Rtfkt创始人：耐克的下一个Web3.0举措是黑色连帽衫

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Rtfkt通过创纪录的数字运动鞋投放和塑造Web3.0时代的潮流而成名。现在，它的目标是借助NFC芯片、AR服装、孪生数字人化身和开源IP，让耐克快速进入未来。

Rtfkt made its name through record-setting digital sneaker drops and shaping the Web3 zeitgeist. Now, it aims to fast-track Nike into the future, courtesy of NFC chips, AR clothing, twinning avatars and open-source IP.

Rtfkt被称为“元宇宙的至尊”，并以其创纪录的数字运动鞋投放而闻名。它制造了robotic pigeons（机器人鸽子）、mysterious black box（神秘的黑匣子）NFT和五颜六色的宇航员模型，还有“元宇宙香水”，即将上市的第一个实体商品。

数字产品公司Rtfkt现在归耐克所有，它正处于一个转折点。作为早期的“元宇宙潮流风向”，它的下一步行动是通过Web3.0来构建实体时装。

Rtfkt x Nike AR Genesis连帽衫配有NFC（Near Field Communication，近场通信）芯片，可通过增强现实技术进行追踪，让穿戴者可以选择佩戴虚拟翅膀等。这款连帽衫是与耐克公司的联合品牌，耐克公司在12月以未公开的金额收购了该公司。

这并不是Rtfkt的粉丝第一次有机会“打造”实体产品，此前已有实体运动鞋孪生，这是第一个服装项目。它也为耐克开创了一个新时代。

有了耐克的支持，Rtfkt正在为数字时尚游戏在一个主要的传统（指Web2.0）品牌的支持下的样子奠定基础。“我们还没有看到一个Web2.0品牌以有效的方式进入Web3.0，”联合创始人Steven Vasilev说，并补充道Rtfkt意识到要忠于快速发展、怪异的精神，这些精神一开始就吸引了极其忠诚的社区。“有些人说，这将导致Rtfkt的消亡或减缓我们的速度，因为我们现在是一家大型全球公司的一部分”。

It’s been called the “Supreme of the metaverse”, and is best known for its record-breaking digital sneaker drops. It has made robotic pigeons, mysterious black box NFTs and colourful astronaut-like figurines, with a “perfume of the metaverse” and its first physical merch forthcoming.

Now owned by Nike, digital product company Rtfkt is at a turning point. As an early arbiter of what’s cool in the metaverse, its next move is to build out what physical fashion looks like through the lens of Web3.

The Rtfkt x Nike AR Genesis hoodie comes with an NFC chip and is trackable using augmented reality, giving the wearer the option to wear, for example, virtual wings. The hoodie is co-branded with Nike, which purchased the company for an undisclosed sum in December.

This isn’t the first time that Rtfkt fans will have the opportunity to physically “forge” a physical product — physical sneaker twins had already been promised — but it’s the first clothing item. It also ushers in a new era for Nike.

With Nike, Rtfkt is laying the groundwork of what a digital fashion play looks like when backed by a major heritage (meaning Web2) brand. “We haven’t seen a Web2 brand come in the Web3 space in an efficient way,” says co-founder Steven Vasilev, who goes by “Z”, adding that Rtfkt is conscious of staying true to the fast-moving, quirky ethos that attracted its fiercely loyal community in the first place. “Some people said it would lead to the death of Rtfkt or slow us down, now that we are part of a huge global corporation.”

他们打算保持“第一”的步伐，同时扩展到运动鞋和街头服饰这一拥挤的赛道。例如，今年春天，Rtfkt向粉丝们发出了一系列虚拟的集体“任务”，他们致力于解锁名为 Mnlths 的神秘黑盒 NFT，其转售价值达到9个ETH以上——甚至在人们知道里面是什么之前。联合创始人Benoit Pagotto认为Rtfkt（发音为artefact）是“下一代奢侈品牌”，受到街头服饰的影响，即定期投放产品。“你可以在任何东西上贴上Supreme然后出售，所以只要有某种文化元素，你就可以发布任何东西，” 他说。“我们在投放系统上下功夫，当我们投放时，我们不会重新开始；而是不断地更新，”就像电子游戏的新版本一样。

它从数字资产中产生收入，并延伸到二手市场；由于智能合约和NFT的结构方式，任何未来的销售都可以为原创作者和任何合作伙伴带来增量收入。据该公司称，自11月推出以来，Rtfkt的CloneX投放已经产生了6.5亿美元的交易量。

They intend to maintain the pace of “firsts” while expanding into the crowded space that is sneakers and streetwear. This spring, for example, Rtfkt sent fans on a series of virtual collective “quests” as they worked to unlock the mysterious black box NFTs, called Mnlths, whose resale value reached more than 9 ETH — before people even knew what was inside. Co-founder Benoit Pagotto considers Rtfkt (pronounced artefact) a “next-generation luxury brand”, influenced by streetwear in the sense of regularly anticipated drops. “You can put ‘Supreme’ on anything and sell it, so you can release anything as long as there is an element of the culture represented,” he says. “We work on the drop system, and when we drop, we don't start over; we keep updating,” like a new version of a video game.

