Popular NFT marketplace OpenSea has introduced its much-anticipated OS2 platform, which is currently in private beta. The OS2 platform features a new user interface for the broader OpenSea ecosystem and an experience points system to encourage user participation.
OpenSea opened its OS2 beta solely to 49,785 wallets holding the Gemesis NFT. The newly introduced points system enables users to accumulate points when they list digital collectibles, make offers, and perform other on-chain actions to boost interaction with the NFT marketplace.
Recall that in April 2023, the NFT marketplace offered free Gemesis NFTs to users who bought NFTs on the OpenSea-owned NFT aggregator Gem V2 before its revamp to OpenSea Pro. Many in the NFT market at the time regarded this as a strategic move in OpenSea’s battle against its rival, Blur, another NFT marketplace competing for user base.
In November 2024, OpenSea teased an upcoming marketplace redecoration. Although the platform gave minimal information about the revamp, community members began speculating on potential features that could be incorporated. Some expect the rollout of a native cryptocurrency for the NFT marketplace. Others expect integration with more blockchains and account abstraction to streamline everyone’s onboarding process to the NFT platform. A market expert forecasted that the OpenSea team would introduce new use cases to the Gemesis NFT collection, a speculation that has just played out.
OpenSea’s decision to open the OS2 beta to less than 50,000 wallets despite over 250,000 wallets joining the waitlist did not sit well with many OG users who did not own the Gemesis NFT. Most old-timers expressed dissatisfaction as the NFT marketplace excluded them from the private beta. Some claimed that making the private beta exclusive to a selected number of users defeats the essence of creating a waitlist in November. Others argued that OpenSea debuts its native token.
Calming the situation, OpenSea’s co-founder Devin Finzer stated that the development team “haven't forgotten the OGs who helped build this space from day 0.
Despite being an established NFT marketplace, OpenSea’s recently introduced OS2 private beta evidenced its commitment to bringing additional utility to its community. Additionally, Finzer’s comment suggests that the platform will soon introduce a new initiative to compensate its OG users.