Melania Trump has joined the NFT frenzy by auctioning off a recording of her delivering a message of 'hope' over a watercolor pain...
Melania Trump has joined the NFT frenzy by auctioning off a recording of her delivering a message of 'hope' over a watercolor painting of her eyes to raise money for foster children.
The first NFT is a watercolor painting of the former first lady's eyes that she signed and includes a quick audio message: 'My vision is: Look forward with inspiration, strength and courage.'
Non-fungible tokens – or NFTs – are unique and non-interchangeable units of data stored on a digital ledger or blockchains, the same technology behind cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. They have been gaining popularity as of late, especially with viral cryptocurrency hits like Dogecoin and Bitcoin.
'Melania's Vision' by French artist Marc-Antoine Coulon is worth about $185 at time of publication.
Trump's first sale ends December 31, the minute before midnight on New Year's.
Before becoming first lady, Melania had a successful career as a model where she became known for her piercing blue eyes.
'Melania Trump's personal journey has been enlightening; from Slovenia through Europe and into the United States of America — including as First Lady,' the page selling Trump's first NFT reads.
Melania Trump launched her own non-fungible token (NFT) on Thursday. The first sale is a watercolor painting of her eyes with a short audio message: 'My vision is: Look forward with inspiration, strength and courage'
'The beauty and hardships of individuals, majestic landscapes and profound architecture have entered her lens and remain in her heart,' the description adds.
'Marc-Antoine Coulon's breathtaking watercolor embodies Melania Trump's cobalt blue eyes, providing the collector with an amulet to inspire. Melania's Vision provides the collector with strength and hope.'
It notes: 'A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the artwork will be donated to support children in the foster care community.'
More specifically, some of the funds from the sale will assist children aging out of the foster care system and will give them access to resources to develop skills in computer science and technology.
Melania Trump has kept quite a low profile since leaving Washington D.C. Here the former first lady and Donald Trump attend a gala at Mar-a-Lago in November
NFTs are typically used to identify proof of ownership of reproducible digital or physical assets such as pictures, videos and audio files.
The 45th first lady has kept quite a low profile since leaving Washington, D.C. following Donald Trump's 2020 reelection loss.
She told conservative outlet Breitbart News of her NFT endeavor: 'Since leaving the White House, I have envisioned creating a new platform where Freedom of Speech can flourish.'
'My new NFT gallery, MelaniaTrump.com, uses the decentralized nature of Blockchain Technology, and gives a direct connection to people worldwide,' she added.
'My love of the arts is showing in my first NFT, Melania's Vision, which I created with artist, Marc-Antoine Coulon. A portion of the sales from NFT will be donated to children in the foster community. My Be Best initiative, Fostering the Future, will provide students a range of technology skills to prepare them for the workforce. I am excited to inspire America's next generation of entrepreneurs.'
Melania Trump's NFTs will be sold exclusively on her website MelaniaTrump.com.
The assets will be purchased through the Solana blockchain with SOL, the platform's native cryptocurrency. The NFT went on sale for 1 SOL, which is approximately $185 as of Thursday morning.
A Solana representative clarified to DailyMail.com that 'to avoid any confusion' Trump's choice to use the Solana blockchain was 'completely organic.'
'This project is not part of any Solana-led initiative,' the representative added.
Future NFTs will be in three different elements – digital artwork, physical artwork and a physical accessory of historic note. The latter is scheduled to go on auction in January.
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