For Sale: $10M Yacht, Doge Accepted
By Michael Bellusci
Cryptocurrency payments continue to gain traction in the world of luxury goods, with a 170-foot yacht being the latest example.
The owners of Italian-built Vianne said in a statement Monday that prospective buyers will be able to buy the vessel with bitcoin (BTC), ether (ETH), dogecoin (DOGE) as well as SOL, FTM, BNB or “top tier” non-fungible tokens (NFT) from the CryptoPunk or Bored Ape Yacht Club collections.
That said, a 10% fiat deposit is required.
Vianne is listed for $10 million and can be chartered this winter for $196,000 per week in the Caribbean. She features a sky-deck jacuzzi and can accommodate 12 guests.
“Whilst cryptocurrency payments are increasing in the yachting industry, this would make Vianne the largest-ever yacht to be purchased with NFTs,” the vessel’s owners said in a statement.
The ability to pay for this superyacht with cryptocurrency is a sign of a broader embrace by the luxury goods industry – be it Dolce & Gabbana or Sotheby’s.
In addition, Morgan Stanley estimated in a recent note to clients that metaverse gaming and NFTs could represent a revenue opportunity of 50 billion euros for the luxury market by 2030. France-based Kering, the owner of luxury brands such as Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent, is best placed to take advantage of the metaverse, the bank said in its note.
Back on the high seas, the owners of Vianne say crypto is already a reality.
“In the last 12 months, especially, we have leaned towards transacting using crypto, where relevant and possible,” the owner’s family office told CoinDesk via email. “We are in the process of procuring a larger yacht for the owner, and if/when we do transact, we would definitely be paying in crypto (stablecoins, [altcoins], etc.) if it is an option.”
