Bids for a non-fungible token (NFT) being auctioned to raise money for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s legal defense have reached over $50 million.
Together with crypto artist Pak, Assange is auctioning an NFT collection dubbed Censored online between February 7-9 to raise funds to fight his extradition case. The centerpiece of the collection is an NFT called Clock, which displays and updates daily the number of days Assange has been imprisoned in white text on a black background. As of noon on February 8, Clock bids stood at 16,593 Ethereum, or roughly $52 million.
The bid was placed by Assange supporters, who formed a Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO) in order to bid collectively on the NFT. DAOs are effectively online communities who pool resources using blockchain-based tokens and vote on how to operate.
With over 10,000 participants, AssangeDAO has raised 17,422 Ethereum, or roughly $54.6 million, since Feb. 2, according to crowdfunding site Juicebox. “It’s tens of thousands of people coming together to show real strength – the power of the people,” said Joshua Bate, AssangeDAO community manager. “In less than a week, we’ve shown that decentralized and distributed peoples can come together to fight injustice.”
The auction will also enable supporters to create their own Censored NFTs. After choosing a monetary amount and typing in a short message, it will be turned into an image with a line striking through the phrase, as if it were censored. Supporters ultimately created 27,875 images raising 587 Ethereum, or $1.8 million, for pro-freedom organizations chosen by Assange and Pak.
Battling extradition
Currently under siege, Assange faces extradition from the UK to the US. Authorities there want to bring him to justice on 18 counts, including breaking an espionage law. They hold Assange responsible for WikiLeaks publishing thousands of secret files and diplomatic cables in 2010. After Assange, who is still incarcerated in London, was allowed to challenge his extradition approval last month, the Court supreme will now decide whether it will hear his case.
