Baseball trading cards from the 90s are making a comeback. In 2021, non-fungible tokens have taken the place of paper cards and go beyond sports. They are providing a controversial way to value and trade in the popularity of celebrities such as South Korean boy band BTS and Canadian solo artist Justin Bieber.

Hybe plans to launch a blockchain business that includes a marketplace for NFTs early next year. The South Korean K-pop agency has partnered with the country’s largest crypto exchange operator to create a new platform to trade NFTs, starting with cards of BTS members. Each numbered electronic card is designed to create the scarcity value that had old-style collectors scrambling for baseball cards or Andy Warhol prints.

For entertainment agencies, this comes at the perfect time. Celebrity NFTs offer companies a new way to monetise the popularity of their stars, which has so far been limited to sales of music and concert tickets.