About NFT WG
The NFT Work Group is a community-driven initiative that aims to provide solutions and standards for the challenges and limitations associated with NFTs on NEAR. Our primary objective is to revitalize and expand the Near NFT ecosystem.
The Team
We consist of three core contributors who were elected by the community in early August:
Krik: With over 15 years of diverse experience in global companies and NGOs, including Project Management, Governance, and HR, I am passionate about crypto, communities, and NFTs. I serve as a Community Manager to Mr. Brown, creating engaging content and inviting guests for Near at Night Spaces.
Aescobar: I bring 7 years of experience in the Hospitality industry, starting as a Barista and progressing to Head of Product R&D, leading a team of Business Development. My journey in Web3 began as a moderator and has since expanded to encompass roles such as Community Manager, Project Lead, Advisor, and Co-Founder.
LinkedIn Profile: Aescobar Mike
Punter: With 8 years of experience in the Automation of Banking, Insurance, and Healthcare backend operations, I lead Nearvese Labs (RocketBois NFTs). Our team has developed multiple innovations for Near NFTs since March 2022.
LinkedIn Profile: Punter AKA Tej
What are our goals?
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Support & Grow Communities: Our goal is to foster the growth of communities around NFTs by implementing a Community Activation Program that draws on successful mechanisms from other chains. Also seeking collaborative efforts with established Near projects. We have already initiated discussions and pitched the ideas to several renowned projects like Near Foundation’s BD and Community Teams, Bodega NFT, Mintbase, Popula etc.
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Develop and Foster NFT Infrastructure:
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Internal projects: We aim to provide end-to-end resources to new and existing projects looking to kickstart their NFT journey on NEAR. This includes building innovations under the NFT WG brand and acquiring existing infrastructure from partner NFT Projects (such as NFT Launchpads, on-chain raffles, WL Management, etc.).
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External Projects: We support builders who create and deploy applications around NFTs on NEAR by offering guidance and financial resources (subject to approval from NDC HOM).
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Collaborations and Business Development: Our long-term objective is to establish collaborations both within and outside the ecosystem, with the goal of building a self-sustainable model.
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Onboarding and Retention of Users: We focus on creative means of onboarding and educating users, including in-person events. Our strategy prioritizes retaining onboarded users rather than merely targeting wallet sign-ups.
What have we accomplished so far?
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We have networked with key players in the ecosystem to prepare for the upcoming Community Activation Program. Our interactions have been productive, involving more than ten entities, including Near Foundation, marketplaces and diverse project teams.
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Developed our first BOS Application: “Humans of Near” to bring all the I-AM-Human verified users onto a map. It is a gamified process to find and connect with I-AM Human verified users through the link to their social profiles. There are already 40+ users, and we are also tracking the IAH sign-ups with our referral link that is shown to any unverified users that try to pin their profile on the map.
Application Link: Humans of Near
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We leveraged our connections to engage with the Clinical Director of a reputable Healthcare Institution. We presented use cases of blockchain in medicine and secured their partnership for a hybrid conference on “Healthcare & Blockchain.” We are working with Near Foundation members to align such events with Near’s core goals and leverage NFT-related use cases. Our plan includes executing the first in-person event powered by NFTs in November.
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We have initiated work on the BOS page for NFT WG, shaping it into an information hub about NFTs, with various integrations in the pipeline.
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We have activated NFT WG socials, amplifying our presence on Near Social, X, Discord, and Telegram.
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We have our Logo, branding kit, and other graphics for the socials ready.
What are our plans for September?
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We are building the NFT WG BOS page, an informational web page guiding projects seeking access to funding avenues.
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We aim to finalize the NFT WG Charter, revised in April, setting guidelines for projects requesting grassroots funding from NFT WG once V1 governance is live.
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We will continue meetings with ecosystem players to discuss the Community Activation Program.
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Leveraging “Humans of Near” (BOS Application) to onboard I am Human verified individuals and amplify creativity and engagement through campaigns.
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We will prepare a HOM Budget Proposal before V1 Governance goes live.
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We plan to stay active on all social media and growing our community presence:
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We organize weekly community calls to provide progress updates, answer questions, and offer guidance.
Funding Request:
We have been actively voluntarily working to set up the NFT WG. A startup-budget would help us operate better and be well placed for the V1 Governance cycle. Here’s the breakdown of funding request for August and September: $8,150 (for 2 Months)
DAO on-chain address (target wallet): nearnftwg.sputnik-dao.near
