Starbucks is the most popular coffee shop in the world and its presence in the cultural zeitgeist is unstoppable. However, the coffee giant might be trying too hard to stay relevant as they plan to sell NFTs with drinks.
While it’s not the first time an industry titan has decided to sell NFTs, this is still a confusing move. It will be interesting to see if regular customers of the conglomerate will actually care about these “collectibles” going forward.
NFT to go with your Starbucks drink
Metro reports that Starbucks will soon let customers buy NFTs with their coffee and they can even join a waitlist. This will be part of the “Starbucks Odyssey” experience, which will use supposedly improved “proof-of-stake” blockchain technology built by Polygon.
Similar to the stickers customers can get, the Odyssey experience will let them collect “journey stamp” NFTs and complete activities. Dubbed as “Journeys,” these online activities will let customers participate in fun games that will supposedly increase their coffee knowledge.
Unsurprisingly, these digital collectibles can be sold with their ownership secured by the blockchain, supposedly ensuring they own it. There are rewards that can be unlocked but none of them seem to be free drinks, at least not yet.
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Actual stamps
Funnily enough, Starbucks seemingly anticipated the apathy many would have for NFTs as the company is giving away limited-edition stamps. There will be no need for cryptocurrency or any other digital wallets, as these can be purchased with credit cards.
“Limited-edition stamps will be available for all members to purchase directly with a credit card. No crypto wallet or cryptocurrency will be required,” said Starbucks.
In our opinion, the stamps are cooler and will likely cost more down the line due to their limited release. Either way, there are multiple options for customers to choose from, though only the US will have the choice to choose between them for now.