E-commerce giant eBay has announced the acquisition of KnownOrigin, one of the most innovative non-fungible token (NFT) marketplaces.
This acquisition is a significant milestone in eBay’s tech-led re-imagination, bringing in a new era of digital collecting to the world’s leading collectibles destination.
KnownOrigin, based in Manchester, UK, enables artists and collectors to produce, purchase, and sell NFTs via blockchain-enabled transactions.
“eBay is the first stop for people across the globe who are searching for that perfect, hard-to-find, or unique addition to their collection and, with this acquisition, we will remain a leading site as our community is increasingly adding digital collectibles,” said Jamie Iannone, CEO of eBay. “KnownOrigin has built up an impressive, passionate and loyal group of artists and collectors making them a perfect addition to our community of sellers and buyers. We look forward to welcoming these innovators as they join the eBay community.”
eBay’s tech-driven reimagining has resulted in substantial improvements to the company’s technology, performance, and user experience, including tools that make it easier than ever to discover, sell, or purchase anything. As part of this, eBay began allowing the buying and selling of NFTs in May 2021.
“We founded KnownOrigin to empower creators and collectors by giving them the ability to showcase, sell, and collect unique, authenticated digital items,” said David Moore, co-founder, KnownOrigin. “As interest in NFTs continues to grow, we believe now is the perfect time for us to partner with a company that has the reach and experience of eBay. With more than twenty-five years building similar communities of passionate individuals, we are excited by the opportunity to bring a whole new audience on this journey. This is the start of a new chapter in the KnownOrigin story and we couldn’t choose a better time to focus on building and innovating with the team at eBay. This partnership will help us attract a new wave of NFT creators and collectors.”
