Top-tier NFT brand Azuki announced on Thursday that it has hired veteran entertainment executive Steve Chung as Chief Operating Officer as the company seeks to expand beyond digital collectibles.

Chung, whose experience includes working in Hollywood and Silicon Valley, will be tasked with helping Azuki grow its fanbase and revenue opportunities. 

"In some ways, we're in a post-NFT world," Chung told The Block. "[But] we have 50,000 amazing characters that are owned by individuals who are super passionate about that community … and there is a very clear path toward using that as the next leverage, telling the story."

In a bid to build upon the popularity created largely during the bull run of 2021, popular NFT brands like Bored Apes, Pudgy Penguins, Azuki, and others are …