Algorand accelerates ecosystem development: mainnet upgrade, partnership with FIFA, appearance at Token2049

Author: Algorand

The renowned crypto analysis platform Messari stated at the beginning of 2022: 2022 will be the year of sports NFTs, as sports NFTs cover a vast and enthusiastic consumer base in fantasy sports and trading cards.

The combination of sports and NFTs is not uncommon in the Web3 world: previously, the fantasy football trading card game Sorare gained popularity, followed by the NBA Top Shot, officially licensed by the NBA Players Association. As the countdown to the 2022 Qatar World Cup begins, this quadrennial event, the largest sport in the world, is gradually attracting the attention of over 3 billion football fans globally.

On May 3, 2022, FIFA announced a sponsorship and strategic partnership agreement with the financial public chain project Algorand, making Algorand the official blockchain platform of FIFA and a regional supporter of the 2022 Qatar World Cup in North America and Europe.

Now, as the 2022 Qatar World Cup approaches, the first product of the deepening cooperation between FIFA and Algorand, the football NFT platform "FIFA+ Collect," has officially debuted to the world. This platform is now live and open to football fans worldwide. In this unprecedented winter World Cup for football enthusiasts in the Northern Hemisphere, "FIFA+ Collect" is seen by many Web3 fans as an unmissable way to support their favorite players and countries.

FIFA+ Collect: Record, Collect, and Trade World Cup Highlights

As the official football NFT platform launched in collaboration with FIFA, FIFA+ Collect will feature a series of original NFTs, including star players, national teams, and match videos during the World Cup, capturing every unmissable moment of the tournament. Through Web3, fans around the world can interact and build deep connections with their favorite players, teams, and communities on this decentralized platform.

Additionally, Algorand will also become the official sponsor of the 2023 Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, where FIFA+ Collect will showcase the vibrant moments of the women's football teams to fans worldwide in NFT form.

Starting with the 2022 Qatar World Cup, FIFA+ Collect aims to build a comprehensive football NFT platform in the future, encompassing original content from various global football leagues, interactive games, news, and event information, providing fans worldwide with a richer, more digital, and collectible football NFT experience.

In the phase of comprehensive transformation in the digital space, NFTs are seen as carriers of digital assets, and the sports NFT market, especially football with its massive fan base and enduring consumption habits, is undoubtedly an appropriate entry point to guide more people into the Web3 digital space and expand the blockchain user base. Regarding this cooperation, Algorand's interim CEO W. Sean Ford stated:

"The collaboration between FIFA and Algorand also highlights its innovative spirit seeking breakthroughs and its desire for seamless engagement with fans around the world."

It is reported that the initial NFT series of FIFA+ Collect will be launched soon, with more details about exclusive and limited edition series NFTs to be announced. Furthermore, FIFA+ Collect will provide an application compatible with all networks and mobile devices, available in three languages (English, French, and Spanish), with more languages to be introduced in the future.

Algorand: Strengthening Performance Foundation, Accelerating Ecosystem Development

In this collaboration with FIFA, Algorand will serve as FIFA's official blockchain platform and provide wallet solutions with official blockchain support.

As the preferred technology for over 2,000 organizations, governments, and digital-native decentralized finance applications globally, Algorand features security, low cost, high performance, and carbon neutrality. It can be accessed through various currencies and payment methods, providing global football fans with an efficient, convenient, and almost seamless football NFT experience during the World Cup. It is also the preferred blockchain for thousands of organizations launching DeFi protocols, NFTs, payment solutions, and regulated digital assets.

In terms of performance, Algorand is known for its high performance. In a recent mainnet update, Algorand launched a crucial consensus technology called "State Proof," which enables trustless and quantum-safe cross-chain interoperability, increasing Algorand's mainnet TPS from 1,200 to 6,000, preparing the infrastructure for a larger user base and a more prosperous ecosystem.

Regarding wallet solutions, Algorand launched its official wallet version at the beginning of its ecosystem development, which is not only feature-rich but also supports multiple languages, including Chinese, English, German, Portuguese, Korean, Spanish, and Turkish, providing a better participation experience for global ecosystem users.

In terms of security, Algorand employs Verifiable Random Functions (VRF) to randomly select block producers and validators, and there are no barriers to joining the network, making it impossible for attackers in the Algorand network to predict the next block producer and validator, thus preventing attacks. Since the mainnet launch in June 2019, Algorand has operated stably for over three years, being one of the few public chain networks in the blockchain ecosystem that has never experienced any downtime or security incidents.

Over the past three years, Algorand has continuously cultivated ecological reserve personnel and supported the development of ecological projects through collaborations with globally renowned universities (such as MIT, UC Berkeley, the University of Cape Town, Tsinghua University, etc.), launched various ecological incentive programs, and established deep partnerships with world-renowned companies (in sports, carbon neutrality, data privacy, product traceability, social communication, etc.), broadening the application boundaries of decentralized finance and implementing blockchain finance in various application scenarios, ultimately building a financial public chain that serves the real business world.

