Schmrypto ☎️

I’ve reached a point where I seriously question how much of the cryptoart space is actually about art anymore. The latest controversy is just another glimpse into a system where artistic reputations seem to depend more on relationships than on the work itself. A few influential people decide who deserves attention, others follow, money changes hands, and suddenly we have another celebrated artist. Nobody seems particularly interested in questioning the process until something goes spectacularly wrong. And I think that’s where the real corruption lies. Not necessarily in anything illegal, but in the gradual disappearance of artistic judgment, replaced by financial interests, personal loyalties and mutual convenience. Corruption doesn’t always involve secret payments or criminal activity. Sometimes it’s an entire environment built on conflicts of interest that nobody wants to acknowledge. Collectors influencing reputations, artists cultivating relationships for financial opportunities, people publicly endorsing work because of who created it rather than what was created. Everyone benefits from keeping certain reputations intact, so uncomfortable questions are ignored and criticism becomes a threat to the whole arrangement. What bothers me most is how easily all of this can be disguised as supporting art. A purchase becomes an endorsement, an endorsement creates credibility, and that credibility attracts more money. The same people reinforce each other’s importance until their influence starts looking like genuine artistic value. I’m increasingly convinced that, for certain circles, art has become little more than a respectable excuse to keep money circulating among people who already know each other. The artwork gives the transaction a story. The relationships give it a price. And somewhere in all of this, actual artists are expected to keep believing they’re participating in an artistic revolution.

I've noticed that people are remarkably good at identifying manipulation when it comes from someone they dislike. When the exact same behavior comes from someone they admire, it suddenly becomes leadership, strategy, or vision.