Omz
@omz_nft
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Following
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Somewhere out there, the next XCOPY is grinding, selling pieces for fractions of an ETH (or a few XTZ). These are the hidden gems waiting to be found, offering you the most fulfillment and financial reward. But you won't find them if you follow the herd. Chart your own path.
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For clarification:.Yuga Labs created BAYC.BAYC was pumped by Moonpay.Improbable is building Otherside.OpenSea is listing all these NFTs in $APE. @a16z and/or @guyoseary have a hand in all four entities, along with 60+ celebs in Moonpay. @jack was right. The VCs are in control.
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There's a saying in business that good people leave under bad management. We're starting to see this manifest in digital art. Two of my favorite people have left in the last few days. And yet, we continue with the gms and blind positivity, as if everything is just dandy here.
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Digital art discovery is a problem. Work is spread across several platforms and there are no tools for browsing by style or other attributes. We rely excessively on Twitter, which has put too much emphasis on social engagement. I'm building a tool I hope can help with this. 👇.
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Everybody wants to discover the next XCOPY, but nobody wants to take a chance on unknown artists.
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Art in this space is a popularity contest. Artists are rewarded more for social engagement than for their craft. Prices are driven by hype on Twitter and manipulated by those with the most influence.
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People have short memories. Crypto art existed before NFTs. None of us would be here today without the artists that seeded this movement. Yet I'm seeing threads arguing that artist royalties shouldn't exist. 👇.
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There is no doubt that SuperRare has played a vital role in supporting the growth of cryptoart so far, but the more I learn about RarePass, the more disillusioned I feel. And I care too much about this space not to say anything. 🧵.
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You might point out that it's just like the traditional art world. But that isn't good enough. We're supposed to be improving on the broken old ways of doing things, not perpetuating them.
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The hypocrisy in this space has reached unbearable levels. And if you don't see that, you might be part of the problem. And if you do see it, you might be worn down and tired, contemplating exiting the space despite your love for the art and your noble intentions.
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Bullying is a problem here. Some would rather squash dissenting opinions than allow people to speak freely. It's rare to see anyone express opinions that go against the status quo. And it's even rarer to see anyone that does get away with it without punishment.
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Conformity is a problem here. Some would rather kiss up to traders and fund managers turned art aficionados than question their declarations about art. We label ourselves decentralization maxis when this space might be even more centralized than the system we seek to supplant.
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Artists are subservient to a few collectors, because they are afraid to "bite the hand that feeds.". Because they have seen the impact one purchase by a Cozomo can have on an artist's career. And they have seen what can happen if you question anyone with a cult following.
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We pretend we're all about disruption while we simp for glorified middlemen. We claim this is about something bigger while we chase ETH and popularity at any cost.
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Artists. The goal should not be to get accepted to SuperRare. It should be to mint on your own contract and sell your art wherever you please.
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A lot of artists in this space are doubting themselves rn. Most of you have been here for less than 2 years. How many artists do you know found success that quickly?. The struggle is part of the journey, and the angst can fuel your art. Process trumps outcome. Keep going.
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Artists, ignore the noise. You don't need utility. Your art is the utility. The roadmap is your journey. The airdrops are the conversations we have along the way, and the fulfillment we get from seeing you succeed. The OGs grinded for years before they made it. Keep going.
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Every single OG artist, creator, and collector in this space is under-appreciated. This is both alpha and an indictment of the power of influencers in shaping the current narrative.
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Nobody valued Van Gogh's work when he was alive, yet he's one of the most successful artists in history. What does that say about the impermanence of current trends? Or the fickle nature of attention?. Ignore the hype and focus on your art. You never know where it might lead.
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When people like Artie and AL Crego leave, that is a clear signal that things aren't right. It's a signal we can't afford to ignore.
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This has always been about birthing a decentralized art movement that delivers opportunities to people from all over the world - regardless of who they know or who likes them or how popular they are.
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In this space, the more you know, the less you wish you knew. Unparalleled grift. Cults of personality. Herd mentality. Twisting reality to extract maximum value. Most of you don't know who you're worshipping, or realize when you're being played. But yeah, gm wagmi.
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What you say matters less than the act of saying it. So just speak up. We owe it to each other and those yet to enter this space.
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I've been resisting @hicetnunc2000 for months. Then I realized it was the same mental block that had stopped me from seeing opportunities in the past. A closed mind limits your possibilities. HEN is a treasure trove of beautiful art and when OS integrates Tezos NFTs, look out.
