This is a summary of the op-ed “The Metaverse Opportunity for Artists” by Leah Callon-Butler, published on CoinDesk on February 24, 2022.
NFTs have delivered huge benefits to creators, but there is a hurdle to getting in. It can be particularly difficult in countries like Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam, where the value of local currencies pales against the dollar, and the cost of an Ethereum transaction is sometimes on par with the monthly average wage.
This article features an interview with graphic designer AJ Dimarucot, who manages the First Mint Fund as a volunteer. Dimarucot shares his thoughts on the NFT scene in Southeast Asia, focusing on First Mint Fund (launched in March 2021).
“There are no boundaries in the metaverse, so there’s so much space to carve your own niche.”
— AJ Dimarucot, graphic designer and manager of First Mint Fund
The fund aims to help aspiring artists from and currently living in Southeast Asia to mint their first NFT by providing them with ETH to cover the gas fees. Initially only for Filipino artists, the goal has evolved to make the space more inclusive, soon the initiative was extended to include creators of all types — artists, graphic designers, illustrators, animators, motion designers, musicians and more — from all across Southeast Asia.
The First Mint Fund was established by prominent NFT art collectors Gabby Dizon and Colin Goltra. They initially seeded US$2,000 to the fund. Since then, notable contributors like Apl.de.Ap of the Black Eyed Peas have supported the fund.
Read the full article to learn more about the First Mint Fund:
“The Metaverse Opportunity for Artists” by Leah Callon-Butler
Published February 24, 2022 on CoinDesk
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