The NFT market suffers from a deplorable image outside the boundaries of the crypto zone, and sometimes even inside it. This is mainly due to the obvious ignorance shown by its many detractors towards its technical specifics. Because it would only be useless pollution, money laundering and ………………… (to be completed according to your mood). An “opinion” obviously shared by fans of National Geographic in the midst of a post-mint stress crisis since yesterday.
‘Cause what was meant to be the publicized launch of a “Genesis” collection of NFTs named ” GM: Dawn in the world it has turned into a real melodrama of which only social networks have the secret. Starting from a photo shared on all National Geographic accounts showing, in the background, a copy of the famous Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) collection.. And that’s the tragedy…
National Geographic – Launch of an NFT collection
The case is both symbolic and symptomatic. Because the entry of traditional players into the cryptocurrency sector generally does not go unnoticed. Especially when it involves the creation of non-fungible tokens known to be the embodiment of digital evil. A situation visibly ignored by the authors of the “GM: Daybreak Around the World” collection launched yesterday (January 17) by National Geographic on the Polygon network (MATIC). And waking up must be difficult…
Yet the ground had been prepared, with the publication this Monday – perhaps not very judicious – of an image presenting, in the background, a specimen from the Bored Ape Yacht Club collection. The latter best known outside the crypto sphere for being a dollar washer for stars only, paid handsomely to promote it. All of this accompanied by a simple mention that NFTs “have become a new vehicle for digital art”. To the point of seeing “artists and publishers start experimenting with the technology”. But obviously not everyone shares this positive view of the matter.
GM: Daybreak Around the World – A very mixed success
In fact, right after this announcement National Geographic has had to deal with a huge number of negative comments. The latter once again qualifying the NFT sector as a simple “speculative bubble”. Either this “bullshit” intellectual property digital economy dedicated solely to serving money laundering scams or to the “rug pull” procedures. Against the backdrop of intense pressure to see National Geographic scrapped altogether this collection was launched to celebrate its 135th anniversary. oops…
A collection of which every copy is for sale at the initial price of 215 MATIC (about $215 at its current price). And of which only 15% of copies – 1888 in total – were sold more than 24 hours after launch. But perhaps this is the consequence of(another) problem this time related to the “mint” supported by the Snowcrash platform, partner of this resolutely apocalyptic launch. Because many Twitter posts report recurring bugs during the process of creating these NFTs.
Suffice it to say, the craze is clearly not there, especially in this time of bear market in the cryptocurrency sector. And this in spite of the huge nasty buzz triggered by this National Geographic initiative which NFT artist Ryan Hawthorne sums up as “a sea of people who hate what they don’t understand in their natural habitat.”