Don’t check, verify. This is one of the few crypto-native statements that have stuck around over the years. NFTs are like other crypto ‘corners’; there are cycles, metas, and many instances of false hope, unexpected success, and everything in between. The latest paradigm-shift in NFTs has come courtesy of Jack Butcher, an incredibly creative mind who has found self-driven success through Visualize Value and now through his latest NFT project, Check.
Let’s dive into what Check is all about, and how they potentially change the game for NFTs (well, at least for now).
Check, then Verify
Nearly two years ago on our sister network NewsBTC, we covered the humanitarian efforts undertaken by Butcher, which sought to raise funds to bring aid to displaced people in Afghanistan. At that time, we briefly spoke with Jack about his desires and motivations about the ‘Care Package’ project, which was inspired by “a project that creates a mini-economy, playing to earn (axie), commercial rights (bored monkeys) and generative art (block art) ,” adding that he “generally loves the no-holds-barred nature of everything.”
Jack’s brand has grown tremendously since we spoke with him in August 2021. He continues to develop his ‘Visualize Value’ brand, which creates a world of creativity, motivation, and inspiration through concise and simple digital output.
Now, he’s back with Checks, a flagship project for Butcher that has been making waves in the NFT community.
Ethereum-based NFTs, like Jack Butcher's 'Checks,' continue to headline the market. | Source: ETH-USD on TradingView.com
What It Is, And Its Derived Waves
Check really pays homage to the ‘check, not verify’ perspective that has long existed in crypto and internet culture. Citing Twitter’s change to a ‘pay for verification’ approach, Checks intends to “capture a moment in time – the changing context in which the verification process takes place… which only means that the holder can afford and be ready to pay. If not someone is verified, everyone is verified. If no one is famous, everyone is famous.”
The project also seeks to challenge traditional perspectives on the new NFT culture, becoming “a limitless canvas for expression designed to challenge the concept of ownership and ownership in the internet age.” Regardless of how this all makes you feelit’s definitely been a fun ride for Butcher, who closed the project’s intro by saying “don’t believe it – check it out.”
What followed was equally interesting. Derivatives by the dozens, if not hundreds, have arrived on the market in rapid succession. The most famous derivative came from the famous NFT character Vincent Van Dough, who launched a dry derivative mint open that generated approximately $1.6M in revenue in less than 48 hours (compared to Butcher’s $500K from the original Check, according to NFTstatistics.eth math).
While many have led the Butcher project to spur a larger debate on the life of the open edition NFT project, we can only assume it’s all part of Jack’s master plan. In the meantime, the project is the most trending NFT collection on OpenSea’s main page – long after its launch. We’ll see how that ‘checks’ goes.