The NFLPA via its athlete-driven accelerator, the OneTeam Collective, announced a partnership with Hashletes, a blockchain-based app that combines digital collectibles with a new gaming experience. Hashletes is one of the first companies to launch a practical, consumer-facing use for blockchain technology, and has secured licensing rights and access to 2,000+ current NFL players through this partnership.
At the core of the product are 25,000 collectibles associated with each player, with fans able to buy, sell, and trade the tokens with other fans.
Hashletes has similarities to both fantasy sports and physical trading cards, with appeal to the younger generation of mobile consumers with an interest in digital stickers, emojis and avatars. Much in the same way that collectible games like Magic: The Gathering or Pokémon have captured mass appeal, Hashletes can provide the same kind of experience for NFL players and a mobile audience.
Hashletes is one of nine current partners in the OneTeam Collective portfolio, which spans a broad range of categories including blockchain, wearables, voice recognition, digital media, augmented reality, artificial intelligence, active gaming and live video streaming.