As NFTs continue to make their way into mainstream adoption, the process of transferring these digital assets could soon become as simple as sending a WhatsApp message or SMS text.
That's the vision of Change, an innovative startup that aims to make NFT transfers as effortless as using everyday mobile technology, potentially exposing NFT functionality to millions of new customers worldwide.
"I find NFTs and smart contracts fascinating," Garrett Rush, founder of Change, told CryptoSlate. "Not because they're pictures of bored apes, but because they represent a title deed, a certificate of digital ownership, an identity card."
Rush, a former Ant Group/Alibaba executive and founder of EyeVerify (acquired by Alibaba for $100 million in 2016), co-founded Change with seasoned blockchain executive Kenny Conklin III, who previously served as head of Analytico Trading, Inc., a cryptocurrency exchange firm.
Change's platform allows users to connect any blockchain wallet on any network to their mobile number, making it simple to transfer tickets, loyalty points, gaming items, and more simply by scanning a QR code.
The protocol facilitates the seamless exchange of NFTs through popular messaging services such as iMessage, WhatsApp, or SMS, eliminating the need for complex crypto interfaces or gas fees.
"One of the most compelling aspects is NFTs as this digital asset that can live outside the four walls of the Googles and Apples and Facebooks and Visas and ticket masters of the world," Rush added.
On February 27, Change announced it had raised $2.5 million through a consortium of like-minded VCs led by Kenetic Capital, funding that Change says will be used to roll out product updates and assist in future developments.
"Adoption is the Holy Grail of Web3," added Jehan Chu, founder of Kenetic Capital.
"Change's core features enable users to access the world of Web3 quickly, without any prior blockchain knowledge. This is a game-changer for traditional web companies looking to reduce costs and enhance new user engagement through Web3 without complex or risky crypto processes," Chu said.
Change says it is blockchain-agnostic, meaning it allows users to transfer NFTs to wallets supported by Polygon and Metamask, but also supports NFTs on integrated blockchains such as Ethereum and Solana.
"I think most people engaged in Web3 agree that there's a lot of opportunity around simple, open ecosystems," Rush said. "For users it's just more Internet, more technology, an open ecosystem, but the general consumer doesn't need to understand what's enabling it. They just get the benefit."
With the growing pipeline of new products and services being launched in Q2, Change appears poised to make the move where many blockchain companies have gone before. The mobile great equalizer.
"Think of it like Domain Name System, or DNS," Rush added:
"But we don't want mobile numbers open on the open web, so what we've done is essentially matching your mobile number to an NFT wallet."
Change's funding also saw participation from other VCs, including Tom Capital, VC3 DAO, The Fund, Movement Capital, CMT Digital, KCRise Fund, and FALCON 0x1.
