LeBron James now has his own RTFKT (pronounced Artifact) CloneX NFT, thanks to a surprising move by the RTFKT team. In an action that has created quite a controversy on social media, it appears the new Lebron James is a clone of an existing NFT, which has had its metadata changed to make a unique 1\/1 NFT. While some people see this as a creative move that opens up huge possibilities, others see it as harmful and a risk to the future of decentralization.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n One of the most significant moments of the 2021 NFT bull run was Nike acquiring the popular NFT company RTFKT. Known for creating NFT avatars, virtual sneakers, fashion, and collectibles for the metaverse, it was a massive moment for the NFT space. Many consider it a pivotal moment in gaining recognition as a legitimate industry.<\/span><\/p>\n Notably, RTFKT was one of the first digital sneakers NFT collections. As the news of the LeBron James NFT emerges, many believe he will soon join the RTFKT.<\/span><\/p>\n Since the acquisition, Nike, through RTFKT, has been working hard to build its presence in the web3 world. Amongst the various popular RTFKT collections, CloneX is extremely popular. This collection of 20,000 avatars collaborates with world-famous contemporary Japanese artist Takashi Murakami.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n With a floor price of 6 ETH and over 220 thousand ETH volume, RTFKT is an influential collection in the NFT space, which many projects will emulate in the hopes of recreating that success.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Basically, yes. In a Twitter thread, Samuel Cardillo, CTO of RTKFT, explained how and why they had decided to allow metadata changes. He said, \u201cI am happy to announce that we have migrated some CloneX metadata on-chain. At this time, only DNA & if it is a Murakami Drip (or not) is on-chain, but more metadata will be set post-Ethereum Merge.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n So what does that mean? The NFT (CloneX #7968) has changed its data, and it now resembles LeBron James. RTFKT used an NFT from its CloneX collection and changed the metadata to create a 1\/1 LeBron James NFT. Importantly, both the original NFT and the new LeBron NFT exist independently. One currently resides on DappRadar, and the other on OpenSea.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The new Lebron James NFT has some unique features. This includes a crown with \u201cThe Chosen 1\u201d inscribed on it. Additionally, the \u2018mouth\u2019 trait on OpenSea reads LBJ Beard.<\/span><\/p>\n For some, this is groundbreaking and offers new opportunities, but others think it is unethical and goes against the ideals of NFT creation.<\/span><\/p>\n Naturally, NFT holders and members of the RTFKT community are a little more positive about the metadata changes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n @NinjaTVFILM, who has an RTFKT Twitter pfp, tweeted, \u201cThe fact that @RTFKT is setting a precedent to change metadata to include traits for all-time great sports LEGENDS is a HUGE trait upgrade not to be faded & King LeBron is just the beginning. The future is limitless with @Nike + official sports Legends\/athletes + Clone X Traits.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n One major criticism of the move by RTFKT is that the metadata is not frozen. Essentially this means RTFKT can change any NFT in the CloneX collection. Where does it stop if they can change the metadata overnight to resemble LeBron James?<\/span><\/p>\n CloneX #7968, which was used to create the LeBron James NFT, could become more valuable due to the corresponding NFT. However, it might also decrease in value, as the LeBron NFT is seen as the \u2018genuine\u2019 NFT. Furthermore, it could cause damage to the ecosystem of the collection.<\/span><\/p>\n Popular NFT Twitter member @Degentraland had this to say about the situation, \u201cChanging a collection\u2019s metadata almost a year after launch sets a horrible precedent. Are any assets actually rare if the company can clone your exact traits? Do we really own anything if metadata is stored off-chain? \u201cBut, he also added, \u201cThat said\u2026 I\u2019m down to make an exception for LeBron.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n While some are happy for superstars like LeBron James, not everyone is as universally loved. Will this open up a market for 1\/1 celebrity CloneX NFTs? This method creates more 1\/1 NFTs and it might also lower the value of other 1\/1\u2019s.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In the thread by Samuel Cardillo, he also announced security measures to make sure it is not easy to change the traits on these NFTs. He stated, \u201cBecause CloneX is a living project, we\u2019ve put a way for the owner to \u201cunlock the state\u201d of its CloneX. Meaning that only when you, as the owner of a specific Clone, allow us to we can modify it \u2013 fixing metadata or upgrading for future.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n This means that there is some level of personal safety in the metadata changes for CloneX. However, for those who believe in true decentralization, it sets a \u2018horrible precedent\u2019. <\/span><\/p>\n In the coming months, it will be interesting to see how the market responds to both the LeBron James NFT and the original RFKT CloneX NFT.<\/span><\/p>\n![\"Image](\"https:\/\/nftevening.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/FcJcwDOWQAA7Uhl.png\")
RTFKT is an influential part of the NFT ecosystem<\/span><\/h2>\n
Nike is making huge moves in web3<\/span><\/h2>\n
Is RTFKT changing the metadata of its NFTs with Lebron James 1\/1?<\/span><\/h2>\n
![\"Image](\"https:\/\/nftevening.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/FcHBO7XXoAEgcaT.jpeg\")
Positive response to the LeBron RTFKT NFT metadata change<\/span><\/h2>\n
Is the LeBron James RTFKT NFT good for the NFT space?<\/span><\/h2>\n
Measures in place to prevent abuse of metadata changes<\/span><\/h2>\n