05/01/2022 Scoop: NFT marketplace OpenSea in talks to buy Dharma Labs

Animated illustration of an ornate frame with falling dollar signs

NFT marketplace OpenSea is in talks to acquire Dharma Labs, a digital wallet for cryptocurrencies, Axios has learned from multiple sources.

Why it matters:NFTs have exploded in popularity, as everyone from global consumer brands to indie artists have rushed to sell digital collectibles, and user-friendly crypto wallets are critical to the industry's future growth.

Details: Deal terms are still being hammered out, with current talk of an all-stock deal valued at between $110 million and $130 million.

  • Founded in 2017, Dharma Labsinitially built a protocolfor cryptocurrency lending and participated in Y Combinator's program that same year.
  • It has raised about $15 million from investors like Green Visor Capital and Coinbase Ventures.
  • OpenSea is finalizing a new round of funding at a $13 billion valuation, as first reported byEric Newcomerand confirmed by Axios. It last raised money in July 2021 at a $1.5 billion valuation, led by Andreessen Horowitz.

Neither OpenSea nor Dharma Labs agreed to comment for this story.

Arts

https://www.axios.com/opensea-nft-dharma-acquire-f6df00d5-1cc0-463a-95fd-2f5039947ed8.html

Interesting NFTs
Who is Satoshi Nakamoto?
"Who is Satoshi Nakamoto?" is dedicated to the mysterious creation of Bitcoin, and acts as the showcase artwork within Javier Arrés’ exploratory series "Bitcoin, The Origin". "Who is the creator of Bitcoin?" The artist, Arrés, explores this question, and the feelings of doubt and mystery that accompany it, through his unique artistic language. An unknown, an enigma. It should be remembered that the name Satoshi Nakamoto is a pseudonym of Bitcoin's author or authors and gives us little insight into its true creator. For this Visual Toy, Arrés uses the signature claw machine, his famous half-operation, to symbolize our collective ignorance and unconfirmed belief: As soon as it has the stuffed animal within its grasp and appears to have solved the puzzle, the animal escapes again, and again. At present, there are three more public and studied possibilities who are either believed to be the creators of the currency or who directly claim the creation of it. It may be all or none of them, yet these three personalities leave us clues which are an important part of this interesting enigma. For this moment, it will remain unknown... In this artwork, Arrés elevates the claw machine from the apparatus, to an iconic pop art object serving as an important element to the Bitcoin creation narrative. Action is everywhere, with each movement serving an iconographical or metaphorical purpose related directly to cryptocurrency: Various ups and downs, roller coasters, mining points, robot, coins and more speak to a sense of hope, risk, mystery, randomness and possibility of pay out. Hundreds of manically thought out details make this creation one of the artist’s most complex Visual Toys to date. ------- "Bitcoin, The Origin" is a set of two Visual Toys, titled "Who is Satoshi Nakamoto" and "It’s Alive!" which reflect and explore the mystery and enigmas behind the creation of Bitcoin. Arrés presents these proposals to us in his signature style, full of iconography, fantasy, maniacal animations and a panoply of details (both subtle and overt) which simultaneously fascinate, hypnotize, and narrate this historical milestone through the singular vision of the artist. Through this series, Arrés freezes a crucial moment of cryptocurrency history, taking a still photo under his vision and turning it into two unique crypto artworks. ---- More info about Javier Arrés: https://javierarres.com/about.html
Big Red
CLAUDIA HART (B. 1955) Big Red born-digital, looped video 00:05:00 minutes (1920 x 1464 pixels) Executed in 2019. This work is number one from an edition of one plus one artist's proof and is accompanied by a non-fungible token.
Nyan Cat
Nyan Cat is the name of an animation uploaded on April 2 2011, and became a viral internet sensation. The design of Nyan Cat was inspired by my cat Marty, who crossed the Rainbow Bridge but lives on in spirit. I am the original artist behind the iconic GIF and have remastered the image for its 10 year anniversary. Owning this piece grants the following stats: Charisma +10 Luck +10 Happiness +15 ________________ 1400x1400 - 12 Frames
Pending Gerbil #10/23
The #PendingGerbil drew his breath nervously. Fail Dropped Dropped and Replaced There were nothing in this world he feared more. He looked at the chords that crossed the abyss in front of him. They were loaded with pending gerbils, clinging for their life. No open space to be seen. The world machine creaked under the load. As the wheel turned and settled on a new block with a load bang, the chords vibrated, and short shrieks were heard as tired paws lost their grip and the gerbils fell into oblivion. #PendingGerbil closed his eyes, sent a short prayer to @VitalikButerin, and took the leap. Written by: @Werekitty1 Pending Gerbil is a very special collaboration with NonFunGerbils (https://nonfungerbils.com/pendinggerbil)
YouTube Lab
YouTube logo factory. 10-second loop, 30 fps. Created using Cinema4D, X-Particles, TurbulenceFD, Octane, and After Effects.