EFE
Yesterday
The American company Walmart, the largest supermarket chain in the world, has revealed its interest in creating a cryptocurrency and selling virtual goods in several trademark applications recently submitted to the Patent Office, as reported by CNBC on Sunday.
Walmart delivered at the end of December almost a dozen petitions to the regulator in which it hints at its intention to launch a virtual currency and a collection of NFT assets (non-fungible token), in addition to producing and selling virtual goods such as appliances, clothing, toys or personal care products. Walmart would join a growing list of companies that are preparing to operate in the metaverse – an immersive virtual reality – including Facebook, which has changed its name to Meta for that reason; fashion retailers such as Nike or GAP, or entertainment giant Disney.La supermarket chain avoided pronouncing on that possibility in a statement to the media, in which he said he is always “exploring how emerging technologies can shape future shopping experiences” and stressed that he makes brand requests “routinely” to continue with his “innovation”. Walmart is the largest employer in the private sector in the US and since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic it has seen its e-commerce business grow strongly, which according to its latest quarterly results – last November – has increased its sales in the country by 87% compared to two years ago.
