Georgians Sell Russian Regions as NFTs to Raise Money for Ukraine
A tech innovations firm based in Georgia’s capital Tbilisi is now “selling Russia piece by piece” in the form of NFTs. The money from the collectibles, representing almost 2,500 Russian regions, will be used to help rebuild Ukraine, which was invaded by the Russian army two months ago. Georgian Project Auctions NFTs of Russian Land, Will Soon Offer the Kremlin
Leavingstone, a digital creative agency from Georgia, has joined efforts to raise funds for Ukraine, which has been defending against Russian military aggression for eight weeks. The company is now selling non-fungible tokens (NFTs) representing parts of Russian territory.
In the first of three planned phases of the ‘Russia for Sale’ initiative, Leavingstone is auctioning off 2,443 regions of the Russian Federation depicted on playing cards with name, size, and a “weirdly authentic coat of arms.” An interactive map offers the parcels to potential buyers and with 34 already sold, over $19,000 worth of ether has been accumulated so far.
“We saw a huge potential in it,” Leavingstone co-founder Levan Lefsveridze told the Georgian service of Radio Free Europe. “The majority of people would want to be involved in Russia’s partition,” he added, in a clear attempt to troll Russian President Vladimir Putin and his government who have threatened to punish any calls for violating Russia’s territorial integrity.
During the next stage of the sale, the Georgian agency will offer NFTs of Russian landmarks like the Kremlin, the Ostankino TV Tower in Moscow, Putin’s winter palace and home, a property worth close to an estimated $1 billion, and a bunker. “If you’re into the post-soviet aesthetic of Khrushchyovka architecture, you’ll like it,” the organizers tease investors.
The third sale, they promise, is going to be a big one. “We’ll be auctioning Lenin himself. Yep. Stuffed granddaddy of the red revolution will be up for sale!” the project’s website pledges. Its operators emphasize that all the proceeds will be devoted to supporting Ukraine.
The main beneficiary is the Ministry of Digital Transformation in Kyiv and all collected funds will be transferred to its wallet. Among other responsibilities, the department has been taking care of Ukraine’s defense in the cyberspace, another battleground in the conflict with Russia.
Ukrainian government institutions and volunteer groups have received tens of millions of dollars’ worth of cryptocurrency donations since Moscow launched its military assault in the early hours of Feb. 24. The money is used to fund Ukraine’s defense efforts and solve mounting humanitarian problems.
Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine came eight years after Russia annexed Crimea and gave support for the pro-Russian separatists in the Donbas region. Georgia has had its own problems with the same neighbor. Russia backed separatists in Abkhazia in 1992 and then prevented the Georgian government from retaking the territory of another breakaway republic, South Ossetia.
You can support Ukrainian families, children, refugees, and displaced people by donating BTC, ETH, and BNB to Binance Charity’s Ukraine Emergency Relief Fund. Tags in this story agency, campaign, collectibles, conflict, Crypto, Cryptocurrencies, Cryptocurrency, donations, Funds, Georgia, Georgian, Georgians, initiative, invasion, Land, Leavingstone, nft, NFTs, project, regions, Russia, russian, sale, Tokens, Ukraine, ukrainian, War
Do you expect other, similar initiatives in the crypto space in support of Ukraine and its people? Tell us in the comments section below. Lubomir Tassev
Lubomir Tassev is a journalist from tech-savvy Eastern Europe who likes Hitchens’s quote: “Being a writer is what I am, rather than what I do.” Besides crypto, blockchain and fintech, international politics and economics are two other sources of inspiration. Elon Musk Purchases Twitter for $44 Billion, Social Media Company Will Transition to a Private Company NEWS | 3 hours ago Uncollateralized Lending Platform Truefi Reveals $100 Million Single-Borrower Pool Designed for Blockchain.com NEWS | 6 hours ago
Image Credits: Shutterstock, Pixabay, Wiki Commons Previous articleSamsung Participates in Series A Round That Raised $25 Million for a Metaverse Startup Next articleChainalysis: Crypto Gains Skyrocket Worldwide — Investors’ Profit Grew 5x to $163 Billion in 2021 Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. It is not a direct offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell, or a recommendation or endorsement of any products, services, or companies. Bitcoin.com does not provide investment, tax, legal, or accounting advice. Neither the company nor the author is responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods or services mentioned in this article. Read disclaimerShow comments More Popular NewsIn Case You Missed ItTony Hawk"s Latest NFTs to Come With Signed Physical Skateboards
Last December, the renowned professional skateboarder Tony Hawk released his “Last Trick” non-fungible token (NFT) collection via the NFT marketplace Autograph. Next week, Hawk will be auctioning the skateboards he used during his last tricks, and each of the NFTs ... read more.Goldman Predicts US Recession Odds at 35% in 2 Years, John Mauldin Wouldn"t Be Surprised if Stocks Fell 40% FBI Issues Alert Concerning Malicious State-Sponsored North Korean Hackers Targeting Crypto Firms Economist Predicts the Fed"s Response to Inflation Will Push Crypto Higher Ethereum Foundation"s Financial Report Discloses It Holds $1.6 Billion in Assets, 80.5% Held in Ether