Cardano Founder's Take on NFT Causes Major Controversy

A major controversy erupted in the Cardano community today, sparked directly by the project's founder Charles Hoskinson. The reason was that the crypto entrepreneur and blockchain developer updated his Twitter profile photo with a copy of a Cardano NFT showing a sketch of himself.

I liked the picture so I used it as my profile picture. The artist and NFT owner don't mind because it increased the value of their work and product having the historical association with me. I get a cool PFP for a little while. It's called an economy. Pretty cool isn't it?

— Charles Hoskinson (@IOHK_Charles) January 3, 2023

Hoskinson attributed his "right-click and save" actions to the fact that he liked the picture, and the artist and owner of the real NFT had nothing against it, as the event increased the value of the work and affirmed its association with him. The Cardano founder summed up his take by saying that he got a cool profile photo and saved money.

Interestingly, the NFT that Hoskinson put as his profile photo the day before was purchased for 10,000 ADA, the equivalent of $2,700.

To buy or not to buy?

Many people did not like this kind of attitude toward digital art and the intellectual rights that NFT ownership is supposed to enshrine. So, the CEO of large Cardano NFT marketplace JPGstore, Blakelock Brown, said that Hoskinson should have bought a real NFT and thus set an example, as well as support the NFT industry.

Buy an NFT? I'm not buying the IP nor am I signing a contract giving me royalty free use to display. I don't think Blake is getting my broader point about the contractual relationships and rights of the purchaser. An NFT is NOT the image anymore than a lithograph is a painting https://t.co/VAzyvezCtx

— Charles Hoskinson (@IOHK_Charles) January 4, 2023

At the same time, Brown noted that the Cardano founder is still doing enough to support this emerging segment of the crypto market. Hoskinson, on the other hand, responded to Brown by saying that, to him, NFT was nothing more than a lithograph of an original painting.

Recall that as reported by U.Today, Hoskinson previously appeared in a music video of Snoop Dogg's son in the style of the most popular NFT collection on Cardano, Clay Mates.