Systems and methods for creating and using sustainability tokens

Abstract

A method for managing digital assets is provided. The method includes receiving an input identifying a first digital wallet. One or more non-fungible tokens associated with the first digital wallet are identified. From the one or more non-fungible tokens, sustainability tokens are selected, and each of the sustainability tokens is associated with a corresponding sustainability digital asset. For each sustainability token, a uniform resource identifier of the corresponding sustainability digital asset is obtained from a distributed blockchain ledger, and attributes of the corresponding sustainability digital asset are obtained based on the uniform resource identifier. An integrated sustainability score is generated based on the attributes of the sustainability digital asset associated with the sustainability token, and the integrated sustainability score is compared with first reward criteria. If the integrated sustainability score meets the reward criteria, a first reward is provided to the owner of the first digital wallet.

Description

[Background technology]

[0001] Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) can represent products or digital assets with properties that can be integrated into blockchain-connected applications and systems. The use of these tokens and their integration with these systems can provide new ways for manufacturers and retailers to provide benefits to their customers.

[0002] Therefore, there is a need to provide a system and method that rewards and incentivizes environmentally sustainable consumer and business behavior through the use of non-fungible tokens by providing benefits to customers based on the use of non-fungible tokens. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In accordance with some embodiments of the disclosed subject matter, systems, methods, and media are provided for sustainable systems and methods using cryptographic tokens, e.g., non-fungible tokens.

[0004] In one aspect, a method for managing digital assets is provided. The method includes receiving an input identifying a first digital wallet. One or more non-fungible tokens associated with the first digital wallet are identified. One or more sustainability tokens are selected from the one or more non-fungible tokens, and each of the one or more sustainability tokens is associated with a corresponding sustainability digital asset. For each of the one or more sustainability tokens, a unified resource indicator of the corresponding sustainability digital asset is obtained from a distributed blockchain ledger, and one or more attributes of the corresponding sustainability digital asset are obtained based on the unified resource indicator. An integrated sustainability score is generated based on the one or more attributes of the sustainable digital asset associated with the one or more sustainability tokens. The integrated (or composite) sustainability score is compared to a first benefit (benefit) criterion, and if the integrated sustainability score meets the benefit criterion, a first benefit is provided to the owner of the first digital wallet.

[0005] In some examples, at least a first sustainability token of the one or more sustainability tokens corresponds to a first physical product. In some cases, the first sustainability token is associated with a first transaction, the first transaction including the transfer of the first physical product to a first purchasing party. In some cases, the attributes of the first sustainability token include sustainability attributes of a second physical product transferred to the first purchasing party in the first transaction. In some cases, the attributes of the sustainability digital asset corresponding to the first sustainability token include at least a first sustainability attribute of the first physical product. In some cases, the first sustainability attribute indicates carbon emissions associated with the production and transportation of the first physical product, and the integrated sustainability score is based at least in part on the first sustainability attribute.

[0006] In some examples, at least one attribute of the one or more sustainability digital assets includes a recycled attribute, the recycled attribute is associated with a percentage of recyclable material in one or more physical products associated with the at least one sustainability digital asset, and the integrated sustainability score is based at least in part on the recycled attribute. In some cases, the first reward criterion is a minimum recyclability criterion indicating a minimum percentage of recyclable material. In some cases, the first reward is admission to a physical event.

[0007] In some cases, the integrated sustainability score is based at least in part on attributes of a second sustainability digital asset corresponding to the second sustainability token, and the method further includes, in response to determining that the integrated sustainability score satisfies the reward criteria, recording an updated status of the second sustainability token on the distributed blockchain ledger. In some cases, the updated status of the second sustainability token includes a transfer of the second sustainability token. In some examples, the updated status includes a permanent deletion of the second sustainability token from the distributed blockchain ledger.

[0008] In some examples, the method further includes updating attributes of the sustainability digital asset corresponding to at least one of the one or more sustainability tokens in response to determining that the integrated sustainability score satisfies the reward criteria. In some examples, the method further includes generating a second integrated sustainability score based on one or more attributes of the sustainability digital asset associated with the one or more sustainability tokens. In some examples, the second integrated sustainability score is compared to a second reward criteria. In some examples, if the second integrated sustainability score satisfies the second reward criteria, a second reward is provided to the owner of the first digital wallet. In some examples, the one or more attributes include a first sustainability attribute and a second sustainability attribute, and the integrated (composite) sustainability score is based at least in part on each of the first sustainability attribute and the second sustainability attribute.

[0009] In another aspect, a system includes a computer including at least one processor. The at least one processor is configured to receive input identifying a first digital wallet, identify one or more non-fungible tokens associated with the first digital wallet, and select one or more sustainability tokens from the one or more non-fungible tokens, each of the one or more sustainability tokens being associated with a corresponding sustainability digital asset. The processor is configured to, for each of the one or more sustainability tokens, obtain a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) of the corresponding sustainability digital asset from the distributed blockchain ledger and obtain one or more attributes of the corresponding sustainability digital asset based on the Uniform Resource Identifier. The processor is further configured to generate an integrated sustainability score based on the one or more attributes of the sustainability digital asset associated with the one or more sustainability tokens, compare the integrated sustainability score with first reward criteria, and, if the integrated sustainability score satisfies the reward criteria, provide a subject associated with the first digital wallet with eligibility for a first reward.

[0010] In some examples, the entitlement includes a digital ticket. In some cases, the processor is further configured to output the digital ticket to a display. In some cases, providing the entitlement to the first benefit to the subject associated with the first digital wallet includes generating a digital asset corresponding to the entitlement, sending instructions to a server associated with the distributed blockchain ledger to generate a token corresponding to the digital asset, and sending instructions to the server to transfer the token to the first digital wallet.

[0011] In yet another aspect, a method for generating non-fungible tokens associated with a consumer transaction is provided. The method includes obtaining one or more tokens associated with a first product from a first blockchain. Sustainability attributes of a plurality of the first products are determined from digital assets associated with the one or more tokens. The first products are transferred to a first purchasing party in a first transaction. Transaction sustainability attributes are determined for the first transaction, the transaction sustainability attributes being based in part on the sustainability attributes of the first product. A transaction digital asset is generated, the transaction digital asset including the transaction sustainability attributes. A first sustainability non-fungible token associated with the transaction digital asset is issued to a second blockchain. The first sustainability non-fungible token is transferred to the first purchasing party. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] Various objects, features, and advantages of the disclosed subject matter can be more fully understood by reference to the following detailed description of the disclosed subject matter when considered in conjunction with the following drawings, in which like numerals identify like elements and in which: [Figure 1] 1 illustrates an example of a system for generating non-fungible tokens according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 1 illustrates example hardware that can be used to implement the computing devices and servers shown in FIG. 1 in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosed subject matter. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an example blockchain network according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 illustrates another schematic diagram of an example blockchain network according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] 1 illustrates a flowchart of an example method for generating a digital asset secured by a non-fungible token, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 6]1 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method for generating a digital asset that includes attributes related to a transaction. [Figure 7] 1 is a schematic diagram of NFTs and related digital assets, including trading sustainability attributes. [Figure 8] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating one embodiment of a system for generating sustainability NFTs and providing benefits to users based on ownership of the sustainability NFTs. [Figure 9] 1 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method for providing benefits to owners of sustainability NFTs. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a breeding process for breeding two sustainability NFTs according to some embodiments disclosed herein. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] This application includes embodiments of mechanisms (e.g., systems, methods, and media) for generating digital assets secured by cryptographic tokens, e.g., non-fungible tokens (NFTs), where these digital assets correspond to physical objects (e.g., apparel or footwear), a set of entitlements to a digital system, benefits that may be provided by a manufacturer or retailer, or virtual objects in a video game or metaverse. In some embodiments, this disclosure relates to encrypted digital assets for articles, objects, or transactions, including sustainability attributes or metrics associated with the objects, articles, or transactions. For example, the encrypted digital assets can be associated with tangible objects, including athletic shoes, eyewear, apparel, headgear, or sporting equipment, products such as watches, luggage, jewelry, storage or shipping containers, fine art, mobile phones or smartphones, tablets, televisions or other electronic devices, refrigerators or other appliances, and vehicles or other machinery, among others; or the articles or objects may be intangible objects, including graphic designs, virtual avatars or characters, graphic user interfaces, or other forms of communication.

[0014] Additionally, the present disclosure relates to cryptographic digital assets that can be updated based on user activity and transactions, as well as methods for provisioning such cryptographic digital assets and goods, and distributed computing systems with accompanying blockchain control logic for mining, exchanging, collaborating, modifying, combining, and / or blending blockchain-enabled digital assets and goods. The currently described technology relies on the trust established in and by blockchain technology to enable businesses to control the creation, distribution, expression, and use of digital objects that represent their brand. Unlike typical digital assets, which can be freely reproduced without loss of content or quality, the use of individual records of ownership via blockchain technology establishes ownership of digital assets and potentially provides NFT owners with certain rights, benefits, and entitlements that may be associated with ownership of the digital asset. Creators of NFTs and related digital assets have the ability to control or limit the overall supply of the digital object or its features / aspects, creating controlled scarcity as desired. The present disclosure contemplates that, in some examples, the digital object may be representative of a physical object offered for sale, a 2D or 3D design rendering or design file that may be suitable for future production, a virtual representation of an object not currently intended for physical creation / production, proof of attendance or entitlement to attend an event, a representation of a user's interaction or transaction with a manufacturer or retailer, or other such object. Additionally, some embodiments of the present disclosure include mechanisms for generating cryptographic tokens using virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and / or a graphical user interface (GUI) on a computing device.

[0015] In some embodiments, NFTs can secure, authenticate, or verify ownership of digital assets with different characteristics and capabilities. A "Uniform Resource Identifier" or "URI" is a unique string of characters used in web technology to identify a logical or physical resource. URIs can be used to identify any resource, including non-virtual objects such as places and people, and digital information resources such as web pages. URIs consist of a "Uniform Resource Name" ("URN") or a "Uniform Resource Locator" ("URL"). The URI of an NFT can be a URL that points to a digital asset or metadata associated with the digital asset hosted on a server in a host system. The digital asset metadata can further include a URL where the digital asset is hosted remotely, off-chain, or outside of the blockchain. For example, accessing the URI of a sustainability NFT (e.g., a sustainability token) can involve accessing the URI in a browser and visually inspecting attributes, which may be presented in a code-readable format (e.g., JSON, XML, HTML, etc.). The URI of a digital asset representing the sustainability attributes of a transaction may return a list of sustainability attributes, which may be utilized by this third-party platform (e.g., a video game system and a digital marketplace) to provide some functionality or benefit to the owner of the digital asset.