It generates revenue from digital assets, which extends into the secondhand market; because of the way that smart contracts and NFTs are structured, any future sales can generate incremental revenue for the original creator and any partners. Since its November launch, Rtfkt’s CloneX drop has generated $650 million in trade volume, according to the company.

耐克和Cryptokicks

随着耐克向Web3扩张，它在2019年为Cryptokicks申请了一项专利。“他们的速度、设计和技术可以让耐克轻松过渡，”Bianca Pham说。

Chris Le说，Rtfkt收到了其他公司的报价，但创始人并不感兴趣。“在我们眼中，他们（耐克）是最好的全球品牌。我们是靠乔丹鞋长大的，他们有一整个部门在做最酷的东西。”

关键区别何在？耐克将其品牌建立在运动员身上，包括著名的运动员和普通人。Vasilev说，Rtfkt也想做同样的事情，但它的目标不是运动员，而是互联网儿童和创作者。

它通过一个令牌门控网站发布了其CloneX化身的所有3D文件和商业权利，这意味着任何拥有Clone的人都可以创建他们从中获利的其他内容，从Clone的服装，到关于他们的电影或使用Clone图像的实体商品。Pagotto说，说服耐克接受发布知识产权的概念花了很长时间。他们成功的事实“表明我们有能力影响一家十亿美元的公司”，Vasilev补充说。

Rtfkt还发布了YouTube教程，解释如何使用各种设计程序。他们的想法是，这将继续培养大使社区；到目前为止，该品牌还没有在营销上花钱。

艺术家、音乐制作人和动画师Ila Orbis在与Rtfkt的路线图和创意经济愿景建立联系后，为两个CloneX化身投资了约24,000美元。现在，Orbis正在使用3D文件和知识产权，围绕他的音乐和艺术创作创建一个品牌。他说：“这给我带来了一波我一生中从未经历过的创造力浪潮。”

Rtfkt也在为新兴艺术家提供平台和合作伙伴关系。它的Space Drip运动鞋系列有创意人员对数字Nike Air Force 1 进行个性化设计，并与所有艺术家分享1%的收入，正如与所有合作者一样。收藏家现在可以实际“打造”这些运动鞋，并与耐克联名。与耐克合作是出了名的难以实现，一些艺术家年仅有15岁， Vasilo说。

Nike and Cryptokicks

As Nike expanded into Web3 — it filed a patent for Cryptokicks in 2019. “They had the speed, the design and the tech to make it an easy transition for Nike,” Bianca Pham says.

Chris Le says that Rtfkt received offers from other companies, but the founders weren’t interested. “They are the best global brand in our eyes. We grew up on Jordans, and they have a whole department making the coolest things.”

A key difference? Nike built its brand on athletes, both the famous ones and the everyday person. Rtfkt wants to do the same, but instead of athletes, it’s targeting internet kids and creators, Vasilev says.

It released all the 3D files and commercial rights to its CloneX avatars through a token-gated site, meaning that anyone who owns a Clone can create additional content that they monetise, ranging from clothing for the Clones, to movies about them or physical merch using Clone imagery. It took a long time to convince Nike to buy into the concept of releasing intellectual property, Pagotto says. The fact they were successful “shows our ability to influence a billion-dollar company,” Vasilev adds.

Rtfkt also released YouTube tutorials explaining how to use various design programmes. The thinking is that this will continue to foster a community of ambassadors; so far, the brand is yet to spend any money on marketing.

Artist, music producer and animator Ila Orbis invested about $24,000 into two CloneX avatars after connecting with Rtfkt’s roadmap and vision for a creative economy. Now, Orbis is using the 3D files and IP rights to create a brand around his music and artistry. “It's brought a wave of creativity out of me I have never experienced in my life,” he says.

Rtfkt is also providing platforms and partnerships to emerging artists. Its Space Drip sneaker collection tapped creatives to personalise digital Nike Air Force 1s, sharing a per cent of revenue with all artists, as it does with all collaborators. Collectors can now physically “forge” these sneakers, co-branded with Nike. Nike partnerships are notoriously difficult to achieve, and some of the artists are as young as 15, Vasilo says.

