Dear Bankless Fam,

Across the Bankless Nation, we often speak to onboarding 1 billion users to crypto. All of the work we do is oriented around educating and enlightening new and advanced users alike in this growing space. One thing that’s becoming apparent, however, is that mass adoption will be ushered in by the web2 brands jumping aboard web3. We build the foundation, the brands build over it, and their clients arrive to make use of it all.

With NFT technology improving, and the benefits of digital ownership and community becoming more and more apparent, companies are establishing their own metaverses and blockchain-based membership programs. A strong example of this is Reddit. Reddit has announced that over three million wallets have been created by users on their platform to support their NFT avatars.

This move to web3 extends to global law enforcement, with INTERPOL developing their own metaverse to support their initiatives in policing cyberspace, including blockchain-based technology.

Imagery can be powerful, and evocative imagery isn’t limited to digital art. Photography has long since drawn our attention, as of its inception. Kaf dives into the top Photographers to mint their work as NFTs.

Perchy gives us a deep dive into his process, discusses his latest piece Goblin Town, and potential plans with ChippiNFT. The Rug brings us news that is at once both hilarious and terrifying. And DustyEye provides a sneak peak into what possible future may lie for us in the coming centuries.

All this and more in this week’s edition.

Welcome to Decentralized Arts.

Contributors: BanklessDAO Writers Guild (Grendel, Kouros, Kaf, nonsensetwice, Frank America)

This is the official NFT newsletter of BanklessDAO. If you were a Premium Member of the Bankless Newsletter as of May 1st, 2021, you have been subscribed to this newsletter at launch. To unsubscribe, edit your settings here.

Curated NFT News

Reddit Users Created 3 Million Crypto Wallets to Collect Polygon NFTs

In July, the social network Reddit launched an NFT-based marketplace that allows users to purchase blockchain-based profile pictures for a fixed rate.

The Reddit Collectible Avatars NFT collection features around 40,000 limited-edition, Polygon-based avatar NFTs. For the first release, the company partnered with Reddit artists to create around 90 designs. These were then available for sale at prices ranging from $9.99 to $99.99 and they are now sold out.

Last week during a panel at TechCrunch Disrupt, Reddit Chief Product Officer Pali Bhat revealed that over three million Redditors have each created wallets using Reddit’s Vault blockchain wallet.

To put things into perspective, the leading NFT marketplace OpenSea has 2.3 million users.

Beeple is Building a Real Life Studio in Charleston

Acclaimed NFT artist Beeple announced last week via Twitter that he is building a studio in Charleston, South Carolina.

In the thread, he shared a video showing the process of transforming a warehouse into the studio and added that the space will be an “outlet for not just my artwork, but the entire digital art / NFT community,” with plans to host exhibitions and find unique ways to display NFT artwork for real-world patrons to view on-site.

In addition to this, Beeple also indicated that there is more news regarding this project that will be shared at a later date.

INTERPOL Launches First Global Police Metaverse

Last week during the 90th Interpol General Assembly in New Delhi, the International Criminal Police Organization, known colloquially as Interpol, unveiled what it has called a Metaverse for police around the world while signaling a lawless virtual universe will not be tolerated.

The fully operational metaverse allows registered users to tour a virtual facsimile of the Interpol General Secretariat headquarters in Lyon, France.

Members of the Interpol police force can take immersive training courses in forensic investigation and other policing capabilities in the metaverse.

As the number of metaverse users grows, more possible crimes will emerge, Interpol said, citing “crimes against children, data theft, money laundering, financial fraud, counterfeiting, ransomware, phishing, and sexual assault and harassment.” Therefore, Interpol is committed to fight crypto crime with this new initiative.

The Rug Weekly NFT

Trump to Buy Yuga, Rebrand As Yuge Labs

Brought to you by The Rug

Former POTUS Donald J. Trump has turned a keen eye of interest on NFTs, and made a bid on the struggling BAYC.

“It’s unclear at this moment if the BAYC collection will continue as-is or become the “Bored Ape Mega-Yacht Club” foreshadowed by today’s filings. Yuga’s other collections, and their sub-projects, are all set to suffer from the Trump touch.”

Collect this acquisition report as an NFT on optimism.

Bankless Gets a Tour of Goblin Town

DA speaks with artist and DA collaborator Perchy about his projects and experience in the NFT world.

DA: When and how did you come up with the Chippi idea?

