Coming to Superchief Gallery NFT

New York City (June 24-July 3)

 

SuperChief NFT Gallery, the world’s first physical exhibition space dedicated solely to NFT artwork, is collaborating with the EVERY WOMAN BIENNIAL, the wildly popular and world’s largest all woman and non-binary art biennial of its kind, to exhibit the NFTs of hundreds of female artists through a digital platform, and on screens within a physical presence at the Superchief Gallery NFT in New York, exhibiting from June 24 – July 3, 2021. 

Originally known as ‘The Whitney Houston Biennial’, founded by C. Finley to empower and celebrate women, femme, and nonbinary artists with biennial shows themed on Whitney Houston song titles, The EVERY WOMAN BIENNIAL is known to be a celebration of the ‘Divine Feminine’ and as one of the leading shows in the art world, it often sets new trends while creating equity in the arts. The EVERY WOMAN BIENNIAL is always dazzling, inclusive, and trendsetting, and this year, founder and curator C. Finley shows us all just how forward-thinking and progressive the Every Woman Biennial is with its stunning debut into the NFT space to tackle the male-dominated “tech bro” scene with a legion of women artists each exploring the curatorial theme ‘My Love is Your Love.’

“The goal is to develop a heightened consciousness in the art world favoring encouragement, connection, inspiration and love. The Every Woman Biennial is our rallying cry which aims to bring together many creative voices to sing a collective song that celebrates the contribution of female artists and marks a moment in our communal trajectory.” -founder/curator C. Finley

The EVERY WOMAN BIENNIAL 2021 brings female and non-binary artists together from across the globe in the spirit of community and collaboration, to investigate themes of inspiration, connection, and love while celebrating the abundance and beauty of Mother Nature and the Divine Feminine within us all. My Love Is Your Love is a startling and refreshing shift in NFT curatorial themes of the past (which, admittedly is quite a short history), and is providing much-needed feminine energy in a space where women and nonbinary artists are still largely underrepresented.

 The Every Woman Biennial is constantly evolving to provide inclusive opportunities to support women and non-binary artists, and the aim or this particular show is to give hundreds of artists who are interested in exploring the new technology and mint NFTs, the opportunity to reach new audiences and sell their art on the Superchief platform –  which is especially important now, in the wake of 2020 – an unprecedented year of isolation, and in this ongoing socially-distanced time, it is refreshing to see the traditional art world embrace NFTs to reimagine what the art world can be and who can be included and celebrated. 

As C. Finley states: ‘Not knowing if we’d be able to get together during the pandemic, we embraced the new NFT platform for our 4th edition in NYC. 600+ emerging female and non-binary artists are coming together across the biennials to exhibit, perform and lift each other up.’

Every Woman Biennial, in collaboration with Superchief Gallery NFT will hold a workshop to walk selected artists through minting their first NFTs. This is a carbon-negative exhibition, in partnership with Pachama.

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Eric Andre has announced his debut into the NFT space with his piece “Nonflushable Turd.” After joining Foundation just this month, Andre’s one and only piece, “Nonflushable Turd,” minted on June 21, 2021, is being auctioned off at noon PST on June 24th. The piece depicts a multi-headed amalgamation of flesh, covered in Andre’s face, amidst a serene backdrop. This audiovisual piece was crafted in collaboration with Maylee Todd (musician), Kyvita (multi-media artist), and Matthewdavid McQueen (music mastering). 

Andre announced his NFT debut via Instagram this past week—but shortly after removed the post. Fans and foes alike have begun to accuse Andre of being a “hypocrite” or a “sellout” for making this move. 

Eric Andre NFT

 

Andre is best known as the creator and host of the “The Eric Andre Show” on Cartoon Network’s late-night program, Adult Swim. Unlike traditional late-night television—constrained by certain etiquette, and oriented towards the comfort and viewing pleasure of its audience—Andre’s show refuses to run smoothly, basks in discomfort, and capitalizes off of the incomprehensible. His transition into the world of NFTs has undoubtedly been no different. 

Some onlookers repudiate Andre’s involvement in this new space, suggesting he is no longer the countercultural icon he used to be; others speculate that Andre may have taken down this Instagram announcement after receiving such backlash. 

I would think it expedient to further examine what this shift into the NFT space means for Andre’s work before jumping to such conclusions. 

 

Eric Andre Show
Eric Andre Show

 

Some critics cite environmental impact. First of all, when compared with almost any other industry, (fashion, food, shopping, internet providers, etc-) the amount of energy being used by the ethereal blockchain is negligible. Current efficiency also has the potential to be ameliorated once Ethereum is able to transfer to a Proof of Stake (POS) system, as opposed to its current proof of work system (POW). Put simply, this would allow for transactions to only be processed by one computer/server at a time, as opposed to multiple. Like in any new industry, efficiency can always be improved. 

Others take the position that transferring to the big-tech, high-capital world of blockchain runs counter to Andre’s “counter-cultural” brand. But, Andre’s work—this piece as no exception—centers upon the unbelievable. The NFT art space, as it currently exists, has constantly embraced the “new”, as a futuristic and extremely iterative space. The unbelievable is a core tenet of this. 

 

 

If we apply the Dadaist objective of “overturning traditional notions” to Andre’s work, his entrance into the world of NFTs starts to make a little bit more sense. The concept of Dada, borne out of the aftermath and socio-political attitudes of the first world war takes on a worldview of nihilism—a surrendering to the absurd. In our contemporary political climate, we begin to see a resurfacing of such attitudes. If reality seems absurd, Dadaism takes it a step further. Today, we exist in an age of limitless information, biological warfare, and increased political polarization—to the point where it seems nearly impossible to consider what our future might look like. We find ourselves, once again, turning towards the absurd because what else is one to do in times like these, but laugh?

“Hypermodernity” describes our current situation in which technology has begun to rapidly outpace expectations, but also describes the new body of multi-media art we see taking form, especially in the NFT space. 