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Don't let fear dictate your choices. Speak up when you disagree with something someone says. Speak up when you see behavior that isn't aligned with your values or the values you want to see take hold here.
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It was artists, not platforms, that fought for royalties. It was artists, not platforms, that created this space. And it's artists, not platforms, that have earned our unconditional support.
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The first step to solving a problem is acknowledging that it exists. Some of us have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo. But most of us don't.
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Silence is an endorsement. Doing nothing is the same as doing the bad thing. It's about time we were honest with ourselves about the values and culture we want to instill here. Make no mistake, we are designing them every single day, with every tweet, like, retweet, and gm.
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If we want to see a truly decentralized movement emerge, we can't sit silently as this unfolds. The longer we wait, the more likely we are to lose more good people, adopt a culture that rewards grift, and cede control to centralized forces.
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Shout-out to all the collectors that support artists without seeking any recognition in return. Not the traders masquerading as collectors or the funds chasing consensus. The ones flying under the radar, here for the art and to support a dream. The lifeblood of this community.
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There are artists in this space that deserve better. You know who you are. We see you. Channel that energy into your art. Create work so good they can no longer deny you. And when they do come around (and they will), it will be too late, because by then, you won't need them.
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It might seem easier to conform to the rules of this game, in the hope that you win favor from the "right" collector. But even if you succeed, your success would be built on a tenuous foundation. It would be short-lived to be sure, and the future cost would be much bigger.
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It's easy for artists to be discouraged when they see an avatar sell for millions of dollars. But most of the NFT collectors in the space today are not your target audience. The real art boom will kick off when traditional art collectors (not VCs) come calling.
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Because what is taking shape here is more important than any one of us. This is about more than our bags or our ego. Our likes or our retweets. Our sales volume or our all time highs.
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If I was an artist in this space, I'd be more optimistic than ever. New ATHs being set. New collectors entering the space. Legendary artists dropping their first NFTs. All during a bear market. What happens when the rest of the world finally wakes up to the potential of NFTs?.
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It might sound counterintuitive, but as a collector, you want to be acquiring work from artists that are being overlooked by the majority here.
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This has always been about rewarding those that dared to dream and poured their soul into their craft. Not those with the fanciest drop mechanics, clever ponzinomics or buzzing social engagement. Or those hyped by collectors with the most spending power or largest following.
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Buying KYC'd wallets to ape into a metaverse land presale put on by a VC-backed marketing company that's accomplished nothing technical of note, and whose success has been fueled by a Hollywood agent's rolodex and Moonpay celebrity promos. Because, fuck it. Gotta love Web3.
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Now you're starting to understand why some of us revere the "OG" artists so much. Not just because they were early, but because of what they were willing to endure to make it. At a time when the top sales were in the hundreds of dollars. Conviction in the name of principles.🔥.
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Artists are free to express themselves without any constraints - whether you like it or not. You can disagree with their message, despise them, unfollow or block them, or boycott them. But respect their artistic freedom unconditionally. Without it, this space loses its soul.
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I can't remember who, but someone once said that things would be very different around here had it been XCOPY that sold a piece for $69 million and not Beeple. I couldn't agree more.
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Every stroke on that keyboard is an endorsement. The collection of keystrokes by everyone here is what defines this movement. Think hard about how you use them and what you're willing to accept. Think hard about the role you want to play in the future we are building together.
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Artists are the alpha. I would take the opinion of an artist with 200 followers over that of a collector with 200,000 followers. But that's just me.
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XCOPY just dropped 4 1/1s on SuperRare, but vaulted 3 and only sold 1. Artists may want to follow his lead. Vault some of your works as a contingency in case people actually start bypassing royalties. Besides acting as a nice hedge, it also signals conviction in yourself.
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It's unfair to group all artists together. There are good people here producing great work that is authentic to them. They have stayed true when it would have been easier to compromise on their beliefs. They have leveled up despite the market. They have earned our support.
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Introducing Filtered (:. ✅Browse art using different attributes.✅Create and share curated lists of works.✅Access a tailored feed of art from your fav artists and curators. And more to come, inc Tezos, 1/1/x collections, and integrated price data. 2/5.
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Nothing fills me with more conviction in this space than the people that are still here. Smart, driven, visionary, creative, resilient, courageous, tenacious. We draw energy from one another. That's how we keep this thing moving forward. That's how we break through.
