Sunday, June 29, 2025 – 09:00 I by Redactie
We mainly know Ruben van Gucht as a VRT sports journalist, but behind the scenes he also has an entrepreneurial side. This is apparent from his striking confession in the podcast applies, in which he talks about a digital adventure that ended in silence: the world of the NFTs.
When the hype around NFTs – digital collecting objects on blockchain – was at its peak, Van Gucht saw opportunities. Not for art or cat pictures, but for course. “Wout van Aert had just sold three of his victories as NFT for a nice amount,” he says. “And I found that an interesting concept.”
The plan became ambitious. Van Gucht wanted to set up a digital collection of legendary victories in cycling. And not just like that: he got no less than fifty international top drivers for the idea. “We really had a strong basis for building something big,” it sounds.
Not only NFTs, but a whole experience
The journalist thought further than just digital pictures. “The idea was also to link physical experiences to the NFTs. Think of exclusive events, Meet & Greets … that’s how it would be more than a digital proof of ownership.” So an NFT as a entrance ticket to a unique cycling community.
But despite the promising starting shot, the project quickly got stuck.
“Too much brol has been thrown on the market”
Van Gucht is open about the failure. “It died a silent death,” he admits. Not because the idea was not strong, but because the market itself was underway. “There have been so many scams. People were scammed, Brol has been sold at ridiculous prizes. That is why confidence has just disappeared.”
The Koers NFTs never got off the ground. Where others earned the hype, Van Gucht remained behind with a package of lessons.
No regret, but more realistic
Yet he does not look back on it. “It was an interesting time. You learn a lot if you try and see something fail. I now have a better view of how quickly a digital market can tilt.”
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