😳 Nike Shuts Down Its NFT Brand RTFKT

Sponsored by

‎ ‎

Hey Waivly Crew! 🌊 In today’s edition, we’ve got a variety of topics to explore.

‎‎‏‏‎ ‎‎

Here’s what’s on the horizon today:

• Nike to shut down virtual sneaker label RTFKT

• Former Celsius CEO Alex Mashinsky pleads guilty to fraud

• FTC bans two data brokers from selling users' location data

• Amazon unveils its Nova collection of AI models

Let’s dive in!

STORIES MAKING A SPLASH

^_WEB3
Nike to shut down virtual sneaker label RTFKT

RTFKT, the NFT sneaker company acquired by Nike in 2021, will cease operations in January 2025. In a Dec. 2 post, it announced plans to launch a new website to honor its pioneering legacy and showcase its groundbreaking work. Before closing, RTFKT will release one final collection, “BLADE DROP,” as a tribute to its mission of pushing boundaries.

Launched in 2020, RTFKT raised $8 million from investors like Andreessen Horowitz, and its acquisition by Nike aimed to strengthen the brand’s metaverse presence. Nike’s broader strategy includes serving athletes and creators at the intersection of sports, gaming, and culture.

Since its debut, RTFKT has earned nearly $50 million, with successful collections like MNLTH and CloneX Mintvial. Despite a decline in demand for its products, RTFKT leaves behind a cultural impact.

^{_{EDITION SPONSORED BY}}
Artisan

10x Your Outbound With Our AI BDR

Imagine your calendar filling with qualified sales meetings, on autopilot. That's Ava's job. She's an AI BDR who automates your entire outbound demand generation.

Ava operates within the Artisan platform, which consolidates every tool you need for outbound:

• 300M+ High-Quality B2B Prospects

• Automated Lead Enrichment With 10+ Data Sources Included

• Full Email Deliverability Management

• Personalization Waterfall using LinkedIn, Twitter, Web Scraping & More

Book a demo and supercharge your sales team.

^_WEB3
Former Celsius CEO Alex Mashinsky pleads guilty to fraud

Alex Mashinsky, former CEO of Celsius Network, has pleaded guilty to commodities fraud and manipulating the price of the company’s CEL token. Indicted on seven counts in 2023, Mashinsky initially pleaded not guilty but struck a plea deal, agreeing to serve up to 30 years without appeal.

His case highlights a broader crackdown on crypto fraud, including the high-profile conviction of FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried on seven fraud charges in 2023. Authorities are targeting misconduct in the cryptocurrency sector as part of an intensified regulatory push.

This crackdown followed a turbulent 2022, when collapsing token prices and bankruptcies exposed vulnerabilities in the crypto market. The Federal Trade Commission reported over $1 billion in consumer losses to crypto schemes since 2021, underscoring the need for stricter oversight.

TECH SPECIAL

^{_{TECH SPECIAL}}
FTC bans two data brokers from selling users' location data

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is banning data brokers Gravy Analytics, Mobilewalla, and Venntel from collecting, using, or selling sensitive location data of Americans. The companies allegedly violated the FTC Act by selling data that could track individuals to sensitive locations like healthcare facilities, military bases, and protests.

Mobilewalla collected data through real-time bidding exchanges and combined it with other sources to create profiles, including targeting pregnant women and analyzing protest attendance. Venntel gathered location data from mobile apps and sold it to businesses and government agencies like the IRS and ICE.

The companies are now prohibited from using or selling sensitive location data and must implement safeguards. Senator Ron Wyden praised the FTC's action, citing concerns over the sale of sensitive data to anyone with a credit card.

^_TECH
Explore new deals and savings from Waivly Pass

Get ready to save big with the newest edition of Waivly Pass 🎉 In it, we've got a fantastic lineup of deals and savings for you, from fitness to home appliances to software 💻

Explore offers for Valkence Fitness, Box, Tovala, and Flowcode at Pass.Waivly.com!

^{_{TECH SPECIAL}}
Amazon unveils its Nova collection of AI models

Amazon has launched new AI models under its "Nova" brand, now part of the Bedrock library on AWS. These include Nova Micro for speed and cost-efficiency, Nova Lite, a low-cost multimodal model handling text, images, and video, and Nova Pro, a highly capable multimodal model. An advanced Nova Premier model for complex reasoning is set for early 2025.

Additionally, Amazon introduced Nova Canvas for image generation and Nova Reel for video creation, both featuring watermarking for responsible use. A mock ad by Nova Reel showcased its potential. Later in 2025, Amazon plans to release speech-to-speech and multimodal-to-multimodal models.

Unveiled at AWS re:Invent, these models reflect Amazon’s push to lead AI innovation. Backed by AWS infrastructure and custom chips, Amazon positions itself as a trusted choice for enterprises seeking cutting-edge AI solutions.

SAIL INTO A NEW CAREER

^{_{NEW JOB OPPORTUNITIES}}
Waivly Work Highlights

👩‍💻 Software Verification Engineer at Codekeeper

👩‍💻 Senior Product Designer (EMEA) at Deel

👩‍💻 Specialist, Benefits Solutions at Remote

👩‍💻 Middle Python Engineer at GR8 Tech

👩‍💻 Auditing Engineer III at Quantstamp

👩‍💻 FrontEnd Engineer II at Outliant

👩‍💻 Senior VoIP Engineer at Tabby

👩‍💻 Motion Designer at Remote

Discover more job opportunities with the Waivly Work newsletter. Click here to subscribe and elevate your job search! 🚀

THE WAVES

^{_{OTHER NEWS}}
More Stories Surfing The Web

🚗 Tesla Model 3, Model Y, and Cybertruck owners get SiriusXM access

💰 US government transfers $1.9 billion Bitcoin to Coinbase

🛰️ YouTuber creates his own satellite to take selfies with Earth

🚫 Cambodia blocks access to 16 crypto exchanges

‎‎‏‎ ‎

🌟 See today's Waivly+ exclusive story by clicking here!

REFER A FRIEND, EARN REWARDS

^{_{REFER A FRIEND}}
Earn Rewards With Our Referral Program

BACK TO THE SHORE

^{_{THANKS FOR READING}}
That wraps up today’s newsletter

We hope you enjoyed today’s newsletter 🙌 Make sure to follow us on X, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and LinkedIn for even more content throughout the day - We’re @Waivly everywhere!‎‎

*Waivly+ is the premium Waivly membership. Join at anytime by clicking “Subscribe” and cancel anytime by heading to your account on Waivly.

*Want to advertise with Waivly? Click here to see our Advertisement packages.