• Available to purchase on OpenSea for Ξ0.2 on Friday 23rd April, 10:00 BST
• 220 Kid and Billen Ted are the brains behind viral TikTok hit The Wellerman Remix 
• Proceeds from sales will support the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and 220 Kid Scholarship fund
• Wellerman VIP Collection collectable cards include a digital artwork and an exclusive piece of music
   

Best-selling British musicians 220 Kid and Billen Ted, the brains behind viral music sensation The Wellerman Remix, have joined forces to celebrate the song's global success by creating a series of limited edition Wellerman VIP Collection NFT's.

The Wellerman Remix was first released on January 21st 2021. To date, the track has amassed 120 million Spotify streams and 1.5 million global sales, achieved No. 1 in 7 countries and continues to hold the top spot in four countries: Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Belgium

With 200 cards available in each of the seven countries that The Wellerman Remix reached No. 1 (UK, Norway, Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Belgium), Wellerman VIP Collection collectibles include a unique digital artwork, exclusive new 14-second dance track and an unlockable password protected asset only available upon purchase. In addition, one totally unique VIP collectible card, featuring its own individual track, will be up for auction.

The track became a viral TikTok sensation during the European lockdown and for a whole generation, is a symbol of joy and optimism at an incredibly challenging time. 220 Kid and Billen Ted are thrilled to offer European fans the exclusive opportunity to own a collectible artwork in this new and exciting format. This is the first release for the duo as part of a long term ambition to collaborate on further tracks and projects.

The news comes at a culture-shifting moment for music; 220 Kid and Billen Ted join major players from the electronic music industry to enter the rapidly burgeoning NFT market including Calvin Harris, Diplo and Disclosure. The craze shows no sign of slowing down as the likes of Mick Jagger and Nathan Evans, the writer of the original Wellerman single, create limited edition artworks for fans and NFT users to own. 

Billen Ted said on the launch: "We've always wanted to be at the forefront of technological advances and disruption within the music industry and being involved with and creating these collectible NFTs is allowing us to do just that . We wanted to celebrate the success of the Wellerman Remix by creating a collectible, with a unique piece of music for each country where the record has reached number 1, which upon purchase will unlock a unique password (which will be able to be redeemed in the future for something quite special!). We also thought it would be great to contribute a percentage of profits to 220 Kid's scholarship and also the RNLI, both of which are close to our hearts!"

220 Kid adds: "Creating a collection of NFT's is a really exciting way to bring Wellerman to life visually. As the world has been closed, it's also an important way for us to feel connected with the fans it's created and those who have enjoyed the music in countries we can't currently reach! Having done several charity projects too, it's become a lot harder to fundraise in this current climate; being at the forefront of new and exciting ways to use our positions to make a positive impact really is brilliant. The Wellerman movement felt like a rare musical cultural shift and it brought a lot of joy to people globally, so to have this NFT to celebrate it forever is wonderful!"

A portion of proceeds from funds raised will be donated to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), where hundreds of people dedicate their lives to protecting and saving those at sea. Furthermore, a portion of sales will go towards the 220 Kid Scholarship fund, which supports minority ethnic high achievers in a three year placement at Exeter University. 

Two hundred editions of each Wellerman VIP Collection collectable card will be available in all seven countries that The Wellerman Remix peaked at No. 1, and are able to purchase for Ξ0.2 each from Friday 23rd April, 10:00 BST

London-based fintech investor Viktor Prokopenya, commented on the rise of NFT's in music: "NFTs as elite art-forms are definitely here to stay: this is the beginning of a huge new trend. The NFT boom will bring innovation to art and creativity, which can only be of benefit to the world. As soon as society develops another business model to make money for creative people, we can have more creative people - they are one of the key drivers of human progress. Invest for love of art not money.

NFTs create scarcity online; a quality only possible offline before. All kinds of online art could easily be replicated before NFTs - you could download a file with music with no loss of quality, for instance. NFTs are essentially digital collectables, they make something unique and therefore highly prized. Scarcity creates opportunities for new forms of digital art to exist and can create an entirely new market for artists."