28/12/2021 Arizona Senate candidate brings NFTs to politics
Blake Masters, co-author of tech pioneer Peter Thiel's blockbuster "Zero to One," and now a Republican U.S. Senate candidate in Arizona, is offering NFTs with a limit of 99 copies.
Why it matters:Masters, 35, told Axios the plan is to attract support "from folks who are less conventional political donors and more founders and builders who want to see new thinking and new energy in our politics."
What's happening:Masters is leaning into his Silicon Valley ties with an "Origins NFT" that shows a rotating rendition of the early cover art he used to help persuade Thiel, his former Stanford Law professor, to collaborate on "Zero to One," published in 2014.
- The NFTs will go to donors who give the maximum of $5,800 — half for the primary, and half for the general election if he wins.
Zoom out:Masters, who lives in his native Tucson, helps run Thiel Capital, a multibillion-dollar firm that invests in tech startups, and is president of the Thiel Foundation.
- The Republican primary also includes Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich. Both aim to take on Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly.
- Masters—who was agueston Tucker Carlson's show last week — held a fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago that included former President Trump as a speaker. That gives Masters' camp hope for an endorsement.
Between the lines:The idea is to give donors a sense of ownership. Real-life events are planned for the virtual club.
- Masters said: "The best NFT projects aren't just random 'art on the blockchain,'" but instead "create or support certain communities where people share an excitement about something in particular."
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https://www.axios.com/blake-masters-nft-senate-arizona-998f683e-65cd-4115-9e79-86b1f48eb2b7.html
