Steph Curry files trademark for ‘Curryverse’ where players earn NFTs

by · October 31, 2022

National Basketball League (NBA) megastar Steph Curry looks to introduce his own version of the Metaverse to the NBA’s 650 million fans – filing a “Curryverse” trademark application on October 26.

If approved, the US-based trademark application, filed by SC30 Inc., would grant the four-time NBA champion exclusive rights for “entertainment services, namely in-person and virtual and metaversal performances.”

According to the filing, “Curryverse” will also offer “online gaming services in the nature of virtual worlds”, where players will be able to earn both fungible and nonfungible tokens (NFT), which will be able to be bought or sold in an “online marketplace”.

The application also covers virtual clothing and merchandise, business management and investment services, charitable fundraising services and software as a service (SaaS) software platforms for, among other things, the design, promotion, sale and exchange of NFTs.

While more specific details about the Curryverse haven’t been announced, the NBA star’s metaverse is likely to get a lot of attention given his 47 million fan base on Instagram and 17.1 million followers on Twitter.

While the Metaverse-related trademark appears to be a first for Curry, it’s definitely not his first move into Web3.

In August 2021, Curry first became part of the NFT community after a $206,000 purchase of Bored Ape Yacht Club.

The Golden State Warriors player’s love of golf also led him to invest in LinksDAO – a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) that aimed to build “the world’s largest golf community.”

The NBA superstar also featured in an FTX ad in March as part of his ambassadorial role with the popular crypto exchange.

NBA’s Miami Heat gets Web3 sponsor

Meanwhile, just eight days after landing a multi-year partnership with National Football League (NFL) team the New England Patriots, blockchain infrastructure firm Chain has just become the official “Web3/Blockchain Infrastructure Partner” of the Miami Heat.

Chain stated in its Nov. 1 press release that its partnership will aim to “bridge the gap between the sports industry and Web3 technology” by offering a suite of products and services that “address the complexities of general blockchain governance.”

Related: Aussie media company goes all in on NBA fan engagement with NFTs

The collaboration will also see the Chain logo printed on the Miami Heat player’s pre-game shooting shirt, with the blockchain solutions company also set to feature prominently on the NBA team’s social media platforms.

In March 2021, FTX entered into a $135 million partnership with the Florida-based team to secure naming rights to the Miami Heat’s 21,000-seat stadium through 2040 – which is now officially called FTX Arena.