CloneX, a collab between RTFKT Studios and the renown Japanese artist Takashi Murakami, has definitely been catching some fire. Its content has since become censored due to the fact that it was in violation of Cloudflare’s Terms of Service. Holders and the wider NFT community are right to be concerned at this turn of events. The financial windfall of the project—$81.3 million in primary sales and $37.8 million in secondary market royalties—makes them even more fearful. The arbitrary restriction has pushed many old links into eventual 404s, while leaving current holders to wonder what will happen to their investment.
RTFKT Studios, which was later acquired by Nike, initially maintained an energetic pace of product drops, Twitter announcements, and NFT airdrops. However, after this period, the studio's communication decreased, and Takashi Murakami distanced himself from the project, compounding the community's unease. The new Cloudflare content restriction seems to be the straw that broke the cloneX’s back.
The Rise and Fall
Just a few short months ago, CloneX was considered a cutting-edge, futuristic endeavor at the intersection of art and tech. Developed as a unique collaboration between RTFKT Studios and Takashi Murakami, the project took off almost immediately upon launch in NFT virtual world. Takashi Murakami, a world-renowned and recognized artist from Japan, brought tremendous cachet and cool factor to the toolbox project by collaborating with Jersey on the design.
The project’s success was further reflected in the project’s strong sales numbers. CloneX brought in $81.3 million in primary sales and another $37.8 million in royalties from secondary markets. Given how well the project launched and the excitement from Nike’s later purchase of RTFKT Studios, the expectations for the project were sky-high.
Just like that, after a flurry of alternative product releases, Twitter Spaces, and NFT drops, RTFKT Studios went dark. Their colorful public engagement suddenly ground to a halt. This failure to communicate created a huge amount of concern with CloneX holders. Further, Takashi Murakami’s subsequent distancing from the project should have been a canary in the coal mine.
The Cloudflare Restriction
CloneX reached an ironic turning point when their content was censored. This was a direct result of it violating Cloudflare’s Terms of Service. The particular violation was named in the ban announcement.
"The content has been restricted. Using Cloudflare’s basic service in this manner is a violation of the Terms of Service." - Cloudflare
This limitation led to dead links, making it impossible for holders to view the media tied to their NFTs. The incident has understandably caused anger and disappointment within the CloneX community, especially considering the massive revenue the project has made.
“Be CloneXMake $81.3M from NFT salesGet another $37.8M from royaltiesAirdrop sneaker couponsGo silentShut downDon’t pay for serversHolders left with a broken link and a dream” - Pix
Implications and Future
Together, these elements of the CloneX situation illustrate the problematic and dangerous nature of many NFT projects. And indeed, while a token on Ethereum is permanent, the media it points to is not. At a fundamental level, this highlights the need for sustainable infrastructure and long-term accountability from those who develop projects.
The event opens a wider discussion about the duties of mega-projects that bring in plenty of cash. According to the context of CloneX, if a project makes $100M+, it owes its holders more than a broken link. The public should demand the same, along with the promise of transparent communication and an ongoing maintenance plan for the project’s infrastructure.
The future of CloneX remains uncertain. The community is waiting for RTFKT Studios and Nike to address the situation and provide a solution that restores access to the NFT media. This unfortunate incident serves as an important cautionary tale for the NFT ecosystem. Most importantly, it shines a light on the value of long-term planning and responsible management.
