Sky Mavis, the developer behind the popular NFT-based game Axie Infinity, has initiated the commercialization of its Axie NFT characters by introducing an official merchandise store. Additionally, a select group of Axie NFT holders, specifically those owning 4,877 Mystic and Origin NFTs, are granted the ability to create and monetize their own products and businesses using their NFT assets. This move aims to leverage the user-generated content (UGC) potential enabled by ownership.
The decision to lift commercial restrictions initially applies to a small fraction, just 0.04%, of the total 11.9 million Axie monster NFTs, focusing on the Mystic and Origin collections. These NFT owners can explore opportunities such as starting Axie-themed cafes, launching comics, establishing restaurants, or creating toy collections.
Simultaneously, Axie Infinity has unveiled an official merch store, featuring a diverse range of products, including Squishmallow-style plush toys, a $300 figurine, branded apparel like hoodies, t-shirts, and baseball caps. The merchandise, known as the “>code:axie_” collection, draws inspiration from the first-ever Axie mint in 2018, where buyers acquired Axies without attached art, displaying only code.
Customers have the option to make purchases using cryptocurrency or fiat currency, with the first 5,000 buyers receiving a free Axie NFT and entering a draw for Mystic Axie NFTs. Sky Mavis has committed to allocating 20% of net profits from merchandise sales to the Axie Community Treasury, supporting community-based decision-making and progressive decentralization.
While echoing strategies employed by other successful NFT collections like Bored Ape Yacht Club and CryptoPunks, Axie Infinity’s move signifies a broader trend of NFT projects offering commercial use rights to owners, fostering real-world businesses and expanding the reach of virtual assets into tangible markets.
