The International Cricket Council (ICC) has embarked on a groundbreaking venture with Near Foundation to develop a blockchain-enabled Web3 fan interaction app in anticipation of the 2023 Cricket World Cup in India. This innovative app is poised to captivate hundreds of millions of cricket enthusiasts throughout the six-week tournament.
Finn Bradshaw, the ICC’s head of digital, and Chris Donovan, CEO of Near, delved into the intricacies of the Web3 mobile app. This app is designed to elevate fan interaction levels before, during, and post the matches at this international sports spectacle in India.
The ICC ventured into the Web3 domain with the inception of a nonfungible token (NFT) platform, FanCraze, in 2022. This platform allowed aficionados to possess highlights of iconic moments from diverse ICC events. Bradshaw emphasized that this initiative paved the way for subsequent endeavors in the Web3 realm:
“We loved the community that grew around that product, so we have been looking for other use cases that help strengthen our fans’ love of cricket.” Finn Bradshaw ICC’s Head of Digital
The app is set to feature prediction games, enabling fans to strategize and make selections for matches throughout the tournament. The fans will accumulate points based on their choices and the actual match results, contributing to leaderboards and earning rewards throughout the event.
Bradshaw highlighted the shared vision between cricket’s supreme body and Near, focusing on leveraging Web3 technology to enhance digital fan experiences. The interoperability of Near’s Blockchain Operating System with other networks played a pivotal role in forming this alliance:
“We loved the community that grew around that product, so we have been looking for other use cases that help strengthen our fans’ love of cricket.”Finn Bradshaw ICC’s Head of Digital
Near, a layer-1 blockchain, boasts scalable infrastructure that facilitates communication, smart contracts, and transactions with various blockchain ecosystems. Donovan foresees the potential of this feature as the partnership, set to conclude in December 2025, explores more applications. The amalgamation of marketing and advertising in diverse sports genres has propelled the acceptance of cryptocurrencies and Web3 at large. Donovan is optimistic that hosting the Cricket World Cup in India will serve as a pivotal platform to exhibit practical applications of blockchain technology.
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