Disney Explores the Emerging World of NFTs

Disney Explores the Emerging World of NFTs

Published: October 03, 2022

On Saturday morning, Walt Disney Co. announced on LinkedIn it was hiring a transactional lawyer to aid the company’s rapidly growing interest in Web3.

The attorney will join Walt Disney’s legal department and assist the company as it explores emerging technologies such as NFTs and the Metaverse.

The job post on LinkedIn lists several responsibilities about Web3, including performing due diligence for NFTs, blockchain, and third-party marketplaces, as well as providing full product life cycle legal advice and support for global NFT products.

Of particular interest is the bottom-most responsibility on the job post that reads:

“Partner with business teams as they plan new global emerging technology projects, typically on an accelerated and aggressive timeline.”

It seems as if Disney is looking to enter this emerging industry as soon as possible, all with the support of a dedicated legal team.

Disney's Interest in Crypto Goes a While Back

In recent years, Disney has already shown initiative towards adopting Web3 on a greater scale, actively exploring metaverses, NFTs, and blockchain.

In July 2020, Disney submitted a patent application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for a “virtual world simulator in the real world.”

In December last year, the Trademark Office approved the patent, allowing Disney to merge the Metaverse with real-world theme park experiences.

Disney CEO Bob Chapek said that the company is hoping to leverage both physical and digital data to steer its metaverse policy. He also went on to say that Disney is exploring and developing plans for the Metaverse during the D23 fan conference.

To that end, the company’s launched the Disney Accelerator Program which should aid the development of Web3 technologies. In 2022, Disney approved a total of six companies to join the Accelerator Program. The only blockchain network that made the cut so far is Polygon.

The inclusion of a transaction lawyer, who normally reviews merger and acquisition deals, suggests complex business projects are ahead of Disney. After all, anything that involves any aspect of Web3 is bound to have more than its fair share of complexities.

For Disney, it appears that Web3 holds great potential for “next-generation storytelling.”

The company even enlisted the services of long-time Apple executive, Michael White, as VP of “Next Generation Storytelling Creative Experiences.”

The initiative is widely considered to be another Disney's move to grow its brand among this niche audience. If you're looking to work with the best branding agencies in the world, explore our listing.

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