The RECUR Wrap-Up: 2022 Edition

RECUR
11 min readDec 22, 2022

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The year may be ending, but we’re just getting started.

Oh, hello! Since you’re here, it’s probably safe to assume you want to read our summary of 2022.

Or you might be thinking, “Oh, look! Another year-end recap. How original!”

But this isn’t just a recap. It’s more like a WWE walkout, complete with pyrotechnics and a sweet anthemic song.

So if you’re just joining us on the RECUR rocket, allow us to re-introduce ourselves as we revisit all we’ve accomplished this year. From mind-blowing digital collectible experiences to innovative, industry-leading tech, let’s examine the incredible momentum we have going into 2023.

3…2…1… Liftoff! This is your 2022 RECURecap.

THE RECUR ROCKET LAUNCHES

Every journey begins with a first step. But ours became a giant leap in the blink of an eye.

Just before the end of 2021, we dropped the official RECUR Pass. A genesis pass with plenty of perks, the RECUR Pass provided entry into a larger ecosystem that, at the time, seemed beyond comprehension.

The Pass became an overnight success, featuring new mechanics for exclusivity, rarity, and unique ways to secure allowlist spots for drops.

And while we anticipated strong interest, nobody could have predicted the outcome of our first open mint.

Even as crypto markets turned, the RECUR Pass sale exceeded our expectations by magnitudes. With over 70,000+ passes sold, the foundation was set for RECUR to build and release game-changing digital collectible experiences for one of the fastest growing, most passionate groups of people (and degens) in web3.

So with the stage set, the spotlight then turned toward some of the most highly anticipated drops on the blockchain.

But these weren’t just any old NFT drops. Instead, these were the start of something much bigger for immersive experiences yet to be created in the space.

And it all started with college sports and the launch of NFTU.

MISSION IS A GO. EXPERIENCES HAVE ENTERED ORBIT.

On the heels of the successful Pass drop, RECUR experiences and experiences Powered by RECUR were ready to be deployed.

Here’s your quick-hitting rundown of the game-changing experiences Powered by RECUR last year:

NFTU

We brought the best of college sports to the blockchain to make everyday game day with the release of NFTU. Fans could collect their favorite players, complete unique challenges to access rare NFTs, and even receive physical rewards like signed basketballs! We also rewarded loyal holders with a free drop featuring unique collectibles from some elite collegiate programs.

  • Packs sold: 43,494
  • Rewards dropped to fans: 44,841
  • Challenges completed: 9,888

Star Trek™ Continuum

The Continuum awaits! Earlier this year, we took to the stars to bring the blockchain to deep space with the release of Star Trek™ Continuum. This massive project created a new, officially sanctioned storyline within the Trek universe! From Starship swaps to the impending, highly-anticipated crew drop, Captains have been immersed in a world of mystery, intrigue, and exploration. We can’t wait to see what 2023 brings to the farthest reaches of the galaxy!

  • Total sold: 8,381
  • Starship exchange challenge completions: 1,119

Top Gun: Maverick

Pilots, we salute you! We hope you had as much fun as Maverick hitting 5Gs as you did collecting these limited edition digital pieces. To celebrate the release of this blockbuster sequel, fans could redeem their special preview ticket for an exclusive digital collectible and the opportunity to jump into the pilot’s seat with the Top Gun: Maverick VR experience at Dave and Busters!

Queue theme song… ba baaaa! Badadadadaaaa! Badadaaa badadaaa badadaadaaa!

  • Helmets distributed: 12,500+

Nickelodeon

Can you believe it’s been six months since we first entered The Splat Factory? Steeped in nostalgia and the joys of rediscovering our favorite childhood cartoons, fans flocked to the initial Hey Arnold! x Rugrats drop, which sold out in less than ten minutes. This year, we broke the internet with the announcement and release of Nickelodeon NFTs, provided unique utility to users with Paramount+ codes, and gave free Invader Zim x AAAHH!!! Real Monsters TV Packs to holders of our ultra-rare Mashups!

On the heels of this massively successful release, Invader Zim and AAAHH!!! Real Monsters were able to take over The Splat Factory for Season 2. Fortunately, the Factory Foreman thwarted Zim’s genius plan at the last minute. Humanity appears to have prevailed once again!

As the dust settles, we can’t help but wonder what more is in store for your favorite Nicktoons. Until then, here’s your Nickelodeon recap:

Season 1: Hey Arnold! x Rugrats

  • TV Packs sold: 10,000
  • #1 collection on OpenSea
  • Slime redeemed: 5,000
  • Mashups redeemed: 428/500 (and counting!)

