{"id":1045721,"date":"2021-11-22T20:28:42","date_gmt":"2021-11-23T01:28:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1045721"},"modified":"2021-11-22T20:28:46","modified_gmt":"2021-11-23T01:28:46","slug":"crypto-censorship-nft-marketplaces-opensea-rarible-ban-works-from-political-cartoonist-stonetoss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/crypto-censorship-nft-marketplaces-opensea-rarible-ban-works-from-political-cartoonist-stonetoss\/","title":{"rendered":"Crypto Censorship: NFT Marketplaces OpenSea, Rarible, Ban Works from Political Cartoonist Stonetoss"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fcrypto-censorship-nft-marketplaces-opensea-rarible-ban-works-from-political-cartoonist-stonetoss%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1045721&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p class=\"subheading\">The world of blockchain and cryptocurrencies, which is often presented as a censorship-free zone by its advocates, is currently in the midst of a censorship controversy surrounding OpenSea.io and Rarible.com, two leading marketplaces for Non Fungible Tokens (NFTs). Both have banned political cartoonist Stonetess and his popular \u201cFlurks\u201d NFTs.<\/p>\n<p>NFTs are non-interchangeable units of data stored on blockchains, used to verify ownership of digital assets \u2014 much like a certificate of authenticity in the art world. They are often used to verify ownership of works of digital art.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"D-ROS-B1\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B1\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"gmxrevmore\" class=\"H\"><\/figure>\n<p>Both OpenSea and Rarible have banned a range of NFTs called \u201cFlurks,\u201d from the popular pseudonymous political cartoonist <a href=\"http:\/\/stonetoss.com\/\">Stonetoss comics<\/a>, who is known for his works mocking woke political culture, such as the \u201cbash the fash\u201d comic, below.<\/p>\n<p>Thus far, neither OpenSea nor Rarible have responded to inquiries about why the Flurks NFTs were delisted.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/bash-the-fash-antifa-comic.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-18862650\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/bash-the-fash-antifa-comic.png\" alt width=\"1500\" height=\"500\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B2\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<p>Stonetoss <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/flurksnft\">launched<\/a> a range of 5,000 NFTs on Saturday, which sold out in less than 30 minutes, collecting nearly $2 million in fees. In an email to OpenSea, Stonetoss hailed the launch as \u201cwildly successful,\u201d denouncing those calling for his blacklisting as acting in bad faith.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\" readability=\"10.32676056338\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Hello <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/opensea?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@opensea<\/a>.<br \/>I am reaching out because I fear your platform is being coopted as a tool for political censorship.<\/p>\n<p>I also sent this message to your support page. My collector community would like a reply.<\/p>\n<p>(Also respectfully tagging opensea founders <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/dfinzer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@dfinzer<\/a> &amp; <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/xanderatallah?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@xanderatallah<\/a>) <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/h8VPDQiBmh\">pic.twitter.com\/h8VPDQiBmh<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 stonetoss comics (@stone_toss) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/stone_toss\/status\/1462810019246878726?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">November 22, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Stonetoss is frequently the target of left-wing activists who attempt to have him censored on various platforms. In his message to OpenSea, Stonetoss linked to a section on his website responding to common allegations against his art.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/stonetoss.com\/about\/#answer\">Stonetoss writes<\/a>:<\/p>\n<blockquote readability=\"24.981684981685\">\n<p>Surprisingly, I am not actually a 90 year-old member of the National Socialist German Worker\u2019s Party. Additionally, I am not a national socialist, fascist, alt-right, or any kind of supremacist. My actual crime may be worse however \u2013 I make transgressive art.<\/p>\n<p>In my defense, cartooning has a long tradition of slaying society\u2019s sacred cows. Its practice&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.varsitytutors.com\/earlyamerica\/firsts\/first-political-cartoons#:~:text=The%20first%20cartoon%20appeared%20in,state%20of%20the%20British%20Colonies.\">predates the United States<\/a>&nbsp;itself. My work is similar to those often featured by Charlie Hebdo (<a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/AmvaSvZAuWUIs10H3qVL4AoehQc=\/0x0:630x800\/1520x0\/filters:focal(0x0:630x800):format(webp):no_upscale()\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/2925558\/CHARLIE-HEBDO.0.jpg\">here<\/a>), published in the New York Times (<a href=\"https:\/\/static.timesofisrael.com\/www\/uploads\/2019\/05\/IMG_8953-640x400.jpg\">here<\/a>), and shown on Family Guy (<a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/7rtG3gGlsPI\">here<\/a>); all famous non-nazis.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, themes featured in the works themselves further ideas of&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/stonetoss.com\/comic\/press-f\/\">freedom of speech<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/stonetoss.com\/comic\/founding-bothers\/\">anti-war<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/stonetoss.com\/comic\/big-guns\/\">private gun ownership<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/stonetoss.com\/comic\/first-they-came-for-the-fascists\/\">non-violence<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/stonetoss.com\/comic\/choice-in-the-matter\/\">bodily autonomy<\/a>, and&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/stonetoss.com\/comic\/pol-ice\/\">anti-authoritarianism<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>I have also featured works from other artists including artists of&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/stonetoss.com\/comic\/ballot-blocked\/\">color<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>In his message to OpenSea, Stonetoss suggested that the reason for his censorship may have been because one of his \u201cFlurk\u201d characters is depicted holding a confederate flag. Stonetoss noted that other Flurks featured communist and LGBT flags.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B3\" class=\"a8d adSo\"><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cIf I had to guess, it may have been because of the inclusion of the confederate flag as an NFT trait. Mind you, my collection also included traits such as a Gay Pride flag, a Gadsen flag, a Soviet army ushanka (hat), and a hammer-and-sickle shirt.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is obvious that the inclusion of the confederate flag like this is in no way an endorsement of anything it represents any more than including a hammer-and-sickle shirt is an endorsement of communism.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf this is not the reason for my delisting, I would like to know what is.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Breitbart News has reached out to OpenSea and Rarible for comment.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Allum Bokhari is the senior technology correspondent at Breitbart News.&nbsp;He is the author of&nbsp;<a class=\"x5l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/DELETED-Techs-Battle-Movement-Election\/dp\/154605930X\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener external\">#DELETED: Big Tech\u2019s Battle to Erase the Trump Movement and Steal The Election.<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The world of blockchain and cryptocurrencies, which is often presented as a censorship-free zone by its advocates, is currently in the midst of a censorship controversy surrounding OpenSea.io and Rarible.com, &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":172,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1045721","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1045721","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/172"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1045721"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1045721\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1045721"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1045721"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1045721"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}