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When you buy a piece of digital art, you aren't just buying a token. You're buying a ticket on the artist's journey. You're forging a special bond that will be permanently recorded on the blockchain. You can't right click and save that.
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For many artists, this is your first bear market. It's normal to be uncertain about what the future holds. And it's tough on everyone. You may not see as many sales over the next few months or even longer. But this says nothing about your work or potential. 👇.
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1/ To an art purist, marketing is for products. It has a big impact here because most people are speculating with no confidence in their own taste. They want to minimize financial risk. To them, social media engagement predicts success and influencers are sources of "alpha.".
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There are artists here producing important, innovative new work, but you don't know about them, because you're waiting for your favorite influencer to tell you what to do.
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13/ Art was not conceived for you to profit from it. It was here before you arrived, and it will be here long after you leave. We have the opportunity to transform the art world forever by giving artists unprecedented freedom. The opportunity to make history. Don't waste it.
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Cryptopunks are art. They don't need "utility" to have value. Bored Apes and Moonbirds are financial assets disguised as access tokens. They derive their value from delivering financial returns to their holders. Once you understand the difference, everything becomes clearer.
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If we're not careful, this will become a gentrified version of a movement originally built to fight the power. An antiestablishment and rebellious spirit is the antidote to an increasingly dystopian reality. That is why Cryptoart is so important. It expresses our resistance.
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Collectors wield more influence than they realize. Artists are under pressure to please them. When collectors make statements about how people should act, it has hidden consequences. It can inhibit artists' freedom and impact culture by limiting what is discussed and produced.
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16/ One last thing. Many of the artists involved are my friends. I respect them all and don't fault them for participating. I always want to see artists win. And I want SuperRare to do well, because they're good for the space - all the more reason to voice these concerns.
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Respect to the artists and collectors that aren't waiting for this "market" to validate their choices.
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PSA for all the artists watching this PFP mania unfold. This isn't your audience. These aren't collectors. It would be like a butcher being disappointed because nobody is buying his meat when he lives in a village full of vegans. Your time will come. Keep going. 💪.
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Collectors spend money. "Top" collectors spend the most money. People simp for those that spend the most money. Then act surprised when those people control the narrative. Money may not buy taste, but it buys influence and shapes perception.
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The first artists I met in this space were @robnessofficial and @maxosirisart. They were super welcoming and generous with their time, and introduced me to the world of Crypto Art. I was so moved by their story that I wrote a pitch, but never got it published. Here it is. 🧵.
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A crypto artist doesn't just use crypto themes in their work. It isn't enough to mint art on the blockchain or be here early. A crypto artist embodies a defiant but collaborative spirit, advocating for autonomy and decentralization for all. Crypto artists built this space.
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7/ RarePass is designed to funnel the majority of primary sales to SuperRare Labs, while the artists involved don't get paid until secondary sales come in. That isn't what you'd expect from a platform that claims to be a leader in the fight for artist royalties.
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Most people forget that art built this place. The first NFTs were artworks. The space started out as a movement. The community was led by artists. The spirit was collaborative. A win for one was a win for all. If you want to revive cryptoart, get back to basics.
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5/ An artist, on the other hand, has to rely on primary sales and secondary royalties to survive. They don't have investors, or a large support team behind them. And we don't want them to focus on making money for money's sake, because that would taint their craft.
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Some of us are here because we see the potential for this technology to transform millions of lives. To give hope to dreamers all over the world, and nurture creators from all walks of life. To us, contributing to this vision is enough incentive to honor artist royalties.
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6/ For the first time in history, digital artists have a way to monetize their art. They are finally able to rid themselves of extractive middlemen, and achieve the financial freedom they need to focus on producing art. Secondary royalties are a big part of that.
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You will only feel bad that art you've collected is "down" in price if you bought it to make money. If you bought it because you love the work or wanted to support the artist, then the price doesn't matter. Lesson in there.
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I'm not a fan of OpenSea, but Blur isn't it. Ponzinomics that encourage wash trading and zero fees aren't innovative or sustainable. It adds nothing constructive to the space and amplifies everything that is bad. Not everything is about profits. Not all criticism is cope.
1. I’m going to be 100% real here. @blur_io is bad for NFTs and CryptoArt. There have been jokes that NFTs are just “shitcoins with pictures” and blur has essentially turned them into that by creating a GUI that minimizes the actual art for NFTs into nothing.
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Shout-out to all the artists motivated by more than money and clout. That are here despite the hype and not because of it. That have endured watching the space be co-opted by opportunists and persisted. That believe in something bigger and won't compromise. We see you.