Season 2: Invader Zim x AAAHH!!! Real Monsters

  • TV Packs sold: 4,160
  • Slime redeemed: 5,000
  • Mashups redeemed: 459/500 (and counting!)

Care Bears™ Forever

How big is your friendship circle? Back in September, we released Care Bears™ Forever. This exclusive drop brought the original bears to the blockchain.

But that wasn’t all. Five entirely new bears were introduced to the world of Care Bears! These fresh faces brought a smile to our own as we collected, shared, and unlocked new levels of friendship. But that’s not all. Specific Care Bears fans enjoyed special physical giveaways. Like the incredible reward coming soon to all holders of Care Bears with the Boombox trait!

  • Total sold: 6,456
  • New metaverse bears: 5
  • Sharing challenges completed: 2,043

Hello Kitty and Friends World

This is your RECUR captain speaking. I’d like to personally thank you for flying the friendly skies with Hello Kitty and Friends. Together, we gathered souvenirs, made new friends, and visited incredible places from Tokyo to New York City and everywhere in between! What will you do with all the stamps you’ve collected? Get ready for the next stage of Hello Kitty and Friends in 2023.

  • Total sold: 9,494
  • Trips taken: 24,000

emoji™ Forever

Where were you when Barry Dingle dangled his dongles with a funky-fresh NFT drop? We sure remember. emoji™ Forever brought Barry Dingle and his crazy friends and family to the masses through one unforgettable drop. We laughed. We cried. We watched in amazement as Crypto Whale Poo made an enormous splash for his OpenSea auction.

Barry did want us to relay his thanks, saying, “That’s a wipe on 2022!”

  • Total sold: 2,120
  • Stupid quips: Infinite

TMNT

Have you heard? Something is moving in the sewers! We can’t wait to show you the funky pizza we’re cookin’ up for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles experience in 2023. One thing’s for sure; this drop will be one fantabulous adventure!

It’s hard to describe how monumental an undertaking it is to plan, create and execute each of these experiences. Here are some eye-popping numbers from 2022:

Total challenges completed: 51,944
Total NFTs swapped: 96,253
Largest experience participation: Top Gun: Maverick

HERE’S TO YOU, THE BLOCKCHAIN EXPLORERS AND DIGITAL PIONEERS.

We’d be adrift in space if it weren’t for our passionate community. You are why we do what we do — inspiring us to continue building and reaching for the stars. We know there was some turbulence as we left the stratosphere. There always is. We’re so excited for you to join us on this journey. Onwards and upwards. The best is yet to come!

Discord

We are incredibly proud to have built one of the most robust, most passionate web3 communities on Discord. Together with you, our rocket crew cohort, we’ve made a safe and inviting space to help bring more people into the blockchain world.

  • Since its launch, our Discord has grown exponentially to nearly 81,000 members.
  • Over 2 million total messages sent in 2022
  • Over 2,500 hours spent in voice chat in 2022

Twitter

Over the last year, we grew our community and launched three new Twitter handles for experiences Powered by RECUR. And while each has its personality and presence, we nearly broke Twitter (not really) with a massive influx of followers following the Nickelodeon NFT announcement and account launch.

By the numbers (featuring the most popular posts from each account):

THE RECUR ROCKET: TOUCHING DOWN AT AN EVENT NEAR YOU.

From coast to coast, we attended some of web3 and fandom’s most significant events. And we made our presence known. With eye-popping visuals and industry-leading brand partnerships on display, we were impossible to ignore.

This is your event recap.

Star Trek: Mission Chicago

In April, we announced the launch of Star Trek™ Continuum at Star Trek: Mission Chicago. We held a Twitter space with the William Shatner and made a lot of waves with our officially sanctioned Trek timeline.

Consensus

In June, we crashed Austin with a Pass Holder happy hour and a special panel appearance by the one and only Zach Bruch on the future of NFTs. Check out this write-up from Coindesk on the event.

NFT NYC

NFT NYC wasn’t prepared for our Nickelodeon activation at the Polygon hub. With major hype stoking excited fans, we celebrated with Pass Holders and engaged with Zach Bruch on ushering big brands into web3. Oh, and did we mention Steve Aoki dropped by? Yeah, that Steve Aoki! Catch the recap here.

Fandom & Paramount+ Party at Comic-Con

Have you ever been to Comic-Con? A few of our Star Trek™ Continuum holders got a sneak peek this year! We rewarded a handful of lucky holders access into the Fandom and Paramount+ party for an unforgettable experience.

