Steven Vasilev
Steven Vasilev, also known as Zaptio, is the co-founder of RTFKT and the Senior Director of Digital-Physical Product at Nike. A creative curator and investor, he has built visionary companies at the forefront of culture, tech, and Web3.
With deep experience in end-to-end product development and launch, viral marketing, and building future-focused start-ups at the forefront of streetwear, fashion, and Web3, Zaptio has made it his life’s work to bridge the gap between the physical and digital worlds.
Passionate about technology from a young age, Zaptio turned a childhood obsession with all things gaming, collectibles, and crypto into a career building startups that combine the worlds of tech and streetwear, disrupting the sneaker industry, and building online communities of millions.
RTFKT was born from Zaptio’s love of gaming, sneakers, and crypto culture. In 2020, he and a small team of three co-founders decided to merge their passions and professional expertise to create what would become the future of fashion and collectibles in Web3. A true innovator in the space, RTFKT invented the forging mechanic allowing collections to spawn physical items from their NFTs. RTFKT is best known for its Metaverse-ready sneakers and highly coveted NFTs, which include collaborations with groundbreaking artists like Takashi Murakami, with whom RTFKT created its iconic Clone X NFT collection. CloneX is ranked as the 7th largest NFT project in history, and is credited with redefining virtual identity and Avatars in Web3.
Nike acquired RTFKT in December 2021 to help accelerate the legendary shoe brand’s digital transformation and “serve athletes and creators at the intersection of sport, creativity, gaming and culture,” according to Nike’s CEO John Donahoe. The deal was the first major acquisition of a Web3 company by a global brand, and serves as an industry defining model of how brands can strategically and successfully enter the space. To date, the partnership has produced revered NFT collections, including MNLTH, Nike x RTFKT Dunk Genesis Cryptokicks and Clone X Forging. Additionally, the Space Drip collection gave 18 up-and-coming artists the opportunity to design their own RTFKT x Nike Air Force 1 NFT sneakers that could be redeemed for physical pairs of shoes. This project exemplifies one of Zaptio’s passions: the democratization of the creative process—a driving force behind all of his work.
