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Hunter Abramson: Why Ticket Sales are the Next Stage of Non-Fungible Tokens on the Blockchain

NFT ticketing also enables a safer, fairer secondary market.

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Author of this Expert Opinion is Hunter Abramson

Many new technologies tend to evolve rapidly, and that has particularly been the case with non-fungible tokens. It’s a technology that has shown vast potential, and early adopters picked up on this, starting an early — and short-lived — NFT craze that has since passed its initial height. However, new developments in NFTs have led to a possible course correction with exciting implications for the blockchain and every industry it touches.

The issue with early NFTs, and what caused the trend to be met with such initial hesitance, is that the general public is hesitant to accept anything without a tangible benefit to them. However, the recent trend towards utility NFTs — in other words, NFTs that offer some value or benefit to the user beyond the string of blockchain code they are composed of — has opened up the door to numerous opportunities for their implementation in various industries.

Why NFTs are the future of ticketing

The ticketing industry is a perfect match for the NFT revolution. For one, the technology used in the ticketing industry has been around for decades. QR codes, which make up most ticketing operations, were introduced in the 1990s, and the barcode system two decades before. The industry has primarily operated on an “if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it” mindset, but it is time that leaders begin to embrace this shift towards newer, better technologies.

NFT ticketing will help combat many issues plaguing the ticketing industry right now. Fraud will be discouraged — if not entirely eliminated — thanks to the blockchain technology upon which NFT tickets are built. Blockchain code is virtually impossible to replicate, which means that fake tickets cannot be produced. When combined with the revolving QR code technology that has been implemented in NFT ticketing systems, this means that virtually no money will be lost by event organizers, and thus, no unhappy customers being scammed.

From the consumer’s perspective, there aren’t many differences between using an NFT ticket and a standard ticket. Like any other ticket, you simply scan its code and enter the event. But the greater security features will assure customers they aren’t being ripped off, and the pre, during, and post-event benefits that come along with an NFT ticket will be highly desirable.

After a ticket is scanned, the ticket becomes a collectible NFT in the ticket-holder’s Ethereum-based digital wallet. For one, it’s a unique souvenir that fans can keep to remember their experience of going to the event, but the NFT could provide value in and of itself. Trading and selling the collectible NFT after the event could continue its influence long after it is over.

Building a community with NFT ticketing

In addition to these utilities, NFT ticketing benefits from the feeling of community that is associated with going to events. For example, because concerts are generally attended by fans of the artists performing, attendees are relatively like-minded in their interests, creating a built-in audience for NFTs. Many NFT projects fail due to a lack of community support, but with NFT tickets, there is no need to build that community from scratch.

NFT ticketing also enables a safer, fairer secondary market, further establishing that sense of community and protection for the consumer against ticket scalping or fraud. Thanks to the built-in verification of blockchain, Consumers are able to buy tickets on the secondary market without worrying about whether or not they are legitimate. Furthermore, blockchain technology prevents massive purchasing transactions. thanks to its more easily verifiable record-keeping, meaning scalping in the secondary market is substantially reduced, if not outright eliminated.

These advantages offered by NFT tickets show the potential of the technology to make the consumer experience significantly better. Many NFT projects have failed because of their lack of utility — and thus, relevance — to the user and inability to form a community around them. NFT ticketing is not susceptible to either of these issues, making them the future of NFT technology.

Throughout his career as a marketer, Hunter Abramson has contributed to all aspects of experience, from cross-promotional marketing to operations to ticket sales. He always pushes the limits to create positive experiences for both the enterprise and the consumer. He is currently the co-founder and CEO of Relic Tickets, which aims to disrupt the ticketing industry with NFT tickets.This piece is exclusive to Broadband Breakfast.

Broadband Breakfast accepts commentary from informed observers of the broadband scene. Please send pieces to commentary@breakfast.media. The views expressed in Expert Opinion pieces do not necessarily reflect the views of Broadband Breakfast and Breakfast Media LLC.

Broadband Breakfast is a decade-old news organization based in Washington that is building a community of interest around broadband policy and internet technology, with a particular focus on better broadband infrastructure, the politics of privacy and the regulation of social media. Learn more about Broadband Breakfast.

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Blockchain

Payment Stablecoins Should be Regulated for Safety, FDIC Chair Says

“The main benefit…of a payment stablecoin is the ability to offer cost-effective, real-time, around-the-clock retail and business payments.’

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Screenshot of Martin Gruenberg, acting chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

WASHINGTON, October 20, 2022 – Martin Gruenberg, acting chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, on Thursday argued payment stablecoins would be safer if subjected to “prudential” – or risk-minimizing – regulation. 