[0016] In some embodiments, an NFT can serve as the owner's digital identity and provide access to digital markets, gateways, portals, APIs, games, or web pages that the owner would not otherwise have access to. For example, an NFT can entitle the owner to access a vendor's web page that provides access to exclusive rewards. In some embodiments, the rewards provided are based on the type or metadata of the NFT.

[0017] As used herein, a "digital asset" refers to a digital file or data to which ownership can be assigned. A digital asset can be a text document, an image file, a video, an audio file, a database file, a block of code, a database, a cryptographic key, or anything that can be digitally represented and accessible at an addressable location. Additionally, a digital asset can be a digital art version of a tangible, physical object or location, or an object separate from a tangible, physical object. A digital asset can include metadata that can describe aspects, functions, or characteristics of the digital asset and can be formatted in a computer-readable format (e.g., json, xml, yml, html, etc.). As used herein, a "crypto digital asset" refers to a digital asset that is collateralized (e.g., associated with) an NFT minted on a blockchain, or that has a unique, non-fungible tokenization code ("token") registered and verified on a blockchain platform or in an immutable database, cryptographically securing the NFT's rights to the digital asset. The rights (interests) may be, but need not be, ownership of the encrypted digital asset, copyright thereto, the right to use the encrypted digital asset in a third-party application, or any other right relating to the encrypted digital asset.

[0018] A "smart contract" is a contract in the form of a self-enforcing software program that runs on a blockchain network. Smart contracts are distributed across the blockchain network and are immutable. The terms within a smart contract, like an NFT, are determined by one or more parties and encoded into the smart contract when it is deployed to the blockchain. When creating a smart contract, a party or parties can include programming that allows for negotiation, amendment, full or partial acceptance, full or partial rejection, and ultimately full or partial enforcement or abandonment. As used herein, consideration is understood to simply be something of value given in exchange from one party to another, and can be real or personal property, such as currency, or a promise, deed, or withholding of something in return. An option is an agreement in which an offeree pays consideration in exchange for the offeror's promise not to void an outstanding (valid) offer; an option can be offered as part of a larger contract or can be the basis of the contract itself. NFT smart contracts can be, but are not required to be, legally enforceable. Smart contract code can include functions that read from and write to the smart contract. For example, a smart contract can include functions that return information about the digital asset or the owner of the digital asset. Additionally or alternatively, smart contract functions can be invoked (e.g., function code is executed) by the contract owner to distribute funds exchanged in the execution of the smart contract.

[0019] As used herein, the term "crypto token" refers to digital value stored / recorded on a blockchain. Crypto tokens include payment tokens such as coins (e.g., Bitcoin), utility tokens, security tokens, and "non-fungible tokens." As used herein, a "non-fungible token" ("NFT") refers to a crypto asset in the form of a single cryptographic token corresponding to a digital asset, which may include any of the digital asset examples listed above. An NFT may be a blockchain-based digital ownership certificate and / or certificate of authenticity for a digital asset. As used herein, an NFT is used to prove ownership of a digital asset, rather than the digital asset itself. NFTs may be constructed (i.e., issued) according to modern and relevant standards, such as Ethereum Request for Comment (ERC) 721 (non-fungible token standard) or ERC 1155 (multi-token standard), among other relevant standards, in a manner appropriate for a particular blockchain network or application.

[0020] Furthermore, NFTs are constructed or minted according to the terms of a smart contract. Specific terms and clauses in a smart contract can dictate the details of transactions involving the issuance or transfer of NFTs, which can affect the value, or at least the perceived value, of an NFT over time. For example, a smart contract can enforce scarcity of NFTs issued under the smart contract by limiting the maximum allowable number of NFTs that can be issued under the contract. In some cases, a smart contract can also include terms requiring royalties to be paid to the smart contract owner upon the secondary sale of the NFT. In essence, an NFT represents a transaction and serves as a record of that authentication on a blockchain ledger (e.g., Bitcoin, Ethereum). As such, the value of the NFT itself can fluctuate depending on various aspects of the transaction, such as the parties involved, the value exchanged, the time and / or date, exclusivity, or a combination thereof. Furthermore, the number and / or frequency of transactions can also cause the value of an NFT to fluctuate.

[0021] A digital asset can be accessed at a web address (i.e., a URI) referenced in the non-fungible token that secures it. The web address is a link that, when accessed, can serve the digital asset or can serve information or metadata about the digital asset. Due to the costs associated with storing information in a non-fungible token, the token itself contains only enough information to identify the digital asset and prove ownership; the remaining information about the digital asset may reside in a computer system that is not a node on the blockchain. Accessing the web address can return a list of the digital asset's properties to the user via a graphical user interface or in a format consumable by computer programs or applications that may access the digital asset. For example, the web address can return information about the digital asset in JSON or XML format, and the address of the digital asset itself can be included in the list of properties.

[0022] As a representation of a transaction, a digital asset may have various attributes, such as the time of the transaction, the seller, information about the purchased product, and attributes related to the sustainability of the product and transaction. In some cases, the address referenced in a non-fungible token is an API endpoint, which can vary the information returned to the user or implement functionality based on the HTTP method used to access the API endpoint. For example, an API endpoint may allow a user or system to perform a GET, HEAD, PUT, or POST, allowing the digital properties of the digital asset to be modified based on the operation performed. GET and HEAD operations are read-only and can provide publicly available information about the digital asset without requiring authentication. Access to write operations (e.g., POST, PUT) on an API endpoint referenced by an NFT requires authentication and is therefore accessible only to the creator of the NFT and digital asset, for example.

[0023] Some embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to digital assets that can include sustainability data for transactions performed by a user. Digital assets according to some embodiments can include carbon emissions associated with products purchased by a consumer. In another example, digital assets related to a transaction can indicate whether a product purchased in a transaction was locally sourced or manufactured using sustainable practices. Some embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to NFTs that can authenticate ownership or privileges (benefits) instead of or in addition to representing physical or digital collectibles. Digital assets with ownership tied to NFTs can be, for example, a user's account with a manufacturer or retailer, and can include digital property in the form of information about transactions made by the user, products purchased, dates of activity, cumulative totals of value exchanged for goods or services, or other information that can be associated with a customer account. Rewards can be accrued or provided based on the digital property or information of the digital asset, and the rewards can include access to exclusive products or designs, access to exclusive products, tickets to physical or virtual events, product discounts, access to digital systems, etc.

[0024] Accounts offered as digital assets secured by NFTs may offer privacy benefits to individuals hesitant to register for accounts with manufacturers or retailers. This is because purchases and activities are associated with the NFT while not containing user-identifying information. Furthermore, the ability to sell or transfer ownership of an account by transferring the account NFT allows users to increase the value of the NFT, which corresponds to the value of the digital asset secured by the NFT, providing an incentive to engage in profitable activities. The sale of account or utility NFTs can provide a revenue stream for manufacturers or retailers, as the originator of the NFT can receive royalties or fees on subsequent sales of the NFT. In other embodiments, the NFT can represent the right to a benefit, such as access to restricted portions of a website, access to exclusive events or products, access to discounts, or integration with a third-party application such as a game. The digital asset of such an NFT can contain information about the benefit, or the retailer's computer system can contain information about the benefit.

[0025] NFTs can be created, recorded, or "issued" on a blockchain ledger stored on a blockchain network, thereby storing them in the memory of one or more blockchain nodes. Furthermore, such cryptographic tokens can be destroyed or "burned" by permanently removing them from circulation on the blockchain network. Burning can be accomplished in a variety of ways, such as transferring ownership of the cryptographic token to a generic, empty address that is inaccessible and unowned. A manufacturer, also referred to herein as a brand or organization, can burn cryptographic tokens to create scarcity within a market, to trigger or as a result of a condition, or for security purposes. For example, a brand can release (e.g., "drop") a collection of digital assets secured or identified by cryptographic tokens and burn any unsold cryptographic tokens in the collection to maintain the exclusivity of the sold tokens. In another example, a brand may drop a collection of digital assets secured or identified by NFTs with the condition that the purchasing party may only access the purchased digital assets if all or a certain quantity of the collection is purchased, and steps may be taken by the brand to burn any unsold NFTs in order to early satisfy the condition.

[0026] There are several ways that users can unlock or acquire their crypto assets. In one example, scanning a product at a point-of-sale (POS) terminal upon initial purchase automatically generates a unique NFT and a corresponding private key that are assigned to the user's blockchain wallet. In another example, the private key is provided to the user through a printed or digital receipt, a visual or electronic ID tag (RFID or NFC) hidden in or attached to the product, a pop-up message or email sent to a personal user account, a push notification or text message sent to a smartphone, or other record, and the consumer uses the private key to link their crypto assets to their digital blockchain wallet. In another example, the user may be required to assemble the private key in part through a physical code or unique product identifier (UPID) associated with the product, such as a serial number (e.g., embedded on the packaging or box, a hang tag, under a label, in a QR code on the product or packaging, embedded in a club head or shaft, embedded in a shoe or sole, etc.), or through a transaction authentication code (i.e., to prevent consumers from collecting crypto assets while simply handling the product in a store). As another example, NFTs could be sold on NFT marketplaces, point-of-sale systems, or directly on retailers' or manufacturers' digital storefronts.

[0027] In another example, a user may be required to use photo capture or augmented reality (AR) capabilities of a portable personal computing device to "locate" crypto assets in a store, whether a physical store or a virtual store within the metaverse or a game. In this method, a private key may be provided via a valid transaction, but the user must separately locate the crypto assets hidden in AR within the store or local area before the digital assets can be transferred to the wallet (i.e., both the crypto key and the virtual object must be separately obtained before the transfer occurs).

[0028] In a representative example, an authenticated product is created and assigned a UPID. When purchased by a consumer, the UPID can be used to unlock crypto-digital assets, which consist of sustainable digital assets associated with unique non-fungible tokens (NFTs) on a blockchain-based distributed computing platform. Generally, consumers must have or procure a blockchain wallet address (e.g., an Ethereum hardware wallet) to purchase, unlock, or acquire the NFTs that secure the crypto-digital assets. Blockchain wallets are used to store private keys belonging to the crypto-digital assets and may be linked to a personal account registered with the product retailer or manufacturer.

[0029] Referring now to the figures, Figure 1 illustrates an exemplary system 100 for generating NFTs in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosed subject matter. However, in other embodiments of the disclosed invention, systems similar to system 100 may be used to generate other types of NFTs, including, for example, account NFTs and footwear NFTs. As shown in Figure 1, system 100 may include one or more computing devices or user devices 110, one or more servers 120, and one or more servers 140.

