Exclusive: Gmoney Talks New 9dcc Collection Ahead of Paris Reveal

Today (Feb. 6), web3 fashion house 9dcc exclusively revealed to nft now that its new collection of NFC-enabled, on-chain products will be unveiled later this month at Paris Fashion Week and NFT Paris.

Led by Web3 founder and investor gmoney, 9dcc, which was recently recognized as “Phygital Brand of the Year” at the Phygicode Impact Awards during Davos 2024, is expanding its collection of fashion and luxury objects—a leap from a catalog of 4,500 items to over 20,000 products available.

Today’s announcement takes place against a backdrop of interest sparked by gmoney’s buzzworthy $1,000,000, 180-day loan against his iconic Ape CryptoPunk, arranged on finance platform Gondi and announced on Feb. 2.

The blockchain-linked NFC chips embedded in 9dcc objects unlock a number of opportunities for holders, including the chance to play exclusive games and the ability to create—and collect—personalized POAPs to commemorate significant events and chance meetings.

nft now sat down with gmoney for an exclusive interview on the expanded collection, touching on the loan, Davos, and more.

nft now: All this comes in the context of the highly-publicized long-term loan against your iconic Ape. What made you decide to take out the $1 million loan?

gmoney: About three years before the approval of this loan, I broke the internet with the purchase of my Punk. Only four or five months ago, both Rolling Stone and Business of Fashion published articles claiming NFTs are worthless.

With crypto beginning to wake from its slumber and Punks continuing to trade above six figures, I thought, what better way to demonstrate their value than by securing a million-dollar loan using my own famed asset? I love theatrics, and there is no better way to grab everyone’s attention than by making headlines. Now that I have, let’s talk about 9dcc. 

You recently won “Phygital Brand of the Year” at DAVOS 2024; what does that recognition mean to you and 9dcc?

It’s a big step forward for this nascent category. Digital/physical experiences are the future of consumer products. This is an early recognition of this new category.

This marks a significant advancement in this emerging field. The integration of digital and physical experiences represents the future of consumer goods. This early acknowledgment showcases the potential of this new category. 9dcc sits at the forefront of this evolution.

Tell us about the new collection—what products are involved, and what is the unifying thread tying the collection together?

Our inaugural 9dcc collection features 14 distinct looks, encompassing more than 30 premium items, including apparel, accessories, and other lifestyle products, all seamlessly integrated with the Ethereum mainnet blockchain. 

“With crypto beginning to wake from its slumber and Punks continuing to trade above six figures, I thought, what better way to demonstrate their value than by securing a million-dollar loan using my own famed asset?”

gmoney

The launch of our debut collection marks 9dcc’s next moves into defining the 9dcc lifestyle. As a luxury house for the crypto-centric, our commitment is to nurture our strong community from within. We’ve focused on catering to our core Web3 enthusiasts. Hence, we are offering a preview and pre-sale at NFT Paris 2024, providing them with luxury products of trusted integrity and value.

Our larger aim is to create covetable fashion and items that attract a broad audience. This is coupled with our goal of establishing a unifying thread, an aspirational style identity for 9dcc – more to come there soon – incorporating elements that redefine the standards of the luxury market.

The collection is the first that is fully connected to the blockchain—what does that mean specifically in this case? Feel free to get technical.

Each of these exclusive items is embedded with our innovative “Networked Product” technology. In line with our past releases, scanning the NFC chip in each product reveals a certificate of ownership and authenticity.

This digital component provides exclusive entry into the 9dcc ecosystem, which offers networking opportunities, unique content, and experiences, thereby enriching the value for owners beyond the mere physical item.

“We are scaling the 9dcc network very quickly. The high levels of engagement with these already released items have been a strong proof point, giving us the confidence that we are ready to offer a full wardrobe to our fans.”

GMONEY

You’re expanding the 9dcc product portfolio by over 400 percent. What’s made this possible, and what’s informed your strategy on what products were selected for the expansion? 

9dcc’s success with “Networked Products” speaks for itself. We have successfully launched over 4,000 Networked Products, with a majority of them activated by holders.

In the past few months, we have dramatically increased this number through our newly launched Powered by 9dcc program, where we are offering our tech stack and platform for selected partner brands, creators, and communities.

We are scaling the 9dcc network very quickly. The high levels of engagement with these already released items have been a strong proof point, giving us the confidence that we are ready to offer a full wardrobe to our fans.

Why did you choose Paris (NFT Paris and Paris Fashion Week) as the setting for the launch?

Paris has always been the heart of traditional fashion and luxury. Countless designers and houses choose to present new ideas there—be they seasonal collections or brand experiments—for feedback from the collective industry. Similarly, NFT Paris has quickly risen to become the “must-attend” gathering in our space by attracting leading communities and creators debuting major advancements and collaborations.

The timing of NFT Paris, starting before Paris Fashion Week (PFW), made it a perfect venue for the launch of our collection. We look forward to this intimate moment with the leaders of the spaces we are disrupting to get direct feedback on what we have created.

“NFT Paris has quickly risen to become the “must-attend” gathering in our space by attracting leading communities and creators debuting major advancements and collaborations.”

GMONEY

What alpha can you reveal about your plans for 9dcc in the coming months? 

The coming months for us will unfold like chapters of a story, where we will start to offer transparency into the expansive universe of 9dcc.

2023 was a year of building for us at 9dcc. We recognized quickly that for “Networked Products” to succeed, we needed a world-class destination to achieve broader adoption. Alongside the design and development of the new collection, our teams have created one of the most robust platforms any phygital is currently connected to.

When you scan one of our nines, you enter into this universe that we’ve created. These moments of access, like scanning, need to be branded and polished into experiences that entertain the crypto-centric and evoke the curious to try and share with their networks.

To be specific, many of our fans will note that we have temporarily paused proof of presence on 9dcc products. We have an exciting new program we are unleashing that will make this into an activity all can connect with, and tokens people will desire to earn and receive.