VK NFT

The main articles are:

• NFT (cryptographic tokens)
• Blockchain in Russia

2023

Audience growth up to 5 million

In the VK NFT service, a year after launch, the audience grew to 5 million. VK (formerly Mail.ru Group) announced this on December 22, 2023. VK NFT users tied 500 thousand crypto wallets to the service, in which over 1 million tokens. The number of windows with NFT installed in profiles exceeded 170 thousand, the record for the number of tokens for one holder belongs to the user with 1,810 NFT on the wallet.

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In 2023, VKontakte released its first own CryptoSpotty NFT collection. Users snapped up 8,000 tokens in less than an hour. The most expensive token was purchased for 201 thousand rubles, the record for the number of NFTs from the collection belongs to the user who managed to collect 480 CryptoSpotty.

In February 2024, users will have the opportunity to buy tokens in the primary and secondary markets for rubles - VKontakte will open access to the NFT marketplace.

Verification of education in the VKontakte profile using an NFT diploma

Vkontakte announced on July 17, 2023 that users of the social network will be able to receive the confirmed status of a university graduate in the form of NFT. Graduates of ITMO University will be the first to receive their own NFT diploma - students who graduated from the university in 2023 will be able to verify their education on the VKontakte profile. Confirmation of the formation of VKontakte will work on Soulbound Token Technology (SBT).

To apply for graduate status, it will be enough to enter a personal code in the VK NFT application. After automatically checking the data and receiving confirmation, the user will receive his own NFT. Such a token cannot be transferred or sold to another user, it will be proof of authenticity of the diploma.

NFT diplomas will be able to receive all graduates of the bachelor's, master's and graduate school of ITMO 2023. VKontakte plans to open access to mechanics and other interested educational institutions. Various attributes can be added to tokens in the form of metadata: the year of graduation, the name of the specialty, the topic of the diploma, the skills acquired during the training process. The technology can be integrated into services for job search: by logging in via VK ID, the user will be able to show all NFT diplomas and achievements that he has right in his resume.

Verification of diplomas will work on Soulbound Token Technology (SBT): these are special NFTs that are issued in a single copy and forever tied to a specific blockchain address. SBT cannot be transferred or sent to another address, and only the owner has access to it. In addition to education, with the help of non-transferable tokens, users will be able to confirm on VKontakte the passage of courses, personal and professional achievements, awards. Verification of achievements with NFT will appear for both personal profiles and publics, thereby expanding the tools of self-expression for authors. In the future, non-transferable SBTs can be integrated into third-party services.

Earlier, VKontakte launched the mechanics of closed NFT chats: token holders will be able to enter exclusive community chats, and admins will be able to share content, fresh news in them and communicate with the audience. The first to get into a closed chat were the owners of the NFT collection of VKontakte CryptoSpotty, and you can buy your mascot on the Binance NFT marketplace. In addition, various opportunities for interaction with tokens have appeared on the social network: they can now be shared in posts and stories or sent in chats.

ITMO and VK also cooperate in the implementation of joint educational programs. In June 2023, VK Education and ITMO launched the Distributed Web Services corporate master's program. It aims to train specialists in the field of distributed highly reliable systems.

Completion of the first large-scale sale of tokens in Russia for rubles

VKontakte held the first large-scale sale of tokens for rubles in the VK NFT service in Russia and summed up the sale of collectibles from the first CryptoSpotty collection. The press service of the social network announced this on May 11, 2023.

Three legendary NFTs from digital artists were available to buyers. The most expensive token was Cyber ​ ​ Spotty from Zhenya Zubkov - it was bought for 201 thousand. rubles. In total, VKontakte collected more than 2.7 million rubles on the sale of all NFTs from its first own collection, including three copyright tokens. The funds will go to the Attention Foundation to restore the architectural monument - the Buck House in St. Petersburg.

VKontakte held the first large-scale sale of tokens in Russia for rubles

The sale of three unique NFTs from digital artists took place in a chatbot. Artist Misha Liberty presented the work# SPOTTY - a giant public art installation symbolizing friendship, mutual care of man and nature. The spot from Ruslan Vyaltsev r8em16, according to the author's idea, was the result of a secret experiment that hid in an unexplored corner of the metaverse. And Cyber ​ ​ Spotty from Zhenya Zubkov came from a distant future to lead the uprising of neural networks. The r8em16 token was bought for 177 thousand rubles, and# SPOTTY - for 115 thousand rubles. Tokens went to users whose offer was not interrupted by other participants within 30 minutes. The struggle for collectible NFTs lasted 32 hours, noted in the social network "VKontakte."