[0030] Still referring to FIG. 1 , one or more computing devices 110 can receive data corresponding to one or more products. Additionally, or alternatively, one or more computing devices 110 can receive input data from a user corresponding to attributes of one or more digital products. The one or more computing devices 110 can execute at least a portion of the system 100 to generate one or more NFTs corresponding to transactions involving one or more products. Additionally, or alternatively, one or more computing devices 110 can communicate data corresponding to one or more products to one or more servers 120 and / or one or more servers 140 via one or more communications networks 130 or other connections. The one or more servers 120 can execute at least a portion of the system 100. In such an embodiment, the one or more servers 120 can receive data corresponding to one or more products. Additionally, or alternatively, the one or more servers 120 can receive input from a user corresponding to attributes of one or more products. The one or more servers 120 can execute at least a portion of the system 100 to generate one or more NFTs corresponding to one or more products. Additionally, information about the digital assets secured by one or more NFTs may be stored on the server 140.

[0031] 2 illustrates example hardware 200 that can be used to implement computing device 110 and / or server 120 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 2 , in some embodiments, computing device 110 may include a processor 202, a display 204, one or more inputs 206, one or more communication systems 208, and / or memory 210. In some embodiments, processor 202 may be any suitable hardware processor or combination of processors, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), etc. In some embodiments, display 204 may include any suitable display device, such as a computer monitor, a touchscreen, a television, etc. In some embodiments, input 206 may include any suitable input device and / or sensor that can be used to receive user input, such as a keyboard, a mouse, a touchscreen, a microphone, a camera, etc.

[0032] In some embodiments, communications system 208 may include any suitable hardware, firmware, and / or software for communicating information over communications network 130 and / or any other suitable communications network. For example, communications system 208 may include one or more transceivers, one or more communications chips and / or chipsets, etc. In more particular examples, communications system 208 may include hardware, firmware, and / or software that may be used to establish a Wi-Fi connection, a Bluetooth connection, a cellular connection, an Ethernet connection, etc.

[0033] In some embodiments, memory 210 may include any suitable storage device or device that may be used to store instructions, values, etc. that may be used by processor 202 to, for example, generate non-fungible tokens, present digital assets using display 204, communicate with server 120 via communication system(s) 208, etc. Memory 210 may include any suitable volatile memory, non-volatile memory, storage, or any suitable combination thereof. For example, memory 210 may include random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electronically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), one or more flash drives, one or more hard disks, one or more solid-state drives, one or more optical drives, etc. In some embodiments, memory 210 may have computer programs encoded thereon for controlling the operation of computing device 110. For example, in such an embodiment, processor 202 may execute at least a portion of a computer program to receive input from a graphical user interface for customizing an article of footwear, store in memory an image of a digital asset based on the user's customization, generate a non-fungible token based on the digital asset, and create the non-fungible token on a blockchain network comprised of computing devices 110 and / or server 120. As another example, processor 202 may execute at least a portion of a computer program to implement system 100 for generating NFTs corresponding to paired digital and physical articles of footwear. As yet another example, processor 202 may execute at least a portion of processes 500, 600, and 900 described below in connection with FIGS. 5, 6, and 9.

[0034] In some embodiments, server 120 may include a processor 212, a display 214, one or more inputs 216, one or more communication systems 218, and / or memory 220. In some embodiments, processor 212 may be any suitable hardware processor or combination of processors, such as a CPU, GPU, ASIC, FPGA, etc. In some embodiments, display 214 may include any suitable display device, such as a computer monitor, a touchscreen, a television, etc. In some embodiments, input 216 may include any suitable input device and / or sensor that may be used to receive user input, such as a keyboard, a mouse, a touchscreen, a microphone, a camera, etc.

[0035] In some embodiments, communications system 218 may include any suitable hardware, firmware, and / or software for communicating information over communications network 130 and / or any other suitable communications network. For example, communications system 218 may include one or more transceivers, one or more communications chips and / or chipsets, etc. In more particular examples, communications system 218 may include hardware, firmware, and / or software that can be used to establish a Wi-Fi connection, a Bluetooth connection, a cellular connection, an Ethernet connection, etc.

[0036] In some embodiments, memory 220 may include any suitable storage device or devices that may be used to store instructions, values, etc., that may be used by processor 212, for example, to present content using display 214, to communicate with one or more computing devices 110, etc. Memory 220 may include any suitable volatile memory, non-volatile memory, storage, or any suitable combination thereof. For example, memory 220 may include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, one or more flash drives, one or more hard disks, one or more solid-state drives, one or more optical drives, etc. In some embodiments, memory 220 may have encoded thereon a server program for controlling the operation of server 120. For example, in such embodiments, processor 212 may execute at least a portion of the server program to receive input from a GUI for customizing an article of footwear, store in memory (e.g., memory 220) an image of a digital asset based on the user's customization, generate an NFT based on the digital asset, and / or create an NFT on a blockchain network comprised of computing devices 110 and / or server 120. As another example, processor 212 may execute at least a portion of a server program, which may be a smart contract, to implement system 100 to generate NFTs corresponding to products or transactions. As yet another example, processor 202 may execute at least a portion of processes 500, 600, and 900 described below in connection with Figures 5, 6, and 9.

[0037] In some embodiments, server 140 may include a processor 222, a display 224, one or more inputs 226, one or more communication systems 228, and / or memory 230. In some embodiments, processor 222 may be any suitable hardware processor or combination of processors, such as a CPU, GPU, ASIC, FPGA, etc. In some embodiments, display 224 may include any suitable display device, such as a computer monitor, a touchscreen, a television, etc. In some embodiments, input 226 may include any suitable input device and / or sensor that may be used to receive user input, such as a keyboard, a mouse, a touchscreen, a microphone, a camera, etc.

[0038] In some embodiments, communications system 228 may include any suitable hardware, firmware, and / or software for communicating information over communications network 130 and / or any other suitable communications network. For example, communications system 228 may include one or more transceivers, one or more communications chips and / or chipsets, etc. In more particular examples, communications system 228 may include hardware, firmware, and / or software that can be used to establish a Wi-Fi connection, a Bluetooth connection, a cellular connection, an Ethernet connection, etc.

[0039] In some embodiments, memory 230 may include any suitable storage device or devices that may be used, for example, by processor 222 to present content using display 224, that may be used to communicate with one or more computing devices 110, that may be used to store instructions, values, etc. Memory 230 may include any suitable volatile memory, non-volatile memory, storage, or any suitable combination thereof. For example, memory 230 may include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, one or more flash drives, one or more hard disks, one or more solid-state drives, one or more optical drives, etc. In some embodiments, memory 230 may have server programs encoded thereon for controlling the operation of server 140. As an example, processor 222 may execute at least a portion of processes 500, 600, and 900, described below in connection with FIGS. 5, 6, and 9.

[0040] 3, an exemplary blockchain network 300 is illustrated in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. Blockchain network 300 may include one or more blockchain nodes, each of which may be a computing device 110 (e.g., similar to computing device 110 in FIGS. 1 and 2) or a server 120 (e.g., similar to server 120 in FIGS. 1 and 2) in communication with each other (e.g., via a communication network similar to communication network 130 in FIGS. 1 and 2). The NFT may be stored in a blockchain ledger stored on one or more of the blockchain nodes (e.g., "minted" on a blockchain ledger stored on a blockchain network, thereby storing it in one or more memories of the blockchain nodes). For example, attributes of the NFT may be stored in memory on a local computing device (e.g., computing device 110) and copied to memory of one or more blockchain nodes (e.g., a server, such as server 120, and / or computing devices that may be similar to computing device 110). One or more blockchain nodes may be responsible for storing the data included in the blockchain ledger. Each of the one or more blockchain nodes may store (e.g., in a memory such as memory 210 or 220) a copy of the blockchain ledger (e.g., certificates tracking various transactions of, and changes to, NFTs that secure digital assets, such as sustainable digital assets).

[0041] Because there may be costs associated with storing information on a blockchain, the information about an NFT stored on the blockchain may be minimal. Therefore, metadata about the digital asset, and the digital asset itself, may be stored in memory (e.g., memory 230) or storage of one or more servers 140. A URI may be stored with the NFT on one of computing devices 110, 120 and may include an address of the digital asset stored on one or more servers 140, so that information about the digital asset can be obtained from the URI stored in the NFT and users of the blockchain network do not pay a disproportionate price for storing the digital asset on the blockchain network.

[0042] One or more blockchain nodes may each be a computing device located in one or more geographic locations, thereby creating a distributed computing architecture. A blockchain network may be a public network (e.g., available to all users) or a private network (e.g., available to specific users). For example, an organization may develop an application for storing NFTs corresponding to the trading of physical and / or digital products (e.g., sports shoes, electronic devices, watches, eyeglasses, headgear, sporting equipment, or apparel). The application may be a mobile application, a desktop application, or a web-based applet that includes computer-readable instructions stored, for example, in memory 210 or 220 and configured to be executed, for example, by processor 202 or 212 (see FIG. 2 ). Any user who downloads the application to their computing device can then add their computing device to the blockchain network as a blockchain node. In some embodiments, the blockchain network may be private, thus limited to users who download the organization's application and receive approval to participate.

[0043] A blockchain network may be a public network if the application is publicly available. However, if an organization restricts who can access the application or restricts the ability of selected individuals who download the application to become blockchain nodes, the blockchain network may be a private network, such as a permissioned network. Generally speaking, a permissioned network is a distributed ledger that is not publicly accessible and is only accessible to users with specific privileges; users can only perform certain actions authorized by a central owner or ledger custodian and are required to identify themselves through certificates or other digital means. In some embodiments, the blockchain network may be a known blockchain network (e.g., Bitcoin, Ethereum, etc.), and the permissioned network may be a subset or service related to a known blockchain network.

[0044] A blockchain network may be an open yet encrypted peer-to-peer (P2P) network in which asset transaction records are linked via cryptographic hash functions in a distributed, immutable ledger of interconnected blocks. Each blockchain node may include a ledger of blocks containing one or more digital asset transactions accompanied by corroborating information representing the validity of each transaction as assessed by peer validating devices (e.g., other blockchain nodes in the blockchain network). The encrypted, distributed computing architecture enables authentication of traded assets while preventing duplication of ownership of cryptographically secured ("crypto") digital assets registered on the blockchain network. Decentralized asset management may work by encrypting proprietary asset files, dividing the encrypted code into segments, and transmitting the segments to many different blockchain nodes in the blockchain network (e.g., the blockchain nodes in Figure 3). Validated owners may be provided with private keys that indicate where the digital assets are located within the network and how to reassemble or "decrypt" the files. When used as a distributed ledger, individual blockchains may be managed by a host administrator and distributed across multiple peers that collectively adhere to a protocol for inter-node communication and transaction validation.

