Crossmint, a start-up that provides infrastructure for building blockchain applications, has partnered with Tintinimaginatio, the company which has been set up to protect and promote the work of Hergé, to release the iconic Tintin comic series’ first NFT collection.
In partnership with artèQ, the collection comprises the illustration “The Blue Lotus,” which was created by Hergé in 1936 and auctioned for €2.6 million ($2.8 million) in early 2021. The NFT collection includes two variants of “The Blue Lotus” NFTs, a limited edition print work of which only 777 copies were created and a purely digital NFT that is available in a similarly limited version of 1,777 pieces.
Each NFT has unique features, including geographic coordinates of Tintin’s travel locations and unlocks utilities including early access to new versions of “The Blue Lotus” book prior to publishing and exclusive passes to the Hergé museum. Buyers of “The Blue Lotus” Tintin NFTs will also receive a digital brochure on Hergé’s work, created exclusively by renowned Hergéologist Philippe Goddin. The brochure provides an in-depth look at the creation of the Tintin series and the artistic vision of Hergé.
The “Blue Lotus” NFT collection is available now for purchase through the Digital Tintin website. Payments can be made by credit card. The integration of Crossmint’s credit card checkout solution is aimed at driving the adoption of web3 by non-crypto native users and propelling the technology’s mass adoption.
“We are honored to be able to fuel such a celebrated and historic art series alongside Tintinimaginatio and arteQ, helping bridge the gap from the traditional art world into the Web3 era through an easy-to-use checkout solution,” said Rodri Fernandez Touza, co-founder of Crossmint. “At Crossmint, we are committed to removing the complexities of crypto for both companies and users. We believe that NFTs are the future of art and are very excited to partner with such an iconic brand as TIntin to bring their web3 vision to life and enable NFT ownership to a new consumer.”
artèQ is specialized in the field of blockchain technology, through consultation, tech support and strategic marketing. It has launched several NFT projects including “The Kiss NFT Collection” by Gustav Klimt – Official Museum Edition of the Belvedere.
Farbod Sadeghian, CEO at arteQ, said: “With the help of Crossmint’s cutting-edge technology, we are able to usher in the Web2 consumers and enable them to own a digital asset without the tumultuous onboarding of the traditional Web3 space. This partnership allows fans a unique opportunity to own a rare piece of Tintin history in the form of an NFT. Each NFT comes with its own utilities and is a truly one-of-a-kind collectible.”