Boutique chain Trib3 will become one of the first fitness operators to establish a presence in the metaverse, making its workouts available in The Sandbox.

Trib3 has struck a deal to enter The Sandbox – a blockchain-based decentralised metaverse – which joins companies and brands such as sports giant Adidas and Team GB.

The move will see Trib3's HIIT workouts and group fitness classes delivered in the digital world – along with the first-ever Trib3 NFTs (non-fungible tokens).

Trib3 will work with OliveX – which has an account in The Sandbox – to launch a gym in the metaverse, with the ability to drive real-word revenues.

Trib3 CEO, Kevin Yates, said: “This is a landmark opportunity for our brand and our sector, and we are proud to be one of the first to be grabbing it with both hands.

"This partnership will see us fuse the Trib3 design and brand team’s talents with OliveX’s experience and vision, so I am confident that the Trib3 experience in the fitness metaverse will be quite literally out of this world.

"'Players' of The Sandbox can still expect to see all the industrial luxe feel they've come to know and love from our brand but with some added extras.

"People will be able to swap Trib3 Sweat Points they earn in the gym for Dose tokens which can then be spent in the metaverse," said Yates. "Also, when you go for a run, for example, you'll be able to have your friend running with you as an avatar."

Andy Hall, at OliveX, said: "We're working with the Trib3 team to bring to life, digitally, the stylised Trib3 stores [clubs] and to deliver NFTs and ultimately increased revenue for the brand.

"We have the ability to motivate more people to get active and change habits and behaviours to achieve healthy outcomes.

"Trib3 has a genuine opportunity to reap the benefits the metaverse can deliver, which is largely down to the way in which Kevin and the team have developed the Trib3 brand product to be so motivationally gamified.

"From a customer’s very first workout at Trib3, their photo goes on the wall, and they're able to train and work their way up the ranks. After 50 workouts a customer is a Warrior and after 1,000 – a Legend.

"This lends itself perfectly to the gamification and tokenism which is synonymous with the metaverse."

The OliveX deal with Trib3 is not exclusive, so other fitness operators are expected to join this or other metaverse platforms. Talking to delegates at the OliveX Fitness Metaverse webinar on 19 January, Yates said: "We don't want our deal to be exclusive, we want more fitness operators to join the metaverse. The ethos of the Metaverse is to get more people in, get more of an audience and then after that it's a case that the most fun game wins."

Trib3 is also expanding in the physical world, opening two new UK studios in March 2022 – one in Nottingham and another in Liverpool.

In 2021, Trib3 sold a franchise in Madrid, Spain, with the ​​ transaction being carried out using cryptocurrency, Bitcoin.