Gerard Pique has finally revealed what was behind his social media selfie blitz throughout the summer. The Catalan defender has been posting nigh-on daily selfies for weeks and weeks, with many speculations aired. Did he have a Gillette deal lined up? Was he simply bored? The Barcelona defender was actually entering a partnership with Sorare and using them as NFTs.
Selfies were part of a bigger plan:
My #NFTs are finally available on @SorareHQ 💥🙌🏻@FCBarcelona @LaLiga https://t.co/xZl3WopMtp pic.twitter.com/25w3eQNeVe
— Gerard Piqué (@3gerardpique) September 9, 2021
NFT stands for non-fungible token; it’s a unit of data stored on a digital ledger or a blockchain that certifies a digital asset to be unique and therefore not interchangeable. They can be items such as photos, videos, audio and other types of digital files. Copies of them are available to be obtained, but blockchains track them to ensure the owner has proof of ownership. The NFT market value tripled in 2020, reaching north of $250m; during the first quarter of 2021, NFT sales exceeded $2bn.
Pique has long been plugged in to off-the-pitch activities. He enjoys celebrity in non-footballing circles thanks to his marriage to Colombian pop star Shakira, and is a hugely successful businessman. Many observers have tipped him for a run at the Barcelona presidency in the near future.
