Dez Bryant understands the power of NFTs. The former Dallas Cowboys’ wide receiver, famed for “throwing up the X” to celebrate his success on the field, founded the Personal Corner digital branding platform back in 2016 to help professional athletes and influencers grow their personal brands and fan bases.
For Bryant, an avid gamer and early adopter of innovative technologies, dynamic NFTs that reflect real-world data like sports stats present an ideal opportunity for professional athletes who want to build community around their career achievements.
Today, Personal Corner announced that it’s integrating Chainlink Sports Data Feeds to power NFTs that dynamically reflect NFL stars’ stats such as touchdowns, interceptions, and tackles. This real-world data can connect fans to real-world rewards; for example, a dynamic NFT that tracks an athlete’s touchdowns would automatically upgrade when a specific milestone is met and enter NFT holders into a raffle to win future event tickets or autographed memorabilia.
Chainlink’s oracle infrastructure is the industry standard for delivering off-chain data to NFTs on a blockchain. Bryant told Chainlink Today that NFTs with the ability to reflect sports stats is a “true game-changer” for athletes looking to connect with their fans and build strong communities.
“Chainlink Sports Data Feeds are important to dynamic sports NFTs because they provide a medium to bring real-time stats on-chain,” he said.
NFTs that are released early in an athlete’s career have more opportunities to evolve alongside a growing list of achievements. This is why Bryant believes that every athlete, whether rookie or veteran, should embrace dynamic NFTs in developing their personal brand.
Personal Corner has positioned itself as a streamlined “one-stop” platform that makes it easy for athletes to learn about and launch their own NFTs supported by Chainlink Sports Data Feeds. Personal Corner’s Series 1 will include dynamic NFTs for NFL stars such as Trevon Diggs, Maxx Crosby, Von Miller, and Marquise “Hollywood” Brown.
Bryant expects dynamic NFTs will become increasingly important to athletes beyond the NFL.
“While NFTs are just one aspect of athlete personal branding, I believe NFTs will be pivotal in shaping athlete personal branding – specifically the way athletes and fans are able to connect/engage – over the next 5-10 years,” he said.
For Bryant, whose love of gaming fostered an early interest in the metaverse, NFTs are more than just a means to immortalize the greatest moments in sports. They’re the digital building blocks of entirely new mediums for fans to engage with their favorite athletes and each other.
“Aside from my love of innovation, gaming, and artistry, I see an opportunity for connection via NFTs and an avenue to build community with those that support us the most throughout our careers,” he said. “I believe many other athletes feel similarly.”
To learn more about Personal Corner, visit their website, Twitter, Discord, Medium, and Instagram.