Ralph Lauren Goes Crypto, Airdrops NFT Invites to Miami Party

Ralph Lauren is Web3 now, sending invites for a private party with Ethereum NFTs and accepting crypto at one of its stores

by Shalini Nagarajan /

April 6, 2023 06:33 am

FashionStock.com/Shutterstock, modified by Blockworks

American apparel retailer Ralph Lauren is accepting crypto for the first time at its new store in Miami’s Design District.

The luxury brand is also offering a crypto-native experience — gifting NFTs via a multi-tiered partnership with online leisure community Poolsuite, which it described as “deeply rooted in the Miami lifestyle.”

Poolsuite is a vaporwave digital neighborhood centered around online radio, perhaps best known for Poolside.fm. It predates the rise of Web3 (launched in 2014), having sold NFT memberships for its “Internet Leisure Corporation” in Nov. 2021. It minted a second collection, “Grand Leisure,” almost one year later.

Poolsuite NFT holders have now been sent commemorative Ralph Lauren tokens, issued on Ethereum. The tokens can be used to register for tickets to a private party at a Miami estate hosted in late April. The NFTs have been distributed to more than 2,700 addresses.

Holders of Poolsuite’s Grand Leisure collection will also be able to update their “Leisurist” avatars using Ralph Lauren-inspired digital looks based on the retailer’s recent runway show in Los Angeles.

As for its other crypto moves, Ralph Lauren will accept bitcoin (BTC), ether (ETH), MATIC, apecoin and stablecoin USDC, starting with the new Miami store.

Loading Tweet..

It’s unclear whether Ralph Lauren will actually see any of the crypto, though. BitPay can also convert crypto into fiat on behalf of the retailer. Blockworks has reached out to learn more.

Miami’s luxury market has been one of the fastest growing in the US, Vogue Business reported citing Morgan Stanley research. Ralph Lauren’s crypto-friendly store will feature exclusive handbags and accessories available only at that location.

Miami — also the home of NFT giant Yuga Labs — has become a popular destination for crypto enthusiasts. It’s now a hotspot for many of the industry’s events, including Bitcoin Miami.

Get the news in your inbox. Explore Blockworks newsletters:

The Breakdown: Decoding crypto and the markets. Daily.
Empire: Crypto news and analysis to start your day.
Forward Guidance: The intersection of crypto, macro and policy.
0xResearch: Alpha directly in your inbox.
Lightspeed: All things Solana.
The Drop: Apps, games, memes and more.
Supply Shock: Bitcoin, bitcoin, bitcoin.

Tags

Newsletter

The Breakdown

Decoding crypto and the markets. Daily, with Byron Gilliam.

Upcoming Events

Digital Asset Summit 2025

Old Billingsgate

Mon - Wed, October 13 - 15, 2025

Blockworks’ Digital Asset Summit (DAS) will feature conversations between the builders, allocators, and legislators who will shape the trajectory of the digital asset ecosystem in the US and abroad.

buy tickets learn more

recent research

Research

Exponent: Onchain Interest Markets

We believe that Exponent is best positioned to dominate the Solana yield market – the fastest-growing sector in the ecosystem – with topline liquidity increasing at an annualized rate of nearly 600%. The founding team (ex-Squads, Kamino, Solana Foundation) cares deeply about product, security, design, and user experience and understands the foundation for building a great protocol. The team’s deep ties in Solana DeFi also present a significant strategic advantage, as evidenced by Exponent PTs being onboarded as collateral on Kamino, Drift, and Loopscale before its main competitor, RateX. In this regard, we view PT integrations in money markets as the most compelling avenue for Exponent to expand its market share and own its vertical.

by Carlos Gonzalez Campo