Non-fungible coins, or NFTs as they’re known, are the latest craze in the cryptocurrency world. NFTs have successfully merged art, finance, and digital assets into a powerful bundle that is now drawing the world’s most famous brands and personalities.
Mick Jagger, the iconic rock singer, and Edward Snowden, the privacy advocate who rose to prominence as a CIA whistleblower, are the most recent to join in.
Snowden’s NFT artwork was made public on the NFT marketplace Foundation, where it ultimately sold for $5.38 million, or 2,224 ETH. Snowden is depicted with his hand on his chin in the video “Stay Free.”
However, a careful examination shows that his portrait is made up of excerpts from a US appeals court case that overturned the use of the Patriot Act as a basis for mass surveillance.
“This distinct, signed art brings together the entirety of a landmark court judgment pointing that the National Security Agency’s mass surveillance breached the rules, with the iconic image of the whistleblower by Platon (used with permission). It is the only NFT that Snowden is considered to have created.”
We have a winner, internet friends. I want to extend a very special thanks to everyone who followed this over the last 24 hours, and the deepest gratitude from EVERYONE at our @FreedomofPress to those who bid on our charity event. You help us make a better world.
Stay free! https://t.co/A5SJDs5Sjp— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) April 16, 2021
The funds raised by selling the NFT were handed over to his foundation – the Freedom of the Press Foundation.
A reminder that the symbolism of @Snowden minting his first NFT goes far beyond the price tag.
The decentralized technologies powering this auction will fundamentally reshape our world — precisely to curb the abuse of power @Snowden spoke out against.https://t.co/ofNi1nSwzZ
— kayvon🪐 (@saturnial) April 16, 2021
Mick Jagger, the lead singer of the Rolling Stones, is also a supporter of NFTs. He recently sold a limited-edition 3D animated video of his latest album, Eazy Sleazy, at auction. The NFT was available for 24 hours on Nifty Gateway before selling for $50,000. The auction’s winner was a strangely called ‘brockpierce.’
It’s unclear if the Brock Pierce who is a Bitcoin billionaire is the same person. The earnings of Jagger’s NFT, including those of Snowden, will be donated to charities. It will be directed to independent music venues that have suffered as a result of COVID-19 closures. Back Up, Music Venue Trust, and the National Independent Venue Association are among them.
A virtual hoodie, on the other hand, has sold for a whopping £19,000 ($26,000). The Overpriced NFT hoodie is the most costly hoodie in the world. Leighton James, the founder of Overpriced, points out:
“This sale showcases the value that NFT’s and technological innovation can bring to real-world items in the fashion industry.”
The entity behind NBA Top Shot, Dapper Labs, is set to raise $7 billion in new funding. If more investors look to cash in on the NFT craze, which has hit new highs, Dapper Labs’ value has skyrocketed.
According to a recent poll, Coatue Management is expected to lead a new funding round. TikTok, Snap, Dash, and Instacart are only a handful of the great companies that the VC firm has previously supported. Dapper Labs recently received a new round of funding worth $305 million. It was worth $2.6 billion at the moment, but it has more than tripled in valuation in the last three weeks.
