The Vatican Library Offers NFTs to its Supporters

By Philip Maina

2 months agoWed Jun 19 2024 10:54:00

Reading Time: 2 minutes

• The Vatican Library has revealed plans to follow its supporters to the web3 world
• The library will give NFTs to supporters who either donate or engage with it on social media
• It intends to use the NFTs to boost its online presence

The Vatican Apostolic Library has announced that it will give NFTs to those who engage with its manuscripts or make a donation. The library partnered with NTT DATA Italia to bring the collectibles to its Italian followers. To qualify, social media users in Italy will need to share the library’s web3 -focused content on social media platforms or make a donation to the library, with earned NFTs giving holders access to a limited number of manuscripts, a move that’ll appeal to its tech-savvy supporters.

Silver and Gold NFTs

According to a press release , those who engage with its web3 content on social media will earn NFTs that give them access to 15 manuscripts, while those who donate will receive collectibles that allow them to access 21 manuscripts. NFTs giving access to 15 manuscripts are dubbed “Silver” collectibles while those unlocking 21 manuscripts are called “Gold” collectibles.

The NFTs are, however, non-transferable implying that they don’t have any financial value. Although the project started in Japan early last year, the library disclosed that its arrival in Italy is meant to grow its online community through “web3/NFT technology to preserve and promote cultural heritage.”

The library’s supporters have until mid-next month to either share or donate to receive free collectibles. It also disclosed that it’s planning to enter the metaverse where supporters will be able to visit virtual spaces “through immersive experiences in XR (extended reality)”

Paris Match and Lufthansa Offer NFTs

The Vatican Apostolic Library’s move comes a day after another European entity, Paris Match , announced that it was offering some of its archival photos as NFTs. European airline group Lufthansa has also in the past launched an NFT-powered loyalty program to reward customers.

With the Vatican Library deciding to offer NFTs to unlock manuscripts, it’s to be seen whether the library will in the future consider offering the manuscripts as NFTs.