 

 

We may have never expected Eric Andre to put out an NFT, but when has Andre given us what we have expected? The Eric Andre Show takes a sledgehammer to the concept of the traditional talk show and affronts audiences with unexpected expletives, nonsensical narratives, and shock-value comedy. His work in music, under the pseudonym “Blarf,” follows suit with a similar lack of structure. Blarf’s most recent album “Cease and Desist” features a nearly thirteen-minute song entitled “I Worship Satan ” in which car chase sounds and static noise are intermittently cut by samples from Stanley Kubrik’s Paths of Glory. Across genres, Andre has left us with a lot to make sense of, but little to make sense of it. His NFT debut is no exception. 

Ultimately, it’s not supposed to make sense. And it doesn’t.

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SUMMARY

In partnership with the Botswana Red Cross Society and acclaimed artist Remo Camerota, Leyline has just dropped their first-ever charity NFT auction. Their mission: To validate how NFT auctions, gaming, art, and social impact development organizations can work together, advancing a common goal of eliminating poverty and rewarding acts of altruism around the world.

 

About Leyline

In addition to being an Open Knowledge, Open Source project, Leyline is a California Nonprofit Organization – A Transformative Digital Economy Nonprofit. By rewarding those who do good, Leyline strives to eradicate poverty. For individuals who perform small acts of altruism every day, the mission is to create a perpetual passive income stream. By using Leyline, users can connect with wellness activities, blood donations, and community service opportunities. In order to validate these actions, Leyline partners with trusted nonprofit organizations, academic institutions, and NGOs which verify the various good actions people may undertake. Leyline points are given as rewards for these good deeds which can be redeemed for goods of cash value, cryptocurrencies, and Non-Fungible Tokens.

“Our revenue above operating costs will be reallocated back to a prize pool to help get funds into the hands of people who truly need it. We’re not here to become billionaires; we’re here to solve the biggest problems facing humanity” explains Jeremy Dela Rosa, founder and CEO of Leyline

The biggest problem humanity faces cannot be solved by becoming billionaires. To join the Leyline movement:  Sign up today

 

About Botswana Red Cross Society

There are almost 200 national and International Red Cross and Red Crescent associations around the world. It is considered the world’s largest humanitarian network. 

Allied to no government and without political, religious or cultural affiliations, the nonprofit Red Cross and Red Crescent associations, were founded to respond to the well-being of war-wounded by providing assistance without discrimination on the battlefield and to prevent and alleviate suffering. Botswana Red Cross Society is one branch of these organizations with the same directive.

Botswana Red Cross Society essentially has two purposes: To protect life and health as well as to ensure that human rights are respected. Throughout the world, its ideals and principles are aimed at promoting friendship, cooperation, and lasting peace.

“Our mission is to alleviate human suffering by providing humanitarian services to the most vulnerable communities. They are powered by over 10,000 volunteers across Southern Africa.”

 

About The Artist – Remo Camerota

Remo proudly collaborated with Leyline on the organization’s first NFT drop to advance the social cause and help as many families as possible. A distinguished artist, Remo is also an award-winning photographer, director, and recognized figure in the NFT space. The magazine “Lurzer’s Archiverecently named him one of its 200 best creatives. Some of his works have been exhibited at Carrousel du Louvre (Paris) and he has collaborated with today’s leading brands and artists to create artwork such as Banksy, Obey, and Tommy Hilfiger, among others. Art is a vehicle for him to promote social awareness and contribute to important causes.

For more info: https://www.whitewallstudios.net/

About The Fundraiser

The artwork auction proceeds will be split between artists, social impact organizations, Leyline’s altruistic platform, and its users to create a win-win-win ecosystem.

In honour of Remo Camerota’s work and to establish a new standard for the commissioning of artists, he will receive 30% of the proceeds, donating the other 70%.

40% of each sale will be distributed directly to individuals in extreme poverty by the Botswana Red Cross Society.

In total, Leyline will receive 30% of the proceeds to fund the development and administration of its altruistic platform.

“Our shared goal for this auction is to create sustainable passive income for individuals in need and create a compounding effect for impoverished communities,” says Jeremy Dela Rosa, founder and CEO of Leyline

The proceeds that go to the Botswana Red Cross Society will be used to buy ‘Internet/NFT Starter Kits’. A smartphone, solar battery charger, and data plan will be included in these kits. Teams from Botswana Red Cross Society are on the ground directly supporting communities and will identify and continue to provide support to the recipients. As a result, recipients are able to share their experiences with the NFT and Leyline communities while earning more rewards and NFTs.

“A $350 starter kit per family can literally transform lives. The more funds we raise, the more individuals we can help. Please join us on our quest to eradicate poverty and rewrite the rules of the economy to reward empathy and compassion!” adds Dela Rosa, founder and CEO of Leyline.

 

About The Auction 

The auction begins on June 18th at 9 am ET and concludes on June 25th at 12 pm ET. A collection of 6 NFT art pieces from Remo Camerota has been donated to benefit the cause.

Here the link to the collection and auction: Remo x Leyline x Botswana Red Cross Marketplace on OpenSea: Buy, sell, and explore digital assets

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The past week has had my mind occupied by the book ‘Because Internet’ by Gretchen McCulloch, which covers the linguistic changes brought about by people communicating online. One of the brief points it raises is that young people have flocked online not because they don’t want to socialize and play outside, but because those outside places have been restricted, controlled and commodified to the point where they can’t be accessed, utilized & experimented with.

