Now that the pandemic continues to diminish in much of the U.S., it’s something of a full-circle moment that Joe Exotic — the guy we all binged at the start of the pandemic with Netflix’s Tiger King — is making headlines again.
Exotic, whose legal name is Joseph Allen Maldonado-Passage, isn’t letting a thing like being behind bars stop him from getting into the NFT game. For the uninitiated, NFTs or non-fungible tokens, allow buyers to exercise sole ownership over a unique piece of digital media, such as individual songs, videos and images.
The colorful figure has announced an online auction of not only his personal property — like his famous fringed leather jacket and his beloved Smith and Wesson revolver, both as seen in the show — but also exclusive NFTs.
The auction begins June 18 via the auction site Mintable, where fans can bid on a host of NFTs, like digital renderings of Joe with that classic meme character, the Doge dog, or hugging various Pokemon, or, naturally, the big cats that made him famous — or infamous, depending on your point of view.
Those who buy his physical props also get exclusive digital renderings of their items. You can also bid on digital versions of Joe’s music, like the song “I Saw a Tiger,” and other ditties.
Exotic is currently serving a 22-year sentence for his murder-for-hire plot in which he targeted his nemesis and fellow big cat enthusiast, Carole Baskin.
A press release calls Joe Exotic “The first felon to foray into the blockchain world from prison,” noting the NFT sales are part of a partnership with the cryptocurrency club MORE.
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