McDonald’s China has released a collection of NFTs to celebrate31years since its first fast food restaurant opened on the mainland.

The “Big Mac Cube” — named after the chain’s most famous burger — is also a nod to the company’s shiny new headquarters that have opened in Shanghai.

A total of188digital collectibles are going to be distributed to employees and consumers to mark the anniversary.

Zhang Jiayin, the CEO of McDonald’s in China, says the company has become the first domestic catering brand to release an NFT collection, adding:

“McDonald’s is a young and trendy brand that always pays attention to fashion trends and cutting-edge technology.”

An Interesting Development

McDonald’s China releasing NFTs is all the more interesting given how c has been making a concerted effort to clamp down on cryptocurrencies.

This comes ahead of the official launch of the digital yuan, which is expected to happen before the Winter Olympics kick off in February 2022.

The Conflux Network collaborated with the fast food chain on the collection — heralding the project as an “ultimate example of East meets West.”

McDonald’s very first outlet in China opened in Shenzhen all the way back in1990. Fast forward to now, and the latest figures suggest it has3,787stores dotted around the country, with plans to open thousands more in the coming years.

Internationally, this isn’t the first time that the brand has dabbled in NFTs. Back in April, McDonald’s France released digital collectibles depicting pixelated versions of Big Macs, Chicken McNuggets and ice cream sundaes. A total of20works were up for grabs.

Burger King has gone one further by launching the Keep It Real Meals campaign — a star-studded affair that includes the American rapper Nelly as a collaborator.

QR codes have been printed on millions of meal boxes, giving customers the chance to collect nine sets of NFTs, each containing three collectibles.

Collecting all three within a set unlocks a fourth NFT that’s jampacked with prizes — including a year’s supply of Whopper sandwiches and the chance to have a phone call with a celebrity.