Speaking with CCN’s Dr. Guneet Kaur at the Blockchain Futuristic Conference 2025 in Miami, Florida, Evan Kuhn, President of DeLorean Labs, explained how the company is making car ownership programmable, letting buyers reserve, verify, trade, and interact with vehicles using Web3 tools.
Before DeLorean, Kuhn co-founded Coinberry, a crypto brokerage that helped bring digital assets into the mainstream. After a decade in the space, he began consulting on blockchain strategy for the DeLorean Motor Company. The partnership quickly evolved.
“I really enjoyed working with the team,” Kuhn said. “Having been in the Web3 space already for a decade, this is a dream come true, getting to work with a Web2 brand I grew up with and know and love. Being one of the first to bring a legacy brand into Web3 is an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.”
Turning Vehicle Reservations Into On-Chain Assets
Recently, DeLorean launched its official $DMC token, making it the first major car brand to launch a native token.
DeLorean Labs’ $DMC serves as a token ecosystem and an on-chain reservation system for its upcoming electric vehicles. The first year of production slots was pre-sold on-chain, with buyers receiving NFTs representing their place in line and deposit.
Once the vehicles are delivered, those NFTs transition into a certificate of authenticity, tied to driving data and the vehicle’s lifecycle, all stored on-chain.
The system also introduces a new kind of secondary market. DeLorean’s marketplace allows reservation and ownership NFTs to be traded seamlessly, even while a car is still being driven.
“You could be driving down the street and see a bid come in on your car,” Kuhn said. “Even if you’re not looking to sell, you always know the floor price.”
This model shifts vehicle ownership closer to liquid digital ownership and creates new paths for things like insurance discounts, financing, and safe-driving rewards.
Tokenizing Culture — Not Just Cars
The DeLorean brand has a deep tie to pop culture, nostalgia, and design, a legacy few automotive companies can match. Kuhn says the blockchain layer strengthens that relationship rather than gamifies it.
“We’re essentially tokenizing culture,” he said. “We’re letting fans own a part of the ecosystem in a way they never could before. Whether it’s the vehicle, limited-edition merchandise, or marketplace access, everything is integrated end-to-end.”
The priority, he emphasizes, is transparency and value for the community.
“From day one we gave away value; the Time Capsule NFT was a free mint. The community has supported us and we want to give that value back.”
Why DeLorean Chose Sui Network
DeLorean Labs recently partnered with Sui Network, moving legacy build-slot NFTs and marketplace infrastructure to Sui.
Kuhn says the decision came down to scalability, speed, and user experience.
“We see Sui as almost like the Apple of blockchain,” he said. “It’s a great ecosystem with a big vision. Their technology is built to scale, the transaction speed is fast, and the team is extremely strong. We align on how we see the future of the industry.”
Crucially, Sui lets DeLorean onboard people who don’t know they’re using blockchain.
“When you set up a wallet on Sui, it’s much easier. You can link existing accounts. People can interact with the chain without even realizing they are.”
A Long-Term Vision — Not an NFT Experiment
Kuhn is aware that many major brands entered NFTs and abandoned them shortly after.
“We’re not dipping our toes in,” he said. “We’re here for the long run and we’re not building something extractive or short-term. The company has been around for 40 to 50 years. We want to see it 40 to 50 years into the future.”
The same philosophy applies to the upcoming electric vehicle launch — and to creating a fairer, more transparent buying process.
“We’ve democratized access. Instead of needing connections or dealer pull to get a limited-edition car, everyone has a chance to bid for one.”
Why the Automotive World Should Pay Attention
This model challenges the traditional dealership system, where allocation is opaque, resale value is uncertain, and ownership data is fragmented.
By putting vehicle reservation, provenance, maintenance records, financing signals, and driver behavior on-chain, DeLorean Labs is testing what a post-dealership automotive economy might look like.
This is what automakers, mobility startups, insurance firms, and EV manufacturers are watching closely:
If this works at scale, DeLorean could become the industry proof-of-concept for blockchain-native vehicle ownership.
What DeLorean Labs Is Building Next
Kuhn explained that DeLorean Labs’ focus is on:
- Expanding partnerships with major brands
- Developing the marketplace with more token-holder-exclusive drops
- Strengthening the token economy
- Continuing global community engagement with DMC owners and enthusiasts
“There’s so much ahead. We’ve really just scratched the tip of the iceberg,” he noted.
Giuseppe Ciccomascolo began his career as an investigative journalist in Italy, where he contributed to both local and national newspapers, focusing on various financial sectors.
Upon relocating to London, he worked as an analyst for Fitch's CapitalStructure and later as a Senior Reporter for Alliance News. In 2017, Giuseppe transitioned to covering cryptocurrency-related news, producing documentaries and articles on Bitcoin and other emerging digital currencies. He also played a pivotal role in establishing the academy for a cryptocurrency exchange website. Crypto remained his primary area of interest throughout his tenure as a writer for ThirdFloor.
Dr. Lorena Nessi is an award-winning journalist and media technology expert with 15 years of experience in digital culture and communication. Based in Oxfordshire, UK, she combines academic insight with hands-on media practice.
She holds a PhD in Communication, Sociology, and Digital Cultures, and an MA in Globalization, Identity, and Technology.
Lorena has taught at Fairleigh Dickinson University, Nottingham Trent University, and the University of Oxford. She is a former producer for the BBC in London, with additional experience creating television content in Mexico and Japan.
Her research focuses on digital cultures, social media, technology, capitalism, and the societal impact of blockchain innovation.
She has written extensively on digital media and emerging technologies, with her work featured in both academic and media platforms. Her Web3 expertise explores how blockchain technologies shape culture, economics, and decentralized systems.
Outside of work, Lorena enjoys reading science fiction, playing strategic board games, traveling, and chasing adventures that get her heart racing. A perfect day ends with a relaxing spa and a good family meal.
Dr. Guneet Kaur is a senior editor at CCN.com and a Science Fellow at Exponential Science. She is a fintech and blockchain expert with extensive experience in digital finance education, blockchain ecosystems, and cryptocurrency markets. She has worked with global media such as Cointelegraph, as well as education and blockchain platforms, to design and lead strategic content and learning initiatives. As an educator and assessor for top-tier executive programs, she bridges real-world fintech trends with academic insight.
Dr. Kaur is also a published researcher and peer reviewer across fintech and data science journals, including Financial Innovation Journal and International Journal of Big Data Intelligence and Applications. Her work spans data-driven analysis, Web3 innovation, and technical content development. With a strong foundation in both industry and academia, she translates complex financial technologies into practical applications, empowering learners, professionals, and institutions across the rapidly evolving digital finance landscape.
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