👉 Background: Starbucks is the biggest brand in coffee, that's been around since 1971. And yes, there are still 60 Starbucks stores in Oz. Its coffee may not be up to Australian standards, but Starbucks is a pioneer in the cafe space.

👉 What happened: In fact, their Starbucks Rewards program has over 25 million members and it was at the forefront of online ordering when it rolled out online payments back in 2011. Now Starbucks is at it again embracing blockchain and Web3.

👉 What else: It's launching a new program called Starbucks Odyssey, which extends its current loyalty program. Instead of just ‘stars’, you’ll be able to go on educational and gamified ‘journeys’ and earn ‘journey tokens’ - aka NFTs… But here’s the thing: people heading on the odyssey might not even notice they’ve entered the world of Web3.

What's the key learning?

💡Blockchain can be either a gimmick or a game changer for businesses, but it all comes down to the use case. Countless businesses are using Web3 and blockchain elements as little more than a marketing stunt, but the serious players are using this tech in a way that’s much less visible.

💡It’s easy for brands to use the blockchain as a  stunt… think Instagram letting us post NFTs to ‘showcase them’… But it’s also a foundational technology with the potential to change how software infrastructure works.

💡There’s massive potential for blockchain to streamline and modernise banking and the loyalty industry too! Starbucks says this ain’t a gimmick, and the rewards will likely extend into the real world too.