RTFKT just bought the dotswoosh.eth domain for 19.72 ETH, approximately $35,000. RTFKT, pronounced “artifact,” is the web3 branch of Nike. It certainly marks a new era for the company, known primarily for its athletic apparel and footwear.
Why did RTFKT buy dotswoosh.eth?
Nike’s exact reason for buying dotswoosh on Friday remains unclear. But as some have noted on Twitter, Nike may have plans to use the domain to issue ENS subdomains in the future. ENS subdomains are controlled by the primary domain name holder.
In addition to dotswoosh.eth, RTFKT also owns artifacts.eth, rtfkt.eth, skinvial.eth, drmos.eth, mintvial.eth, dreamos.eth, spacedrip.eth, dripcoin.eth and m2tekno.eth.
Whatever its plans for dotswoosh.eth, Nike has a history of purchasing and registering trademarks for a wide range of affiliated names and logos. Last year, it filed trademarks for Nike, Nikeland, and “Just Do It” for a wide range of metaverse applications, as well as its Nike swoosh and “Jumpman” logos.
Nike has also gone out of its way to squash any unofficially licensed Web3 assets, suing StockX for selling unauthorized Nike sneaker images as NFT.
RTFKT
Last December, Nike announced the acquisition of sneaker studio RTFKT.
The RTFKT x Nike Dunk Genesis CryptoKicks are digital wearables that are apparently designed for use in metaverse worlds.
