Celo is an emerging Layer 2 on a mission to build a scalable web3 ecosystem for real-world solutions. It hosts one of the richest ReFi ecosystems and is on a mission to create prosperity for all.

Aligning with the Celo Foundation’s mission, RaribleX built a new NFT marketplace to empower creators around the world using the blockchain’s fast, low-cost transactions with carbon-negative design. Introducing the Celosphere.

The new NFT hub for the Celo ecosystem

Attending to Celo’s urge for digital asset growth, the RaribleX-powered Celosphere is an NFT marketplace and launchpad has quickly became one of our top success stories.

In its first month, Celosphere had around 70,000 users and hosted more than 86,000 onchain transactions generating $25,000 in sales volume.

The new platform allows for:

• Secondary trading on the marketplace; and

• Primary drops on its NFT launchpad.

Let’s dive into the highlights of each solution provided by RaribleX, as well as the top-performing collections in Celosphere’s inaugural month.

Celo’s NFT marketplace for secondary trading

Buyers can use CELO tokens to explore and acquire some of the ecosystem's most popular projects through Celosphere.

This user-friendliness helped the inaugural limited-edition NFT Welcome to the Celosphere sell out 20,000 tokens in under 24 hours.

To celebrate Celosphere's launch, impact-driven collections like Steward, Celosapien, and Plastiks were among the first to list their NFTs on the marketplace, offering a variety of unique and purposeful digital assets.

To get started trading on Celosphere, collectors just needed a compatible wallet like MetaMask or Valora (via WalletConnect) and some CELO tokens—an accessible onboarding with seamless user interfaces.

Have you already created your own NFTs on Celo? Every creator is invited to join the growing Celosphere marketplace by listing their collections.

Primary drops on the Celosphere launchpad

The first drop, CEL2, comprised 50,000 limited-edition NFTs and sold out swiftly after its launch on April 23. It marked an important milestone in CEL2 history and highlighted Celo and Optimism's collaborative spirit.

Celebrating Celo’s 4th anniversary, the renowned artist Amber Vittoria brought her creative flair to Celosphere with her first NFT on the Celo blockchain.

By the end of Celosphere’s first month, Insignificantly Significant had over 18,000 mints, signaling a bright future for creators and collectors on the platform.

Supporting Creators with the Celo Creators Fund

Launched in tandem with Celosphere, the Celo Creators Fund, with support from RaribleX, encouraged artists, creators, and individuals to build impactful NFT collections on the platform. Celo’s initiative offered a total of 150,000 USDC in grants and creative programs and partnered with influential organizations like Refraction, Boys Club, HUG, and Rug Radio.

The curatorial board, including Web3 leaders like Rarible's Ecosystem Lead Jonathan Colón, allocated 1,000 USDC grants to the top 10 shortlisted applicants.

In this way, RaribleX helped Celosphere expand its influence in the NFT art space, fostering innovation and empowering creators.

Key learnings from Celo x RaribleX

• Having a user-friendly NFT marketplace that facilitates activity for collectors and creators helps develop a blockchain's blooming NFT ecosystem.

• Creating an efficient launchpad with an easy-to-use minting process enables creators to seamlessly share their NFTs with a global audience.

• Providing grants and creative programs for artists and creators fosters a supportive environment that encourages them to build strong collections and expand their reach.