Jun 1, 2021 - Economy
Fanatics-backed NFT company launches with MLB deal

- Kia Kokalitcheva, author ofAxios Pro Rata

Illustration: Rebecca Zisser/Axios
Fanatics, Galaxy Digital, and Gary Vaynerchuk have set up and invested in Candy Digital, a new company focused on sports-related non-fungible tokens (NFTs), with a debut deal with Major League Baseball.
Why it matters: NFTs saw an explosion in mainstream popularity in recent months thanks to a new twist on sports trading cards popularized by Dapper Labs' NBA Top Shots digital collectibles of basketball content.
Details: The first token that will be sold will pay tribute to the New York Yankees' Lou Gehrig.
- Fanatics founder Michael Rubin and Galaxy Digital founder Mike Novogratz will co-chair the company, with Vaynerchuk also serving on the board.
- The company declined to disclose how much it has raised and any minor shareholders.