Nike acquires CloneX avatar and invest in nft sneakers NFTs producer RTFKT.(Image: https://farm66.static.flickr.com/65535/51740893570_285b582059.jpg) American sports multinational Nike has announced the acquisition of virtual sneakers designer RTFKT to launch branded NFT collectables.(Image: https://farm5.static.flickr.com/4676/40237585571_7a42a3b653.jpg) RTFKT operates in the game engines, NFTs and invest in nft blockchain authentication sectors and produces next-generation sneakers and collectables for the metaverse by “merging realities in fashion and gaming”. The innovative company is behind the NFT project drops CloneX, 20,000 next-gen avatars NFTs created in partnership with artist Takashi Murakami. On the OpenSea platform, around 16,600 pieces generated a trading volume of around ETH24,700 or $95.3m (£72m) in a few days. “This acquisition is another step that accelerates Nike’s digital transformation and allows us to serve athletes and creators at the intersection of sport, creativity, gaming and culture,” said John Donahoe, Nike president and CEO. “We’re acquiring a very talented team of creators with an authentic and connected brand. We plan to invest in the RTFKT brand, serve and grow their innovative and creative community and extend Nike’s digital footprint and capabilities,” Donahoe added. RTFKT. Founded in 2020 by Benoit Pagotto, Chris Le and Steven Vasilev, RTFKT Studios is best-known for its metaverse-ready sneakers and collectables. In May, NFT the company closed an $8m funding round led by Andreessen Horowitz. RTFKT’s recent sneaker collaboration with 18-year-old artist Fewocious sold over $3m-worth of digital sneakers in under 7 minutes. “This is a unique opportunity to build the RTFKT brand and we are excited to benefit from Nike’s foundational strength and expertise to build the communities we love,” said co-founder Pagotto. “Nike is the only brand in the world that shares the deep passion we all have for innovation, creativity and community, and we’re excited to grow our brand which was fully formed in the metaverse,” he added. Nike said it does not wish to disclose the terms of the deal.