New trademark documents indicate retail giant Walmart is interested in joining the world of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and crypto.
According to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), the retail corporation has submitted a United States trademark application for an NFT marketplace that provides a platform for “buyers and sellers of downloadable digital goods authenticated by non-fungible tokens.”
In a separate application, Walmart filed for a virtual currency trademark relating to “financial transaction services involving cryptocurrency non-fungible tokens and blockchain technology.”
A third application involves software associated with cryptocurrencies that “allows users to perform electronic business transactions via a global computer and communication networks.”
Walmart filed all three applications on December 30th, and they are all currently live and awaiting examination from the USPTO.
The applications are not Walmart’s first foray into the world of crypto.
In August, the megastore announced that it was looking for a cryptocurrency product lead to spearhead the company’s digital currency strategy.
And in October, the company rolled out 200 Bitcoin-dispensing kiosks in collaboration with the digital currency exchange platform CoinMe and coin-cashing machine company Coinstar.
Walmart was also subject to a hoax in September when prominent media networks spread false information indicating the company was partnering up with popular peer-to-peer payments network Litecoin (LTC).
Walmart follows in the footsteps of Facebook and sportswear giants Nike and Adidas, all of which appear poised to take on the metaverse.
Facebook rebranded to “Meta” in October, with the company’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg announcing new plans to build the metaverse.
Nike filed a trademark application that same month for products involving “downloadable virtual goods… for use online and in online virtual worlds.”
And the Adidas Originals Twitter account announced in early December that it was partnering with premier NFT brands and influencers to explore the metaverse.
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