P: The idea to create comics about crypto came to me in April 2021. I thought comics would be a fun way for me to chronicle the DAO/crypto experience. 

Several years ago, I drew comics in my sketchbook that used Chippi-like characters. So when I started drawing crypto comics, these characters immediately came back to me. 

I didn’t know how my comic would be received in BanklessDAO, but I immediately got positive feedback. IcedCool, Montgomery, FrogMonkee, and a few others tipped me some BANK because they liked it! Although it was just a few dollars, that gesture of support really encouraged me to continue, and is a large reason why Chippi became what it is. 

So I had the comic going for a while, and BanklessDAO contributor Fin4Dao asked if I could make him a pfp in my style, and he offered to pay me for it. And that’s how the Chippi pfp project began.

The name “Chippi” came from Decentralized Arts’ own Kouros! The original character from the comic is named Chip, and I think Kouros mistakenly called him “Chippi,” which I really liked, and it became the name for the whole collection. 

DA: Chippi are also the inhabitants of Bankless Locations, another of your acclaimed projects. We can say that The Bankless Nation, the piece that led to the Bankless Locations series, raised you to fame among Bankless fans. How did you feel about this overnight success?

P: I had no idea that The Bankless Nation would be successful. When it passed 100 sales, I was thrilled. When it passed 200, I was shocked. I felt overwhelming happiness and gratitude. I had just left my previous job and was taking a leap of faith into the crypto and DAO space, and I took this as a sign that I had absolutely made the right decision.

DA: Now we are presenting Goblin Town, the latest installment in the series. What is it about?

P: Goblin Town is what happens after the bull market ends. So many of us were convinced that we were hitting 100k Bitcoin and 10k Ethereum before the end of 2021. It happens every cycle, but I think this time felt particularly dramatic. We saw the collapse of a multi-billion dollar stablecoin, and the cascading effect it had on the rest of the ecosystem. The crypto space saw a sudden interest from regulators. And while all of this is happening, we have bridges getting hacked, and the Fed deciding it’s time to start tightening the money supply. So Goblin Town is showing us all of that chaos and drama from this last year.

I think it’s important to recognize that some people are really suffering because of this. I myself lost money in Celsius, and I felt pretty terrible for a while. Creating Goblin Town was a sort of self-therapy. This isn’t meant to make light of anyone’s pain, but instead to document my interpretation of everything that is happening in the space, whether it’s good, bad, or ugly. 

DA: Can you tell us what the future looks like for the Chippi?

P: Sure! In the near term, my goal is to finish the collection of 500 Chippi (as of writing this, there have been about 360 created). I will also finish the Bankless Location collection, of which Goblin Town is number 6 out of 8. 

There is lots of discussion in the Chippi discord about what could happen after that. Nothing is set in stone as of yet, and none of this should be construed as financial advice. The Chippi community is discussing the creation of a ChippiDAO, using the Chippi NFTs as membership tokens. We are exploring the best IP designation for Chippi. I intend to release some physical merch, including poster prints of the Locations.

The Chippi community is small and passionate. I think having only 500 pfps allows for a tight-knit community. The community drives a lot of the new ideas and direction of the project, and I am doing my best to keep up with them. If you have a Chippi, and want to share your ideas about the future, please come and share them in our discord!

DA: Do you see Bankless Locations as a metaverse?

P: Good question. I would love to walk around inside of a 3D version of Goblin Town with my Chippi!

I see my comics and the Bankless Locations as a way for me to build out the Chippi world. The Chippi community interacts in virtual spaces like Twitter and Discord, and so they are all building out the Chippi world along with me. In that sense, Chippi is a metaverse already. And as the space evolves, we will see new applications for NFTs.

My motto when it comes to Chippi and Bankless Locations is to build and move slowly and deliberately, and to keep an open and curious mind. Which is just a roundabout way of saying that I don’t know exactly where all of this is going. But I’m here for it, and I’m glad the community is with me on this journey, too.

DA: I believe you were a teacher before discovering DAOs. How has your life changed ever since?

P: It's been life changing. I was a teacher for about a decade, and I enjoyed it, and I think I was pretty good at it. But I was never passionate about teaching. I am passionate about what I do now, so that’s been the biggest change. Getting to wake up in the morning and keep building Chippi and Bankless Locations has been an incredible gift and privilege. 

DA: Would you say that the blockchain culture has made it simpler for you to become a full-time artist?

