Nike Joins Crypto: Pop Culture goes mainstream

It’s safe to assume that the tiny group of enthusiasts who took to crypto during the initial days of the pioneering technology did not foresee the heights that it would reach in the years to come.

Weirdly enough, crypto is now finding itself becoming increasingly pulled into the glitz and glamour of the pop world. Major rap stars, movies, and now Nike are looking to get a slice of the pie, to be associated with the game-changing technology.

Say what?

Nike, the sports giant apparently sees real potential in the industry as it seems to be serious about getting a foot into the crypto market, filing an application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to trademark the phrase “Cryptokicks.”

The application that Nike has filed makes it obvious that their interest in the crypto markets does not simply end with making collectible crypto-themed clothes and shoes. The apparels giant is looking to offer “online marketplace services, namely, providing a marketplace for buyers and sellers of digital currency assets.”

The scarcity of available details certainly doesn’t help as Nike does state their wish to provide information relating to “crypto-collectible customization,” but it remains to be seen whether this refers to crypto-themed Nike products or actual digital application.

Nike also revealed their desire to provide a website that features technology that “enables users to mine, earn, purchase, receive by any other means, store, and transfer blockchain-based tokens, coins, cryptocurrencies, and other crypto assets.”

Josh Gerben, the founder of a trademark law firm, took to Twitter to talk about Cryptokicks, claiming in a video that it “appears to be a filing for a brand of a cryptocurrency,” referencing the part of the application where Nike states “providing a digital currency or digital token for use by members of an online community via a global computer network,” as proof for his claim.

Nike has filed a trademark application for CRYPTOKICKS.

The filing indicates that Nike is intending to launch a cryptocurrency called CRYPTOKICKS.

Below is my analysis of the filing and its implications 👇#nike#cryptocurrency pic.twitter.com/82gAPlzrXy

— Josh Gerben (@JoshGerben) April 24, 2019

A New Trend?

Pop culture’s acceptance and adoption of Cryptocurrencies can be viewed as implications of the larger picture, the fact that crypto is here to stay. An increasing number of mainstream artists have recently voiced their interest in the technology, with Eminem, Soulja Boy, among the artists to have referred to Bitcoin in some of their top songs. The news was reported earlier this year that rap star Lil Pump had started accepting Bitcoin as a form of payment on his online store that sells his branded merchandise.

⚡ New venue ⚡https://t.co/ifTSuQCDot 👕👖
Lil Pump (@lilpump) official merchandising storehttps://t.co/m9ID3qvPr0#LN #btc #lightning #bitcoin #bitcoinLNS #LightningNetwork pic.twitter.com/mIHI0fNHYE

— LightningNetworkStores (@bitcoinLNS) April 24, 2019

The recent Hollywood movie “Crypto” is a demonstration of how a pop culture shift centered around cryptocurrencies championing digital and decentralized technologies is currently in full swing. Though the movie starring major actors including Kurt Russell, Luke Hemsworth, and others failed to impress being met with mixed reviews and loads of criticism, it should be viewed as an indication of acceptance.

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