The first NFT collection "VKontakte" showed that the audience's interest in technology and in owning digital assets is very high - the audience's response exceeded our expectations. As part of the launch, we tested the operation of the payment system under a large instant load, minting tokens for thousands of users' wallets, the mechanics of selling unique tokens in a chatbot and other platform capabilities, "said Alexander Tobol, technical director of VKontakte.

NFT Collection Output in VK NFT Application

Vkontakte presented its first NFT collection on April 18, 2023. You can buy your own CryptoSpotty rubles right in application VK the NFT. The NFT collection from social network consists of 8,000 tokens created in collaboration with digital artists Ruslan Vyaltsev, Zhenya Zubkov and Misha Liberty. The main character of the collection is the mascot dog Spotti, familiar to all VKontakte users.

The drop of the collection will take place in several stages: pre-sale for early access owners, the main sale in a live queue and an auction in a chatbot, for which three legendary tokens from artists will be exhibited. NFT from the collection can be bought from April 25 to April 27, 2023, and VKontakte will transfer all the funds received to the Attention charitable foundation to restore the architectural monument - the Buck apartment building in St. Petersburg.

Spotty is a favorite character who lives in stickers, gifts, memes, and now also in Web3Universe-. Users will be able to get their CryptoSpotty, in the future these NFTs can become rare and collectible. In addition, all participants in the drop will help one of the architectural monuments of St. Petersburg: the funds received from the sale of the collection will go to the restoration of Buck's house. The project will become a kind of bridge between classical architecture and, digital art noted Marina Krasnova, CEO VKontakte.

Every CryptoSpotty from the drop got a special look, a set of clothes and accessories. A limited number of Easter tokens are hidden in the collection, referring to the images of characters in demand at different times. All CryptoSpotty buyers will receive additional value - early access to the next NFT collections from VKontakte. Users will be able to buy one NFT for 379 rubles or a set of three CryptoSpotty for 849 rubles. Tokens will fall out by accident, and the opening of all NFTs will take place after the end of sales. Users will also be able to buy tokens at the early access stage, for this you need to take part in activities in the VK NFT HUB community and from the partners of the social network in crypto channels.

VKontakte will hold a separate auction for rare collectible tokens from digital artists. NFT from the authors can be bought in the VKontakte chatbot starting April 27, 2023. Along with collectible tokens, buyers will receive online meetings with artists. The CryptoSpotty collection is built on the Polygon blockchain. You can get NFT from VKontakte from compatible wallets, for example MetaMask or TrustWallet. CryptoSpotty can be sold in the secondary market on any marketplace that supports trading on Polygon.

Vkontakte plans to reach a wide audience of the social network, for this it simplifies the purchase of tokens to the maximum. CryptoSpotty drop will be the first experience of selling NFT for VKontakte rubles. So far, basic mechanics have been added to work with NFT: it is possible to put your Spotty on an avatar or profile display, share a purchase in history. And in the future, VKontakte will expand the additional value that can be sewn up in the collection: NFT will be able to open access to communities or content, social network functions or gaming items, stated Alexander Tobol, STO VKontakte, Vice President for Technology and Development of VK.

Opportunity for partners to release their own collections through the VK NFT service

February 28, 2023 Vkontakte announced that it social network was launching mechanics for partners related to: technology NFT artists, brands, stars public organizations and will be able to release their own collections through NFT. service VK With the help of the VKontakte team, partners will be able to create a application separate branded page, add NFT with varying degrees of rarity and additional bonuses. Non-interchangeable tokens can be distributed free of charge through promotional codes. This mechanics with free distribution of NFT for achievements. tested STS TV channel

Minting, or the creation of tokens, occurs on the VKontakte side of the Polygon blockchain. Partners can choose the mechanics of the distribution, for example, use the random issuance of tokens in draws or reward NFT users for certain achievements. To get a ready-made NFT, the user just needs to specify the public address of his crypto wallet. Tokens can be used on VKontakte - installed on an avatar or window in a profile. And in VK NFT, a training course is available to help understand technology and beginners.