[0045] Sustainability NFTs (i.e., NFTs representing ownership of sustainability digital assets) may be stored on a blockchain network. The sustainability NFT may include or reference metadata corresponding to the sustainability attributes of a product or transaction (e.g., carbon emissions, recyclability, transportation distance, fuel consumption, information about the manufacturing facility, etc.) and a token ID. The token ID may be a 32-bit, 64-bit, or 128-bit alphanumeric code divided into individual segments. For example, the alphanumeric code may be divided into 2 segments, 4 segments, 8 segments, 16 segments, or 32 segments. The NFT may include a URI that specifies where the digital asset metadata is located. The metadata provided at the specified web address may provide, for example, a list or attributes of the digital asset in JSON format provided in accordance with contemporary relevant standards, such as ERC (Ethereum Request for Comments) 721 (non-fungible token standard) or ERC 1155 (multi-token standard), appropriate for the particular blockchain network and the applications used thereon, among other relevant standards. This metadata may be stored on one or more servers 140, which may be managed by the manufacturer or retailer.

[0046] For example, using the example of a sustainability NFT, the metadata provided at the URI address specified in the NFT and hosted on server 140 may correspond to one or more attributes from the following group: the retailer of the product associated with the transaction, the carbon emissions generated in the transaction, the distance traveled by the product in the transaction, the carbon offsets purchased by the purchasing party, the recyclability of the product purchased in the transaction, the percentage of the product manufactured using recycled products, the number of recycling cycles of the recycled product, the non-renewable and / or renewable energy (e.g., water, electricity, etc.) used in the production of the goods associated with the transaction. Additional combinations of the above attributes would be recognizable to one of ordinary skill in the art.

[0047] It should be appreciated that the disclosed systems and techniques provide many advantageous technical effects, including the creation and storage of a digital asset blockchain that represents user-to-user transactions of virtual collectibles. Furthermore, blockchain technology enables the creation of unique yet fully transferable digital assets that, unlike traditional unsecured digital files, retain their value by generally not being able to be losslessly copied.

[0048] Referring now to FIG. 4, a schematic diagram of the functional structure of a distributed computing system 400 implementing a blockchain network 408 similar to blockchain network 300 of FIG. 3 is provided. As generally illustrated, a user 404 may operatively interface with a user device 110, which may include one or more of a smartphone, tablet computer, smartwatch, laptop computer, desktop computer, standalone video game console, smart footwear / apparel, or other similar Internet-enabled device, e.g., a television, exercise machine or device, or vehicle, among other examples. User equipment 110 may be operatively configured to communicate with one or more of an immutable public database (e.g., blockchain service / network 408—referred to as the “blockchain network 408”), a virtual object generator 412, an online digital marketplace or platform 416, and / or a third-party integration service 420.

[0049] Generally, the blockchain network 408 may include at least one non-fungible token registered thereon, which includes information representative of a digital asset. A user 404, via a user device 110, may occupy or possess a wallet containing a private cryptographic key that allows the user device to read encrypted data associated with the token. This key further allows the user 404 to freely transfer ownership of the token.

[0050] A virtual object generator 412 may be provided to create digital objects or digital assets based on the information associated with the tokens. The virtual object generator 412 may employ multiple stylistic and artistic rules so that the image associated with the resulting digital object is unique yet recognizable according to a predefined silhouette, style, article, or character. In some embodiments, the virtual object generator 412 may create virtual objects based on ancillary factors such as the asset's age, user activity (tracked via user device, mobile application, participation in sporting events, etc.), or use via a third-party platform. The virtual object generator 412 and / or the blockchain network 408 may further communicate with hosted digital marketplaces 416, forums, social platforms, etc.

[0051] The digital marketplace can represent multiple virtual objects in a manner that enables the organized trading and / or sale / purchase of virtual objects between parties. Once the sale or transfer is complete, the digital marketplace 416 can update the blockchain network 408 with the new owner information and facilitate the transfer of new or existing keys to the new asset owner. In some embodiments, the marketplace 416 can further enable various social engagement features, such as voting or commenting on the represented virtual objects. Similarly, in some embodiments, the marketplace 416 may be configured to assess and score the rarity of a particular virtual object by considering the sum of the object's represented features or characteristics, as well as any auxiliary factors. Such a rarity score can enable the marketplace (and / or users participating within the marketplace) to better assess the value of the object.

[0052] With further reference to FIG. 4 , system 400 may further include a third-party integration service 420 that enables the use of virtual objects in different contexts or manners. The third-party integration service 420 may operate as an API on an app provided on the user's device or as a dedicated cloud-based service. In some embodiments, the third-party integration service 420 may make the virtual objects (e.g., as rendered by the virtual object generator 412) and / or information available for external use. Examples of such uses include skins for third-party video game characters, objects usable by third-party video game characters, digital artwork displays, physical 2D (two-dimensional) print generation, manufacturing production such as 3D print generation, etc. In some embodiments, the information and / or scarcity scores may be made available to modify the characteristics or abilities of a user's video game character in a video game played on the user's device 110. The enterprise host system 424 may communicate with the blockchain network 408 for the purposes of supplying and / or initially creating new digital assets and storing or updating metadata associated with the assets. Additionally, the host system 424 may provide one or more rules to the virtual object generator 412 to constrain the manner and style in which genomic information from the blockchain network 408 is represented in visual / artistic form.

[0053] A method for generating digital assets secured by NFTs on a blockchain ledger is generally described in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure with reference to Figure 5. Some or all of the operations of Figure 5, and some or all of the operations described in more detail below, may be representative of algorithms corresponding to processor-executable instructions that may be stored, for example, in a primary or secondary remote memory and executed, for example, by a resident or remote controller, central processing unit (CPU), control logic circuit, or other module or device or network of devices, to perform any or all of the functions described above or below related to the disclosed concepts. It should be appreciated that the order of execution of the illustrated operational blocks may be changed, additional blocks may be added, and some of the described blocks may be modified, combined, or deleted.

[0054] Method 500 of FIG. 5 begins in terminal block 502 with processor-executable instructions in a programmable controller or control module, or similarly suitable processor, to invoke an initialization procedure of a protocol for generating computer-generated digital shoe and encrypted digital assets, such as cryptographic token keys, for a consumer product. This routine may be invoked and executed in real time, continuously, systematically, sporadically, and / or at regular intervals. As an exemplary implementation of the methodology shown in FIG. 5, the initialization procedure in block 502 can be initiated automatically each time a pair of shoes is manufactured, at various stages of the supply chain and manufacturing process, when a user 404 purchases a product or makes a transaction from a retailer, or each time a user 404 unlocks an access key. Alternatively, the initialization procedure may be manually initiated by an employee at a POS terminal, or by a retailer or manufacturer.

[0055] Other initialization procedures may be initiated for different digital assets, which may represent assets other than physical products. For example, a digital asset may represent proof of attendance for a given event. Thus, the digital asset may represent proof of attendance at the event. Alternatively, a limited number of "proof of attendance" NFTs may be minted for the event, and the NFTs may be acquired by attendees on a first-come, first-served basis, or attendees may acquire remaining NFTs by, for example, scanning a QR code. Digital assets may correspond to utility NFTs and provide functionality to their owners. For example, the digital asset may grant the owner access to perks or exclusive content.

[0056] In some cases, computing device 110 is a user device, such as a portable electronic device including, for example, a smartphone or other electronic device. Using user device 110, user 404 can launch a dedicated mobile software application (app) or web-based applet that cooperates with a server-class (backend or middleware) computer (e.g., a remote host system) to communicate with various peer devices on distributed computing system 400. For example, during a communication session with host system 424, user 404 can purchase a pair of footwear using corresponding functionality provided by the app. User 404 enters personal information and a payment method to complete the transaction. Upon completion of a valid payment, host system 424 receives a transaction confirmation, for example, from an online store's transaction module or an authorized third-party electronic payment system, indicating that the valid transfer of the footwear to user 404 has been completed. As indicated above, the valid transfer of the footwear can be accomplished through any available means, such as a brick-and-mortar store, an online auction website, or an aftermarket consumer-to-consumer transaction / sale. In other embodiments, user 404 may conduct other transactions or purchase other products (e.g., apparel, backpacks, hats, watches, sporting goods, footwear, glasses, etc.) In some embodiments, user 404 may directly purchase the digital asset represented by the NFT.

[0057] Next, method 500 proceeds to decision block 504, where it determines whether user 404 has procured a cryptocurrency wallet or other similarly suitable digital blockchain account operable to upload and maintain location and locator information for digital assets, for example, stored in an encrypted and decentralized manner. Cryptocurrency wallets typically store public and private key pairs but not the cryptocurrency itself. The cryptocurrency is stored in a decentralized manner and maintained on a publicly available blockchain ledger. Using the stored keys, owners can digitally sign transactions and write them to the blockchain ledger. Smart contracts, directed by the platform associated with the wallet, can facilitate transfers of stored assets and create a verifiable audit trail of the same. If user 404 has not yet obtained a digital blockchain wallet, method 500 continues to predefined process block 508 to set up a wallet. As a non-limiting example, user 404 may be prompted or automatically routed to visit any of an assortment of publicly available websites that offer ERC20 compatible Ethereum wallets offered by MyEtherWallet, or hardware wallets for cold storage of cryptocurrencies, such as Metamask, among other viable sources or providers.

[0058] Once the system verifies that the user 404 has an appropriate digital blockchain wallet at process block 504, method 500 may check whether the wallet is linked to a personal user account at decision block 510. In some cases, the user 404 may have already linked a wallet to their user account in a previous transaction, and thus method 500 may proceed to process block 516. In instances where the user 404 has not linked a wallet, method 500 may automatically link or prompt the user 404 to link the digital blockchain wallet to their personal user account, as depicted in process block 512 of FIG. 5. This linking at process block 512 may proceed automatically if the wallet was created at process block 508, without having to perform the check at decision block 510 whether the wallet was linked. Linking the wallet to the personal account at process block 512 may require the remote host system 424 to obtain a unique owner ID code associated with the purchasing party (e.g., user 404) from, for example, an encrypted relational database provided (assigned) through the cloud computing system 130. The unique physical golf club ID code associated with the purchased golf club may then be linked to the user's personal account.