So where do you go if everything is restricted? The new paradigm of digital spaces with unlimited possibility, of course. Fortnite, Roblox, Minecraft, easily accessible worlds with ever-expanding toolsets, environments that promote and appreciate a lusory attitude. Spaces that mimic the long-lost forests, parks, and venues now dominated by increasing ticket prices, demolition, or restriction. Children don’t play in the roads, because they’re full of BMWs driving at 70mph. They don’t play at the bowling alley, because Jeff Bowlzos charges 15 dollars for a game, and you can’t play in the park because…

 

No Ball Games

 

The trend for games and platforms in the present day (to maximize users and income) is to fulfill this need for play – creating spaces to be risk-free and ‘fun’ primarily, before being restricted by monetization – spaces for experimentation, before commercialization. Do the current offerings of (NFT enabled) Open Metaverse platforms offer this in abundance? Well, no – no to the point where somebody on a low-income FIAT salary still can’t really expect to engage in the platform, never mind kids. 

As we’ve seen with F2P video games, their evolution has pushed the most successful models towards cosmetics-only monetization (Warzone, Fortnite, Roblox), with an emphasis on leaving any form of experimentation and play as a free component. This removes the barrier of cost which young people struggle to overcome and allows them to provide onboarding, usage, propagation, experimentation, and therefore content, in abundance. It’s about socializing play because that’s the most profitable route.

Minecraft NFT

 

“Yeah but I don’t want to sell it to kids!”, you say. Well, your audience doesn’t primarily become children, it becomes everyone – young people are the conduit to which new technology is accessed. The fun doesn’t stop at the age of 18, all of those adults with LEGO collections and horror movie obsessions are proof of this, if a product is fun, it’s still fun as an adult. 

NFTs have allowed for a race to the bottom in regards to commodifying online spaces, and if we allow this commodifying behaviour to over-exert itself, the users who are most important to gaming’s current success will likely be dissuaded to adopt. What Metaverse worlds often amount to currently, are increasingly expensive blogging platforms with three-dimensional graphics.

This is why we’ve yet to see a mass Metaverse onboarding from blockchain-enabled games, and why platforms like VRChat, Roblox, Minecraft & WoW currently have more mainstream appeal than Sandbox, Decentraland & Somnium. Metaverse Spaces, for the most part, require you to inject large sums of capital prior to being able to experiment properly with the platform. For example, needing to purchase land plots and items to be able to build, customize characters, or engage with the community gate keeps your primary conduits – while the free experiences offered in those worlds do not (yet) surpass basic mechanics & concepts – necessary for encouraging future expenditure.

Decentraland Parcels & Estates

 

Unsurprisingly, this forces a trajectory of feeding largely on whales & corporates for Metaverse spaces, because they are the sole users who can afford to utilize the tech.. Great, an easy market share… But as we’ve just discussed above, we don’t want to (proverbially) pave our Metaverse spaces with highways for commercial haulage, or restrict play to luxury penthouses for self-inflated frat boys. Metaverse spaces, to achieve mass appeal, should be spaces for experimentation and play, without the need for monetization.

So what about airdrops and ‘sponsored entry’? Are these good enough to supplement socialized access to these spaces, and ensure that mainstream audiences onboard and further the space’s usage/appeal?

Consider this analogy: imagine you’re taking your child to a playground (Meta-world) that requires you to pay for a ticket to entry, while you’re surrounded by free access theme parks (Centralised-worlds), who are filled with customers creating a positive atmosphere, and who are purchasing a lot of hats, the hats aren’t theirs to keep, sure – but they don’t care, because the social credit is more important than the ownership itself.

Currently the, comparatively small, playground is saying, ‘here’s a free ticket for one day a year’ or, ‘you can wear this free party hat when you’ve paid to visit’ – but it’s clearly not as exciting as the rollercoaster next door, and it’s also somewhat insulting, because let’s be honest, the slide is dull and the sandpit smells funny. So, to offer you such a small incentive seems somewhat absent-minded, considering the neighbours.

Meta-worlds, and meta-projects behaving in this way might bring in one or two new customers, but charging every time someone uses your jungle gym isn’t going to guarantee an enthusiastic group who create their own game of tag nearby, and certainly won’t provide the mass social hierarchy to encourage cosmetic spending.

What we should be looking at is a socialized system of baseline play, which, if we look at the history of MMOs, is a standard practice. It has been exhibited throughout successful online games up to this point, and seems to be an art lost by blockchain-enabled Metaverse spaces. For example, the concept of receiving housing ‘space’ in MMOs is not new, even Club Penguin did it. The expansion of that space is where the cost comes in, through play or through payment – Decentraland & CryptoVoxels for example, could provide all new users with a plot of land to utilize, but require purchasing for larger sizes, different plots, or location movement.

 

Club Penguin

 

The problem is that these spaces, shortsightedly, currently serve the crypto community, and so unsurprisingly, depend on discerning individuals to spend on name, locations, looks, just about anything, based on sheer speculation. However, for true mainstream onboarding, the airdrop method, or ‘sponsorship’ systems, can’t compete with immersive F2P worlds which hook audience attention through entertainment, and then monetize as a secondary target to obtaining users.

This needs to be something keenly considered as a key component of any Open Metaverse play, cut off the big (cost) hurdles to experimentation, and the ability for power-users to amass control over experimentation, create a community that plays with your tech, and then commodify the hierarchy (not the play itself). 

Metaverse spaces need to assess a ‘minimum viable fun’, to ensure they’re outdoing their competitors in regards to user attention, which means offering quality content, while not providing too much, for free. These meta-worlds would fare well to look beyond the golden trinket of a marine mammal’s pocket, and to the audience who will provide a long-term population, and success – the whales will follow.

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The Binance NFT marketplace, from the Binance crypto exchange, launches June 24th. The marketplace kicks off with “100 Creators” ranging from crypto artists to musicians to athletes. The launch is preceded by numerous NFT platforms and marketplaces appearing on the Binance Smart Chain (BSC). In addition, Featured by Binance recently launched under the auspices of the Binance developer network, Binance X.

Binance is currently ranked by CoinMarketCap as the world’s largest exchange based on volume. It has been particularly adept at fast following trends developed in other ecosystems, particularly in the world of Ethereum, and in finding ways to participate in decentralization while maintaining a very centralized organization. It is not the least bit surprising to see NFTs launching on BSC and for Binance itself to be launching an NFT platform. What remains to be seen are the larger potential effects of NFTs being directly supported by such a major force.

