Dark Web: Ross Ulbricht Sells $6 Million NFT From Prison
From drug deal to art market: Ross Ulbricht, creator of the Silk Road market on the Dark Web, has just auctioned off an NFT drawing for $ 6.2 million.
In October 2013, the FBI shut down Silk Road : The Dark Web’s First Marketplace . This platform hosted a flourishing trade in drugs, false papers and other illegal goods. Its creator, Ross Ulbricht, was arrested and sentenced to life in prison.
However, Ulbricht seems to have found a particularly lucrative hobby from prison. The 37-year-old founder of Silk Road has just sold his first NFT .
This is a pencil sketch entitled “Perspective”. The work was sold for the sum of $ 6.2 million , during an auction organized by Art Basel Miami via its SuperRare platform.
Recall thatallow users to take ownership of digital creations through blockchain network , which also rely on the cryptomonnaies . All forms of digital works of art can be converted to NFT: drawings, paintings, tweets, music, GIFs…
A few months ago, Ulbricht was totally unaware of the existence of NFTs. However, fans calling for his release have created a decentralized group called FreeRossDAO . It is this group which is responsible for selling its works at auction in the form of NFT.
A collection from NFT traces the life of Ross Ulbricht
Various writings and ten drawings have been brought together in the Ross Ulbricht Genesis Collection NFT. These works were produced by Ulbricht throughout his life, from his childhood to his incarceration . The collection also includes original animation created by audiovisual artist Levitate, with a voice dub by Ross inspired by his experience in prison.
According to Ulbricht, these works of art present his story from his birth to his 29 years . In total, this sale of NFT garnered 1,445 Ether (ETH) . The funds will be used to finance his request for release. Part of the profits will be donated to the Art4Giving foundation.
According to Entoptic, which is responsible for the curation of his NFTs, “ this collection is Ross’s expressive journey, it is about his living and evolving history. Through drawings and videos we see extracts of the course of a man’s existence. This is his way of escaping the walls of his prison , as we continue the campaign for his freedom .
So far, over $ 9 billion has been spent on NFT sales. According to Cointelegraph, sales could reach a total amount of $ 17.7 billion by the end of 2021. This new technology could have a major impact on the art market.
The Dark Web is facing a real crusade from authorities around the world. Over 150 dealers and customers were arrested in Operation DarkHuntTOR , and the Cannazon market for marijuana recently closed in the face of a wave of DDoS attacks.
Yet like Ross Ulbricht, Dark Web tycoons continue to fascinate crowds. Many see them as ambassadors of freedom. In August 2021, Netflix released a documentary titled “Shiny_Flakes” dedicated to young Darknet Baron Maximilian Schmidt.
Originally published at https://newshubtunisia.com.
