SKE48 Splash: Japan’s First J-pop NFTs Sell Out ‘Instantly’

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Tim Alper

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Tim Alper

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Tim Alper is a British journalist and features writer who has worked at Cryptonews.com since 2018. He has written for media outlets such as the BBC, the Guardian, and Chosun Ilbo. He has also worked...

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June 26, 2023

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The first batch of non-fungible token (NFT) digital trading cards for the chart-topping Japanese pop group SKE48 has sold out “instantly,” reported the company that issued them.

The group is one of Japanese pop (J-pop)’s biggest commercial successes and has sold millions of records since it was founded in 2008 by music mogul Yasushi Akimoto.

Its all-female membership changes regularly, with older group members “retiring” after tenures in the group – although its popularity has remained constant.

The SKE48 NFTs are the first-ever J-pop tie-in, and an initial 100 trading card packs were issued over the weekend, selling out “immediately,” per Coin Post.

The cards were developed by Japanese blockchain firm Coinbook and were built on the ERC-721 Ethereum (ETH) blockchain protocol for NFTs.

On Monday, Coinbook tweeted that it would release a further 200 packs on the same day, each of which contains five cards – with more releases slated to take place in the days and weeks ahead.

The packs were created to celebrate the 12th anniversary of the group’s debut and feature previously unreleased concert photos.
NFTs have become a hot topic in Japan, with crypto exchange Coincheck set to launch an NFT trading marketplace – and others expected to follow suit.

Meanwhile, across the sea to the west, a blockchain game that makes use of NFTs has been listed on Samsung’s Galaxy Store for mobile apps, reported Fn News.

The game, NBA Top Shot, was developed by Dapper Labs, the team behind CryptoKitties.

There has been no word yet on the matter from the South Korean gaming regulator, the Game Rating and Administration Committee (GRAC), which has already refused to grant a ratings license to one blockchain game and has “indefinitely” delayed its decision on a second title over NFT-related concerns.

All eyes now will be on the GRAC’s response – and whether the regulator will make any comment on the move from Samsung, the nation’s most powerful and richest business group. The fact that the developer is not a South Korean firm and the Galaxy Store is targeted at users both based in the country and overseas.
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