Serena Williams’ NFT Scandal May Be Worse Than Fans Think | Khalil Mohamed

Serena Williams, the retired American tennis player and one of the greatest athletes of all time, found herself at the center of a controversy in 2022 when one of the NFTs in her collection, titled “The Serena Collection”, was discovered to have been plagiarized from a smaller famous artist. The NFT in question was a cartoon image of a woman wearing Williams’ signature braids and tennis outfit, but the image was almost identical to one of the works created by the artist. The scandal revealed larger issues surrounding the NFT market and led to a wider debate about the role of technology in the art world.

Serena Williams and her husband Alexis OhanianPhoto ofThe things

NFTs (non-fungible tokens) are a digital asset that uses blockchain technology to verify and certify ownership of a unique piece of content, such as art, music, videos, or other types of digital media. They provide creators with a way to monetize digital content that was previously difficult to sell, with blockchain technology making it possible to verify and track ownership of the content. However, NFTs have also become controversial for several reasons, including their contribution to the growing problem of energy consumption associated with cryptocurrencies, as well as the issue of authenticity and ownership.

The controversy began when Williams announced that she would be auctioning an NFT collection in partnership with a popular NFT platform to celebrate her career and feature digital art, animation and other digital media. However, controversy arose when it was revealed that one of the NFTs in the collection was created by a company called Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC), which had been accused of plagiarizing the artwork of a lesser-known artist. The public backlash was intense, with many accusing Williams and the other celebrities of supporting plagiarism and not doing enough research to ensure that the artwork in the collection was original and not stolen from other digital artists.

Serena WilliamsPhoto ofThe things

An investigation by ArtNet has reportedly found that Bored Ape Yacht Club’s founder, Yuga Labs, has a history of selling unlicensed merchandise associated with other major companies. In addition, the same artist who accused them of plagiarism reportedly discovered that another piece of art in the “Serena Collection” was based on one of her earlier works.

The scandal highlighted the need for greater transparency and accountability in the creation and distribution of NFTs. The situation sparked a wider discussion about the ethics of NFTs and the potential consequences of their use. The scandal may also have exposed larger problems in the NFT market that will require further investigation and scrutiny to ensure that artists’ original works are protected.