Has Banksy just released his first NFT on Ethereum?

Has Banksy just released his first NFT on Ethereum? - nft rocks 1024x683A link to the quotation NFT's OpenSea was released on Banksy's official website today.

The OpenSea list attracts attention

Looks like Banksy just coined his first NFT, or someone came up with a sophisticated hoax.

This morning a subpage briefly appeared on Banksy's official website with the URL “banksy.co.uk/NFT.html”. The page featured digital artwork that linked to a listing on the popular NFT OpenSea marketplace, but has since disappeared from its site. The NFT went up for sale on OpenSea with an auction that ended this Friday, but has already been sold.

The piece, titled "Great Redistribution of the Climate Change Disaster," features an adapted image of Punk # 7804 standing in the foreground of what looks like a factory drawn in a pixel art style. Punk # 7804 is one of the most valuable pieces in the coveted CryptoPunks NFT collection. It was sold for $ 7,57 million earlier this year.

The NFT was coined today

The user's Ethereum address can be viewed on Etherscan. NFT collector and influencer Pranksy drew attention to the list by posting a link on Twitter early Tuesday. He and other NFT enthusiasts speculated that the listing was the real deal. Some pointed out that the NFT had been listed by a user who called himself "gaakmann" as part of the "gaakmann collection". Banksy previously used the alias Bryan S Gaakmann, which is an anagram of "Banksy Anagram". Since posting the link, Pranksy has made a high bid of 100 packaged ETH, which is about $ 336.026.

Another factor that might suggest that the item is a real Banksy is the theme of the piece. Banksy is known for supporting environmental causes, so the commentary on climate change would fit in with his previous work. NFTs have been particularly controversial as space exploded this year; many have fired at the technology for its alleged impact on the environment (most NFTs are minted today on Ethereum, which is still using an energy-intensive Proof-of-Work mechanism prior to its transition to Proof-of-Stake ).

Banksy is also one of the most elusive figures in art

There is an argument to be made that the secret nature of the list suits its typical style.

However, without any official confirmation or announcement from Banksy or its Pest Control authenticator, it's hard to tell whether the item is genuine or not. It is possible that someone hacked Banksy's website to give the illusion that they created the piece. Also, as the NFT space exploded this summer, scammers may be more inclined to exploit the hype. After news of the listing surfaced, The Block researcher Larry Cermak took to Twitter to point out that the address that coined the NFT had received a transaction from another address with nearly $ 30.000 in BUSD. The address also interacted with the Tornado Cash privacy protection tool, which raises suspicions. In recent months, other NFTs have emerged that mimic Banksy's signature style. One group also burned an original piece of his work and tokenized the piece on Ethereum, raising $ 380.000 in an auction.

However, if "Great Redistribution of the Climate Change Disaster" is an original Banksy, $ 336.026 could prove to be a bargain for a one-of-a-kind NFT from one of the most famous street performers in history.