After years of accumulation, Algorand will showcase these innovations in the Web2 and Web3 fields at the Token2049 summit in Singapore and will open a new chapter in ecosystem acceleration in the upcoming fourth quarter of 2022.

Token2049: Participate and Build the Ecosystem

As a globally anticipated blockchain industry event, ++Token2049++ provides a platform and opportunity for blockchain leaders from around the world to gather and discuss the future. As a leader in financial public chains, Algorand will deeply participate in the Token2049 summit and host a three-day themed conference during this period.

This article also organizes the specific activity schedule of Algorand during the Token2049 summit, which includes exciting speeches from the CEO of the Algorand Foundation, two sharing sessions for all Web3 enthusiasts, and technical learning activities for developers. Interested ecosystem members are welcome to register and participate actively.

September 27: Algorand Greenhouse Tech Talks

On September 27, the day before the official start of the Token2049 conference, Algorand will hold the "Greenhouse Tech Talks" event at Gardens by the Bay in Singapore. Algorand Foundation CEO Staci Warden, Algorand Foundation CTO John Woods, Algorand Capital Head Ryan Terribilini, and several prominent guests from the Algorand ecosystem will attend this event to share the latest developments in the Algorand ecosystem, State Proof, London Bridge cross-chain technology, EVM compatibility, and collaborations with Web2 companies. The event aims to create an open and inclusive learning environment and spark Web3 innovative ideas through communication.

Since its inception, Algorand has been a proponent and practitioner of carbon-negative environmental concepts, becoming the first carbon-neutral L1 public chain ecosystem in 2021. Therefore, Greenhouse will be the theme of Algorand's summit, permeating this event in Singapore.

It is worth mentioning that this is a free all-day event: starting from the morning's Women Breakfast Club to the evening's golf party, Web3 enthusiasts in Singapore are welcome to participate.

Click the link below to learn about the specific location, schedule, and register for the event:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/algorand-developer-greenhouse-tech-talk-singapore-tickets-359727573857

September 28 - September 29: Algorand Greenhouse Hack Shack

This event is designed for aspiring developers, Web3 builders, and developers who wish to contribute to the Algorand ecosystem. It is also Algorand's first Hack Shack event held in Singapore.

In this two-day learning-oriented Hack Shack event, developers from around the world can gather at Gardens by the Bay in Singapore. Algorand will provide high-speed internet, exquisite refreshments, and a comfortable working environment for free, helping participants focus more on the event, learn about Web3, and understand everything related to building solutions based on Algorand. If you are a Web3 builder and want to learn how to develop on Algorand, these two days will provide an excellent opportunity.

The first day of the event will focus on beginner-friendly topics such as setting up the development environment, deploying smart contracts, Reach language, and Pyteal; the second day's theme will gradually upgrade to creating NFT and DeFi dApp applications on Algorand. Developers can also find suitable team members during this event to apply for the upcoming Greenhouse hackathon competition and win generous rewards. Ecosystem developers are encouraged to participate actively.

Click the link below to learn about the specific location, schedule, and register for the event:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/algorand-developer-greenhouse-hack-shack-singapore-tickets-396422027957

September 29: Keynote Speech by Algorand Foundation CEO

On September 29, from 17:20 to 18:00 Beijing time, Staci Warden, CEO of the Algorand Foundation, will attend the main venue of Token2049 and deliver a keynote speech. Ecosystem members present in Singapore can listen in person, while other community members can follow Algorand's social media accounts for the specific content of the speech compiled by the team.

This is a stage for Algorand to showcase itself to the world and promote its development philosophy, as well as an excellent opportunity for ecosystem members to gain insights into Algorand's future plans. Therefore, those who want to learn more about FIFA+ Collect's actions during the World Cup, the performance advantages after the Algorand mainnet upgrade, and the future development roadmap should not miss the Algorand activities during the Token2049 event.

About Algorand

Algorand is a blockchain network and project founded by MIT computer scientist Professor Silvio Micali in 2017. Its mainnet and native cryptocurrency ALGO were launched in June 2019. The Algorand network uses decentralized pure proof-of-stake, focusing on the scalability of the ecosystem, supporting customized applications as an L1 blockchain, and is a fully carbon-neutral public chain ecosystem.

Algorand Official Website

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About Algorand Foundation

The Algorand Foundation is a non-profit organization established in 2019, aimed at expanding the on-chain ecosystem of the Algorand network. Additionally, the foundation is responsible for important work in community, research, and governance related to blockchain.

Algorand Foundation

Algorand Foundation Twitter