Binance NFT is expected to launch on June 24th featuring a high-end “Premium Event” category and a more open “Trading Market” category. The platform is custodial and will require Binance.com accounts to participate. The overall goal, as stated by the Head of Binance NFT, Helen Hai, is to “provide the largest NFT trading platform in the world with the best minting, buying, and exchanging experience, by leveraging the fastest and cheapest solutions.”

 

With low transaction fees and a 1% processing fee on sales, Binance sounds like a great deal. Perhaps the biggest catch is that the secondary marketplace will provide only a 1% royalty. Given the sizable role Binance plays, one would expect a large group of collectors to respond to this opportunity. While they might appreciate lower royalties, increasing the percentage would be a smart move by Binance in order to attract the best artists active on other blockchains.

That said, the “100 Creators,” include some standout names such as Osinachi, Kelvin Okafor, the Uganda National Museum and Trevor Jones. Other participants are known more as influencers or celebrities, such as Russell Simmons, or have a solid history in crypto art with somewhat less visibility in the West, such as IOYOI. Overall, the group seems relatively diverse though seems to be overly dominated by male participants even more than is typical in the space.

Musicians and sports figures will also play a prominent role, as noted in two preview posts on the Binance blog (here and here) again featuring only men. Musicians include Lil Yachty, Kyle and Lewis Capaldi while athletes include Michael Owen, Alphonso Davies and Guti.

 

 

I spoke briefly with four crypto artists about their involvement with Binance NFT.

Trevor Jones, well known for the “Picasso’s Bull” drop on Nifty Gateway in 2020, also created the “Binance, Bull and Rocket” physical artwork shown above and an animated NFT MP4 at that time. Due to the pandemic, Jones’ plans for exhibiting this work were put on extended hold. When Binance contacted Jones to see if he would be interested in participating in the launch, he recognized that it would be a great opportunity to finally release the NFT.

Notable African crypto artist Osinachi found out about Binance NFT when a Binance Africa staff member contacted him. He will be “sharing 5 artworks that encourage people to create happiness with what is around them.”

He also states:

“I’m joining Binance NFT marketplace because I feel that, just as they are an exchange with incredible success, they can help spread the NFT gospel to people in crypto and even add to the already existing channels through which enthusiasts can buy and trade NFTs.”

IOYOI, a crypto artist based in Taiwan, is active on a variety of platforms and is also a member of The Sandbox Creators Fund. He is “currently focusing on the combination of voxel and painting.” His initial collection for Binance NFT “interlaces retro games with today’s blockchain universe (metaverse), from sports video games to Sandbox lands.”

IOYOI is “honored” to be among “talents from various fields selected by Binance NFT platform to exhibit together.” He appreciates being in the first wave of creators given that it is a “big platform” and a “new opportunity” with many more artists able to join after July.

Phygital artist MAIKEUL will also be offering three 1/1 NFTs “which are the digital versions of physical works that will be available at Eternity Gallery in Paris, on the same date as the launch date of the NFT platform of Binance.”  He is “super excited” about the launch and “think[s] Binance NFT is a good thing” to achieve “more visibility and to share [his] vision of what NFTs are.”

 

Featured by Binance is a related NFT platform, though non-custodial, that Binance X launched on June 17th. Its debut featured the work of Dylan Cole who has designed for over 60 films including Lord of the Rings, Avatar and Maleficent. Essentially Featured by Binance supplies the decentralized wing of Binance’s entry into the world of NFTs. This approach allows Binance to satisfy a broader range of needs than a centralized NFT marketplace alone could address.

A variety of other NFT marketplaces and platforms have launched or are launching on BSC, including some that will be compatible with other blockchains as well, such as:

 

While the Binance NFT marketplace, along with Featured by Binance, may initially overwhelm smaller NFT platforms on BSC, in the long run, it may well produce a stronger ecosystem. Binance’s efforts to promote NFTs will likely validate them to skeptics in a way that numerous smaller platforms could not do so easily. As Binance introduces a growing number of new collectors to NFTs, some will eventually seek out specialized markets on BSC. Enticing artists and collectors when Binance will offer its own NFT marketplace next to Featured by Binance will be no simple task for smaller platforms. But those prepared for the long haul will find themselves part of what is likely to be an incredibly rich ecosystem for NFTs on BSC.

 

Featured Images by Binance

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This past week, President Biden signed a bill into law making Juneteenth a national holiday.  Although the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation officially freed all enslaved peoples in 1863, June the nineteenth marks the date, two and a half years later (in 1865), when Federal troops marched into Texas to effectively implement this order. Finally recognizing this long-held tradition at the Federal level, Biden’s administration acknowledges the fact that the fourth of July is not everybody’s day of independence in this country. Commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans, Juneteenth celebrates Black Americans’ progress and commitment to continue fighting for equality and meaningful social change in the ever-flawed system we exist in today. 

Official recognition of this holiday is no panacea for the structural inequities Black Americans continue to encounter. However, while celebrating this step forward, we must continue to demand reparations, demand an end to police violence, demand representative and accessible education, and continue to fight for Black liberation. Black contributions in labour, culture, innovation, and the arts, have made this country what it is today, yet Black artists continue to be overshadowed in traditional networks. 

This year, in celebration of Juneteenth, Black Lives Matter (BLM) is collaborating with Nifty Gateway (one of the current largest NFT marketplaces) to host a digital art fair, highlighting the work of several Black creators. The exhibit features artists such as Oto Abasi Attah, Gianni Lee, Shanina Dionna, Julian Gillam (AKA Logik), Kennedy Yanko, and others.  

giannilee
Photo by https://www.instagram.com/giannilee/

 

The exhibit, curated by Damon Turner (founder of Trap Heals), exemplifies a growing trend in the NFT space through which digital partnerships allow influencers, or organizations, in collaboration, to harness their audience in order to maximize sales. This collaborative tactic is not unlike the collective action we see in social activism more frequently. 

