Superyacht NFTs: Making the “exclusive more inclusive” with Oceanco

Non-fungible tokens – AKA NFTs – have now unquestionably made their entry into the world of yachting and Oceanco is one of the pioneers charting these waters. The Dutch yacht builder announced earlier this month that it’s about to launch into a new digital realm under the brand Superyacht NFTs, which will be “anchored in the Ethereum blockchain”.The collection of Superyacht NFTs are based on the 105-metre explorer concept Esquel that Timur Bozca of Bozca Design and Oceanco drew up together in 2019. We caught up with Paris Baloumis, Group Marketing Director at Oceanco, to hear about Superyacht NFTs and to learn about the benefits of joining this community that is aimed to “make the exclusive more inclusive”.

Read: Oceanco launches series of Superyacht NFTs

“It’s important to us as a company that Oceanco pushes the industry’s boundaries and that we challenge ourselves to continuously grow,” Baloumis said. “The world is changing, and we believe that the transition to Web3 will touch every part of our lives in some way. Which is why we were motivated to jump in sooner rather than later and be a frontrunner in the industry’s evolution. NFTs felt like a natural progression and we wanted to make sure what we offered would be unique and exciting.”The Superyacht NFTs will be based on the builder’s 105-metre remarkable expedition design for Esquel that was conceived with Bozca, who won the Young Designer of the Year Award in 2015, although each will display a unique combination of design elements, themes and settings, including some rare features to make them even more desirable.

Read: DIBS 2019: Oceanco reveals new 105m Esquel explorer yacht conceptPhoto: Oceanco“You could say that the central driver of our strategy is experience and engagement – both in real life and virtually – rather than to simply explore a design in 3D. It’s all about community,” added Baloumis.

Community is where the potential of NFTs truly lies – it’s also the value that's driving Web3 – and Oceanco gets it. “We have definitely entered the NFT space for the long run,” Baloumis continued. “The success of these kinds of projects is evaluated not only in the uptake of the initial drop, but in the long-term engagement with the holder community to maintain interest and value. With our first collection dropping soon, marking the foundation of our Superyacht NFT community, we are excited to invite people to join.”

Superyacht NFTs will grant holders special access to ongoing benefits that are experienced both virtually and in the real world, working alongside likeminded partner brands to bring engaging rewards and activations to its holder community. Over time, Superyacht NFT holders will be given the opportunity to boost their tokens through airdrops of collectible add-ons including super toys and accessories. These will convey additional “money-can’t-buy” benefits to the NFT holders, according to the team behind the project. Baloumis let on about some other partnerships for the project as well: “We are working with some highly respected and experienced parties to offer reassurance to buyers. And in terms of activation partners, this will continue to evolve over time as we develop the program, but you can expect to see a wide range of lifestyle, luxury and tech partners coming onboard with Superyacht NFTs; we wouldn’t want to let our secrets slip quite yet but there will be more to follow soon.”

It is clear then that Oceanco is entering this field with intention to make the exclusive nature of physical superyachts more inclusive in a new digital realm. Superyacht NFTs are its answer. It's also evident that NFTs have a lot of potential in what they can offer – and hopefully develop for – our yachting community.