On Monday, cryptocurrency advocate Udi Wertheimer shared a story on Twitter explaining how he and Taproot Wizards helped an artist who created the original bitcoin wizard meme from 2013 raise nearly $150,000 worth of bitcoin. While the minting and sale were successful, Wertheimer explained that bitcoin maximalists and r/bitcoin moderator Bashco did not like it.
Artist Who Created 2013 Bitcoin Wizard Meme Raises $150,000 In Bitcoin
With more than 150,000 ordinal registrations on the Bitcoin blockchain, there is no denying that people appreciate the concept and the demand for the technology continues. This week, Taproot Wizard and cryptocurrency advocate Udi Wertheimer told a story about how the creator of the original bitcoin wizard meme raised 6 BTC, or about $150,000. Wertheimer explained how last Saturday he and the Taproot Wizards helped meme creator Mavensbot issue and sell a collection of ordinal inscriptions to celebrate the 10th anniversary of his artwork.
“Income – more than 6 BTC In 3 hours! – went to support the artist”, Wertheimer tweeted. “Payments were mostly from NFT users, who downloaded a Lightning wallet from (the Lightning Network extension Alby) for the first time in their lives and made a payment (bitcoin), all within 3 hours of the limited sale.”
Wertheimer added that seeing everything that was going on made him very happy just using bitcoin (BTC) and the Lightning Network to support an artist. However, Wertheimer also pointed out that the bitcoin maximalist and r/bitcoin moderator bashko did not like the inscription. “Bitcoin maxis hate us for it. And of course they do,” Wertheimer insisted, sharing a screenshot of Bashco’s comment. The crypto advocate’s tweet also mentioned how bashko is well known “for supporting extreme censorship” on the r/bitcoin subreddit.
He said that maximalists and people like Bashco hate ordinal inscriptions because they have decided that JPEGs are bad. “The high priests of the Bitcoin cult have spoken,” Wertheimer commented. Despite the likes of Bashco and the group of people who call themselves maximalists, Wertheimer insists that most “bitcoiners aren’t like that.” One guy said, “I don’t get it: the bitcoin maxis want (bitcoin) to be the world currency, but you can’t buy JPEGs with it?”
Wertheimer emphasized that true bitcoiners are “builders, explorers, researchers and just enjoyers,” adding that bitcoin maxis “are a disease.” The cryptocurrency advocate ended his tweet by noting that he believes it is time for bitcoiners to rebound. “Time to return to the spirit of the 2013 Bitcoin wizard. Joy, experimentation, innovation. Not taking ourselves so damn seriously all the time. HAVE FUN, for Satoshi’s sake,” Wertheimer concluded.
What do you think about using bitcoin to support artists through NFT sales and ordinal submissions, and how do you feel about the controversy surrounding bitcoin maximalists and their opposition to this type of art in the chain of blocks? Share your views in the comments section below.
image credits: Shutterstock, Pixabay, Wiki Commons
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. It is not a direct offer or a solicitation of an offer to buy or sell, or a recommendation or endorsement of any product, service or company. 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.