 

But why choose NFTs?

The NFT space gives Black creatives the opportunity to transcend geographical boundaries, political barriers, and produce radical art in a radical space. It is understood that the power of truth often depends upon the power of whom it is in the hands of. Many minority groups, notably Black Americans, have had their truths silenced for many decades. Yet, through collective action and political agency, minority groups have, over time, been able to work to translate truth into power. NFTs present a forum for this kind of translation — freeing artists from the constraints of governmental and/or corporate bureaucracy. In the traditional art world, power structures and inequities have solidified themselves over time. NFTs place power in the hands of the artist. Though leading social change in the decentralized space of NFTs at its infancy, BLM and other social movements may be able to play a role in shaping the future of NFT marketplaces and how they might be able to advance a shared cause. 

The NFT platform, aside from its social implications and benefits for artists, holds investment appeal as well. NFTs present unique value to potential donors in terms of the unique return value, provable scarcity, indivisibility, guaranteed ownership through smart contracts, transferability, and cryptographic security. These characteristics of NFTs enable creators and consumers to engage in transactions through secure, transparent, and efficient means. 

In whole, the platform complies with artists’ needs, consumers’ needs, and overall serves to bolster the cause of BLM, in its mission “to eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes.” This past Juneteenth, and onwards, it is important to reflect not only upon past realities – but also on the ways in which we can pave the way for greater equality in the future. The decentralization of power propagated by the NFT space is beginning to spur change in this direction. 

Marking Juneteenth as a national holiday has inspired a reclamation of Black stories, histories, and celebrations, as exemplified by this BLM X Trap Heals initiative on Nifty. 

Visit Nifty Gateway or BLM Juneteenth Events Page for more.

 

Image Source: Trap Heals by Oto-Abasi Attah

Main Featured Image By Julian Gilliam aka LOGIC

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With the spotlight on non-fungible tokens unlikely to fade anytime soon, it was only a matter of time before memes showed up to the party with their entire crew. Meme.com, the new digital platform for fine memes, was officially announced on May 19th, after raising $5 million from a group of both blockchain-centric venture capitalist firms as well as independent investors.

The announcement was made on Twitter by Meme Explorers and in a Medium piece written by MarbleCards co-founder Johan Unger. The valuation capabilities that are built into Marble.Cards will also be a part of Meme.com. According to Unger, the platform was built specifically as a “crypto-economic system that can track the value of memes.”

The co-founder of Polygon, Sandeep Nailwal, also contributed to the initial funding round for the new marketplace. Polygon (formerly Matic) is an Indian-based blockchain startup focused on scalability and the creation of a multichain ecosystem on the Ethereum network.  

The arrival of Meme.com marks the beginning of a new era for this internet phenomenon. NFTs have re-fueled the ongoing debate over what qualifies as art, but memes have already established themselves as a textbook example of postmodern, often absurdist, art.

Memes have always been defined as “units of cultural information spread through imitation” ever since the term was coined in 1976. And regardless of which side of the art conversation you’re on, memes have shown their value on the first-hand NFT market, with a 1 of 1 edition of the Nyan Cat selling for 300 ETH ($710,448.00 when this article was written) on NFT invite-only marketplace Foundation.

The first internet meme, Baby Cha Cha, aka the dancing baby, appeared in 1996. Flash forward to 2021, and we now have fine memes and trends, courtesy of MarbleCards.

Humor is a big part of meme culture, and references to iconic memes such as Pepe the Frog and Doge can be seen on the landing page for Meme.com. At the moment, users can sign up for the new online space, but the marketplace is not yet live. However, the meme.com website is full of whimsical wordplay, billing itself as the “The Majestic Establishment of Memetic Exploration.” Please send us your favourite usage of the word “memetic” @NFTSwtf on twitter

But what exactly is this site for? Meme.com describes itself as a combination of Wikipedia and Dogecoin. What that means exactly is anyone’s guess, but from our context clues and public information, it will definitely involve cryptocurrency, altcoins, and an open-source database.

Meme coins, which started more or less as a joke, have shown both their value and volatility over recent months. In the span of less than a week, the price of these coins dropped dramatically. On May 8th, Elon Musk hosted Saturday Night Live and joked (was serious?) that Doge was “just a hustle.” Four days later, Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin traded a large quantity of dog meme coins that were sent to his wallet address for ETH.  He then donated this Ethereum to the India coronavirus relief fund, Crypto Covid. The owners of these meme coins sent half of their token supply to Buterin’s public Etherum wallet address in a burn attempt. However, because he chose to sell them, the price for these coins dipped dramatically. According to data compiled by Coinmarket cap, the Dogecoin was worth approximately $0.3203 at 4:30 pm EST on Friday. May 28th. Soon after, Dogecoin was trading at roughly 72 cents on May 8, the same day as Musk’s SNL appearance.

Cryptocurrency is known for its volatility, but that hasn’t stopped new meme coins from entering the market. As of this writing, the meme data sector on CryptoSlate includes 41 meme coins, from Garlicoin and Banano to CUMROCKET CRYPTO.

 

Photo: David Roth

 

Though they’ve been dubbed “shitcoins,” meme coins are thriving in the Asian crypto market, which may open up the door for a thriving collectible and art market. China already owns 20% of the global art market share.

For an interview with Coinbase, head of investment at Digital Finance Group, Joanna Ling talked about the firm’s funding support for Meme.com. “We believe that memes and meme markets, such as Meme.com, are  promising and innovative ways to empower users who find or create trends,” says Ling.

Solutions that financially reward cultural influencers continue to be released and developed, each with different value metrics. How the market lands is anyone’s guess, but the evolution of decentralized finance and advancements in blockchain technology are creating an exciting environment for exploration.

