UAE Bonuz Application launches its Social smart Wallet

Bonuz, the ecosystem dedicated to simplifying digital asset management, has launched its Social Smart Wallet during an exclusive event at Fish Hut, in Dubai. The celebration brought together VIPs, industry leaders, and notable figures from the world of blockchain and entertainment.

The event featured the world’s first real-world gamification quest conducted onchain. Attendees engaged in interactive quests, such as checking in to the event via the Bonuz app, and participated in social media posts, and a group photo session. Those who completed the challenges were rewarded with soulbound Proof of Participation NFTs and a special commemorative “Mende’s 40th B-Day and Bonuz Launch” NFT, offered as complimentary keepsakes.

Prominent guests included executives from leading exchanges such as Binance, OKX and Bitpanda, as well as representatives from major crypto media outlets like CoinDesk, Web3 TV, Blockpedia and the Crypto Hub.

“After nearly two years of development, we’re thrilled to introduce the Bonuz Social Smart Wallet to the world,” said Matthias Mende, Founder and CEO of Bonuz. “Our mission is to onboard hundred of millions into the digital realm by offering the simplest, most user-friendly self-custodial wallet. With features like social login, our wallet is so smart that users don’t have to be.”

The evening was enriched with a raffle, where participants had the chance to win dental treatments and dental hygiene kits, sponsored by MONAJI and Dr. Mohammed Naji who said “We’re excited to support Bonuz’s launch and help everyone have a bright smile—as bright as Bonuz itself,”

As per the press release, the Bonuz Social Smart Wallet sets itself apart with its simplicity and advanced features. As a self-custodial wallet with social media aggregation capabilities, it lowers the barrier to entry for digital asset management, making it accessible to users of all experience levels.

Key Features of the Bonuz Social Smart Wallet:

  • User-Friendly Interface: Designed for simplicity, so users don’t have to be tech-savvy.
  • Self-Custodial: Empowers users with full control over their digital assets.
  • Gas-less: All Bonuz Onchain Utilities are free of Gas Fees.
  • Social Login: Streamlines access and enhances user convenience.
  • Gamification: Enables Gamification features for Real World and Digital Brands.
  • Onboarding Millions: Aims to make cryptocurrency accessible to a broader audience.

World Cup Qatar 2022 fan tokens a catalyst for mass crypto adoption

Qatar’s World Cup 2022 is a first in many ways. It is not only the first to be held in an Arab country but also the first to have crypto and blockchain sponsors, namely Algorand and Crypto.com, and the first to introduce fan tokens, NFTs, and metaverse experiences. Consequently, these actions have spurred the market capitalization of fan tokens to $300 million at the onset of the World Cup according to CoinGecko.

Fan tokens for FIFA

World Cup 2022 NFT Collection was launched with Algorand blockchain technology. FIFA fans now have the opportunity to attend the tournaments and enjoy a VIP experience thanks to the official digital collectibles. In this sense, they are one of the first utility NFTs in the World Cup space. Costing as low as $4.99, 216,862 packs had been claimed by Nov. 23 from the FIFA+ Collect website out of a collection of 532,980 packs, which include 1,593,480 NFTs. Users can purchase packs using credit cards or USDC-A on the Algorand network.

Moreover, the FIFA World Cup 2022 collaborated with Matchday, a company that developed a social prediction game based on football cards, and Upland, a company that built a virtual replica of the Lusail Stadium in Qatar for fans to visit the metaverse using collectible NFTs.

Will this impact the growth of fan tokens in the region?Nabil Al Sayed, the founder of the MENA-based Nifty NFT marketplace, believes that FIFA’s approach to Web3 is reassuring.

“Football has a great fan base, and the World Cup has an even bigger one,” he explains. “This adoption of Web3 by FIFA helps engage a wider base of fans in this new space, introduces a new world to fans also gives a nudge to the ones on the fence and also proves that Web3 is the future and it is here to stay.”

Al Sayed adds that these partnerships “are just the beginning for what is yet to come.”

However, the founder of UAE Web3 social engagement platform Bonuz, Matthias Mende, says the current efforts are not enough, and that FIFA faces challenges in making their NFTs simple and friendly to purchase as well as relieving fans of gas fees.

He states, “The greatest outcome to incentivize fans to purchase FIFA NFTs is their affordable prices. Nevertheless, acquiring the FIFA NFTs should be done with gasless payments, which are currently not available on Algorand.”

FIFA is not the only entity offering fan tokens and NFTs. Binance, for example, is offering $1 million in rewards in its Web3 Blockchain-enabled football challenge. UAE-based KoinBasket, a crypto investment firm, put up 100 million Bitcoin Satoshis for grabs, and Bybit crypto exchange, which had applied for a license in Dubai through VARA, is offering 500,000 in USDT as a prize pool in celebration of the World Cup.

Are these successful campaigns to gauge fan interest?Al Sayed believes that the secret behind successful fan NFTs and tokens is the utilities that these assets hold. He explains that NFTs allow fans to “participate in voting polls for the team, go on a hunt for digital collectibles, purchase gated NFTs, and enjoy gamification features tied with fan rewards or virtual experiences.”

As for Mende, NFTs that provide “Proof of Attendance” coupled with a quest map requesting users to carry out tasks might be effective to increase and measure social engagement.

“Using this strategy, companies can rate which community members add value and which are merely attendees,” Mende expounds. “Companies can filter benefits based on these data points and determine who to grant benefits to.”

Future of sport NFTs and fan tokens in MENA

Al Sayed reiterates, “This is the first step to a whole new way of consuming sports. We are just scratching the surface. This year it started with fan tokens, and by 2026 we will be seeing more immersive experiences and a wider range of products beyond tokens and games.”

Blockchain will be the norm for the upcoming World Cup, Mende predicts. According to him, the general public will see the emergence of “Tracking NFTs.” Since these NFTs will track users’ activity in a similar way that cookies do, they will provide a high level of transparency for understanding real user behavior. “Users will be happy to exchange this data for NFTs, digital rewards, and virtual benefits,” he claims.