Circle Converge

We landed in San Francisco to join our partners over at Circle for their Circle Converge conference this September. Zach Bruch spoke about effective NFT strategies for household name brands, our VP of Product, Eriks Reks, demoed the RECUR platform, and we met lots of amazing people at our booth! Check out our booth video:

TechCrunch Sessions: Crypto 2022

This November, we joined TechCrunch Sessions: Crypto 2022 as an exhibitor where we had another amazing opportunity to meet and connect with others passionate about web3!

Miami Art Week

We art deco-ed the halls this December as we splashed down for Miami Art Week! Like moths to a light, attendees couldn’t ignore our beautiful activations and mesmerizing visuals. But after business came the after-hours fun with a unique Pass Holder happy hour. Attendees were also eligible to receive a special NFT drop commemorating the experience. Watch the video:

First Anniversary Discord Party

Did you join us for our official community celebration? We held special events, games, and giveaways to celebrate our community and the incredible year we’ve had. Are you a RECUR Pass Holder? If you linked your MetaMask to your RECUR account before the snapshot on December 20th, you will be receiving a commemorative digital collectible in your wallet if you haven’t already.

Between IRL meetups and blockchain events, we hope to meet you all in person in 2023. So, where will we touch down next year? You’ll have to wait and see…

POLISHING SYSTEMS AND PERFECTING INFRASTRUCTURE

We’ve accomplished a lot over the past year. And while some updates might be more noticeable than others, here are some of the major updates we’ve pushed out to the platform and community.

Challenge Mechanics

Burning is an essential functionality for gamified projects; this mechanism allows users to burn (destroy) their digital collectible in exchange for a physical reward or additional NFTs.

Locking
This revolutionary mechanic allows holders who engage with specific challenges to lock (loan) their NFTs for periods of time for rewards.

Overall Challenge Improvements
We’ve been hard at work testing and stressing our systems to ensure the smoothest flow possible. You know how far we’ve come if you’ve been with us since the beginning.

Marketplace Improvements

Withdrawals and Deposits
Sometimes, it’s the little things. We made transferring your digital collectibles more simple and more seamless than ever.

Pay Gas Fees with a Credit Card
We’re here to break down the invisible barriers that make entering web3 difficult. That’s why we make paying with a credit card a versatile option when buying collectibles or paying gas fees.

Trading Sealed Packs
A small but much-requested change; we enabled users to trade sealed packs with one another as they pleased.

Compatibility Updates

MetaMask Integration
More power to the people! Our first external wallet integration opened the door for holders to bring their collectibles and RECUR Passes onto third-party marketplaces while still getting the benefits of holding them on RECUR.

Blockchain Agnostic
You spoke, and we heard you. With the Avalanche blockchain’s massive adoption and popularity, we were happy to add support for this unique chain. In addition, we’re working hard to ensure our digital collectibles are blockchain agnostic to ensure users of every blockchain can enter the RECUR ecosystem.

Global Cash Out
Access to your funds is critical wherever you are in the decentralized world. That’s where global cash out comes in handy.

Updated Identity Verification Process
You control how and when you verify your identity to keep your account safe and unlock access to more features, like higher transaction volumes and more straightforward withdrawals of funds or NFTs.

MFA
Your choice is your voice. That’s why we added the ability for users to use their favorite authenticator app instead of SMS codes for multi-factor authentication.

While that’s certainly a lot, there’s so much more behind the scenes. We’re building the web3 enterprise platform of the future, and we can’t wait to show you what’s coming. Are you coming along for the ride?

CREATING A GREENER SPACE

Sustainability is in our code. Literally. That’s why we mint on the Polygon blockchain. With so much controversy surrounding the blockchain and its power consumption, it’s crucial to understand how much energy we save by utilizing it. It truly is a game-changer.

Read this article for more information on the benefits of Proof-of-Stake (POS) vs. Proof-of-Work (POW) blockchains and their differing power consumptions.

NEW LOOK. NEW HEIGHTS.

We could talk about how we’re improving and positioning RECUR (and our community) for success in 2023, but we thought it best just to show you.

Allow us to reintroduce ourselves. Check out the first phase of our beautiful new website and brand redesign.

Our community makes us. Strong voices like yours help to influence and improve the emerging technology we’re building. The RECUR rocket is soaring to new heights and we’re excited to bring you along for the ride.

Let’s keep climbing together. Thank you for an amazing first year!

The RECUR Team 🚀🚀🚀

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RECUR
RECUR

Written by RECUR

We design & develop on-chain branded experiences for fans to buy, collect, and re-sell NFTs. https://recurforever.com/