Trump on the blockchain as he unveils his own NFT collection
Today, Donald Trump unveiled a series of NFT trading cards that promise buyers tangible benefits, such as an invitation to a gala dinner with Trump or even a chance to meet and greet him in person. The news has NFT fans and Trump supporters alike scratching their heads.
On Thursday, Trump posted a link to the Collect Trump Cards campaign on his official Truth Social account. According to the post, the digital trading cards will cost $99 each and entitle buyers to enter contests to win various perks. The cards were created on the Ethereum sidechain network Polygon.
Each card features a drawing of Trump, who occasionally transforms into a superhero, cowboy or astronaut. In reality, the former president left office in disgrace after calling for the attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, and has since been the subject of investigations into both his involvement in the events and allegations of fraud at his companies.
He wrote today,
“Like a baseball card, but maybe even more interesting, collect all your favorite Trump Digital Trading Cards. Would make a great Christmas present. Stop waiting. I think they’ll be gone very quickly.”
Although there had previously been unofficial efforts, this is the first time Trump himself has launched his own NFT collectibles. Earlier this year, for example, social network Parler launched Trump-inspired NFTs. There are a total of 45,000 NFTs in Trump’s collection on Polygon, with a per-buyer cap of 100.
NFT personalities are incredulous
When Trump vowed to make a “big announcement” today, Crypto personalities immediately reacted to it on Crypto Twitter.
Scott Melker, a cryptocurrency trader and influencer, sohe has a lot of questions and comments, but he’s actually just shocked and confused and hopes it all goes away immediately.
Even some conservatives believe the launch was a failure. “Love the guy, but this scares a lot of people” commented filmmaker and former Republican congressional candidate Robby Starbuck.
It’s interesting to note that the website variously refers to trading cards as “NFTs” and “digital collectibles.” Since the term “digital collectible” is not as harshly viewed by the general public as “NFTs”, a major brand has already used it to describe the technology. The website nevertheless makes sure to emphasize that the cards are printed on Polygon, which it considers to be environmentally friendly and carbon neutral.
