Amazon has pushed back the launch of its highly anticipated NFT marketplace, the Amazon Digital Marketplace, from April 24 to May 15. The e-commerce giant cited technical and commercial challenges as the reasons for the delay.
The marketplace was set to offer about 15 NFT collections on its launch day, but now 80 NFT collections, including popular ones like Bored Ape, Mutant Ape, and Beeple, will be offered. However, some sources claim that only perks and merchandising will be sold, not the main NFT collections.
Despite the excitement around the Amazon Digital Marketplace, it will not accept cryptocurrency payments for NFTs. Instead, it will be available on a private blockchain and accessed through Amazon’s website by clicking the “Amazon Digital Marketplace” tab. The platform will initially launch for US customers and gradually roll out to other countries.
Amazon’s delay comes as the company partners with Ava Labs to accelerate blockchain technology adoption and takes another step into the Web3 ecosystem. AWS also partnered with Chainlink and VeChainThor for blockchain-based carbon management services and node-creation solutions.
Amazon’s NFT marketplace launch was previously postponed in 2022 due to challenging market conditions following the collapse of FTX crypto exchange in November. The company hopes the new delay will ensure readiness and prevent technical errors and other issues.