Non-fungible token, or NFT, was, but still is the hype of the digital world.
And time, Donald Trump, the former U.S. President, has launched a collection of digital trading cards depicting him in various guises including a superhero, astronaut and a Nascar driver, saying that the NFTs contained "amazing ART of my Life & Career."
At least for him, it's better late than never because after all, he is a businessman.
He announced this with a post to his social-media platform, Truth Social.
The post showcases a version of the Trump standing in front of the Trump Tower in New York, who rips open his shirt to reveal a superhero costume emblazoned with the letter 'T' as lasers shoot from his eyes.
Trump said the NFTs were "very much like a baseball card, but hopefully much more exciting."
He said that the cards cost $99 each, and that they "would make a great Christmas gift."
On top of that, buyers were automatically included into a sweepstake, with the chance of winning prizes including a gala dinner or a game of golf with Trump himself.
Trump announced this, days after saying that he would make a "major announcement."
At first, people thought that Trump would name a running mate for his presidential campaign, as the billionaire wants to again take his chances to return to the White House.
But after realizing that what Trump did was only announcing his own NFT, he was quickly criticized by social media users.
Even high-profile Republicans spoke out.
"I can't do this anymore," Steve Bannon, a right-wing media commentator and former chief strategist for Trump, said about the NFTs on his podcast.
Anyone involved in the project "ought to be fired today," he added.
This may worsen Trump's position, especially since Trump has only announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination in the 2024 presidential election back in November 2022.
Trump lost the 2020 presidential election to Joe Biden, but the world has then realized that he refused to concede defeat.
Trump has claimed widespread electoral fraud without clear evidence, and had attempted to overturn the results by pressuring government officials.
Along the way, he garnered lots of unsuccessful legal challenges, and has also obstructed the presidential transition from him to Biden.
And in apparent indirect criticism to Trump, even Biden had something to say about this.
On Twitter, the U.S. President said that Trump had "some MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENTS the last couple of weeks too."
I had some MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENTS the last couple of weeks, too…
Inflation’s easing
I just signed the Respect for Marriage Act
We brought Brittney Griner home
Gas prices are lower than a year ago
10,000 new high-paying jobs in Arizona— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) December 15, 2022
Some speculated that all Trump wanted, was to use the money he earned from selling NFTs, to fund the legal battles he is embroiled in.
After all, according to the website for the NFTs (CollectTrumpCards.com), the funds would not be put towards his presidential campaign.
"These Digital Trading Cards are not political and have nothing to do with any political campaign," it said.
"NFT INT LLC is not owned, managed or controlled by Donald J. Trump, The Trump Organization, CIC Digital LLC or any of their respective principals or affiliates," it added.
NFTs have been touted as the digital answer to collectables.
With the ability to create "one-of-a-kind" assets in the digital world, and making them capable of being sold and bought like any other piece of property, even without have a tangible form of their own.
NFTs have quickly caught people's attention, especially around the time Beeple managed to sell his collage for $69 millions.
And Donald Trump, the former U.S. President, is a controversial figure, but nevertheless, he is influential.
Among other reasons, this is why his NFT digital trading card collection was sold out, one day after its initial release.
Due to demands and rarity, some of the tokens were traded again at much higher prices.
For example, one of the rarest cards, which depicts Trump standing in front of the Statue of Liberty holding a torch, had a price exceeding well above $20,000.
And again, it didn't take long until opportunists and people who wish to have fun piggybacking the hype, were reselling some of the NFTs at a nonsensical prices.
For example, some of the cards were being sold at 100,000,000,000,000 ETH, which is around $117,974,000,000,000,000 ($117 quadrillion).
Initially, according to data from Dune Analytics, nearly 13,000 users minted 3.5 tokens upon the release of the collection.
Additionally, 115 customers bought 45 NFTs, which is the minimum number of tokens that guarantees a sweepstake ticket to a dinner with Trump; 17 people purchased 100 NFTs, which, according to the Trump Trading Card website, is the maximum quantity allowed to mint.
1,000 NFTs, including many one-of-ones, are being held in one Gnosis Safe multi-signature wallet, which appears to be the wallet receiving royalty payments from the secondary sales of the NFTs.