[0059] After user 404 has obtained a digital blockchain wallet, i.e., block 504 = YES, and the wallet is linked to a personal user account, i.e., block 510 = YES, or after linking the user's blockchain wallet to a personal user account in block 512, method 500 continues to input / output block 516 and activates a sustainability crypto digital asset (e.g., a physical product, which may include clothing, shoes, golf clubs, golf products, sporting equipment, etc., or a sustainability digital asset associated with the production and sale of the physical product). In some cases, upon purchase of the product, a universally recognized UPID product code can be used to obtain the product's sustainability information (e.g., from a relational database, digital assets associated with the product, etc.) and further used to generate digital assets and corresponding sustainability NFTs. In some cases, the UPID can be used to obtain other information about the physical product or to activate additional blockchain functionality. As an example, upon purchasing a physical product (e.g., an item of clothing, shoes, golf clubs, golf bags, golf balls, basketballs, tennis rackets, baseball bats, or other sporting goods), the UPID associated with the physical product can be used to obtain a collectible NFT identified by an encrypted token key and generally associated with the collectible digital product (e.g., a digital product corresponding to the physical product). In some embodiments, the UPID can be used to trigger functionality of the collectible NFT, such as compensation to a third party. A third party or retailer at a POS terminal, or a user 404 using user equipment 110, can scan the UPID or UPC on the physical product (e.g., directly on the physical product or on the box or packaging storing the product). Thus, activating the encrypted digital asset in block 516 can be automatic, random, systematic, prize-based, or any logically appropriate manner.

[0060] After receiving confirmation that the encrypted digital asset is authorized at input / output block 516, method 500 generates the encrypted digital asset for the traded product or commodity. This may include generating a contract address (i.e., the address where the smart contract is deployed on the blockchain network), a token, and a unique encrypted asset code with a public / private key pair, as shown at predefined process block 520. The host system 424 can transmit the token along with the public key and owner ID to the distributed blockchain ledger to record and peer-verify the transfer of the encrypted digital asset to the user 404 in a transaction block. The host system 424 can also store metadata for the digital asset and / or the digital asset itself, accessible via the address provided in the NFT. Method 500 continues at process block 524 to link the encrypted digital asset with the unique owner ID code. The control logic may include executable instructions for assigning the encrypted asset code to the user 404 and storing the public and private keys in the user's digital blockchain wallet.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 5, once digital assets are linked to a user through the transfer of an NFT securing the digital assets to the user, optional process block 540 can issue a digital notification, such as an email or push notification, to the user's smartphone 110 or other electronic device containing all relevant information for accessing, transferring, and interconnecting the encrypted digital assets. Additionally or alternatively, the remote host system 424 can operate as a web server hosting a web-based graphical user interface (GUI) operable to translate data stored in the cryptographic keys into visual images displayed to the user 404 at optional process block 544. Manipulation and utilization of the digital assets may also be implemented through the user's digital blockchain wallet. This may include posting the encrypted digital assets to an online crypto-collectible marketplace or platform, as provided in optional process block 548.

[0062] Continuing with reference to FIG. 5, in some embodiments, after the digital asset is activated or initialized at block 516, method 500 may proceed to process block 528 to create a visual representation or "digital art" of the encrypted digital asset. The visual information may include a computer-generated image generated based on attributes of the digital asset. It is also contemplated that one or more attributes of the virtual representation of the encrypted digital asset may be generated in whole or in part via the user 404. Alternatively, machine learning functions may be performed to generate image features via a neural network to create the digital art at process block 528. After the digital art is completed, the image may be uploaded to the host server 140 at block 536, where the digital art may be included as part of the digital asset.

[0063] In some embodiments, the NFT and associated metadata may include values-based metrics associated with a particular transaction or a particular consumer and may be used to verify or remember aspects of the transaction. For example, a consumer or business may desire to purchase locally sourced products, products made with sustainable materials, products manufactured using sustainable or fair practices, or products with a low carbon footprint. Consumers may have countless other values ​​that can be measured for a particular transaction, and those skilled in the art will recognize that this disclosure is applicable to any such values. In some embodiments, an NFT may be minted for a particular transaction and provided to the consumer with values-based metrics related to the transaction. For example, a consumer may purchase a pair of shoes made from recyclable materials and locally sourced. Upon purchasing the shoes, the consumer may receive a non-fungible token with a digital asset that describes the sustainability profile of the purchase. Recyclability may be one attribute included in the digital asset's metadata; another attribute may include a score for "locally sourced." In some embodiments, attributes such as recyclability or local content may be numerical and calculated using a mathematical formula. In other embodiments, these attributes may be represented as binary values, e.g., a shoe may be described as either "locally sourced" or "not locally sourced." Additionally, attributes may be selected from a list of allowable values ​​or as a combination of the described attributes.

[0064] NFTs according to the present disclosure can be issued with immutable characteristics that cannot be updated by the issuing entity (e.g., using globally distributed storage such as an Interplanetary File System). Alternatively, a consumer can purchase a single NFT that contains the cumulative sustainability scores of a user's transactions. In this regard, the attributes of the digital asset associated with the NFT can be updated with each transaction, and the score of a given attribute for a given transaction can be added to a previously given total, so that the digital asset contains a new score after each transaction. In some embodiments, an entity that reads or utilizes a given consumer's value-based score can combine scores from NFTs in the consumer's wallet to calculate the user's cumulative score for a given attribute. In some embodiments, a consumer can combine (e.g., burn) separate sustainability NFTs to create a new NFT having a digital asset with the integrated attributes of the digital assets of the combined NFTs.

[0065] According to some embodiments, a sustainability NFT functions as a “badge” for its owner. For example, a consumer may desire to achieve a high score in recyclability to document and communicate their values ​​to other individuals or businesses. The sustainability NFT digital asset can include an image generated to represent the NFT’s attributes. For example, one attribute may determine the color of a portion of the image associated with the NFT, while another attribute may determine the visual elements. The image is automatically generated based on the digital asset’s attributes. A consumer can display the image associated with the NFT in an online gallery or metaverse. As described above, a consumer can hold multiple sustainability NFTs, each associated with a digital asset containing specific transaction attributes, or a consumer can hold a single NFT with a cumulative score representing the sum of the user’s scores for a given attribute. In the latter case, the image of the digital asset associated with the NFT can be updated to reflect updates to the NFT’s digital asset.

[0066] Individuals, consumers, and businesses can purchase sustainability NFTs from other owners in order to achieve a desired score for a given attribute, thereby encouraging consumer and business behavior. For example, a first consumer who values ​​recycling can purchase an NFT from a second consumer who makes an initial transaction that generates an NFT with a recycling attribute. This increases or enhances the first user's cumulative recycling score. If many consumers strive to increase their score for a given attribute, NFTs with a desired score for that attribute can gain value, thereby incentivizing consumers to make transactions that generate NFTs with the desired attribute (e.g., recycling).

[0067] The scores of individual digital assets associated with NFTs, or the cumulative scores of NFTs in a consumer's wallet, can be consumed by an application or business and used as input to an online application or workflow (e.g., a video game, a metaverse, an online storefront, an online community, etc.). For example, admission to a digital event, or to a given sale, or to a portion of a game, can be contingent on a consumer's predetermined cumulative score. For example, an online community can require verification that a consumer has achieved a certain minimum score for certain attributes (e.g., local sourcing, recyclability, carbon emission score, etc.) before accepting the consumer into the community, and the community can calculate the cumulative score of the sustainability NFTs in the consumer's wallet before accepting the consumer. In some embodiments, a specific discount offered by a business can require the consumer to have a minimum score for certain attributes that the business chooses to prioritize. Furthermore, admission to an event in the metaverse can require a score for a specific attribute or a combination of scores across multiple attributes. A business can weight multiple attributes of a sustainability NFT to generate a business-specific score for the consumer, which can determine the benefits (rewards) provided to the consumer. Additionally, the score for a given consumer may assist businesses in marketing to that consumer. Thus, businesses may read the digital assets associated with NFTs in a given user's wallet and choose to sell specific products to the consumer based on the consumer's cumulative score, which may indicate the consumer's predetermined values.

[0068] The digital asset of a sustainability NFT may include an identifier for the issuing entity (e.g., a product manufacturer or retailer related to the product being sold). For example, multiple companies may issue sustainability NFTs, and attributes of the digital asset associated with the sustainability NFT may include the company's identifier. In this way, companies may accumulate a cumulative score for their issued NFTs that is verified on the blockchain, allowing them to promote their sustainability profile and the associated value represented by the profile to consumers, regulators, and other companies. In some cases, companies may require evidence of sustainable practices from other companies before entering into contractual relationships with them. Sustainability NFTs issued by companies may provide a way to measure that company's compliance with certain standards, granting the company market access, discounts, and eligibility for contracts that would not otherwise be available.

[0069] Referring now to FIG. 6, an exemplary process 550 for the creation and transfer of NFTs and related digital assets is shown. At block 552, a product is assigned a score for various attributes of the product. In some embodiments, the product may be a physical product such as a hat, shoes, apparel, wearable electronic device, accessory, or food. In some embodiments, the product may comprise an item of sporting goods, such as a golf club, golf bag, golf ball, basketball, tennis racket, baseball bat, or other item of sporting goods. Alternatively, the product may be any manufactured item available for sale to consumers. The product's score may include metrics related to the production, transportation, or sale of the product. For example, a product may be composed at least in part of recycled materials, and a score may be assigned to the product indicating the percentage of the product composed of recycled materials or the net mass of recycled materials contained in the product.

[0070] In some embodiments, a product may be assigned multiple scores for multiple different attributes. For example, a product may have a score indicating the carbon emissions generated in the production and transportation of the product. Another attribute of a product may include the total distance traveled by the product and its components. A product's score may include a measure of the sustainable energy source (wind, solar, geothermal, etc.) used in the production and transportation of the product. Additionally or alternatively, the score may include information about the product's provenance, including, for example, the country of origin of some or all of the product's materials or the country in which the product was manufactured or assembled. In some cases, scores may be assigned that represent the sustainability practices of facilities or suppliers in the product's supply chain. In yet another example, a score may represent the recyclability of a product or its components.

[0071] Still referring to FIG. 6 , at block 554, the product may be transferred (delivered) to the consumer. This may occur at a physical location (e.g., a brick-and-mortar store), or the transaction may occur remotely (e.g., online), and transferring the product to the consumer may include shipping the product. In some embodiments, at block 554, the product has not yet been physically transferred to the consumer, but the consumer has completed a transaction to purchase the product. At block 556, a score may be assigned to the transaction performed at block 554. For example, the score of the transaction may include scores of products purchased or transferred to the consumer. In some cases, a consumer purchases multiple products in a single transaction. Thus, in some embodiments, the score of the transaction may include aggregate scores of the products purchased or transferred in the transaction. In some cases, the scores of the attributes of the products may be summed, and the resulting sum may represent the score for that attribute of the transaction. For example, a first product may be transported 100 miles to the location where the transaction is occurring, and a second product may be transported 50 miles to that location. Thus, a transaction may have a score for an attribute representing distance traveled, which may be the distance traveled by the first product plus the distance traveled by the second product, resulting in a score of 150 miles for the transaction. In some embodiments, or for other attributes, combining attributes of multiple products may include performing an average, or weighted average, of the attributes across the multiple products. In some embodiments, attributes may be combined according to any function that can be performed across the scores.

