Trump’s NFT Collection Divides Opinions in Crypto Community

Former U.S. president Donald Trump, known for his controversial views on cryptocurrencies, has perplexed many with the unveiling of his NFT collectible project. Even some staunch supporters and conservatives are scratching their heads, as the project has drawn comparisons to the playful concept of “SimpDAO.”

On Dec. 15, during what Trump called a “major announcement” via his social media platform Truth Social, he launched a collection of 45,000 NFT trading cards. The artwork depicts him in various outfits, including golf attire, hunting gear, and even a superhero costume.

“Thank God, the digital trading cards are here. It was indeed a MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT,” commented conservative commentator Ben Shapiro on Twitter.

These Polygon-based NFTs are priced at $99 each and provide buyers with a chance to win prizes, including personal dinners, Zoom calls, and rounds of golf with Trump. However, as of writing, around 35,600 Trump Digital Trading Cards were listed for secondary sale on OpenSea, with a floor price of 0.065 Ether (ETH), or approximately $82.

Some of the more significant sales reported ranged between 1 ETH ($1270) to 2 ETH ($2,541), indicating a level of interest despite the skepticism in the community. Interestingly, 35 wallets reportedly hold at least 45 Trump NFTs, granting them access to exclusive privileges such as dinner with the former president.

“Wait a minute. These NFTs give you access to a community. A dinner with Trump. Golfing with Trump. Zoom calls. One-on-one meetings. Autographs. These aren’t baseball cards. This is a SimpDAO!” tweeted crypto analyst Eric Wall.

Wall coined the term “SimpDAO” after searching for similar community engagement patterns in NFT projects, noting that Trump’s NFTs follow the same sentiment of offering unique experiences to fans willing to spend.

Despite Trump’s previously voiced disdain for cryptocurrencies, Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao tweeted with optimism about the implications of the project, stating, “former United States President issues NFTs. And he didn’t like crypto before. We are getting there.”

In response to Zhao, Twitter founder Jack Dorsey questioned: “getting where?” revealing that not all see the potential in mixing politics with NFTs.

Numerous reactions in the community show a mix of disappointment and disillusionment among those who had higher expectations from Trump. Far-right figure Baked Alaska expressed concern about facing jail time for what he described as a mere “NFT salesman,” and the Hodgetwins remarked that many patriots were looking for hope, not just NFT drops.

“When all Patriots are looking for is hope for the future of our country and Trump hypes everybody up with a ‘BIG ANNOUNCEMENT,’ then drops a low quality NFT collection video as the ‘announcement,’ it just pushes people away…Damn,” they tweeted.

As reactions continue to flood social media, the crypto community remains divided on how to view Trump’s NFT venture, weighing the implications against the surprising shift in narrative from a renowned crypto skeptic.