More than 19,800 CloneX digital avatars developed by non-fungible token firm RTFKT Studios have reappeared after Cloudflare blacked out the NFTs for apparently violating its terms of service.
“This content has been restricted. Using Cloudflare’s basic service in this manner is a violation of the Terms of Service. Please visit cfl.re/tos to learn more,” the message read on April 24.
RTFKT’s head of tech, Samuel Cardillo, has refuted claims that it missed a payment, attributing the issue to changes happening with RTFKT’s “current Cloudflare setup.”
NFT content creator Wale Swoosh earlier speculated that RTFKT may have subscribed to an inadequate Cloudflare plan for high-traffic image serving. Cloudflare offers a range of web infrastructure services.
Most of the CloneX NFTs have started to reappear, according to Cardillo, who added that Cloudflare has fixed the issue.
However, the incident sparked considerable outrage from some CloneX holders, including one NFT holder who spent $1.25 million on a CloneX NFT.
The issue prompted Cardillo to find a more decentralized solution to host the NFTs.
“I am working closely with ArDrive to decentralize both CloneX and Animus to ensure that post-30 April, no downtime of your favorite art ever happen again.”
In a separate post, Cardillo said CloneX would specifically move to the decentralized data storage platform Arweave.
Cardillo is RTFKT’s last man standing since the firm shuttered in January
RTFKT — which pioneered virtual sneakers and was bought out by Nike in December 2021 — has largely been a one-man show since the shoe maker shuttered its operations in January.
“Keep in mind that I am the last man standing and therefore I am doing it all myself,” Cardillo said in response to a flood of complaints shortly after the incident occurred.
RTFKT confirmed its closure with an ambiguous letter, claiming it “isn’t ending” and would become what it has always meant to be — an “artifact of cultural revolution.”
No substantial developments at RTFKT have come about since the December announcement.
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Several NFT marketplaces have also shuttered in recent months.
DraftKings, GameStop and crypto exchange Bybit all closed their NFT marketplaces, with Bybit citing falling NFT trading volumes in its April 8 announcement.
X2Y2 also recently announced that its NFT marketplace would shut down on April 30 as the firm looks to pivot into artificial intelligence.
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