Blockchain: a virtual card from a LeBron James dunk sold for $208,000 on NBA Top Shot

A collectable virtual card featuring a video of a LeBron James dunk (Los Angeles Lakers, NBA) was sold for $208,000 (€171,300) on the NBA Top Shot platform on 22/02/2021.

Since July 2019, the NBA has been marketing game sequences labeled "Moments" via NBA Top Shot, a platform owned by Dapper Labs (see below). "In recent weeks, more than 65,000 people have bought on Top Shot for a value of $200m (€164.7m)", according to American media. $30m (€24.75m) was exchanged on the platform on 22/02/2021, according to specialized sites.

NBA Top Shot offers its users to acquire "packs" of game sequences which thus become digital assets to be traded or sold on the platform. Unlike Panini cards, these thumbnails are virtual video sequences, written on a blockchain. The authenticity of the card is certified by a serial number, which gives each sticker a value that increases with the rarity. The blockchain also ensures traceability of the digital asset during each transaction carried out (purchase, sale, exchange, etc).

In sport, this model was notably popularized by the French company Sorare…