真实性和苹果的游戏规则

Rtfkt的愿景是制造“phygital（数字现实）”产品，在现实世界中通过NFC芯片和数字化NFT进行身份验证。该团队预测，通过向社区发布文件，人们将受到启发进行迭代，而不是复制。

Rtfkt的设计理念类似于Apple的“生态系统”，这意味着产品和福利的创建是为了协同工作。拥有Clone的人被空投Mnlths，其产品可以被Clone佩戴，以此类推。“因为你拥有所有的元素，你不想偏离它，”Pham说。“这是你的数字身份和3D化身以及他们可以穿戴的物品。”

Authenticity and the Apple playbook

The vision for Rtfkt is to make “phygital” products that are authenticated via NFC chips in the physical world and NFTs digitally. The team has a prediction that by releasing files to the community, people will be inspired to make iterations, rather than copies.

Rtfkt is designed with an “ecosystem” mindset akin to Apple’s, meaning that products and perks are created to work together. Those who owned a Clone were airdropped Mnlths, and its products can be worn by Clones, and so on. “Because you have all the elements, you don't want to drift away from it,” Pham says. “It is your digital identity and the 3D avatars and the items they can wear.”

锻造需求

就其包容性而言，进入Rtfkt生态系统的价格可能与奢侈品而非耐克有更多共同之处。一个Clone至少需要11个ETH，或超过15,000美元。“数字手工艺品仍然需要几千美元。对我来说，与你知道的租金相比，花费几千美元的权衡还不够现实，”Pham说。她补充说，NFT项目的渐进性质，意味着早期收藏者可以获得未来的投放，也意味着新的粉丝有更高的参与门槛。

Vasilev说，Rtkft正在努力吸纳新人，但每一次投放都有一个稀缺性模型。而且每件物品的起价都不高。去年5月，Metapigeons的起价是1美元。(现在Metapigeon的转售价值已达数千。)虽然Rtfkt从转售市场获得一些收入，但它并没有设定那些较高的价格。“如果一件物品在二级市场上卖到10万美元，我们并没有赚到10万美元，”Pagotto说。“我们的一个收藏家和支持者赚了钱。

人们总是说你需要你的前100个客户，然后是1000个。我们的前一百个客户现在是百万富翁。我们让人们成为百万富翁，”Pagotto说，由于转售价格的急剧上涨。客户数量的增长可能会成为衡量成功的一个持续指标。“随着每一次新的投放，我们都在考虑如何吸纳新人，”他承认道。“但是，这是一个非常奢侈的有趣位置，因为我们的需求比我们所能提供的要多。”

预计会有更多与NFT和NFC芯片相关的实物加数字的投放，特别是在运动鞋领域，它一直是数字时尚的早期采用者。了现有的阿迪达斯和彪马的扩张之外，竞争者还包括Cult & Rain和Gmoney的一个新的奢侈品牌。

Forging demand

For all its inclusion, the price of admission into the Rtfkt ecosystem might have more in common with luxury than with Nike. A Clone will run you at least 11 ETH, or more than $15,000. “It is still a couple thousand dollars on a digital artefact. To me that tradeoff is not realistic enough yet to spend a couple thousand dollars, versus, you know, rent,” says Pham. The progressive nature of NFT projects, meaning that early collectors get access to future drops, also means that new fans have a higher threshold of participation, she adds.

Vasilev says that Rtkft is working to onboard new people, but every drop still has a scarcity model. And every item doesn’t start high — the Metapigeons started at $1 in May of last year. (The resale value of the pigeon is now in the thousands.) While Rtfkt gets some revenue from the resale market, it doesn’t set those higher prices. “If an item sells for $100,000 on the secondary market, we are not making $100,000,” Pagotto says. “One of our collectors and supporters makes the money.

People always say you need your first 100 customers, then 1,000. Our first hundred customers are now millionaires. We made people millionaires,” Pagotto says, due to the dramatic rise in resale prices. Growth in terms of customers is likely to be an ongoing metric of success. “With every new drop, we are thinking about how to onboard new people,” he admits. “But, it’s an interesting position that is very luxury, because we have more demand than we have to offer.”

Expect more physical-plus-digital drops linked to NFTs and NFC chips, especially in the sneakerverse, which has been an early adopter of digital fashion. Competitors include Cult & Rain and a new luxury brand from Gmoney, in addition to expansions from incumbents Adidas and Puma.

你想拥有衣服的虚拟副本吗？在你的跑鞋上安装NFC和GPS追踪功能怎么样？NFT和时尚还有很长的路要走，它将如何演化和发展取决于消费者的需求。快来加入我们，加入这个令人兴奋的Web 3.0之旅吧！

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Would you like to have virtual copies of your clothes? How about NFCs and gps tracking in your running shoes? NFTs and fashion have a long way to go from here and how it evolves and develops depends on the consumer demand. Join us on this exciting journey through Web 3.0. 

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