NFTs are one of the trendiest investments in the market right now. The unique digital collectibles have expanded their use cases over the last few years across different sectors. From arts to sports and entertainment, they are everywhere. The popularity of NFTs is explained by the huge returns they make for investors.
If you're planning to take your dive into the NFT market, OpenSea is a great place to start. It is the world's first and largest Web3 marketplace for NFTs and crypto collectibles. OpenSea allows you to trade some of the top NFT collections on Ethereum, Solana, and Polygon.
However, NFTs come with their share of risk. If you want to make sustainable returns from an NFT collection, you need to look beyond the hype. The relevance and long-term vision of the underlying project determine its intrinsic value.
In this article, we review the top five NFT collections on OpenSea and why they make for great investments this year.
Horse racing has a reputation for doing well in all market conditions. Interestingly, even during recessions. Keeping up with the increasing traction to the market, the selling price of racing horses and the value of prize purses have significantly increased over the years. And 2022 has been a terrific year for the industry. Thoroughbred horse racing, in particular, is seeing a surge in interest from people of all ages.
Silks capitalizes on the thrill of thoroughbred horse racing to feature a vast metaverse economy. To give you a better perspective, more than $11B is wagered on the outcomes of thoroughbred races annually within the US. The skill-based fantasy game brings real-world thoroughbred horse racing to the metaverse using blockchain technology and NFTs.
Thanks to the massive potential of the concept and the unique gaming mechanics put forward by the project, Silks Genesis Avatars has become the #15 selling Ethereum Sports NFT collection of ALL time on Open Sea and has been selected for listing on the prestigious Nansen.ai Gaming 50 Index. In less than three months into the launch, the collection was selling for a 4X floor price. It came as a surprise to the NFT community because this was during a time when the whole crypto market was in a deep downturn.
In response to the rising demand, Silks has decided to launch another 5,000 Genesis Avatars to the public. The first mint is set for Friday July 29th, which will be extra special as every Avatar that is purchased will automatically receive a claim for Silks Land, after 45 Days of holdHODLing. Since the supply is limited, a customer can purchase a maximum of two Avatars only. Pricing will be tiered. So, head down to Silks and be the first in line to get your Avatar and claim for SIlks Land.
Let's take a detailed look at the Silks metaverse and better understand its gaming model. The key highlight of the Silks metaverse is Silks Horses. According to the Silks whitepaper, the derivative NFTs will track data related to the bloodlines, training progress, and racing results of real-world thoroughbreds using blockchain technology. They earn you rewards every time the real-world horse wins races or breeds offspring. That's not all. Silks metaverse mirrors the real-world thoroughbred horse racing economy using more NFT collections like Silks Land, Stable, and Avatars.
| Key Highlights of Silks NFTs |
| Skill-based sports fantasy game Derivative sport NFTs Fractional ownership 4X floor price (Avatars) in under three months Owned by leading NFT investors and investment firms |
If you have a long-term crypto portfolio, you should definitely consider adding Silks NFTs as a hedge against the volatile market conditions. The evergreen popularity of horse racing and the resilience shown by Silks NFTs during the downturn prove that they make a great buy. If you can't afford to buy a Silks Horse, you can join Horse Ownership Pools and buy fractional NFTs instead. They lower the financial barrier to the Silks metaverse and help investors offset the risks of thoroughbred horse ownership.
The passion and competence of the team go a long way in determining the success of an NFT project. Silks excels in this regard, too, with Dan Nissanoff and Troy Levy at the helm as co-founders. Dan also serves as the CEO of Game of Silks. He is a hugely successful entrepreneur, bestselling author, and web innovator. Troy, apart from owning and operating Circle 8 Ranch in Lexington Kentucky, is the founder of Tropical Racing.
Tropical Racing is a multifaceted thoroughbred horse-breeding and racing company that focuses on breeding, racing, pinhooking, and syndicating young thoroughbreds. The strategic support and financial backing of Tropical Racing bring more expertise and credibility to the project. The team's goal is to nurture a self-sustaining metaverse with a collective purpose, uniquely rewarding ownership experience, and aligned incentives.
The Inaugural Silks Horse NFT Collection is scheduled for release in the fall of 2022. They will be linked to the top 1-year-old thoroughbred racehorses registered in the U.S. Access to the mint is reserved for users who hold Silks Avatars.
The Genesis Silks Avatar Collection is now selling on OpenSea. It is currently owned by leading investors and investment firms who also flaunt top NFT collections like BAYC, CryptoPunks, Azuki, and CloneX in their wallets. Get your Silks Avatar today and join the discussion on their Discord.
Town Star is the world's first play-to-earn town builder game from Gala Games, the widely popular decentralized gaming ecosystem that aims to give more control to players. The competitive farming game takes inspiration from Farmville. In fact, it is from one of the co-founders of Zynga, the company behind Farmville. Here, you are supposed to complete Daily Challenges and use NFTs in-game in exchange for Town Points.