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While we have already provided quite a lot of coverage from this year’s Miami series of crypto extravaganzas – we want those of you who were not able to attend, such as myself, to get a little glimpse of the magic that you missed!  While the original target audience of the Bitcoin Conference Miami 2021 was Bitcoin Maximalists – due to several event series happening in tandem, including NFTS.tips Private Events Series and Shitcoin 2021, Miami quickly became packed with a diverse group of crypto-heads of all shapes and sizes.  The NFTs.tips community, as seen in the video above, made a huge splash this year.  On top of major strategic partnerships including Try Showtime, Moonwolf, and of course NFTS.WTF; the tips community brought out leading NFT artists in the space including Sabet, Gabe Weis, and WARHODL, as well as over 100 other exhibited NFT creators.

 

One major highlight we can’t forget to mention is The Goodtime Hotel and all of its splendor. Between massive star-studded pool parties, Beeple in the elevator, and the J.lo Music video being filmed on site as a nice cherry on top – this place is definitely a gem. They also housed 125 rooms filled with the NFTs.tips entourage and threw the biggest NFT pool party to date featuring live music by Cedric Gervais and saucy go-go dancers providing the perfect eye-candy. Around every corner you’d find artists, collectors, press, and bystanders all collaborating and learning about NFTs. Many new partnerships were formed in the creative and stimulating space that Pharrell and his first-class team provided. The rooms were stylish yet quaint, enticing visitors to venture out into community spaces and explore. With talks of NFT displays and exhibits, this looks to be just the beginning of The Goodtimes’ NFT journey like so many others.

 

 

The small businesses in the area are in on the profits as well since they were utilized by so many of the crypto/NFT fan bases for events. The city was teeming with food truck and venue activations, catering, and I’m sure Lyft and Uber caught a nice surge throughout the week of lux black-car rides.

 

The owners of the cabaret “Eleven”, where Paris Hilton DJ’d during the week, had the right idea by allowing their entertainers to take payment in cryptocurrency and displaying NFTs on their big screens. 

Whether you understand crypto or not, it’s becoming more and more likely that it has impacted you or your surroundings. It is only a matter of time until crypto is as mainstream as a debit card, with global opportunities for all.

NFT TIPS MIAMI 2021

While you may be feeling the FOMO, this event is just the tip of the iceberg, as we come out of this pandemic era, it seems as if the world of crypto is replacing the influencer space as the “cool kids club” of conferences. There are already a ton of preparations in the works for upcoming events in New York, Paris, Dubai, and dozens of other cities around the world. While you may have missed this one, it is fairly certain that there will be an equally exciting crypto event coming soon to a city near you!

Featured video by Alexander Mazzei

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SUMMARY

A momentous announcement has just been made by the US Congress that Juneteenth will be a national holiday, commemorating the abolition of slavery.

To mark Juneteenth weekend (the 18-20th of June), Towards Utopia organized a special exhibition for Superchief Gallery, “The Digital Diaspora: Liberating Black Creativity,’ curated by Diana Sinclair, a queer 17-year-old artist and activist. Black digital artists from around the world will be featured in an exhibition organized by Towards Utopia & Foundation. Sales will be made using NFT technology, and proceeds will benefit GLITS, which provides free housing assistance for Black Trans people and HerStoryDao, as well as arts funding for Black Women and non-binary Femmes. A selection of pieces will be shown on LinkNYC digital displays throughout the five boroughs in addition to the gallery show.

Artist: Sewah Attafuah – #TheDigitalDiaspora Exhibition

The US Congress declares Juneteenth a National Holiday 

The United States House of Representatives passed and forwarded a bill to President Joe Biden on Wednesday designating June 19, or “Juneteenth,” as a federal holiday – marking the end of legal enslavement of African Americans.

The holiday commemorates the day in 1865 when a Union general notified a group of enslaved individuals in Texas that they had been freed two years before by President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation.

In a 415-14 vote, the House approved the bill. Its success comes one year after the brutal murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer ignited nationwide protests against racism and policing.

In a signing ceremony at the White House on Thursday afternoon, President Biden will sign the bill into law.

 

Special EXHIBITION

On the weekend of Juneteenth (6/19/21) in New York City, the Digital Diaspora art exhibition, public installation, and fundraising auction will take place. The Digital Diaspora (TDD) celebrates Black artists from around the globe while aiming to explore new frontiers in the avant garde world of new media. TDD, led by award-winning artist Diana Sinclair, builds on the groundbreaking achievements of Alondra Nelson expanding the scope of Afrofuturism.   

Towards Utopia, in partnership with Sinclair, has created a robust program, which will be launched on June 19th with an opening event at Superchief Gallery

At 10am PST / 1pm EST the same day, Foundation will host a 17 lot auction of which a portion will be donated to GLITS (Gays and Lesbians living In a Transgnder Society) – which provides free housing to Black trans people – and the HerStoryDao collective to preserve creative projects by Black women and non-binary artists. A selection of works from this exhibition will also be exhibited on LinkNYC screens across New York City, made possible by NYC & Co.

 

Artists: Tyler Givens & Lauren M. Wash – #TheDigitalDiaspora Exhibition

“It’s especially appropriate for an art show promoting Black artists to be held on the day that celebrates Black freedom,” Sinclair explains. “Black freedom allowed for the growth of Black art in America, yet there’s still work to be done to give more Black artists even greater exposure to a wider audience. Now we can add digital platforms and technology to our efforts to not only widen the space for Black artists, but to address the intersectional marginalization of Black people.”

“Following Itzel Yard’s groundbreaking sale on Foundation last month,” says Foundation’s Community Director, Lindsay Howard, “we’re excited to support Towards Utopia in their effort to uplift and center Black artists.” The auction will partially benefit HerStoryDAO, an organization committed to furthering the careers of Black femme artists, which will have lasting impacts on the NFT community at large.”