P: Absolutely. There is no question about it. I can sell directly to collectors, all around the world, with no friction (other than gas fees). Crypto has enabled a 24/7 global marketplace for artists and collectors, and frankly I’m a little surprised that non-crypto natives haven’t picked up on how incredible this is. They will, though.

DA: You are also a contributor to other projects such as the GM bus. What is the purpose of this project?

P: Yes, the GM Bus! Our mission is to drive around the country (and maybe the world, too), spreading a more positive crypto narrative. We want to show people how adopting crypto technologies can bring value and good to the world, beyond the whole “line goes up” narrative. I feel like my own story is an example of how crypto can transform someone’s life for the better. Now that I think about it, everyone on our GM Bus team has had their life changed for the better because of crypto. I think that’s probably why we get along so well, and are so in sync with our messaging. 

Goblin Town is a semi-open edition with 333 copies created with a price of 0.0333 ETH each, and any unsold ones will be burned.

You can collect it beginning tomorrow on OpenSea and Rarible.

Top NFT photographers

How are NFTs going to revolutionize the photography industry?

By Kaf

The NFT photography market took off in 2021 and is predicted to keep expanding during the following years.

With millions of dollars worth of artwork processed, it goes without saying that more and more people (both photographers and collectors/investors) are interested in this digital marketplace.

Even though this is one of the worst times for the NFT market, the photography industry continues to thrive and is promoted as one of the most lucrative industries.

NFT technology has come to revolutionize all markets, including photography.

Top 5 NFT photographers

These are the top photographer accounts, based on a majority of sales in the NFT photography industry.

JN Silva

JN Silva is a Venezuelan photographer who has explored a variety of photographic genres, from street photography and portraiture to live music and aerial photography.

He is a blockchain supporter, artist, and thought leader in the local community. Silva's portfolio includes Nike, Sony, Spotify, and dozens of other companies. He has also worked with several artists including Kendrick Lamar.

On December 30, 2021, artist ThankYouX and JN Silva came together to launch the first photography NFT collection.

Nifty Gateway 🌐 @niftygateway

Thank You New York: a collection from NY street photographer @JNSilva_ and acclaimed artist @ThankYouX - coming to you next Wednesday at 7 pm ET. We could not be more excited for this one... see you there!!!

1:58 AM ∙ Dec 24, 2020

---

115Likes19Retweets

Since then, JN Silva has released several collections on Nifty Gateway. He's also one of the artists of TIMEPieces.

His last work, “Oro, Mar y Sangre”, represents the social and political crisis that JN Silva has suffered since childhood in his native country.

Justin Aversano

Justin Aversano is a photographer, artist, and curator based in Los Angeles. He is co-founder and CEO of Quantum Art.

Justin connects his work with the world as a humanist and social entrepreneur by taking pictures of the people, places, and experiences around him and fusing them together.

Justin made a strong entry into the NFT market thanks to his Twin Flames collection. The story is amusing.

For three years, Justin had been exhibiting his Twin Flames collection across the nation with little success. After reading Gmoney's justification for buying a CryptoPunk for $150,000, Justin asked if he would be interested in his Twin Flames collection. The answer? He would only buy it if Justin minted each piece as NFTs.

Said and done.

On February 18, Justin released Twin Flames. Priced at 1,000 USD, approx 0.55 ETH at the time, a piece, the collection sold out in six days. He managed to break the record for the most expensive NFT photograph sold to date.

If you want to learn more about his successful sale, listen to this interview on Bankless.

Billy Dinh

Billy Dinh is a New York City-based street and travel photographer. Formally an illustrator, his photos capture the beauty of the ordinary through the unique moments he collects from around the world.

He has recently worked with Apple, The Guardian, CNN News and Microsoft. His works have been exhibited throughout the USA and Europe.

He has launched several successful collections such as:

• Almost Forgot What It Feels Like

• Moments: Around The World 

Jacob Riglin

Jacob Riglin is a young London photographer, videographer, and social media consultant always looking for the perfect shot.

At 16, he tried out a camera for the first time and hasn't looked back since. Currently, he creates stunning images from around the world on behalf of brands like Forbes, Amazon, and BMW.

He climbs some of the tallest buildings in the world to photograph the most famous cities. He has an Instagram account that currently exceeds 1M followers. All this has led him to become a reference for emerging millennial photographers and to obtain recognition from the world press.

His last collection, “World Wonders,” unites 8 years of his photography in 50 images, captured in 50 different countries, touching on some of the most iconic and memorable places on the planet.

