Snickerdoodle, an NFT data and privacy platform, has announced that it is partnering with FTX and Animoca Brands to launch NFT Lotería, a game centered around a series of community-focused NFTs derived from Lotería, an image-based game ubiquitous in the Latinx community. The NFT series will highlight Hispanic artists, and its sales will benefit national Hispanic nonprofits including the Hispanic Heritage Foundation, the Latino Community Foundation, and the Rising Tide Network. Proceeds will focus on engaging and training young Hispanic Americans to enter the tech sector and the emerging blockchain industry.
“Lotería is a universally beloved, family-oriented game that highlights the best in Latinx culture. The NFTs and the game it inspires will help us to bring the next generation of web technology to local Hispanic youth,” said Jonathan M. Padilla, CEO and Co-Founder of Snickerdoodle. “We are excited to work with young, upcoming artists and to leverage the best technology in the blockchain industry to empower communities of color and generate resources to train the next generation of Hispanic engineers and coders,” Padilla added.
The NFTs created as part of the Snickerdoodle Lotería auction will be sold and made tradable exclusively with FTX both domestically and internationally, minted on Solana, and the game functionality will be developed in the coming months by Animoca Brands. Each of these partners has donated the use of their platforms for this initiative.
Sina Nader, Head of Partnerships for FTX.US, commented on the initiative, “We’re excited to partner with this group of industry experts to create a unique NFT experience that has a positive impact on a community. I’m thrilled to make our best-in-class platform available to support the non-profit efforts of the Hispanic Heritage Foundation, the Latino Community Foundation, and the Rising Tide Network.”
Yat Siu, executive chairman and co-founder of Animoca Brands, said, “We see NFTs as stores of culture, and culture is enriched when it encounters other cultures. With its emphasis on highlighting artists from American Hispanic and broader LatAm backgrounds, NFT Lotería not only creates opportunities for Hispanic communities, but it also enriches the entire web 3.0 ecosystem by introducing novel and diverse world views and cultural elements.”
This effort was made possible through the cooperation of phenomenal nonprofits that have engaged in tireless work to increase the number of young Hispanics participating in the technology and, more recently, blockchain communities.
“A big part of what we do at the Hispanic Heritage Foundation is to expose and guide our amazing network of vetted Latinx talent to pathways to underrepresented sectors,” said Jose Antonio Tijerino, president and CEO of the Hispanic Heritage Foundation. “An area of focus through Jonathan Padilla’s leadership is tech and blockchain. We are thrilled to partner with Snickerdoodle, FTX, Animoca Brands in this exciting effort that will also include art and culture along with fintech.”
Marcela Muñiz, the Latino Community Foundation’s Vice President of Philanthropy, echoes this sentiment: “Latinx entrepreneurs are vital to a thriving economy and a California that works for all. This is why the Latino Community Foundation is committed to investing in their ingenuity and creativity. We are grateful for new partners like Snickerdoodle who are working to build a more inclusive tech sector that unleashes the power of Latinx entrepreneurs.”
Padilla spoke to The Fintech Times on the potential knock-on effects NFT Lotería would have on other communities, “NFT Lotería marries Latinx culture and technological innovation. We begin with the beloved game of Lotería and update it for an intersectional and digital world, demonstrating the breadth and potential of the Hispanic community. The funds we raise will help encourage young Latinx individuals to take part in the rapidly expanding blockchain ecosystem, while also engaging the existing community to prioritise diversity. In the long term, NFT Lotería could offer a model for other underserved communities to take a similar approach.”
Snickerdoodle and the Hispanic Heritage Foundation have issued an open call for artists to reach out and join the effort. The intention is to offer artists a great chance to showcase their work while participating in the biggest revolution the art community has seen in recent memory.
As Hispanic Heritage Month comes to a close, this announcement symbolises a long-term commitment from Snickerdoodle and its partners to find diverse technical talent, correct historic disadvantages, and highlight the amazing contributions that the Hispanic community has made in the worlds of art, culture, business, entrepreneurship, as well as the broader community. The NFTs are expected to drop in early December.