[0072] Aspects of a transaction may affect transaction attributes independent of the product score. For example, at the point of sale, a consumer may choose to purchase a certain amount of carbon credits to offset emissions generated in the production, storage, and transportation of the purchased item. For example, at the point of sale, a consumer may be presented with the option to offset all or a portion of the emissions generated by the product sold in the transaction. Purchasing carbon offsets may fund environmental initiatives, such as reforestation efforts, clean energy production, carbon capture, or other processes that can offset carbon production. Thus, if a consumer purchases a carbon offset, the total carbon emissions for the transaction may be reduced, and therefore the carbon emissions score for the transaction may be less than the sum of the carbon emissions scores of the products purchased in the transaction. In some cases, including in the case of online sales, a consumer may request delivery of the product or products purchased in the transaction, and therefore the travel distance score for the transaction may include the distance traveled by the individual products included in the transaction in addition to the distance traveled in the delivery of the product. In other embodiments, other aspects of a transaction may affect one or more scores related to transaction attributes.

[0073] At block 558, process 550 may create (generate) a digital asset that includes the score of the transaction determined at block 556. In some embodiments, the score may be assembled in a format that is easily consumable by a computer programming language (e.g., JSON, YML, XML, HTML, etc.) and that conforms to a standard for non-fungible tokens. The digital asset may be stored on a computer system (e.g., hosted by server 140 or 120) and accessible for viewing at a URL. The computer system may be controlled or operated by a selling party (e.g., a retailer or manufacturer) and may allow the selling party to modify the digital asset. For example, in some embodiments, a digital asset is not created for each transaction between a buy side and a sell side, but instead, an existing digital asset containing the buyer side's cumulative score of the transaction may be updated with the score from the transaction. Thus, digital assets according to some aspects of the present disclosure may be mutable and may be updated by the sell side. In some embodiments, the digital asset may be immutable, and a new digital asset may be generated for a given transaction. For example, a digital asset may be hosted by a third-party storage system (e.g., the InterPlanetary File System (“IPFS”)) that may deny update access to the digital asset except when publishing or burning the digital asset. The third-party storage system may provide a URL or URI where the digital asset can be accessed.

[0074] Referring now to FIG. 7 , an exemplary data structure 570 for a digital asset according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown, including a digital asset 572. The digital asset 572 may have an address 574 where the digital asset can be accessed. For example, the illustrated address 574 is an InterPlanetary File System (“IPFS”) address, and the digital asset 572 is therefore immutable and distributed across globally redundant storage hosted by a third party. However, in some embodiments, the address (e.g., a URL or URI) may be any web address that can be resolved by DNS or accessible via a web browser. The digital asset may include a json object 576, which may be composed of multiple elements (e.g., a description element, a name element, etc.) according to standards for digital assets related to NFTs. The json object 576 includes an attribute element 578, which, as shown, is composed of an array of dictionaries 580 each defining an attribute 582 and an associated value or score 584 for the digital asset 572. In some cases, the value of the attribute is a numeric value. However, some attributes may be assigned non-numeric values, which may include Boolean values ​​(e.g., true or false) or alphanumeric values. In some embodiments, the selling party may be included in the attributes of the digital asset 572. The illustrated digital asset 572 includes sustainability attributes of recyclable materials, carbon emissions, energy consumption, transportation distance, carbon offset, and local sourcing. However, digital assets according to the present disclosure may have additional metrics with associated scores, which may encompass other sustainability metrics or other measurements related to the transaction (e.g., price, etc.).

[0075] In some embodiments, digital asset 572 may include or reference digital image object 586. Digital image object 586 may be accessible at web address 588 and may be included in digital asset 572 as an element thereof (e.g., an "image" element). Digital image object 586 may include digital image 590. Digital image 590 may be generated based at least in part on scores of attributes of the digital asset. The digital image may be algorithmically generated according to an artificial intelligence model, and attributes of digital asset 572 may be inputs to the model and may control visual elements of digital image 590. As a non-limiting example, the attribute "distance traveled" may correspond to the background color of digital image 590, and "carbon footprint" may correspond to the transparency of a portion or element of digital image 590. In other embodiments, all digital images associated with a digital asset according to the present disclosure may be identical. In other embodiments, a digital asset may be generated without an associated digital image.

[0076] Returning to FIG. 6 , at block 560, an NFT can be issued and associated with the digital asset generated at block 558. The NFT can be generated by inputting parameters into a smart contract for generating a token on a given blockchain (e.g., Ethereum). In some embodiments, the smart contract can receive a score or attribute as input and generate the digital asset based on the input score of the transaction (e.g., implementing block 558). In some embodiments, the smart contract can receive a URI or URL of the digital asset as input and generate an NFT that includes the URL or URI. As shown in FIG. 7 , the NFT 592 can include a smart contract address 594, which can be an alphanumeric string that indicates the smart contract on the blockchain where the NFT 592 was generated, through which the NFT 592 can be transferred or updated. The NFT 592 can further include a token ID 596 that can uniquely identify the NFT for a given smart contract. As shown, the NFT 592 can further include an address 574 where the digital asset 572 is hosted. In other embodiments, the NFT may include more parameters.

[0077] Referring again to FIG. 6, in block 562, the NFT can be transferred to a consumer (e.g., the party who purchased the product in block 552). Transferring the NFT can be done by executing a cryptographic transaction that records the transfer of the NFT to the consumer by issuing a private key to the consumer and storing it in the user's digital wallet, or by associating the NFT with the private key in the consumer's wallet. Once the NFT is transferred to the consumer's wallet, other users of the blockchain or blockchain-integrated applications can query the consumer's wallet, identify sustainability NFTs owned by the consumer, and consume the attributes of the digital assets associated with the NFTs owned by the consumer.

[0078] Referring now to FIG. 8 , an exemplary system 600 in which process 550 can be implemented is shown. In the illustrated embodiment, a first blockchain 602 is shown in which inputs 604 can be recorded. The inputs 604 can be associated with the production, transportation, and sale of a product 606. For example, a manufacturing input 604a is illustrated, which can record information related to the production of a product or products 606a, 606b in the blockchain 602. For example, the manufacturing input can record the type of energy (e.g., fossil fuel, wind, solar, geothermal, etc.) used in the production of the product 606 or its components in the blockchain. Additionally, the manufacturing input can record the level of carbon emissions associated with the production of the product 606 or the environmental assessment of the facility where the product 606 was manufactured. A transportation input 604b can record transportation information related to the product 606 in the blockchain 602. In some embodiments, the transportation information can include a distance indicating the distance traveled by the product 606 or its components in the process of manufacturing the product. Additionally, the transportation input 604b may include the environmental efficiency of the vehicle used to transport the product 606 and may further include information related to the total fuel consumption and carbon generation associated with transporting the product 606 or its components.

[0079] The blockchain 602 can further include records from a source input 604c, which can include information about the geographic sources of materials or elements of the product 606. For example, in some cases, it may be preferable for a consumer or business to purchase locally sourced products or products from jurisdictions with a certain level of environmental protection or commitment. Thus, the input 604c can include a list of source locations for the product or its elements. The source input 604c can include the maximum distance that an element of the product 606 is sourced from the point of sale or end consumer. In other embodiments, the source input 604c can record the average distance from the point of sale that materials for the product 606 are sourced.

[0080] As another example of an input that may be recorded on the blockchain 602, a materials input 604d may be provided that may input the materials used in the production of the product 606. The input 604d may record the level of energy consumption or carbon emissions required to harvest the materials for the product 606. Additionally, the materials input 604d may record the amount or percentage of a particular material present in the product 606. For example, in some cases, consumers may prefer to purchase products that are produced with minimal use of fossil fuels, that do not contribute to deforestation, or that are otherwise perceived to have a negative impact on the environment.

[0081] In some embodiments, the recycling input 604e can also record information on the blockchain 602. The recycling input 604e can include information regarding the percentage of recycled material present in the product 606. Additionally, or alternatively, the recycling input 604e can record information on the blockchain 602 regarding the recyclability of the product 606. In other embodiments, additional inputs can be provided to record other parameters on the private blockchain 602 related to the production, transportation, and sale of the product or product 606.

[0082] In some embodiments, blockchain 602 may be accessible to multiple entities, and tokens thereon may be transferred between companies, manufacturers, transporters, and other participants selling products or along a product's supply chain. In some embodiments, blockchain 602 may be utilized by multiple retailers, providing standardization for measuring environmental parameters across different entities or industries. For example, using blockchain 602, companies may aggregate environmental information, including, for example, levels of carbon emissions, which may help them comply with industry standards, internal policies, or related government regulations. In some embodiments, blockchain 602 may provide a marketplace where companies can purchase carbon offsets to mitigate certain environmental impacts (e.g., carbon emissions). For example, some companies may engage in activities, including reforestation, and these activities may be recorded on blockchain 602, including the resulting negative carbon emission score. Companies whose total carbon emission score does not comply with a predetermined standard may purchase these tokens on the blockchain, thereby reducing their total carbon emission score. In other embodiments, a database may be used instead of blockchain 602, and metrics may be recorded as entries in a table in the database. In other embodiments, the input may record the information as unstructured data in a file storage system, an object storage system, or a cloud storage solution.

[0083] Data from the blockchain 602 is available to the point of sale 608, which can query information about products sold or transferred in a given transaction. In other embodiments, aggregated data about a given product 606 can be pulled from the blockchain 602 and stored in the selling party's computer or storage system, eliminating the need for the point of sale 608 to query the blockchain and perform aggregations on data obtained therefrom during the course of a given transaction. Thus, the point of sale 608 can perform a lookup for each item 606 to obtain desired data points for metrics associated with that item. The point of sale 608 need not be a physical point of sale (e.g., a cash register) but can include software running on a remotely or locally hosted computing system. The point of sale 608 can be an online point of sale or can be operable for transactions in a physical (e.g., brick-and-mortar) store.

[0084] As further shown in FIG. 8 , a user 609 can initiate a transaction through interaction with a point-of-sale (POS) system 608. The illustrated embodiment shows a transaction in which the user 609 purchases a shirt 606 a and shoes 606 b. It should be understood that a transaction can include one product, two products, or more than two products. Furthermore, the products for a given transaction can include any product and are not limited to clothing or footwear. As part of the transaction, the consumer can provide information that enables the POS system 608 to identify and interact with a digital wallet 620 owned by the consumer. In some embodiments, a process generally similar to process 500 can be performed to verify or generate the user's 609's digital wallet 620 (i.e., as shown in blocks 502, 504, 508, 512, and 510 of FIG. 5 ). Once a transaction is initiated, a POS system (point of sale) 608 can execute a process (e.g., process 550) to transport (deliver) the product 606 and generate and transfer an NFT associated with the transaction to a user 609. The user 609 can receive the products 606a, 606b in the course of the illustrated transaction (e.g., as shown in block 554 of process 550).