 

A Brief History of Foundation 

The NFT platform Foundation uses blockchain technology to build a new creative economy, allowing creators to monetize their online expressions in a whole new way, and connect more deeply with their fans. It is a bridge between crypto and culture that fosters a network of mutual support between artists, creators, and collectors. 

Foundation has earned more than $75M in direct benefits since its launch in February 2021, and almost 500 artists have made over $20K individually through the platform. Not to mention over 5,000 unique bidders are registered on the site. The Foundation terminal shows live market updates as they come in. 

 

Towards Utopia: An Introduction

An organization focused on education, resources, and art; Towards Utopia is a trans-feminist and anti-racist organization. The group raises funds on behalf of boots-on-the-ground organizations to support the needs of the Black trans community. Moreover, they bring food and clothing directly to people through mutual aid events. 

Using social media, they educate the public about racism and identify resources available to POC and gender-non-conforming individuals, such as grants and employment opportunities. In their 2020 print sale – which featured artists such as Nan Goldin, Richie Shazam, Ryan McGinley, Charles Caesar, and Lia Clay – they raised almost $100,000 for GLITS, FOR THE GWORLS, and SWOP. 

 

Featured Artists

The upcoming auction and exhibition will highlight the work of Black artists who are highly visible in the NFT world, many of whom have prominent sales on Foundation.

Google Slides Presentation of Artists

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Since at least June 8th, a number of crypto artists have announced on Twitter that they were tricked into downloading malicious files because they believed that they were being contacted via social media for art commissions. The combination of social engineering and software hacks led to the loss of untold sums and NFTs to the attackers. A great deal of information was shared on Twitter about the attacks and a number of brief guides to improve NFT security were shared by artists and their allies as well.

Early Warning

Perhaps the earliest alert came from artist Suryanto Sur who posted on June 8th that not only was his wallet hacked but that the attackers were sending additional threats and demanding a ransom:

This dramatic news first appeared to be an isolated horror story, but was soon revealed to be an early warning of widespread attacks. Though the details varied, the essential plotline involved outreach for an art commission, whether corporate or personal, followed by a link to a zipped file on Google drive. Once the file was downloaded and unzipped, it revealed an SCR file that unleashed a software attack allowing the hackers to access passwords and other sensitive information. Attackers stole money and NFTs and often demanded ransom payments.

 

Spreading the Word

On June 11th, three days after the attack on Suryanto Sur, FVCKRENDER announced that he too had been attacked via a similar scenario (see also featured image above):

 

Based on a large number of retweets and responses, this announcement seems to have gotten the most attention, and alerted a wide range of artists to the ongoing threat. However, this writer observed, even after numerous alerts, multiple new announcements by artists who had just fallen prey to the scam proved that they were unsure of what to do and were reaching out for help on Twitter. In addition, it seems some thought the first attacks occurred on June 11th based on the visibility of the attack on FVCKRENDER.

As both RenderedFlesh and Pascal Marsolais pointed out, one important community defense is to share news of such attacks to raise awareness regarding current tactics as well as to encourage additional self-education over the long-term. This approach ultimately succeeded but the unfolding of events raises the question of whether or not earlier widespread sharing of alerts might have reduced the number of victims.

 

Catching Our Collective Breath

There were also lighter moments in the midst of what were real tragedies for many artists. Squirterer shared a number of screenshots and a description of her process of toying with one of the attackers leading to a humorous punchline.

SP4CE passed along a piece by Jeremy Torman describing how he “turned a scammer into an art collector.” His account of scamming the scammer for 0.1 ETH via an art sale is a humorous reminder that crypto artists don’t have to live in fear if they maintain consistent awareness of possible threats and act accordingly.

 

NFT Security Practices

As many have noted on Twitter, scams that convince individuals that the scammer is on their side and has good news have a long history; as do the use of such executable files as SCR. Such threats have been particularly common, though not limited to, Windows users. And some feel that everyone should already be aware of the situation. To a large degree, the positive response of so many artists to commission offers speaks to the power of a well-chosen psychological point of entry into the victim’s world.

Manifold, a company that provides NFT minting services to crypto artists including FVCKRENDER, reached out and supported the artist in the wake of the attack. Manifold shared a postmortem with additional technical details and advice.

Manifold’s suggested best practices include:

  • Use a hardware wallet.
  • Do not store seed phrases on digital devices in plain text.
  • Use password managers rather than saving passwords in browsers.
  • Enable 2FA on all accounts.

Additional threads and links to articles on NFT and wallet security were shared by individuals on Twitter including:

 

Bharat Krymo also shared relevant crypto security tips prior to this wave of attacks.

However, as in all areas involving critical information, DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH. Studying advice from multiple sources can not only reveal established best practices, but can also reveal when some advice has become outdated. In addition, relatively timeless practices, such as not downloading files from strangers, will be communicated to your unconscious brain causing you to develop better security intuition as well.

 

Next Steps

As NFTS WTF DAO member Sillytuna points out, there are a variety of steps the NFT industry and adjacent companies could be taking to support the security of artists and collectors:

 

Industry associations like the Blockchain Game Alliance might put effort into establishing higher security industry standards across platforms as well as joining together in educational efforts.

We should also be contacting relevant web services and government agencies when events like these occur such as SamuelCardillo.eth notes. Though not all services and agencies will be responsive, keep in mind that we must educate them as to our concerns, and be sure to document all contacts. Such records may be useful at a later date, for example, when speaking with the press or doing follow-up reports. Note that Mintable reached out to help with information for law enforcement agencies.

The most effective response to date to attacks like those recently hitting crypto artists is for the community to rapidly spread the word when new waves of attack occur and to share educational resources. We must continue to remind newcomers of best security practices, even when such practices seem well-established and obvious, so that they might take appropriate steps. And, in all cases, we must encourage each other to DYOR in NFT Land just as we do in other settings in which we find ourselves vulnerable to malevolent forces.

