- On January 1, 2023, the iconic 1928 film “Steamboat Willie” featuring early Mickey and Minnie Mouse entered the public domain in the United States.
- This milestone allows creators to use and remix these characters without the need for royalties or permissions.
- The Web3 space swiftly capitalized on this development, witnessing the rise of Steamboat Willie-themed NFTs and meme tokens.
Web3 Seizes the Moment:
As the clock struck midnight on the first day of 2023, the public domain welcomed “Steamboat Willie,” triggering a flurry of creative activity in the Web3 space. Entrepreneurs and artists wasted no time in exploring the newfound freedom to reimagine and remix the beloved characters from this historic film.
Manifold Edition NFT Takes Center Stage:
Leading the charge was a Manifold edition NFT, capturing a still from the film featuring Mickey at the wheel of his steamboat. Crafted by Alexander Taub, co-founder of Truth Labs, this limited 2000-count edition minted for .001 ETH and remarkably sold out within a few hours. Boasting zero royalties and topping OpenSea’s volume chart, the edition has traded over 611 ETH in volume as of January 2, with a peak floor price of .4 ETH on January 1.
Steamboat Willie-Inspired Meme Tokens Emerge:
Complementing the NFT frenzy, Steamboat Willie-themed meme tokens swiftly surfaced in the Web3 landscape. Notable among them is $WILLIE, an ERC-20 token launched on January 1. Featuring a black and white Mickey Mouse on its website and an array of witty “Willie” jokes on its social media platform, $WILLIE has garnered a market cap of $9.5 million as of January 2.
On the Solana network, $MICKEY, another Steamboat Willie-inspired token, boasts a more modest but noteworthy market cap of $500,000 as of the latest update.
Conclusion: The entry of “Steamboat Willie” into the public domain has set off a vibrant Web3 wave, marked by creative NFT editions and the emergence of meme tokens. This momentous shift in intellectual property dynamics showcases the dynamic nature of the digital landscape and the agility with which the Web3 community seizes opportunities. As Steamboat Willie’s legacy lives on in novel forms, it adds another chapter to the ongoing intersection of timeless classics and the ever-evolving world of blockchain and cryptocurrency.
Julia