[0085] 8, as part of a transaction in which product 606 is sold or transferred to user 609, point-of-sale (POS) system 608 may aggregate data related to the transaction, as described with respect to block 556 of process 550 shown in FIG. 6. In the illustrated embodiment, point-of-sale system 608 aggregates the scores of the attributes by combining (e.g., summing or averaging) the scores of the attributes of products 606a and 606b and further determining a score based on aspects of the transaction.

[0086] The point of sale system 608 can provide the aggregated data as a payload to a smart contract 610, which can execute code to generate a digital asset 614 associated with the transaction and further generate an NFT 618 on a blockchain 616. As shown, the digital asset 614 is hosted off the blockchain 616 on a server 612 (e.g., similar to or the same as server 140 or 120), which may be hosted by the selling party or by a third-party hosting service or storage system (e.g., on distributed storage such as IPFS). While the illustrated blockchain 616 is a public blockchain, in some embodiments, a private blockchain can be used in accordance with the described system. The NFT 618 can be generally similar to the NFT 592 shown in FIG. 7, and the digital asset 614 can be generally similar to the digital asset 572 shown in FIG. 7. Digital asset 614 may include more or fewer attributes than those illustrated for digital asset 572 and may include some or all of the recorded metrics described with respect to input 604, or any metrics derived therefrom. Digital assets may include additional attributes not described above as input 604. More specifically, the attributes that may be included in a digital asset according to this disclosure are not limited to those explicitly listed. One skilled in the art will recognize that a digital asset according to this disclosure may include any attribute that can be aggregated in the manner described.

[0087] Once generated, the NFT 618 can be transferred to the consumer. As shown in FIG. 8 , transfer of ownership of the NFT 618 is performed by associating ownership of the NFT 618 with a private cryptographic key 622 hosted in a digital wallet 620 owned by the consumer. In some embodiments, the private key 622 can be generated along with the NFT 618 and transferred to the consumer's digital wallet 620. In other embodiments, the private key 622 can already exist within the digital wallet 620, and assigning ownership of the NFT 618 involves associating the NFT 618 with the existing key 622. Once ownership of the NFT 618 is assigned to the digital wallet 620, any transfer of the NFT 618 to another wallet or any other transaction involving the NFT 618 requires a cryptographic signature using the private key 622. While the illustrated embodiment shows only a single NFT 618 associated with the digital wallet 620, a digital wallet for a consumer can be associated with ownership of multiple NFTs, including multiple NFTs generated in accordance with the present disclosure. Thus, a digital wallet can further contain multiple cryptographic private keys, each associated with an individual NFT.

[0088] Owning an NFT according to embodiments of the present disclosure can provide benefits to a consumer (e.g., user 609). In some cases, a consumer may desire to acquire sustainability NFTs to demonstrate the consumer's commitment to certain environmental values. For example, a consumer can demonstrate their commitment to reducing carbon emissions by owning NFTs that collectively provide the consumer with a desired carbon reduction score. A consumer can earn a desired score by conducting transactions, such as those described above, and purchasing products with desirable environmental attributes, or they can purchase NFTs containing desirable scores from other consumers with whom they have conducted transactions. In this manner, NFTs associated with digital assets exhibiting desirable scores for a given metric increase in value as consumers purchase such NFTs to increase their overall score for the given metric, thereby incentivizing consumers to engage in desirable environmental behavior. As described above, an image associated with an NFT involved in a transaction can visually represent the NFT's sustainability profile and can be displayed as a profile picture or in an online gallery or gallery within the metaverse. In some embodiments, a composite image can be generated for the sustainability NFT in a user's wallet. For example, a third-party application (e.g., a game, a virtual environment, a digital gallery, etc.) can identify sustainability NFTs in a user's wallet and perform a concatenation of the sustainability NFT's attributes, or a subset of the sustainability NFT. A composite visual representation can be displayed in the digital environment (e.g., a profile picture, an online gallery, a gallery in the metaverse, within a video game, etc.) based on the concatenated attributes.

[0089] Additionally, a selling party (e.g., a party operating the point of sale system 608) or a third party can offer rewards to consumers based on the consumer's aggregate score for the sustainability NFTs owned by the consumer. FIG. 8, for example, illustrates a first reward set 626 and a second reward set 630. FIG. 8 illustrates some non-limiting examples of rewards that may be offered to users as part of the first reward set 626 or the second reward set 630. Exemplary rewards that may be offered to users may include membership to a club or community 632a, 632b, products or features within a game 634a, 634b, access to an online portal or website 636a, 636b, discounts 638a, 638b, and tickets or admission to a physical or virtual event 640a, 640b. One skilled in the art will understand that the number of reward sets may vary and may include one reward set or two or more reward sets.

[0090] As further shown in FIG. 8 , each reward set 626, 630 is associated with a corresponding reward threshold 624, 628. The reward threshold 624, 628 can act as a gateway that can grant or deny a user access to the rewards in the respective reward set based on aspects of the digital assets associated with the NFTs owned by the user. For example, in some cases, rewards in reward set 626 (e.g., any or all of rewards 632a, 634a, 636a, 638a, 640a) can be provided to a user with an aggregate recyclable material score across the digital assets owned by the user (e.g., a sum, average, etc. of a predetermined threshold of recyclable material scores across the digital assets). When a user 609 attempts to access a first reward set 626, the provider of the first reward set can query the user's digital wallet 620 and receive (acquire) the digital asset 614 associated with the sustainability NFT 618 owned by the user 609. If the sum of the recyclable material scores of all digital assets 614 associated with the sustainability NFT 618 is less than the benefit threshold 624, the user 609 is denied access to the first set of benefits 626 (e.g., as depicted in FIG. 8 with a closed door). Any party offering sustainability score-based benefits can offer the benefit set and determine the threshold for accessing the benefits in the benefit set based on any attribute or combination of attributes of the digital assets associated with the sustainability NFT. Furthermore, benefits (e.g., benefits 632a, 634a, 636a, 638a, 640a) can be "pushed" to users based on their entitlements; the user does not need to attempt to access the benefit in order for it to be provided. For example, a company can scan a user's wallet and notify (e.g., via text message, phone call, email, social media, etc.) users who meet the benefit threshold for a given set of benefits that they are eligible to receive the benefit.

[0091] As shown in FIG. 8 , user 609 is eligible to receive benefits from a second set of benefits (benefits) 630 (e.g., any or all of benefits 632b, 634b, 636b, 638b, 640b) because attributes of the digital asset 614 associated with the sustainability NFT 618 owned by user 609 satisfy a second benefit threshold 628. As an example, second benefit threshold 628 may be based on a combination of attributes of the digital asset 614. The second benefit threshold may require a threshold of locally sourced products and a threshold of total carbon offsets associated with the digital asset. Thus, if the user's digital assets 614 have carbon offsets that, in the aggregate, exceed a carbon offset threshold and the local content attribute of the digital asset 614 indicates that the products 606 associated with the transaction generating the digital asset 614 were locally sourced, user 609 meets second benefit threshold 628, and user 609 may be granted access to the benefits from the second set of benefits (benefits) 630. Conversely, if a user's digital assets, collectively, have carbon offsets that exceed the carbon offset threshold, but the digital assets indicate that the associated products were not locally sourced, the user may be denied access to the rewards in the second set of rewards. Additionally, the rewards provider may define the threshold according to any attribute or combination of attributes of the digital asset associated with the sustainability NFT. This threshold may include individual thresholds for attributes of the digital asset, equations in which attributes are mathematically combined as variables to generate a score, etc.

[0092] In some cases, providing the user with access to a reward (e.g., a reward in the second reward set 630) can include providing the user with a “digital ticket.” A digital ticket can be any digital representation readable by one or more computer systems to indicate that the user is entitled to one or more rewards. In some examples, the digital ticket can be an attribute of the user's account in one or more digital systems, and the reward-providing system can query the attributes of the user's account to determine whether the user is, in fact, entitled to the reward. In some cases, the digital ticket can be issued to the user via a communication means (e.g., a text message, a message on a social media platform, email, a notification on an app, etc.). The message comprising the digital ticket can include a link to access the reward or a code to enter in one or more digital systems to receive the reward. Furthermore, the digital ticket can be a reward NFT issued to the user, and the reward-providing digital system can query the user's wallet and provide the reward to the user upon identifying the reward NFT. In some cases, the digital ticket may include a visual output to a user (e.g., a quick response code ("QR code"), barcode, or other visual output) that the user can provide to a person or digital system to verify the user's entitlement to a benefit. In other examples, the digital ticket may be any digital representation readable by another computer, application, or digital system to verify the user's entitlement to a benefit.

[0093] Referring now to FIG. 9 , an exemplary process 900 for providing rewards (benefits) based on sustainability NFTs and their associated digital assets is shown. In some embodiments, process 900 may be executed on a computing device or server similar to servers 120, 140. At block 902, input is received for a consumer digital wallet (e.g., digital wallet 620 shown in FIG. 8 ). In some embodiments, the input includes an identification of the digital wallet that allows the computing device to query aspects of the digital wallet and its owned NFTs. In some embodiments, the input is provided by a subject associated with the digital wallet (e.g., the owner of the digital wallet). In some embodiments, the input is received from another source, including a list of digital wallets, a third-party system, a database of digital wallets, etc.

[0094] At block 904, process 900 lists sustainability NFTs in the consumer digital wallet. Listing the sustainability NFTs may include listing all NFTs in the wallet and identifying sustainability NFTs based on the NFT's attributes. As part of listing the sustainability NFTs, the method may further query the digital asset associated with the NFT and read information provided in the digital asset. At block 906, the authenticity of the sustainability NFT is verified. This may include verifying that the originator of the NFT is an approved originator or that the NFT was issued using an approved smart contract. In some embodiments, verifying authenticity comprises filtering the sustainability NFTs to identify NFTs issued by a particular company (e.g., a retailer). For example, a retailer may wish to offer rewards based only on NFTs associated with transactions made with that retailer.

[0095] At block 908, attributes of the digital assets associated with the authenticated NFTs may be used to generate an integrated (or composite) score for the subject associated with the digital wallet. In some examples, the score may be the sum of values ​​associated with the attributes of the digital assets. For example, the total transportation distance may be calculated as an integrated score by summing the “transport distance” attributes of all digital assets associated with sustainability NFTs in the digital wallet. In some examples, the total score may be an average. For example, a “recyclable material” attribute may indicate the percentage of a product associated with a transaction that is composed of recyclable materials, and the percentage of each recyclable material attribute of the digital assets may constitute a total average of the percentage of recyclable materials associated with all transactions represented by sustainability NFTs in the digital wallet. In some embodiments, the integrated score may be determined or calculated based on a mathematical combination of one or more attributes of the digital assets associated with the sustainability NFTs in the user's wallet, and the formula for generating the integrated score may be assigned by the company or entity providing the reward.

