Red Paper Heart

Coinbase launched its NFT trading platform at the 2022 NFT.NYC, an annual event that celebrates and hosts over 16,000 NFT community members, creators, and artists. To successfully connect with collectors and generate excitement around the launch, Coinbase wanted to reimagine the NFT marketplace as a physical and digital playground, in an experience called The Future Market. Coinbase enlisted Red Paper Heart (RPH) as its experiential design studio to turn this complex digital universe into a fast, fun and fully immersive marketplace and gallery experience. RPH developed five large displays and digital stations to engage attendees into the marketplace: The Connect, Collector's Circle, Partner Map, Art Cube, and Mint. At “The Connect,” users attending the event signed in with their coinbase username and received a unique QR code. From there, the system seamlessly downloaded all of their NFTs in nearly real-time. Next, the user scanned their QR code at “The Collector's Circle,” triggering a full gallery of their own NFTs across the X number of screens in the space, immersing the attendees in their own NFT marketplace, combining the digital and physical world before their eyes. “The Partner Map” allowed every visitor to view a live flow of every NFT in the gallery. As new collectors checked in, this data visualization displayed a constant stream of fresh NFT artwork. “The Art Cube” brought forth a fully immersive experience for gallery viewers. With four motion-sensitive screens that formed an interactive cube, the space zoomed through custom collections and an endless catalog of NFTs. As each user walked into the cube, the screens would pause on a single piece of art–a chance meeting between timing and collection. At “The Mint,” visitors browsed their personal collection and picked their favorite NFT to be etched onto a real coin. Furthermore, all shown collections and artworks were accompanied by a QR code, linking to the corresponding page on nft.coinbase.com, allowing all visitors to buy the NFT or simply connect with the shown artwork, artist or collector. This digital and physical marketplace created a fresh new look into what the future of art, economy and connection could be.