What is World of Women (WOW)?

World of Women otherwise known as WoW is a 10,000 generative profile picture (PFP) NFTs collection. project that is focused on the promotion of representation, inclusivity & equal opportunities for all in the Web3 space. In the collection’s manifesto on their site it reads, 

“Our intention with WoW is to balance representation in the NFT space while at the same time pushing it forward and supporting causes that are close to our hearts, all through a collection of powerful, diverse and awesome Women.”

How did World of Women start?

Fresh off celebrating their first anniversary in the NFT space last July 2022, World of Women founded by artist Yam Karkai did not originally set out to be a 10,000 generative profile picture (PFP) collection. Yam Karkai was a digital artist that started by drawing one of one art on a collection named Women by Yam – Females in the spotlight. Like how one of one card in the sports collectible market is highly sought after, some single edition artworks of creators are highly desired as well. With 76.9ETH in total sales volume, she achieved more that other artists could wish for. The highest sold piece of the collection sold went for 33 ETH. The piece in question is “Two Faces” with a description that reads “We often feel two things at once. Representing two different emotions by combining two faces through soft shapes and colors that complement each other. Complex – just like humans’ feelings are.”

During the peak of the NFT explosion which happened during the summer of 2021, Karkai saw the opportunity to spread her message to a wider audience. Before the release of the project, the space was severely lacking in female representation, which made it so compelling for a female-led project to come into the fold. Female artists only accounted for 5% of all NFT art sales.

The initial development took Yam Karkai about two months to come up with 200 different assets which was made into traits by their developers. The model for the base woman was designed so that it could look like any ethnicity. They have taken the initiative to avoid any disrespectful outcomes and avoid cultural appropriation. They were careful to craft the collection to avoid any problems that could potentially arise during and after making the randomization.

Who created World of Women?

The World of Women NFT collection is founded by Yam Karkai alongside her partner Raphael Malavieille. Her friends Toomaie and NFT influencer BBA is also part of the team, the collection was launched on July 27, 2021. From the initial team of four, the WoW squad has since grown into 20 core members.

How much is a World of Women NFT?

The collection was able to sell out their 10k supply at a 0.07 ETH mint price valued at $225 at the time and their community has continued to grow ever since. The current floor price of a World of Women NFT is at 3.2 ETH roughly amounting to $6,082.05 as of August 2022. The collection is available on Opensea, Looksrare and other major secondary market platforms.

Why is World of Women popular?

There are about 5,532 holders of the original 10K PFP collection. All time sales stand at 71,479 ETH which is about a whopping $122 million given the current price of ETH. The highest sale of the collection belongs to WoW #9248 selling for 260 ETH. The official Twitter of World of Women @worldofwomennft boasts 207k followers while their Discord has 64k members.

Some of the notable owners that holds WoW NFTs are Gary Vaynerchuk the well-known entrepreneur and NFT collector which also owns his own collection in VeeFriends, Pranksy, the OG whale in NFT scene and even Logan Paul, the internet personality that has since become an avid NFT collector. Moreover, celebrities such as Eva Longoria, Shonda Rhimes and Reese Witherspoon has bought into the collection as well.

What is the utility of WOW?

All collectors of WoW NFTs hold full commercial rights for their specific token with some clauses on prohibiting uses such as inciting hate and violence as stated by the author’s moral rights. In addition, IP rights are transferred as the NFT is sold. Effectively, whenever there is a change of ownership, the IP rights is moved as well.

The WoW image display on Opensea, a NFT secondary market platform, is an 800×800 png available to anyone to right click and save. However, only holders can unlock the full definition 4000×4000 picture of their NFTs by connecting their wallet that contains their NFT into the World of Women homepage.As with other communities, the WoW NFT also gives access to token gated channels in their Discord. Additionally, certain rare traits provide access to curator’s club where each member can select an artist to support within a specific budget range. Lastly, the WoW holders were able to buy exclusive merch with more drops slated in the near future.

Raphael Malavieille, the head of partnership, has always been adamant about not promising things much to the dismay of the community. However, it is due to the team not wanting to promote something they cannot do something is has learned in his previous job as the product and project manager.

How has the WOW team delivered?

Days after the launch, the team has set up a fund with 15% of sales being reinvested to buy 1/1 crypto art pieces which was very important to Yam as she was doing the same thing prior to WoW. Their aim with the fund is to promote and give light to those artists.

Additionally, they have supported various causes that are important to women. A total of 7.5% of the primary sales was donated to She’s the First, Too Young to Wed and Strange Cintia each receiving 2.5% respectively. She’s the First is a community that teams up with grassroots organizations to make sure girls everywhere are receive proper education and rights respect and heard. On the other hands, Too Young to Wed focuses on providing avenues for girls to live their youth and be able to determine their own lives. Lastly, Cintia is a personal friend and a NFT artist suffering from ME/CFS or Myalgic Encephalomyelitis / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. She needed financial help in funding her surgery and as of this moment, she is on her way to recovery. Those are only three causes among many others that the World of Women team has supported along their way.

What is World of Women Galaxy (WOWG)?

World of Women Galaxy is an extension of the original WOW collection. Owners from the original collection were able to claim their free mint for WOWG collection. World of Women Galaxy aims to open its doors to a wider consumer base.

WOW Galaxy as it stands sits at 0.39 eth floor price approximately $741.25 as of August 2022. Currently, there are over 11,601 holders with the highest sale being 60 ETH. This 2nd collection consists of 22,222 NFTs is expansion created the blended the original NFTs from the first collection and brought about when these beings “travelled through a portal to join the Galaxy,” as written in their website. Sixteen of them being special 1/1 NFTs made by Karkai which are called Champion and Guardians. With the WoW holders having an allocation of a total of 10k WoWG, the remaining 12,222 supply were broken down with 10k going into a Dutch Auction and the remaining 2,222 going to relevant and partner communities.