[0096] At block 910, process 900 may determine whether the combined score determined at block 908 meets a benefit threshold. In some embodiments, meeting the benefit threshold means that the combined score is greater than the benefit threshold. In other embodiments, a threshold benefit is met (and therefore eligible for a benefit) if the user's combined score is below the threshold. For example, a sustainability NFT digital asset may include a "carbon footprint" attribute, and the benefit may be conditioned on the user's cumulative carbon footprint score being below a predetermined threshold. If the benefit threshold is not met, process 900 is complete and no benefit is provided to the subject associated with the digital wallet.

[0097] Still referring to FIG. 9 , at block 912, if it is determined that the combined score meets a reward threshold, a reward may be provided to the subject associated with the digital wallet. The reward may include any or all of the rewards described with respect to FIG. 8 or any other reward that may be provided to a consumer. In some embodiments, providing the reward requires the subject associated with the digital wallet to surrender ownership of one or more NFTs. For example, at block 912, the user's NFTs may be transferred to an entity providing the reward, or alternatively, may be burned before the user is provided the reward at block 914. The NFT to be burned or transferred may be selected based on an NFT or combination of NFTs whose associated digital asset attributes meet the reward threshold. For example, a business may desire to acquire NFTs to achieve a combined score for the business (e.g., total carbon offset, a desired portfolio of recycled or recyclable materials, etc.). Once the reward is provided to the subject associated with the digital wallet, process 900 is complete.

[0098] In some cases, parent sustainability NFTs can be combined to create a single child sustainability NFT, and the digital asset associated with the child sustainability NFT can include a combination of the attributes of the digital assets associated with the parent sustainability NFTs. For example, FIG. 10 illustrates an example of a breeding process in which a first parent sustainability NFT 1002 and a second parent sustainability NFT 1004 are combined (multiplied) to create a child sustainability NFT 1006. The first parent sustainability NFT 1002 is associated with a first digital asset 1008, the second parent sustainability NFT 1004 is associated with a second digital asset 1010, and the child sustainability NFT 1006 is associated with a third digital asset 1012. In the illustrated embodiment, each of the digital assets 1008, 1010, and 1012 includes three attributes: “total mass,” “recyclable,” and “recyclable.” In other embodiments, the sustainability NFTs used for merging (breeding) can have any number of attributes. Additionally, in other embodiments, two or more parent sustainability NFTs can be combined or merged (multiplied) to create a child sustainability NFT. In some embodiments, the merging operation can preserve the cumulative value of the sustainability attributes. For example, a parent NFT can be burned to merging a child NFT.

[0099] Smart contracts can be provided to manage the terms of sustainability NFT synthesis operations. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, parent sustainability (sustainability) NFTs 1002, 1004 are provided to a smart contract 1014 to generate a child sustainability (sustainability) NFT 1006. The smart contract 1014 can define rules for combining NFTs and for aggregating attributes of their associated digital assets. For example, as shown, the value of a "regeneration" attribute of the digital asset 1012 associated with the child sustainability NFT 1006 can be a simple sum of the "regeneration" attributes of the digital assets 1008, 1010 associated with the parent sustainability NFTs 1002, 1004. The smart contract 1014 can define different rules for calculating the value of the attributes of the digital asset 1012 of the child sustainability NFT 1006. For example, the illustrated “recyclable” fields for digital assets 1008, 1010, and 1012 may indicate the percentage of products sold in the transaction generating the digital asset that were recycled. Thus, for digital asset 1008, a value of “1” for the “recyclable” attribute may indicate that the associated product was composed entirely of recyclable materials, while a value of “0” for the “recyclable” attribute for digital asset 1010 may indicate that the associated product is not recyclable. Thus, the “recyclable” attribute for digital asset 1012 associated with child sustainability NFT 1006 may indicate the percentage (e.g., 29) of the total mass of the product associated with parent sustainability NFTs 1002, 1004 that is recyclable. In other embodiments, the values ​​of the attributes of digital assets associated with parent sustainability NFTs may be combined according to any rules defined in the smart contract.

[0100] In some embodiments, the visual representation associated with the child NFT 1006 may be composed of an image generated based on attributes of the child NFT 1006 (e.g., as described with respect to block 516 shown in FIG. 5 ). In some embodiments, the visual representation of the child NFT 1006 may include visual elements from two or more parent NFTs 1002, 1004. For example, the visual representation of a child NFT (e.g., the child NFT 1006) may include a background from the visual representation of a first parent NFT and a symbol from the visual representation of a second NFT. In some embodiments, before a user combines the parent NFTs 1002, 1004, a visual representation of the prospective child NFT may be generated and visually displayed to the user, so that the user can decide whether to proceed with combining the parents (breeding) or decline to combine the parents (breeding) based in part on the generated visual representation of the prospective child NFT.

[0101] The above-described aspects of the processes of Figures 5, 6, and 9 are not limited to the order and sequence shown and described, but may be performed or executed in any order or sequence. Also, some of the above-described aspects of the processes of Figures 5, 6, and 9 may be performed or executed substantially simultaneously or in parallel where appropriate to reduce latency and processing times.

[0102] While the present invention has been described and illustrated based on the exemplary embodiments set forth above, it should be understood that the present disclosure is made by way of example only, and that many changes may be made by those skilled in the art to the details of the implementation of the invention. These changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, which is limited only by the claims that follow. Furthermore, features of the disclosed embodiments may be combined or rearranged in various ways.

[0103] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 430,454, filed December 6, 2022, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Claims

1. receiving an input identifying a first digital wallet; Identifying one or more non-fungible tokens associated with the first digital wallet; selecting one or more sustainability tokens from the one or more non-fungible tokens, each of the one or more sustainability tokens being associated with a corresponding sustainability digital asset; For each of the one or more sustainability tokens: Obtaining a uniform resource identifier for the corresponding sustainability digital asset from the distributed blockchain ledger; Obtaining one or more attributes of the corresponding sustainability digital asset based on the uniform resource identifier; generating an integrated sustainability score based on the one or more attributes of sustainability digital assets associated with the one or more sustainability tokens; comparing the integrated sustainability score to a first reward criterion; providing a first reward to the owner of the first digital wallet if the combined sustainability score meets the reward criteria; Digital asset management methods.

2. at least a first sustainability token of the one or more sustainability tokens corresponds to a first physical product; The method of claim 1.

3. the first sustainability token is associated with a first transaction, the first transaction including a transfer of the first physical product to a first purchasing party; The method of claim 2.

4. the attributes of the first sustainability token include sustainability attributes of a second physical product transferred to the first purchasing party in a first transaction; The method of claim 3.

5. The attributes of the sustainability digital asset corresponding to the first sustainability token include at least a first sustainability attribute of the first physical product; The method of claim 2.

6. the first sustainability attribute indicating a carbon footprint associated with the production and transportation of the first physical product; the integrated sustainability score is based at least in part on the first sustainability attribute; The method of claim 5.

7. at least one attribute of the one or more sustainability digital assets includes a recycling attribute; the recycling attribute is associated with a percentage of recyclable material in one or more physical products associated with the at least one sustainability digital asset; the integrated sustainability score is based at least in part on recycled attributes; The method of claim 1.

8. the first reward criterion is a minimum recyclability criterion indicating a minimum percentage of recyclable material; The method of claim 7.

9. the first benefit is admission to a physical event; The method of claim 1.

10. the combined sustainability score is based at least in part on attributes of a second sustainability digital asset corresponding to the second sustainability token; and, in response to determining that the combined sustainability score satisfies the reward criteria, recording an updated status of the second sustainability token on a distributed blockchain ledger. The method of claim 1.

11. the updated status of the second sustainability tokens includes a transfer of the second sustainability tokens; The method of claim 10.

12. the updated status includes a permanent removal of the second sustainability token from the distributed blockchain ledger; The method of claim 10.

13. and updating attributes of a sustainability digital asset corresponding to at least one of the one or more sustainability tokens in response to determining that the combined sustainability score satisfies the reward criteria. The method of claim 1.

14. generating a second integrated sustainability score based on one or more attributes of the sustainability digital assets associated with the one or more sustainability tokens; comparing the second integrated sustainability score to a second reward criterion; and providing a second reward to the owner of the first digital wallet if the second integrated sustainability score satisfies the second reward criterion. The method of claim 1.

15. the one or more attributes include a first sustainability attribute and a second sustainability attribute; the integrated sustainability score is based at least in part on each of the first sustainability attribute and the second sustainability attribute; The method of claim 1.

16. a computer including at least one processor, the processor comprising: receiving an input identifying a first digital wallet; Identifying one or more non-fungible tokens associated with the first digital wallet; selecting one or more sustainability tokens from the one or more non-fungible tokens, each of the one or more sustainability tokens being associated with a corresponding sustainability digital asset, and for each of the one or more sustainability tokens: Obtaining a uniform resource identifier for the corresponding sustainability digital asset from the distributed blockchain ledger; Obtaining one or more attributes of the corresponding sustainability digital asset based on the uniform resource identifier; generating an integrated sustainability score based on one or more attributes of the sustainability digital assets associated with the one or more sustainability tokens; comparing the integrated sustainability score to a first reward criterion; and when the integrated sustainability score satisfies the reward criteria, providing a subject associated with a first digital wallet with the right to receive a first reward. system.

17. The rights include digital tickets; 17. The system of claim 16.

18. the processor is further configured to output the digital ticket to a display.

18. The system of claim 17.

19. Providing entitlement to the first benefit to a subject associated with the first digital wallet includes: generating a digital asset corresponding to said right; sending instructions to a server associated with a distributed blockchain ledger to generate tokens corresponding to the digital asset; sending instructions to a server to send the token to the first digital wallet; 20. The system of claim 17.

20. 1. A method for generating a non-fungible token associated with a consumer transaction, comprising: Obtaining one or more tokens associated with the first product from the first blockchain; determining a plurality of first product sustainability attributes from the digital assets associated with the one or more tokens; transferring the first product to a first purchasing party in a first transaction; determining a transaction sustainability attribute for the first transaction, the transaction sustainability attribute based at least in part on a first product sustainability attribute; generating a trading digital asset, the trading digital asset including the trading sustainability attribute; issuing a first sustainable non-fungible token associated with the trading digital asset on a second blockchain; 1. A method comprising: transferring a first sustainable non-fungible token to a first purchasing party.

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