Speaking at a web event hosted by the Brookings Institution, Gruenberg outlined risks associated with cryptocurrencies – including market volatility and fraudulent behavior – and floated the introduction of “payment stablecoins,” which he said could be used for retail transactions.

“There has been considerable discussion and public debate regarding the benefits and risks associated with the development of a payment stablecoin for both domestic and international, cross-border payment purposes that is subject to prudential regulation,” said Gruenberg. “The main benefit given for the development of a payment stablecoin is the ability to offer cost-effective, real-time, around-the-clock retail and business payments.”

The value of stablecoins, a type of cryptocurrency designed to reduce price volatility, is tied to a reserve asset, such as the U.S. dollar. Stablecoins were developed to trade between other cryptocurrencies without “the need for converting into and out of fiat currencies,” Gruenberg said. Panelists at previous events argued for stablecoins potential ability to increase financial inclusion in the country, and its importance in the technology race with China

Part of the criteria for such stablecoins, Gruenberg further said, is that they be backed dollar-for-dollar by high-quality, short-dated United States treasury assets, and for the transactions to be conducted on well-regulated permissioned ledger systems.

A permissioned ledger system allows moderators to regulate who can participate in the network.  In addition, participants are not anonymous, which, according to Gruenberg, is important for the safety of payment stablecoins. “The ability to know all the parties…that are engaging in payment stablecoin activities is critical to ensuring compliance with anti-money laundering and countering-the-financing-of-terrorism regulations and deterring sanction evasion,” he argued.

Because of the novel and complex nature of cryptocurrency, Gruenberg said, the FDIC should approach its regulation with thought and care. The FDIC issued a letter to its supervised banks that requested information on their cryptocurrency activities earlier this year, and Gruenberg said collaboration with banks would continue.

“There are important risks and policy concerns that will need to be taken into consideration before a payment stablecoin system is developed,” he said.

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Blockchain

Treasury to Release Three Reports on Digital Currencies in ‘Coming Weeks’

The reports will discuss digital asset implications on national security, financial inclusion, privacy and citizens.

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Photo of Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen

WASHINGTON, August 29, 2022 – The Treasury Department announced last week it will be releasing a series of reports about the security and state of digital currencies in the U.S. “in the coming weeks.”

The department said three reports will be released and will discuss the impact of digital assets on issues such as national security, financial inclusion, privacy and on consumers, businesses, and investors.

The department’s August 24 announcement will fulfill a commitment required by a March executive order from the Biden administration that mandates within 180 days the department produce a report about the future of money and payments systems, including adoption of digital assets, and the implications of technology and those assets on the country’s financial system.

The Biden administration has put “a high level of urgency towards research and development efforts into a potential U.S. central bank digital currency,” Julia Smearman, director of international financial markets at the Treasury Department, said Wednesday.

At an event earlier this year, experts pondered whether the U.S. was falling behind other nations, such as China, when it comes to developing their own digital currency.

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Blockchain

IBM Exec Touts Blockchain Technology as Economy Accelerator

Blockchain will be commonplace in the economy ‘within the decade,’ the IBM executive said.

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Screenshot of Jerry Cuomo, IBM vice president of blockchain technologies

WASHINGTON, August 23 – Blockchain technology will speed up the economy in the coming decade in part by making the process of verifying information – such as user identity – more safe, streamlined and efficient, said IBM’s vice president of blockchain technologies at a Tech Forward event on Tuesday.

Jerry Cuomo described blockchain as an “odd duck” type of database with a few defining features, explaining that each blockchain has several administrators, that each transaction must be vetted by the administrators before being recorded to the digital “ledger,” and that transactions, once recorded to the ledger, are essentially impossible to change or delete. Cuomo also explained that each data point – or “block” – in each blockchain is heavily encrypted, which creates high levels of security and user trust.

Although blockchain is most widely associated with the transactions of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Cuomo said it can used for a wide variety of purposes – including identity verification, food safety and intra–supply chain communication. For example, Cuomo suggested that instead of making hundreds of accounts on various websites, a user may soon be able to have a single, blockchain-based identity that would be accessible whenever verification is necessary.

Cuomo said he believes food safety, for example, can be improved by using blockchain technology to document salient information about food conditions during transport. IBM Food Trust is a blockchain-based service that the company says allows participants to track a food product throughout a given supply chain and to ensure that it is safe, fresh, and sustainably sourced.

The company said it offers a wide variety of blockchain services. IBM’s supply chain service, for instance, promises “data integrity and faster reconciliation,” features that are made possible by the immutability of each blockchain record once it is entered into the ledger.

As for the timetable on blockchain technologies becoming commonplace in the economy? “I think its within the decade,” said Cuomo. “This is not an ‘if,’ this is a ‘when.’”

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