Cipher Punks NFT release gets messy, shuts down after Twitter outrage

Key Takeaways:

• Cipher Punk NFT release spark furoe on Twitter.
• ItsBlockchain says NFT was to honor heros.
• After much Twitter wailing, group stops auction, returns fund to investors.

Nigeria (CoinChapter.com) – The release of the “Cipher Punks” NFT package, which had 46 different figures and a total value of around $4,000, has led to a serious uproar in the NFT community.

Allegations of intellectual theft and piracy have been mentioned after the ‘unauthorized launch of the NFTs with “ItsBlockchain,” the group that released the NFT on Christmas Day, apologizing for their arrant mistake.

How ItsBlockchain attempt to honor ‘heroes’ spilled on their faces

On Christmas day, ItsBlockchain, a cryptocurrency media startup that curates cryptocurrency projects intending to add value for investors, released portraits of NFTs of 46 different people whom the group brands as heroes.

The NFT collection was supposed to honor all those whose portraits were released for their involvement in the Cipher Punk movement.

“They are our heroes, and we need to recognize them. We hope by sharing their story, more people will realize how cryptography has evolved in the last four decades. It is never too late to celebrate our heroes. And with CipherPunks NFTs, we want you to be a part of the history and hold one of forty-six characters in our collection,” the group wrote as it auctioned the NFTs on OpenSea.

After ItsBlockchain began its NFT auction, almost immediately, the infosec community began to raise objections. In addition, some of those whose portraits were turned into NFTs also started complaining.

The group had misspelled several names, including EFF speech activist Jillian York and OpenPGP creator Jon Callas. In addition, one of the portraits being sold as NFT was a copyright-protected image.

Another miss for ItsBlockchain was listing some figures who have been ostracized for harmful personal behavior like Jacob Appelbaum and Richard Stallman as NFTs.

At the time of writing, the group had removed 24 portraits from the NFT auction, including American Activist Jillian C. York, who tweeted, “I don’t approve of this whatsoever and would like it removed.”

However, Jacob Appelbaum and Richard Stallman’s portraits are still auctioning alongside 20 others.

Twitter backlash forces Cipher Punks NFT Collection to shutdown

Contrary to CoinChapter’s observation that 22 NFTs are still up for auction, ItsBlockchain says it has completely shut down the collection and refunded every single penny anyone has spent, including the gas fee.

In a press release, the group stated that it had to shut down the auction after heavy backlash on Twitter and observations that many Cypher Punks didn’t like the idea of their images being used as NFTs and digital drawings.