(New York — Sept, 21) Running USA welcomes a new member, Yassport, an ad-hoc solution allowing runners to store and share their awards as NFTs (non-fungible tokens).
The platform automatically collects data on all races in the U.S. and around the world. Yassport provides runners with a digital medal and verified results as soon as they join the platform.
The company combines sports stats with the latest developments in technology by digitizing physical awards and converting them into NFTs. Around 3 million medals have already been digitalized and stored by the platform.
“We are delighted to become a part of Running USA and help our partners, marathon organizers, provide better services to runners,” said Vadim Yangirov, Yassport co-founder. “Everyone knows how hard it is to keep track of race results, and even the most organized runners lose medals from time to time. Yassport lets them verify and store information on the blockchain.”
Yassport gives race organizers a new tool to connect with their participants outside the main event. Apart from enhancing their offering, races can benefit from sales of photos, clothing, and medal engraving.
The project also aims to merge the running world with the metaverse. Recently, runners had the opportunity to share their blockchain-verified race results as NFTs on social media. Meta allowed users to post digital collectibles on Facebook and Instagram, while also connecting their crypto wallets, such as Rainbow, MetaMask, and Trust Wallet.
Once the owner posts an NFT, it will display public information, such as the runner’s race results. Posts will also be visible on the user’s profile.
“With these kinds of promotional tools, races can increase their visibility on social media,” said Vadim Yangirov. “We’ll take care of the technical side and verify the results.”
With Yassport, athletes can transfer their digital medals to crypto wallets and sell them as NFTs on the secondary market. In the future, the company is looking to collect information from sports wearables and create IDs for the athletes’ avatars.
About Yassport
Yassport was launched in 2022 by Vadim Yangirov, sports marketing PhD and race runner, Aleksandr Iurev, a blockchain and cybersecurity expert as well as an entrepreneur, and chief product officer Zaliya Fazulzyanova. The project’s partners currently include the Boston Marathon and other prestigious events around the world.
