Hunting Down the CEO of Lively Bear NFTs [Minted Teddy Interview]

NFT Lately goes on a teddy bear hunt with Minted Teddy’s CEO, Zoran Kovacevic, to discuss his playable, child-friendly NFTs

Check out: Toymint Introduces Child-Friendly NFTs, Minted Teddy (nftlately.com)

Can you tell me about yourself and your NFT project?

My name is Zoran Kovacevic and I am the CEO and founder of Minted Teddy.

Minted Teddy is a collaborative project on a mission to create the world’s most impactful teddy bear for today and for future generations.

Teddy bears are one of the most classic and popular children’s toys; we envisioned a teddy that inspires kids to be kind, entrepreneurial, confident, and daring. However, we call it a metaverse toy because it transcends physical play by unlocking a paired digital experience, and its design leverages the the capabilities of spatial computing. 

What was the inspiration behind creating your own teddy NFTs?

The world needs better toys. When my son was born, and I began buying toys, I was shocked at how today’s toys teach kids the values of consumerism and throwaway, disposable toy culture. Toys are an underutilized tool that can teach kids important lessons. We must create them more thoughtfully.

Toys shape our kids, and kids shape the future.   We need to be intentional about what kind of toys we create and what lessons they teach our kids. 

Following this, I saw an opportunity to create smart, collectible toys that are made from sustainable materials, are kid-friendly, and are verifiable on the blockchain, creating an ultimate collector experience. Our goal is to create toys that are assets that kids can fully own, love, and be responsible for.

Who is your target market and why?

There are several groups that we believe are our main target markets. Firstly, crypto-savvy parents, aunts, uncles, and others who care about the toys they buy for the kids in their lives.

It’s important to note that raising a better generation can start with something as simple as toys. We aim to create an enjoyable and fulfilling experience not only for the child, but also for the parents.

Parents will have the satisfaction of knowing that they purchase toys that are built to last, made with sustainable materials, and have the potential to hold its value in a way that other toys don’t – like a modern piggy bank or collectible that kids can actually enjoy and play with. 

We also believe that more art toy collectors will broadly show interest in Minted Teddy because it is uniquely an art toy that is kid-friendly and playable, rather than just for display. 

In addition, serious art collectors can appreciate the quality of the digital teddy artwork. Each teddy is a beautiful piece of fine 3D art that took significant time and effort to create. This artwork is made with love, and it shows.   

What makes this project most suitable for children rather than adults?

Minted Teddy is an optimistic and inspiring teddy bear with the potential to become a highly influential toy that can make the world a better place for future generations. Its confident presence, premium textures, and uplifting stories will inspire children and provide a role model for them to emulate. 

Art is an important aspect of the Minted Teddy experience, but it is just one piece. Our focus is on creating stories for the teddies that encourage exploration and personal growth, kindness, compassion, progress, and building a better future. These impactful themes are woven into stories we have planned for the teddies.

We are at a unique point in history where toys will soon be expected to bridge the gap between digital and physical play. Minted Teddy offers access to a digital world, and is much more than just a physical teddy bear, or an NFT, it’s a kid-friendly world and  experience.

Tell me about your project’s child-friendly features:

Minted Teddy has several child-friendly features. One is the ability for parents to connect the toy to an NFT, allowing kids to access the digital experience without needing to use crypto wallets, emails, or passwords. 

We design the physical toy with kids in mind. We fully articulate it, and make it from bioplastic and food-grade silicone, so it is both fun to play with and attractive to display. 

Collectors of Minted Teddy can become a part of the Minted Teddy club – a next-generation network for kids and parents that offers access to a kid-friendly digital world 

Finally, our teddy bear has a positive, inspiring message which we design to be a role model for kids rather than showcasing negative behaviors, like smoking or drinking.

Ultimately, our vision is for Minted Teddy to become a smart AI toy that can serve as a companion and advisor for future generations. It can also share positive messages from parents and our founding community. 

Explain the physical versions of these cute teddy NFTs:

It’s worth mentioning that the physical toy is a central part of our project at Minted Teddy, as we are first and foremost a toy company. People who buy a Minted Teddy NFT at the upcoming next-gen drop can redeem a physical teddy toy as well. We articulate the toys well, so they feel great in hand. They also have NFC technology, allowing you to easily access the Minted Teddy metaverse, or “Mintedverse,” with a tap of a smart device. 

We are also currently working on a plush version of Minted Teddy, and the prototypes look adorable.

How are the NFTs usable on the metaverse?

The digital version of Minted Teddy is playable and interactable with virtual worlds and spatial computing devices. Each Minted Teddy comes with a fully rigged teddy avatar playable in the metaverse. In the Mintedverse, Teddy holders can show up in the virtual world with a beautifully crafted, one-of-a-kind Minted Teddy avatar. 

In the future, the physical teddy will also be able to act as a spatial marker that, when recognized by augmented reality (AR) glasses, can trigger virtual experiences, such as summoning a holographic teddy avatar.

Which elements make your metaverse stand out?

Mintedverse includes plants that organize the teddies around specific interests. These planets give collectors the framework to continue developing and building their own virtual civilizations.

It is a truly collaborative metaverse where collectors can shape the direction of the project and work together in smaller groups to turn planets into thriving collections.

We incorporate immersive experiences that will leverage other emerging virtual platforms, like Spatial or Otherside.  

Moreover, we have a program where planets that meet certain criteria can create their own teddy collection, which provides them with the opportunity to create a themed mini collection of 100 teddies within the Minted Teddy collection of 11,111 teddies.

We take care of smart contracts and design and mint – all you need is a vision and a small group of supporters. 

What’s in the pipeline in 2023?

Metaverse-ready teddy avatars,  sustainable fashion, and a special birthday teddy experience as mentioned above.

How can people stay in the loop with your project – ping us the deets:

Stay up-to-date on Minted Teddy by visiting our website (https://www.mintedteddy.com/) which we design for visual exploration and features a comprehensive history of the art of the project.  

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