What are the projects in the horizon for World of Women?

Announced last February 2022 was a partnership with Hello Sunshine, a media company by actress Reese Witherspoon with the expectation to further the collections reach through storytelling. The company has produced hits such as Gone Girl starring Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike. Additionally, it is currently producing The Morning Show on Apple TV in which Reese Witherspoon co-stars with Jennifer Aniston and Steve Carell. Ranging from feature films to TV shows, the collaboration aims to utilize the full extent of the property rights of the NFTs.

It is nothing new for the actress as she has been vocal about the possibilities of the metaverse through her social media platforms even sporting a World of Women NFT as a PFP at one point.

Currently, WoW is signed under Guy Oseary’s management. Oseary, a veteran of the music scene and a long-time tech investor has various prominent names under his care, such as U2, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Madonna who performed during the NFT NYC 2022 event. The unquestioned number one collection right now Bored Ape Yacht Club is also signed under his care.

Guy Oseary will represent WoW in partnership with DCA cofounders Aaron Berndtson and Eben Smith. As recent as June 2022, they have announced a licensing deal with Hasbro, creator of hit board game Monopoly. In addition to the impending creation of WoW dolls with Jazware.

Adding World of Women to his remarkable roster of investments, Oseary aims to bring the brand into much greater heights. In his nearly two decades in partnership with Ashton Kutcher, they have invested in a stack of business such as, Airbnb, Uber, and Spotify. Furthermore, the duo has also invested in Dapper Labs and Opensea. The former being the creator of CryptoKitties and digital collectible NBA Topshot while the latter being the leading secondary market for NFTs.

The team has been very visible all throughout 2021 and 2022 attending events such as Veecon, Art Basel Miami and recently on NFT NYC. Likewise, the community has been very active having meet ups all over the globe from America to Asia. They have created a community of holders around the globe.

What is WOW Foundation?

As reported by CoinDesk in the first quarter of the month, The World of Women NFT project has created a fund alongside The Sandbox, a subsidiary of Animoca Brand – a blockchain gaming company. What differentiates WOW from the bevy of projects, it aims to empower women in the Web3 space through female inclusion with their various initiatives. The foundation aims to funded projects created by and for women. The WoW Foundation is set to receive over $25 million over a five-year period, to subsidize different educational and mentorship programs to different artist worldwide.

With the funding, The WoW Foundation is setting up a virtual academy to interested parties with a major focus on providing a launchpad for women in Web3 by arming them with proper access to tools and relevant information that would be vital to their success. In addition, the goal to immerse more female in the space is encouraging considering data shows less than 5% of the total sales in the landscape is distributed by woman artists prior to the launch of World of Women. 

The lessons that the foundation is aiming to provide will be coursed through The Sandbox metaverse and students will receive an “NFT diploma” upon completion of said course. In a press release, by co-founder and chief operating officer of The Sandbox, Sebastien Borget, he said, “Through facilitating the education and funding of women’s projects we hope these programs help establish a generation of influential women builders in the space.”

What makes World of Women important?

Undeniably, the World of Women team has gone very far from their humble beginnings last year. The team has not gotten here by surprise. They have stayed dedicated and true to their causes namely providing equal opportunities in addition to proper representation and inclusivity to the space. They have captured the hearts of the world. With the collection being the first-ever female led project, it has brought about the rise of inclusion in the space. Several other projects that champions women’s rights have started to emerge as well. 

The NFT collection has been relevant in culturally.

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

The sale of the WoW #5672 at Christie’s Evening Sale in London for 567K GBP which is approximately $755K USD was a historical feat for the team. It proved that the line between physical and digital art has blurred as proven by the market. With Bored Ape Yacht Club and Cryptopunks only the few other collections being sold by art auction houses. Both collections being sold by both market leaders Christie’s and Sotheby’s, the latter having sold the historic piece of Beeaple for $69 million during March 2021.

The triumphs of World of Women are a testament to its significance even beyond the NFT space. In a recent collaboration with VINCI Airports, the world’s first private airport operator and blockchain-based non-profit, CODE GREEN to display artworks on airports all around the world.

Even Billboard the music publication has partnered with Yam Karkai in this year’s edition of the Billboard Music Awards. They wanted to highlight the efforts in making equality a norm for the future generations. Alongside Yam, they auctioned off 3 pieces that were made to honor three iconic female singers namely, Christina Aguilera, Madonna and Mariah Carey. The proceeds from the sale will go to the nonprofit organizations of each cover star’s choosing. On the other hands, the buyers will be rewarded by being able to walk the red carpet alongside the honorees in Los Angeles for the Women in Music celebration next year.

What’s next for World of Women?

With the Sandbox partnership in the bag, the World of Women team has already teased 3D voxels that is playable to in the Sandbox universe. Alongside the WoW virtual academy, there will be a museum dedicated to the WoW Foundation in The Sandbox.

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

There is no denying that The WoW universe has captivated the Web3 space. In a year, the collection has become a global brand with no signs of slowing down. In an arena that is typically dominated by the male audience, Yam have managed to carve out a sphere for more women to follow suit. And they did just that, led by the pioneering World of Women others have followed the charge.

Yam Karkai has caught lightning in a bottle when she started illustrating one off art and then again when she released World of Women. Regardless of floor price and what not the 13,000 unique holders of their NFTs, people have recognized its importance in the metaverse. Beyond this specific arena, there is no telling on what the brand will achieve in the future, the sky’s the limit.

This article is written by Jan Jeric Santos.

Editor’s Note: This article by The Mega Maxi is not a financial advise.