CryptoKitties creator Dapper Labs is bringing Dr. Seuss collectibles to the digital world using blockchain technology by partnering with Dr. Seuss Enterprises. The companies’ new blockchain-based experience offers digital packs of Dr. Seuss characters, such as the Cat in the Hat, The Lorax, Horton, Thing One, and Thing Two. You will be able to own those collectibles, and blockchain can verify that ownership.
Blockchain is a transparent and secure decentralized digital ledger, and it can be used to verify the authenticity and uniqueness of digital assets. As a result, fans will be able to collect digital decals for characters and even pass them on to their kids. Unlike typical collectibles, the decal experience is designed to live on forever in a digital space. (If someone pulls the plug on one virtual space, the blockchain item can be moved to another virtual space).
“It’s for adults, but as we’ve seen with CryptoKitties, many of our adult players have brought their children into the fun in a supervised manner to teach them about finance,” said CEO Roham Gharegozlou in an email to VentureBeat. “We see the same potential here, but it’s primarily for adult fans of Dr. Seuss.”
Above: Dr. Seuss created Horton Here’s a Who.
Image Credit: Dr. Seuss Enterprises
The decals balance nostalgia and discovery in a new digital format. Fans can visit drseuss.onflow.org and begin assembling digital decals to organize into collections. As they amass these collections, they will be given the opportunity to discover and unlock exclusive content.
Dr. Seuss created more than 60 children’s books that sold more than 600 million copies in 20 languages by the time of his death. But he wasn’t without controversy, as a study of his characters found that only 2% of his characters were diverse and many of those were stereotypical. (Dr. Seuss Enterprises didn’t respond to a query from VentureBeat about that).
Vancouver, Canada-based Dapper Labs, founded in 2018, has 85 employees. For marketing, Dapper Labs will target mainstream Dr. Seuss fans as primary participants; specifically, it will target those fans that have shown a deep affinity for the characters and interest in collecting and playing other Dr. Seuss experiences.
“We also have the added benefit of tapping into the blockchain community, who understands and excels in collector games,” Gharegozlou said. “No one will need a crypto wallet to get started. Signing up to play creates a wallet for users without the need for additional download or plugin. It’s as simple as creating a username and password.”