The former first lady Melania Trump has launched her own NFT Platform based on the Solana blockchain.
Donald Trump’s current wife is hoping to raise money for charity by selling NFTs until December 31.
A “portion of the proceeds” will go towards children who are “aging out of the foster care system by way of economic empowerment and with expanded access to resources needed to excel in the fields of computer science and technology”.
The first NFT features a “breathtaking” image of Melania’s “cobalt-blue eyes” created by artist Marc-Antoine Coulon, along with a voice recording in which Melania says: “My vision is to look forward with inspiration, strength, and courage.”
It is called Melania’s Vision, which her website described as “an amulet to inspire” that “provides the collector with strength and hope”.
It is currently for sale at the price of $179 - the value of one SOL at the time of writing. The NFTs are based on the Solana blockchain, rather than Ethereum, and are being supported by the conservative social media platform Parler.
“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,” Melania Trump said in a tweeted statement, referring to a campaign she launched whilst her husband was in power.
“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.”
On social media, Melania’s move into the crypto sector was met with mild incredulity and many, many mocking tweets.
One Twitterer suggested they would like to see an NFT of the infamous New York Post front page which featured raunchy naked images of Melania along with the headline: “The Ogle Office.”
Another said they would prefer to see an NFT coined as a record of the moment when Melania was allegedly caught on tape saying:
“I’m working ... my ass off on the Christmas stuff, that you know, who gives a f*** about the Christmas stuff and decorations? But I need to do it, right?”
The “body language and emotional intelligence expert” Dr Jack Brown jokingly asked his 125,000 followers the following question: “What % of Melania's NFT profits does Putin keep?”
Novelist Richard Hine, the man behind a famous Donald Trump parody Twitter account, wrote: “I’m not saying most #NFTs are scams operated by grifters and money launderers. I’m just saying Melania Trump is launching an #NFT.”
Several other Twitter users made legally dubious and potentially defamatory claims about what might happen to the money raised by the NFT project, which we have decided not to repeat.
It was difficult to find many positive comments about the project on Twitter, which famously banned Donald Trump as well as other prominent supporters and right-wing figures linked to him.
Boris Epshteyn, a Strategic Advisor to Donald Trump during the 2020 election, hailed the NFT project as a “great new initiative”.
Nikita Sachdev, the founder of the blockchain marketing agency Luna, tweeted: “Unpopular opinion but I think it’s great that Melania Trump is getting into NFT’s. This will drive mass adoption and greater exposure into the blockchain space.”
We also signed up to Parler to find out what supporters were saying about Melania’s NFT.
The search function wasn’t particularly effective, but we were able to find Melania’s own post about the project.
“Women are jealous of how beautiful and speak 5 languages,” one commenter wrote in broken English.
Another said: “It is refreshing to see the former First Lady in the public eye. Everyone who knows her has only good things to say about Melania.”