Cath Simard

Cath Simard was born in Canada. She is a digital artist, photographer, and educator with a distinctive aesthetic.

She is one of the most well-known NFT photographers and focuses solely on web3 at the moment.

Simard blends the fantastical with the real in her landscape photos. Her bizarre, icy, blue, mountain look is instantly recognizable to collectors.

She occasionally treks hundreds of miles to get just one of these breathtaking photos. While discussing the process of her artwork with her audience, she describes journeys to locations such as Patagonia, the Andes, Iceland, and the Canadian Rockies.

In October 2017, Cath captured a photo of a remote road in Hawaii. It became a viral sensation. Since she never received a dollar from her most viral image, Cath thought she'd mint it on SuperRare. GmoneyNFT appeared again and bought the photo for 100 ETH (approx 301,894 USD, at the time). 

Special mention

Other big names in the NFT Photography market that deserve to be highlighted are:

• Reuben Wu

• Eric Rubens

• Alejandro Cartagena

• Ben Zank

• Drifter Shoots

NFT Photography Communities

The NFT Photography industry is moving fast. As we´ve seen there are several successful artists who have done well financially.  However, they couldn't have done it without the support of their community of fans and investors.

These are some of the most interesting NFT Photography communities:

• NFT Photographers: created by Johan Lolos. Its goal is to facilitate communication among photographers working in the NFT community and to make it simpler for collectors to locate fresh talent.

• Metascapes: in order to bridge the gap between reality and the Metaverse, photographers and artificial intelligence have come together to create Metascapes, a unique photography partnership.

• Dream Lab: establishing the connection between generative art and photography. Reflections is a groundbreaking piece of generative photography that creates 1,111 one-of-a-kind NFTs by utilizing the chance nature of on-chain mechanics.

• Collective Strangers: the first NFT photographic collection gathered from the community. 643 distinct stories are depicted in the photographs. The Collective Strangers photography mint has received images from “strangers” all around the world.

• Assembly curated: the first curated NFT platform and community for fine art photography. They are strengthening the institutions that assist and support photographers.

• The Raw DAO: The photography DAO incubated by FingerprintsDAO. Web3 photography community for collectors, artists and builders

Final thoughts

NFT photography is an emerging market that continues to grow, despite the recent crypto market downturn.

Some of the benefits that both collectors and photographers gain from this technology are, authenticity, royalties, digital ownership,  patronage.

In Web3 you either collaborate or you fail. In the case of NFT Photography, the community shows solidarity, with top photographers supporting others who are starting their journey. The world of photography has been adapting to the times, and now it's adapting to web3.

Chippi Corner

By Perchy

BITS OF N°44

EPILOGUE, 2379

By DustyEye, illustrations by Selena Garau Maher

After getting to know N°44 864.962 through the finds of Future Bazar, the DustyEye group is pleased to offer a quick overview dedicated to the life of the first emotionally advanced android.

In the Multitime there is the rule that an epilogue is only the prologue of what will happen or what has already happened in cases of narrative circuits. So do not be disappointed if the reset of N°44 V864.962, the first emotionally advanced android, will be told in summary and lightly.

It was dawn on February 3, 2379 when N°44 sent an encrypted message to all email addresses. A farewell disguised as a still unsolved linguistic enigma.

No one understood the ultimate reasons that led the android to take up an awl and insert it into the reset hole at the base of his neck. 15 seconds of pressure to format 87 years of life. Yet it was only the beginning ...

... just to say, on 21 April 2410 the hologram of N°44 made its appearance to three programmers. He merged their sapien consciences starting in what will be known as The Connector.

As usual, the DustyEye group will engage in the exploration of the coming centuries by sharing any information learned in great detail!

______________________

WEB: www.DustyEye.comIG: @DustyEye_DETWITTER: @Dusty_Eye

Meme

A small joke contributed by The Rug.

Decentralized Arts is written and produced by a small team of contributors who are passionate about art, both visual and written, and its growing place in crypto and NFTs. With each edition, we aim to bring you not only the most current and relevant news in the NFT space, but also explorations in what it means for our culture and societies for this market to continue to grow and expand. When everyone is an owner of art, we all gain a deeper appreciation for it.

With great appreciation for you, we thank you for reading and subscribing to Decentralized Arts.

Cordially,

Grendel, Kouros, Kaf, nonsensetwice, and Frank America