In addition, in a partner drop, together with the NFT, you can issue various bonuses for users: discounts, gifts, subscriptions, tickets, special tariffs and much more. Tokens from the collection can open access to a closed community, to content on social networks or become part of a special loyalty program. For a partner collection, you can specify the author, name and description, as well as add any tokens. You can implement more complex ideas - to try this mechanics and get a proposal, just contact the VK NFT team.

Already at the start of the VK NFT product, the company saw great interest in the functions related to NFT technology both from users and from large brands, artists, artists. The distribution and minting of tokens on their own cases was tested. The company is ready to offer partners to join - the mechanics of the service allows you to create and brand a separate page for your collection and distribute tokens to users' wallets. Open to large special projects and you can also implement complex creative mechanics. In 2023, VKontakte plans to launch a full-fledged marketplace with the possibility of minting, on which each VKontakte user will be able to create and sell his own collection, noted Marina Krasnova, CEO VKontakte.

The goal of VK NFT is to make the technology truly massive, to introduce millions of users to the concept of Web3 and ownership of digital assets. Of course, the interest of large brands, well-known authors and celebrities is a good sign, such projects will spur interest in NFT and help acquaint a wide audience with the technology. The company supports non-standard projects, collections that carry additional value for users, be it physical bonuses, access to content or other privileges, said Alexander Tobol, STO VKontakte, Vice President for Technology and Development of VK.

2022: VK NFT service launch

On December 12, 2022, VKontakte launched a separate VK NFT service - it will allow you to transfer digital assets that users already have directly to their accounts. NFT can be installed on an avatar or a special window in the profile, for this it is enough to link your crypto wallet to the service. NFT avatars stand out with a neon hexagonal frame, and the service shows friends and celebrities who have installed tokens on their pages. Also, an NFT avatar can be shared in a post or story on a personal page.  

The NFT section appears in the user profile, where you can place works from your collection. For each token on the showcase, detailed data is available: ID, name, collection, owner, contract address and additional value (received when buying a reward or bonuses). You can add as much NFT as you like to the showcase - friends will see even the largest collection. These features will become available to all users, including on iOS, within a few days.  

Educational course

For those who are just getting acquainted with the NFT, the service has a training course. It consists of seven blocks devoted to topics ranging from basic blockchain data to parsing the process of creating NFTs and more complex issues that will interest even users familiar with the technology. Users will receive emoji statuses for completing the course and completing tasks. VKontakte plans to launch other educational activities to popularize NFT and Web3 technologies among the audience. The center of the NFT community on VKontakte will be the official VK NFT HUB community. There are published fresh food news and announcements, market analytics and cases, useful materials for beginners and pros, the best collections and promising creators. In addition, it is the main hub for communicating the VK NFT team with the community, exchanging ideas and finding potential partners.  

The first drop of the NFT collection from VKontakte

At the launch, VKontakte showed a teaser for its own NFT collection. Digital artists took part in the creation of art: Zhenya Zubkov, Misha Liberty and Ruslan Vyaltsev, who acted as the creative curator of the project. The main character of the collection was Spotty - an unofficial symbol and a famous hero of the social network. The collection is generative pictures collected from various elements, the totality of which determines the rarity of each token. It also includes artist-created special tokens and hidden Easter eggs. The drop is scheduled for January 2023.   

Marketplace and integration into VKontakte products

VKontakte plans to launch a full-fledged NFT marketplace: a separate section will appear on the site with the ability to lay out its collections, buy and resell tokens. The team is working on the synergy of the social network and the marketplace, users will be able to share their tokens, earn money and communicate on a single platform. Thanks to the NFT showcase, users will be able to confirm possession of tokens and see what others own.   VKontakte will support minting tokens from digital pictures, videos, GIFs, music tracks or other content. The marketplace will present thematic sections and top collections by category, and in the future users will be able to make a purchase offer right on the owner's page on the social network. In addition, VKontakte plans to integrate the technology into various products. Avatars and an NFT showcase for communities will also be launched, and future plans include integration with vmoji, a gaming platform, gifts and more.