[Featured image via FVCKRENDER]

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Most would agree that music is an important part of the human experience, and we are all wondering what role NFTs will play in the industry. Frequency and rhythm make up our lives as individuals. Every breath we take is a metronome to our thoughts and movements. Our inner rhythms have all been shaken with the pandemic, but issues within the music industry have been brewing for much longer than that. Some believe that NFTs may be the remedy. 

That shared energetic communication is now going to be incorporated into the metaverse. A new green platform has been created to offer musicians of all levels a place to be seen and heard, while also supporting the causes and initiatives that are important to them.  It’s also perfect for the fan bases, as they will be able to connect to their favorite artists regardless of their location or status. With the importance of genres and job titles fading, the music industry has figured out a way to make the system breathe again in an inclusive, sustainable fashion. 

 

Quincy Jones and a very powerful group including Adam Fell, Joshua James, and tech entrepreneur Lyn Dae are the founders of OneOf. These powerhouses have curated a proof of work protocol that is efficient while emphasizing the importance of protecting our environment. While traditional proof of work protocols aren’t necessarily unsustainable, this boasts being 2 million times more efficient than Ethereum platforms. Hopefully, this gives new body and breath to the music industry through NFTs, which will augment what music can be and establish a new structure that can regenerate the industry. With top artists already on board and ready to share themselves in a new way, a much-needed revolution is forthcoming.

Dae’s background as an early investor in Zoom, and Jones’s timeless legacy as a godfather of the modern-day music industry, are a perfect pairing for this project. Their focus will be on creating freedom for any musician to share music on their own terms while utilizing a swift eco-friendly cryptocurrency.  As an added bonus, there will be no minting or gas fees for creating NFTs on this platform. 

“The artist can sell NFTs at any price… one NFT for a million dollars or a million NFTs for one dollar.” Oneof will also offer a team of marketing strategists for new artists, which is incredible. This will heal so many voices and expressions that have been suppressed for so long in the collective consciousness. OneOf offers a place for beginners to come together with established artists and have easy access to their same network. There are limitless opportunities for personal promotion, and fan base participation. As well as options for exclusive content allowing for a more tailored experience. Quincy Jones has also incorporated a way for a percentage of the sales to go to various causes, putting emphasis on the artist’s social and environmental responsibilities and contributions. 

 

Each time an NFT is resold, the artist will receive royalties, even on secondary sales. Jones is granting the wish of anyone who wants a chance to be a musician, skipping the legal processes that often cause songs to become lost in translation. This will likely awaken an infinite fan base, emboldened by the freedom for an artist to market and display themselves as they see fit. Jones will also be minting NFTs from his phenomenal personal catalogue. Unknown artists will have hope that they can leverage the same power of NFTs without the usual gatekeepers closing them out, and without exorbitant fees.

Oneof will be fantastic for recording artists, enabling limitless navigation of NFTs where value can be decided by the creator and the collector, with no authenticity lost. It will also be an amazing platform for fans with the thrill of personal social-media(esque) content that connects them to their favourite musicians. Oneof appears to be a light at the end of the tunnel and has the potential to be the most authentic way music has ever lived thus far.

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Tomorrow, on June 17th, Unstoppable domains will be launching the next phase of their incredible crypto-centric domain offerings.  The team is “excited to announce the upcoming launch of 8 NEW blockchain domain registries which will be made available for pre-sale starting” tomorrow! These include: .x, .wallet, .nft, .blockchain, .bitcoin, .888, .dao, and .coin. 

Unstoppable Domains Airdrop
Unstoppable Domains Airdrop

 

Being an owner of more than one unstoppable domain, this is very exciting news for me! Imagine the possibility of replacing your wallet’s public key with simply “yourname.wallet” – how easy would that be! Not to mention all of the industry-specific alternative options which seem to perfectly cater to the current framework of the space. Allocating specific URLs for DAOs, NFT creators, Bitcoin Maximalists, 888 (for those who believe in luck), and more! 

At the moment the site only offers two domain types: .crypto and .zil – which have become extremely popular in the space.  Their biggest selling feature is the fact that, unlike traditional domains, once you purchase an unstoppable domain you own it for life.  According to the unstoppable team: “Blockchain domains are owned not rented.”  When someone buys “the domain with a one time registration fee” they never have to “worry about renewals again.”  For those of us who own several domains through industry leaders like GoDaddy and NameCheap, and pay increasing annual fees – this is extremely attractive.  Furthermore, once purchased your “domain is stored in your wallet, just like a cryptocurrency.” And cannot be manipulated or forwarded by anyone but its owner.  

Many folks in the space have stopped sending out their confusing long string wallet ID, opting instead to use their easy to remember .crypto unstoppable domain that they connected to route assets to their crypto wallets. This feature is what makes these new domain options attractive; users can buy multiple types and choose to connect each one to a different wallet designated for specific web 3 activities.  Having a .nft for your NFTs, a .bitcoin for your bitcoin wallet, and a .wallet for your Metamask could be what the future might look like for some of us.  

Furthermore, to make their launch even more exciting, Unstoppable domains is also initiating a $100 Million Airdrop giveaway incentive in tandem with the launch of their eight new domains.  According to their team, as a reward for early adopters of their domains, they “will be Airdropping over $100+ Million worth of promo credits to customers at launch – giving $3 in promo credits for every $1 spent on domain purchases at unstoppabledomains.com including past purchases.”  For anyone familiar with this site, I have good news for you.  If you have ever bought a $40 domain through Unstoppable: “congratulations you will receive $120 in promo credits.”  Furthermore, those who took the plunge and purchased premium domains for $100k, are now eligible for up to $300k in free domains!

Feeling the FOMO yet?  Well you’re in luck.  If you happen to be reading this article on the day of it’s release (Wednesday, June 16th) then you are still eligible to buy a domain here and participate in this historic airdrop!  I for one will be purchasing several domains with my free cash and can’t wait to start allocating and simplifying my crypto keys and websites.

Find out more at https://unstoppabledomains.com/

 

This article is NOT sponsored content. 

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