The George Floyd NFT collection, known as the Floydies, is an offensive NFT initiative that uses George Floyd’s image and is published on the OpenSea platform on December 7. Floyd, the victim, was killed by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin on May 25, 2020, after a store clerk accused Floyd of using a fake $20 currency to complete a transaction.
The death of the 46-year-old father sparked widespread Black Lives Matter rallies on American streets. Chauvin was sentenced to 22 and a half years in jail for the murder in June 2021.
What is the George Floyd NFT Collection?
The George Floyd NFT is a project that sells various images of George Floyd — the unarmed Black man whose audacious murder by a Minneapolis police officer in 2020 sparked a series of societal riots — on the OpenSea platform on December 7, according to Input. The initiative appears to have no ties to Floyd’s family or the activist movement, which is quite upsetting.
Yet, half of the collection of 22 products – poorly drawn pixel art caricatures of Floyd with bloodshot eyes — have sold, bringing the designer or creators a little short of $5,000. Images of Floyd donning a police uniform and standing at the gates of heaven with a pixel halo hanging over his head are among the more offensive depictions of him. The current highest price for Floydie in his uniform is roughly $800, indicating that a buyer or purchaser realizes the “joke.” (Others in the set are priced lower.)
According to the NFT’s OpenSea page, the project exists to commemorate Floyd’s life and that acquiring one of their NFTs is a terrific opportunity to express yourself and your values!
However, it should go without saying that this is an obvious trolling attempt. Even a simple examination of the photographs reveals that it is basically an attempt to upset as many people as possible by presenting Floyd’s visage as crudely as possible.
However, it appears to be generating some money, with one photograph selling for more than $400 in Ethereum to a Twitter user known as “cantsneed.” However, a short glance at that profile suggests that they’re also a member of the project and a troll account.
“In an age of smart contracts, a portion of the earnings from these sales may go to Black Lives Matter non-profits or the victim’s family.” “Unsurprisingly, neither is present here,” he continued. “Despite its claims to the contrary, this initiative was never intended to benefit anyone other than its designers.”
Anyone who is outraged by this may help by reporting the project’s Twitter and OpenSeas accounts, as well as donating to the George Floyd Memorial Foundation, a non-profit committed to racial fairness and justice.
Where To Purchase The George Floyd NFT
These NFTs were easily available through OpenSea. There is, however, no specific page to open. You cannot purchase these NFTs anymore as they were deleted along with the project. So far, NFT initiatives have been plagued with racial difficulties and, as Floydies demonstrated, may be readily gamed by individuals seeking to insult and profit.
Personally, I find this endeavor highly disrespectful and a transparent cash grab arranged by someone looking to benefit from controversy. I can only hope that people see through it so that we can all move on and have more useful debates about what NFTs can genuinely be utilized for.”