As you scale the leaderboard, you are rewarded with big prizes, which can be anything from crypto tokens to NFTs and other exclusive accesses and privileges. Your ultimate goal as a gamer is to grow your game, gather points, and craft your virtual world. According to the project, Town Star gives you the opportunity to "build the most efficient and productive town imaginable," by tapping into the potential of blockchain technology.
Town Star is the flagship game of Gala Games. It utilizes Gala's decentralized network and Ethereum blockchain to feature a gamer-centered ecosystem. 258 Town Star NFTs are available for purchase on OpenSea at the time of writing.
The simple gaming mechanics on Town Star is designed for all gamers, regardless of their knowledge of crypto and blockchain. This method goes a long way in bringing more people to the crypto and NFT market too, as proven by the remarkable sales record of Town Star NFTs.
Women Unite — 10k Assemble is the second set of NFTs from Miss Kaina and the Original Models. The first collection of hand-taken photos of real women around the world has been a tremendous success. The unique digital collectibles will also join the Women United Kingdom, an inclusive ecosystem that represents the individuality, allure, and influence of womankind through Fashion, Photography, and NFTs. The project's goal is to spread love, light, and positivity in the world using NFTs as a medium.
The creator has ensured that each of the 10,000 NFTs features wardrobes and accessories to represent the diversity that often goes unnoticed in the mainstream media. Notably, the project empowers, uplifts, and assists women by distributing 10% of all royalties to initiatives that support and empower women. For example, Women United contributed 20 ETH worth over $40,000 to the Women's Earth Alliance (WEA) in its first charity endeavor recently.
Of course, the NFTs have different sets of attributes with varying rarity. They are adorned with more than a hundred individually picked accessories. Apart from their collectible value, they double as your membership card to the exclusive WU Kingdom. The project has gained worldwide attention in the NFT community, owing to its unique mission.
Next on our list is Sorare, an NFT trading card collection widely popular among football fans. You can collect, play and win these digital cards featuring the world's best global football and major league baseball players. Sorare's official partnerships explain the huge demand for these unique tokens.
However, the use case of Sorare NFT cards is not limited to their collectible value and speculation. The team is committed to building the world's best NFT-based free-to-play fantasy game and platform. Your points in the game are determined by the real-life performance of the players featured on your virtual team.
Sorare recently launched its mobile application to facilitate a better user experience while trading the cards. The application will add more features and integrations in the coming months to expand its user base. With the new Game Lobby release, you get a more personalized experience on Sorare. For example, it allows you to create teams, manage rosters, reveal rewards, and more.
Currently, Sorare is partnered with over 250 officially licensed football clubs in the world. The number is expected to grow significantly this year. For example, Sorare announced partnerships with football icons Zinedine Zidane & Kylian Mbappé recently. As the project continues to expand its network and improve different aspects of the current gameplay, the value of Sorare trading cards is expected to rise.
We wrap up this list with Bored Ape Yacht Club, a collection of 10,000 unique avatars that live on the Ethereum blockchain. They double as your Yacht Club membership card, which grants you access to exclusive privileges in the ecosystem. More perks await BAYC holders as the roadmap unfolds.
However, BAYC is best known for the leading collaborations it has made in a short time. It has partnered with top brands like Adidas, Gucci, and Rolling Stone Magazine to raise more awareness around the potential of NFTs and the metaverse. The collection is also known for its top-tier buyers, who range from leading investment firms to Hollywood singer Justin Beiber and television host Jimmy Fallon. BAYC is considered a symbol of status in the NFT circle.
Currently, BAYC is selling for a floor price of 93.7 ETH. If you think that's high, you should consider the project's long-term growth potential. As one of the most popular NFT projects, BAYC is actively expanding its network and ecosystem by roping in leading brands. If the project unfolds as planned, the value of the collection is expected to rise, giving significant returns to collectors.
NFT is a big business. It may seem like a file that anyone can download and share across the internet, but its relevance goes beyond that. The true value of an NFT lies in its unique use cases.
This article took you through a detailed analysis of the top NFT collections in the market right now and how they are positioned to scale growth in 2022. While projects like BAYC and Sorare are established with a large following, their hefty price tags may not be for everyone. On the other hand, projects like Silks and Women Unite have lower barriers to entry. Virtual real estate collections like Town Star also look promising this year.
If you're planning to buy low and sell high, our top recommendation is Silks. The project has massive growth potential, owing to its unique gaming mechanics that mirror the real-world thoroughbred horse racing industry. The ambitious roadmap will continue to build value for the NFTs in the coming years. Get your Silks Avatar to claim your spot in the Silks Horse Mint.
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