21/12/2021 Social media app Parler plans to expand into NFTs

Woman holding smartphone with Parler logo in front of displayed same logo in this illustration taken May 17, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic

Dec 20 (Reuters) - Social media platform Parler said on Monday it will expand its business into non-fungible tokens (NFT), in a move that underpins the rapid growth of the digital asset in recent months.

AnNFT, which is a digital asset usually bought with cryptocurrencies or in dollars, encompasses everything from images, videos to text. The ownership record is tracked on the blockchain, which serves as a public ledger allowing anyone to verify the NFT's authenticity.

Traded since around 2017, NFTs initially gained popularity in early 2021 and then around August.

Last week, former U.S. first lady Melania Trump launched an NFT and blockchain technology venture, which was spearheaded by Parler.

"Parler will continue building its digital offering with an NFT pipeline that builds communities and fosters creativity while furthering its commitment to free speech and security," the company said in a statement on Monday.

The app was launched in 2018 as a social-media site, styling itself as a free-speech space for those seeking an alternative to major platforms such as Facebook Inc(FB.O)and Twitter(TWTR.N). It quickly gained traction from supporters of former U.S. President Donald Trump.

Parler, however, went dark for about a month after being cut off by major technology platforms Apple Inc(AAPL.O), Google parent Alphabet Inc(GOOGL.O)and Amazon.com Inc that accused the app of failing to police violent content related to the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters.

Arts

https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/social-media-app-parler-plans-expand-into-nfts-2021-12-20/

Interesting NFTs
Faceplant
Facebook logo factory. 3D animation, 10-second loop, 30 fps. Created using Cinema4D, X-Particles, TurbulenceFD, Octane, and After Effects. Originally posted on TikTok (@jigpx) on 1/4/21. 38.7m+ views, 2.1m+ likes (as of 4/22/21).
Kitty 351304
Oh hi! I'm Kitty 351304. I'm a professional Private Dancer and I love ice cream. I once dreamed of being a Foreign Film Director. Now I can be found tricking babies all day. Can't wait to eat cantaloupe with you!
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By OthersideDeployer
Bored Ape Yacht Club #8135
The Bored Ape Yacht Club is a collection of 10,000 unique Bored Ape NFTs— unique digital collectibles living on the Ethereum blockchain. Your Bored Ape doubles as your Yacht Club membership card, and grants access to members-only benefits, the first of which is access to THE BATHROOM, a collaborative graffiti board. Future areas and perks can be unlocked by the community through roadmap activation.
Genesis
José Delbo sent me his striking pencil sketch and powerful inked work, which I then interpreted in oil on canvas. I wanted to create a very painterly piece with obvious brush marks etc, but I was also aiming for a nostalgic feel, a kind of 1980’s superhero comic book look, the kind I grew up with. My goal with this animation was to try to recreate, in part, the creative process that both artists went through with the visual information I had. I was able to showcase my painting process more accurately as I could take photographs of my progress throughout. Consecutive images could then be layered like brush strokes over José’s drawing to create the impression that this was one continuous artwork from pencil, to ink, to completed painting. The representation of the line sketch at the beginning, then pencil/ink and lastly the paint layers being applied demonstrate both artists’ struggle for the right lines, tone, form, and colour until the work is finally completed. As the oil was still wet with each photograph the glare of my studio lights can be seen in the brush strokes. Eventually, the figure emerges and as it does, our hero comes to life, looking directly at the viewer -- but is he grimacing in approval or disgust? We will never know for sure as just before he can say anything, white paint is brushed across the canvas entirely and the process begins again. Only the bat is quick enough to escape.