Client:
Adaki
Year:
2024–2025
Role:
Co-Founder
Skills:
Product/Brand/Motion Design + Build + Creative Direction + Photography
Beyond the NFT: Creating real world products authenticated by blockchain for the next generation of streetwear and collectibles
Summary
By the start of 2024 it was clear that blockchain gaming on Cardano was a saturated market. Adaki was competing with fully funded projects, and the NFT hype was clearly waning. It was time to look beyond the NFT and pivot Adaki into a new market with a more nuanced use case for blockchain technology.
I’ve been into skateboarding and streetwear for the last two decades, and there was a clear problem that needed solving. In a world of counterfeits, inflated prices for the latest streetwear drops, and luxury brands using private blockchains for authentication, there was a clear need for streetwear and physical collectibles authenticated on a public blockchain, specifically Cardano. After developing the technology to do just that, we needed to create a brand to show the potential. This became Adaki’s second life.
Impact
With the successful rebrand and pivot into a new market, Adaki sold out its launch-edition sticker pack and re-engaged its audience after a 12-month hiatus.
100%
of launch edition sticker packs sold out in 48hrs
2x
increase in the floor price of the Genesis collection over three months
Step 1
Kick off
The Challenge
After releasing an NFT collection for free in an oversaturated Cardano gaming space, Adaki needed a new path forward. With no way to monetise the gaming experience and funds running low, Adaki needed a new revenue stream to continue its mission of empowering people to experience true ownership.
The Concept
Pivot Adaki to a new audience to solve a new problem rooted in the original mission. Put blockchain in the background, and use Cardano to authenticate physical products. Build community tools such as an ownership portal, proof-of-authentication pages and member rewards to nurture the relationship between brand and customer. With luxury brands using private blockchains for authentication, and the streetwear market overrun with counterfeits, the idea was simple. Create premium streetwear and use public-chain authentication to redefine ownership for every customer. The hero product would be the Gambler Tee. Authentication would link each item to a unique on-chain record that customers could access via a scannable NFC tag or QR code.
Considerations
Pivoting into a completely new market raises major considerations, especially when doing something new on Cardano. Key questions included:
- How do we transition an existing gaming audience to a fashion-focused culture brand?
- How do we connect with a new audience that is sceptical of blockchain?
- How do we create products that will resonate with both new and existing audiences?
- How do we build a feedback loop and ship web updates quickly so the brand stays rooted in real feedback?
Step 2
The brand
With such a large pivot, the brand needed to be rebuilt from scratch. With strong ties to anime and a new focus on streetwear, the identity had to be bold to cut through the noise of the Web3 and fashion worlds. Inspired by the brand’s origins, the new direction took the cross and triangle associations from gaming and repackaged them for an audience that spans both gaming and fashion.
The new identity retained the core colours of black, white and red, reimagined for a new era. Using a Japanese strapline, イノベーションの文化 (culture of innovation), and pairing it with a clean, bold typographic expression of the brand name while subtly integrating the logomark into the typography, the new logo encapsulates the essence of the brand’s history while modernising it for a new audience.
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Colour
Artwork and Graphic style
Step 3
The Product
Gambler T-Shirt
With a focus on a redefined ownership experience, our first product was the Gambler Tee, made from 280 gsm heavyweight fabric, packaged within a meticulously designed unboxing experience. Every part of the unboxing was focused on taking each customer on a journey. Custom hang tags attached with an Adaki-branded key ring. A unique neck label. A narrative embedded throughout the box with an artwork reveal on the inside. Finally, a bespoke paper wallet card that held the authentication NFT.
For authenticity and ownership, customers could tap the paper wallet card via NFC or scan its QR code to claim the NFT, then transfer it into a self-custodial wallet. If preferred, they could keep everything on the paper wallet.
Gambler Pack - Launch Edition
Before releasing the Gambler Tee, we offered a smaller, lower-priced product to test appetite for physical items. Hand-packaged and shipped worldwide for the launch edition, the pack included the Gambler sticker pack, two collectible photo stickers in a vinyl matte finish, two exclusive die-cut stickers in a vinyl matte finish, and a hand-signed thank-you letter.
Step 4
Digital Footprint
Websites
Transitioning from a digital-first brand meant our web presence had to support the digital-first audience we had built. We launched two main iterations of the website. The first spoke directly to the Web3 audience, prioritising interaction, teasing the new brand, and setting the scene for where we were heading. The second was shaped by the new fashion audience, with a focus on storytelling, authenticity, and sharing our knowledge through the transition.
Launch Website
Stack:
Framer + Figma + Runway (animating static assets) + Google Analytics
The launch site focused on a sleek, modern experience to introduce the new brand to the existing audience. It used Web3 language, a considered motion approach, and bold graphics. The site introduced the company’s direction without revealing the new NFT artwork.
Visit the site
Main Website
Stack:
WebStudio + Figma + Wordpress headless CMS + Google Analytics + Plausible + Sender +Shopify + n8n
Built in WebStudio with a focus on storytelling, authenticity, product support, and knowledge sharing. I used Plausible alongside Google Analytics. Plausible captured raw visit numbers without cookie consent, which gave clean volume data. Google Analytics provided richer behavioural detail once users consented. I then piped both datasets, along with Shopify events, into my internal analytics tool, Darren, to turn the data into insights and meaningful actions.
Visit the site
Emails
Stack:
Sender + n8n
To support the brand launch, I created email campaigns for both existing and new audiences. The programme included a welcome email, a website launch email, and product launch emails, followed by regular updates as new products were released.
Step 5
Video
Production Updates
To accompany the brand launch and the first product runs, I started a vlog series documenting the brand’s development. The three updates were pre-released to the inner circle and covered receiving the first samples, designing the packaging, and two photo shoots in London, shot in an underground car park in Southwark and at the Barbican Centre.
Step 4
Results
After a long hiatus, the brand landed well with the existing audience. Using programmes like The Circle, our core community programme, to cultivate hype among our most loyal backers, Adaki generated 2.8k impressions on the first launch post on X, drove 50+ email sign-ups across a two-month period, and attracted 1,000+ unique visitors to the website during the same period.
This led to a full sell-out of the first physical product, the Gambler Pack: Launch Edition stickers, within 48 hours of the public release.
Unfortunately, with major players such as Nike/RTFKT and 9dcc exiting the space, sentiment within the fashion community was extremely hesitant about blockchain-integrated fashion products. Combined with both founders facing life-changing personal circumstances and no viable path to sustainable revenue, Adaki wound down operations in July 2025.
Project
Up Next
Client:
Adaki
Year:
2025
Skills:
Agent design + LLMs + n8n Workflow
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