Luke Dashjr, one of the original core developers behind Bitcoin, recently took to social media to expose an auction site that had exploited his name and code without permission to deceive people with a “misleading” NFT. He isn’t alone either, as other core Bitcoin developers have also experienced this same form of misappropriation.
The Photo of The Bitcoin Code He Wrote Was Sold As NFT
On February 27th, the developer took to Twitter to announce that an NFT containing a picture of his code was sold on an auction site for 0.41 Bitcoin – equivalent to about $9,500 then. Dashjr stated that without his consent, the code was advertised and sold to the public for financial gain.
“It is essential to note that I was in no way connected with developing and selling these Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs). Neither have I allowed my programming code or name to be used for such dealings. Third parties are merely leveraging my identity and workmanship to generate profits, not me,” Luke Dashjr clarified. Afterward, he heard from the buyer who had purchased this NFT at auction; sadly, it fell on him to reveal his lack of involvement with its sale process.
They Bid a Part Of The Proceed After The Auction Is Over
Dashjr reported that the seller and/or auction site had offered him a 90% donation of proceeds from the auction. Evidently, Luke Dashjr thought this was an attempted bribe or consent after-the-fact agreement since he immediately refused to accept it. He said: “I will not take any such ‘donation’ at the expense of those who are being deceived by these false claims.” To show his disdain for deception and his commitment to truthfulness, Dashjr declined their offer and encouraged others to be aware of this situation.
Dashjr strongly demanded a full refund of the auction proceeds due to its misrepresentation and resulting in buyer confusion. Moreover, Luke Dashjr stated that other Bitcoin developers had been offered “considerable” donations in similar situations though he did not offer any specifics. He said, “Stop using my name to deceive people so you can make money quickly; it is wrong.” And with great conviction, he added:” I do not permit anyone to use either my name or code for this scam. I want everyone to be informed about where I stand on this matter”.
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