Bored Ape Yacht Club was launched in April 2021 with the distribution of 10,000 unique NFTs. This collection of digital apes, living on the Ethereum blockchain, has since become a highly exclusive and aspirational decentralized community. What does its success tell us about brand identity?

Digital developments are transforming the ways people showcase their status online, with gaming worlds and the metaverse providing new platforms through which to distinguish themselves from their peers. But what kinds of status symbols resonate in the new virtual economy?

Streetwear fans are embracing a hybrid existence, and they want status symbols that do this too. adidas Originals has released an NFT clothing line in collaboration with the Bored Ape Yacht Club, gmoney, and PUNKS Comics, providing the opportunity for fans to wear their favourite streetwear digitally and in real life.

Non-fungible tokens offer a way for people to digitally own everything from a tweet to a GIF of an NBA play via blockchain technology. How might they forge meaningful connections between fans and their idols? And how can brands sustain engagement with the tech beyond the initial hype?