- The Degen Trilogy is a set of three animated films scheduled to debut during NFT.NYC in June.
- There are also plans for a separate series based on the Mutant Ape Yacht Club NFTs.
Crypto exchange Coinbase announced it is collaborating with the Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) to produce an animated short featuring BAYC NFT characters. Coinbase revealed the project in a tweet yesterday and linked to the Degen Trilogy website, which currently displays the message “Something is Coming.”
Called The Degen Trilogy, the animated project will be produced under the guidance of a Hollywood director, and the films are slated to premiere on the big screen at the NFT.NYC event taking place from June 20–23. BAYC owners who want their NFT characters to appear in the films can submit their apes for consideration by the director. Community contributions will also be considered during production.
Mutant Ape Yacht Club holders will get their own series
Coinbase is not stopping with BAYC. While the trilogy focuses on Bored Apes, owners of Mutant Ape Yacht Club (MAYC) NFTs will receive a separate series created specifically for mutant apes.
Not so fast
The announcement immediately raised questions about ownership rights and licensing. Digital artist Dippudo posted a tweet showing what appeared to be terms for owners whose apes are selected to appear in the films.
The agreement reportedly offers selected owners a payment of $10,000 in BTC or APE, deposited into their Coinbase accounts. While the payment would be a one-time fee to the original owner, the ape would remain licensed and continue to be treated that way on the secondary market.
According to Dippudo, those terms could effectively require owners to transfer perpetual intellectual property rights to Coinbase.
BAYC expands beyond NFTs
The BAYC brand has been extending into the real world. A Bored Ape–themed restaurant recently opened in Long Beach, California, and announced on April 9 that it will accept ApeCoin and Ether as payment. Meanwhile, Universal Music Group has filed multiple trademarks related to the brand and is already acquiring BAYC NFTs to expand its virtual roster.
With increased attention and new events, and following the roughly $450 million raised by its parent company Yuga Labs, the BAYC collection appears poised to push further into mainstream media and entertainment.