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If you were ever in doubt, maybe now you know. Art is about meaning, not aesthetics or perceived effort.
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Delusions of cypherpunk in a space led by VCs and influencers. We need a new movement within the movement formerly known as cryptoart. Because this is quickly becoming everything we were meant to disrupt.
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9/ Artists give this space soul. They are the substance and culture. The dreamers and idealists. Without them, everything would devolve into a money grab circle jerk driven by speculators and traders. Which is already dangerously close to becoming reality.
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Most of the criticism about the art here isn't about the art. It's about manufactured narratives and herd mentality.
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6/ And favoring at least one artist that has built a short career using hype and influence, over many other talented emerging and established artists. Consider the signal this sends in a space filled with young and impressionable people, and the kind of behavior it encourages.
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3/ The other exists out of an intrinsic need for self-expression, and has been producing art for years without any concern for making money. For XCOPY, money is a means for producing art. For Yuga Labs, art is a means for generating revenue.
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How soft censorship works in the NFT space. "Don't speak out you might get cancelled". "That opinion will kill your career". "The big accounts won't like it if you say that". If you're going to judge someone for expressing an opinion, you might want to self-reflect.
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The world is looking for reasons to confirm that this space is a scam run by grifters, and that no real art is being created here. Most outsiders don't want to see us win. We can't keep giving them examples to use against us. A public misstep by one is a misstep for all of us.
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Welcome to Web3, where we worship at the altar of gains, proudly wear bag-tinted glasses, label all criticism as cope, idolize value extractors, and expect free money from creators. That's right. IYKYK. WAGMI.
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You can disagree with someone's take, but still support their right to have one. Skepticism is healthy. Independent critical thinking keeps everybody honest and pushes us all to do better. There is wisdom in being able to welcome opposing thoughts and question your own.
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2/ Imagine comparing Yuga Labs, a VC-backed startup, to XCOPY, an artist that has been dedicated to his craft for over a decade. One has existed for a little over a year, and was created to make money for money's sake.
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"Icons of Crypto Art" is a showcase of some of the OG artists in the space, and is dedicated to the memory of @money_alotta. 🤍. We opened tonight, and all I can say is: I've never been more bullish 1/1 art. It might take a bit longer, but it's coming.
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You can't optimize your art for depth and substance in a market that values engagement and tradability - and expect instant success. Your audience isn't here yet, but it's coming. In the meantime, enjoy the show.
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If you don't see that what we're doing here transcends the MoMA, and you're waiting for validation from legacy institutions, then you still don't get it. Think bigger.
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9/ RarePass blurs the line between art and collectibles even further at a time when we need more separation between the two.
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10/ A far more effective way to attract new collectors would be through accessible drops that allow a larger pool of people to experience collecting work from iconic artists, not more exclusive drops that limit the number of people that can collect work from those artists.
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Some people claim to support free speech and act as if they're patrons of the arts. Then when an artist produces work expressing an idea they don't like, they won't tolerate it. Either this is an art space with real artistic freedom or just a financial market larping as one.
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When you collect, you are expressing support for a creator's vision and values. These choices are recorded on the blockchain as part of your legacy. When you discover something negative about a creator, and choose to ignore it, you are endorsing it. And it won't be forgotten.
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You won't catch me celebrating the whitewashing of cryptoart culture, history, and everything this space was supposed to represent. You do you though.
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We've seeded Filtered with some artists, but anyone can add their work to the platform. We'll help you index your art to make it more discoverable using standardized tags. Anyone can become a curator, just sign up using a wallet or Twitter account and start making lists. 3/5.
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The average artist here has a minimum of 30 years left in their career. and some of you think you can already determine their legacy based on a couple years' worth of sales prices in an influencer-driven, hyper-financialized echo chamber.
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Never imagined it would be so easy to co-opt the Cryptopunks community, but here we are. Everybody simping for Guy Oseary's business partner. Owning a punk used to be more than a flex. It used to signal conviction and independent thinking. Those days are long gone.
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I've shared this quote before, but it's worth sharing again. As collectors, we can contribute to this space without buying art. We can start conversations with artists, ask about their process, encourage them, share their work. All small acts that can make a huge difference.
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Imagine participating in a disruptive art space only to want to fit in.
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It doesn't make sense to evaluate what's happening here through the lens of traditional art. NFTs are disruptive technology that will change the way art is collected and perceived forever. When we hit mainstream, the number of art collectors around the world will explode.
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