So Melania Trump Has An NFT Now, I Guess
She is a woman of many interests.
Even after leaving the White House, former first lady Melania Trump has remained somewhat of a mystery. Now, for the first time in a long time, she’s emerging from the shadows to make a public announcement about *checks notes* NFTs, of all things? You read that right — Melania Trump has an NFT now, I guess. It’s honestly not what I expected from the former FLOTUS.
“I am proud to announce my new NFT endeavor, which embodies my passion for the arts, and will support my ongoing commitment to children through my Be Best initiative,” Trump said in a Dec. 16 statement shared to Twitter, referencing the children’s wellness initiative which was her platform as first lady. The NFT, titled “Melania’s Vision,” is a “watercolor” of Trump’s “cobalt blue” eyes, created by Marc-Antoine Coulon. It also includes an “audio recording from Mrs. Trump with a message of hope,” per Cision PR Newswire.
The NFT, available to buy between Dec. 16 and Dec. 31, 2021, is apparently the first part of an ongoing collection which will be released in intervals. According to the press release, “a portion” of the proceeds will go to help children aging out of foster care. “Through this new technology-based platform, we will provide children computer science skills, including programming and software development, to thrive after they age out of the foster community,” Trump added in her statement. The NFT is priced at 1 SOL in SOL cryptocurrency, which is approximately $150 USD.
While it seems like NFT’s are just now taking the world by storm amid the cryptocurrency boom, they’ve been around for almost a decade. According to MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab, NFTs — which is an acronym for “non-fungible tokens” — are like “unique collectible [tokens] that anyone can look at, but that only one person can own at any particular time.” This makes them especially useful for artists, musicians, and all types of creators to take advantage of. Now in 2021, more mega-stars (and now political wives, I guess) are creating and trading these tokens to build a more direct, intimate connection with their followings.
So while Trump may be breaking boundaries in, uh, cryptocurrency and art, at least it’s all for the children. Because as everyone knows, Melania Trump really, really cares about the children.
