief executive of the initiative, Maywand Jabarkhyl, believed that NFTs would be a game-changer in offering a crucial step forward of opening new revenue streams for Afghan artisans by presenting a larger global audience.
With NFTs being among the trendy digital assets, their total sales reached $25 billion in 2021, as reported by Blockchain.News. Furthermore, their market capitalization stood at $31.6 billion at the close of last year.
The proof of ownership guaranteed by NFTs is one of the factors making them tick. For instance, Shark Tank investor Kevin O’Leary, recently aired his bullish sentiments by stating that NFTs had a more prominent shot of surpassing Bitcoin because they can digitally show ownership of real-world things.
With NFTs being non-divisible and finite, these characteristics are creating their intrinsic value.
Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC), Dogecoin (DOGE) and Ether (ETH) are set to become the gift of choice for people of the United States, a new study by crypto lending firm BlockFi revealed.
Conducted in October among more than 1,250 U.S. residents, BlockFi’s “Real Talk: Happy HODLdays” survey found that nearly one in 10 Americans would give crypto to their loved ones as a holiday gift.
Bitcoin is the most popular gift by a large margin (75%) for people who plan to give or receive crypto as a present during holiday 2021, followed by Dogecoin and Ether, respectively. Nonfungible tokens (NFTs), on the other hand, still need time to be accepted as a gift alternative as only 2% of respondents are interested in receiving them as a gift.
Moreover, crypto will likely become a hot topic at family dinner tables, as one in three respondents prefer talking about their popular digital assets instead of politics during the holiday season, the survey showed. While boomers would still prefer to talk politics, Gen Z and millennials plan to open the conversation with crypto.
The survey pointed out the lack of knowledge on how to actually give crypto. Less than a quarter of respondents actually knew how to send crypto to someone as a present. This shows that crypto is becoming a popular topic but further education would benefit an even bigger population, BlockFi co-founder and SVP of operations Flori Marquez said.
Related:A quarter of Aussie crypto users plan to buy crypto Christmas gifts: Survey
BlockFi also asked respondents about their new year plans. A third of millennials plan to buy crypto in 2022 while it decreases to 25% in the older generations. Some 15% of respondents said they plan to buy an NFT in 2022. One thing to note is that Gen-Zers, born after 1997, prefers to buy Dogecoin over Ether.
A similar survey, conducted in Australia by Crypto.com, found that a quarter of Aussie crypto users plan to buy crypto gifts for their loved ones this Christmas.
Cryptocurrencies are very popular these days. Many people use it as an investment but let‘s not forget that there are loads of goods and services you can buy with it: from clothes to gift cards, restaurants and other stuff too. If you think about whether you may purchase a gift for someone with it, you definitely can. But first, let‘s find out what cryptocurrencies are and how to buy them. Only then can you decide what gift you would like to buy with it.
So what is crypto? It is a digital currency, which can be used to buy various goods and services. As we mentioned before, most people, who use cryptocurrency, do that because of the trading for profit possibility. Basically, it is like casino chips. If you would like to access a service that some company provides, you will have to exchange real money for crypto. So what are the most popular cryptocurrencies? Bitcoin, Litecoin, XRP, Ethereum, Tether, Polkadot, Cardano, and Bitcoin cash are just a few examples. If you are thinking about buying one of them, you may need an online app that allows you to store your currency. Simply put, you should create an account, and then you can transfer real money to buy crypto of your preference. One of the most popular questions people want to know is why you should use it. When compared to traditional payment methods, cryptocurrency has numerous advantages. Firstly, it has low fees. Secondly, you can do irreversible payments and micro-transactions with it. Some people say that it is far more secure than traditional payment methods. Many of them believe that it may be the currency of the future. As a result, they are attempting to acquire them now, before they become more valuable. It may be difficult to select a crypto exchange. You should try to find out if the platform you are considering is secure. Transaction fees also vary between exchanges, which is critical when choosing a cryptocurrency exchange. You might want to consider a lot of different things before deciding on the only one. Do not be afraid to sign-up for several various exchanges and try them all. They are all very different in terms of security precautions, user experience, and network design.
So, let‘s go back to buying presents. What can you buy with crypto for your loved ones? Let‘s start with the most important and obvious thing – gift cards. It is actually quite simple: locate the right store, select the card value, add to cart, and proceed to checkout. Choose crypto and pay the invoice. Then simply wait for the gift card to arrive. One of the best platforms to buy this type of present ishttps://coingate.com/gift-cards . So from which gift cards, may you select?
One of the most popular options is an eBay gift card. It allows you to search through more than 25 million active sellers to find what you are looking for. There is an incredible amount of goods available: including souvenirs, cars, mobile phones and a variety of other items. It is the ideal present for friends, family or even yourself. There is also Foot Locker, which is a popular store for purchasing all types of footwear. Nike, Jordan, and Vans are among the most fashionable sportswear and sneaker brands represented by this company. They also have a selection of clothing from these brands, so it could be an excellent gift for almost anyone because we all appreciate high quality. The Amazon gift card is another amazing idea for your loved ones. It sells a wide variety of products, including movies, furniture, books, food, toys, electronics, and accessories. It is actually the world‘s largest retailer. So, no matter what you are looking for, Amazon has you covered. Not to mention, with Amazon Prime, you can get free and fast delivery, as well as exclusive deals. One more present idea is MediaMarkt‘s gift card. It is the largest electronics retailer in Europe. It has everything you could possibly need in terms of electronics, including computer parts, phones, dishwashers, and even some coffee machines. They carry many popular brands, such as Apple, Samsung, LG, and Bosch. You can be certain that the person for whom you wish to purchase this gift card will be pleased with it. As you can see, there are a variety of shops from which you can buy a gift card with cryptocurrencies. There are more of those, but these are the main and most popular platforms for everyone. If you are looking for a unique gift, now is your chance. People adore receiving gift cards, especially from well-known retailers. So, if you have some cryptocurrencies and are unsure where to spend them, this is your solution. Consider whether someone‘s birthday is coming up soon, and if it is, you already have everything you need for a great gift.
There are loads of present ideas besides these gift cards. Some restaurants accept crypto as well. But you may need to do some research to find out which ones do. You can take your loved ones and have a nice dinner in some of those. There are also few shops which allow you to buy clothes too. Travel is another thing you can buy with it. Some websites accept bitcoins; all you have to do is find the right one. And if you are planning to buy a very expensive present for your loved one, know that more and more people accept Bitcoin as payment for real estate.
So there are a variety of choices of what you might want to buy with it. As this currency gains popularity, we can expect more businesses to accept crypto. So, if you are still debating whether or not to buy it, here is your answer. Because it is not only worthwhile to invest in, but you can also buy a lot of things with it. Just go with the flow, and you probably won‘t regret it.
