It’s safe to say that Web3 is here to stay. There may not be quite as much hype around non-fungible tokens as there was in 2021, but they have evolved to take on a whole new role. Savvy businesses are doubling down on NFTs as tools for fostering loyalty, building community, and offering exclusive access. In 2025 it’s not just about flashy JPGs, it’s about delivering real-world value through digital ownership.
VeeFriends and Bored Ape Yacht Club are two of the most influential NFT projects, and they have proven that when NFTs are paired with utility and experience, they become powerful engines for long-term business growth.
VeeFriends: Community First, Collectables Second
Gary Vaynerchuk is an entrepreneur and Internet personality who launched VeeFriends with a simple purpose – to create membership through ownership. VeeFriends NFTs act as event passes, loyalty cards and VIP memberships all rolled into one. The result? A close, emotionally invested audience with a stake in the game, and a business model where value grows with community.
Real-World Results:
- VeeCon Access: Each NFT served as a ticket to VeeCon, an annual multi-day business and creativity conference featuring thought leaders, artists and entrepreneurs. The event has been held for three years and has positioned NFT holders as insiders, not just fans.
- Exclusive Perks: NFT holders gained early access and discounts on VeeFriends merchandise, products, and digital releases. This created a tangible reward system around digital assets. For example, NFT holders recently got an exclusive stream on Whatnot.
- Token-Gated Loyalty: VeeFriends built a community by rewarding long-term holders with evolving perks and new content. This is not just an NFT project, it’s a loyalty platform with blockchain built in.
Bored Ape Yacht Club: NFTs as Membership, Status and More
Yuga Labs’ Bored Ape Yacht Club broke into mainstream culture in 2021, but its true innovation was building a status-driven membership ecosystem around NFT ownership. BAYC was able to turn NFTs into creative assets, tradeable intellectual property and lifestyle memberships, making NFTs culturally relevant and commercially sustainable.
Key Strategies that Deliver:
- Feature-Based Rarity: Each of the 10,000 Bored Apes features a unique mix of traits, driving desirability and individual identity. Owning one isn’t just cool, its social currency and networking via the BAYC discord.
- Real-Life and Digital Exclusivity: BAYC created an experience that blurred the boundaries between digital and physical, from ApeFest events held around the world to members-only merchandise drops.
- Commercial Rights: One of the Club’s most groundbreaking moves was giving holders full rights to their Ape’s likeness. This led to everything from Bored Ape-themed restaurants to streetwear lines, and created a vibrant ecosystem of secondary brands built on top of the NFT.
Takeaways for Traditional Businesses
The success of VeeFriends and Bored Ape Yacht Club proves a powerful truth: NFTs work when they serve a purpose beyond speculation. For businesses looking to leverage Web3 in 2025, a few things are clear:
- Offer gated experiences that reward ownership (VIP access, early product drops, exclusive events)
- Build community-first ecosystems with consistent touchpoints and evolving value
- Empower your users by giving them creative or commercial control
NFTs are not just quirky illustrations; they’re powerful tools. But in the hands of businesses who prioritize long-term value, they’re tools that can create fanatical loyalty, organic word-of-mouth, and revenue streams built on experience, not hype.
Want to bridge your web2 business into web3 – contact Sparkable to learn how to make this technology work for you.
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