Melania Trump is getting into the cryptocurrency market with her own series of NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, a statement from the former first lady announced Thursday.
The new NFT platform will release NFTs in “regular intervals” on the former first lady’s official website. The new project is Mrs. Trump’s first publicly-announced effort since her husband left office nearly a year ago.
“I am proud to announce my new NFT endeavor, which embodies my passion for the arts, and will support my ongoing commitment to children through my Be Best initiative,” Melania Trump wrote in a statement. “Through this new technology-based platform, we will provide children computer science skills, including programming and software development, to thrive after they age out of the foster community.”
The first NFT, dubbed “Melania’s Vision,” is a painting of the former first lady’s eyes created by French artist Marc-Antoine Coulon. “Melania’s Vision” will also come with a “message of hope” audio recording from Mrs. Trump herself.
The limited-edition digital artwork will be available for sale between Dec. 16 - Dec. 31 for the price of 1 Solana (SOL), a cryptocurrency whose exchange rate is roughly $182 in U.S. dollars, although the value fluctuates.
Solana operates on a blockchain platform, essentially an untraceable digital record that cannot be recreated or duplicated as each purchase contains a unique serial number.
The former first lady plans on hosting another NFT auction in January, which will feature both digital and physical artwork, as well as a “one-of-a-kind” physical accessory.
A portion of the proceeds from the NFT sales will go towards children aging out of foster care through Mrs. Trump’s “Fostering the Future” initiative, a continuation of her “Be Best” campaign launched during Donald Trump’s time as president.
Proceeds from the NFT sales will support economic empowerment by providing children skills in the fields of science and technology, although it was not immediately clear in what way the money would be used.
“A portion of the sales from NFT will be donated to children in the foster community,” Mrs. Trump said in a recent interview with Breitbart News. “My Be Best initiative, Fostering the Future, will provide students a range of technology skills to prepare them for the workforce.”
“I am excited to inspire America’s next generation of entrepreneurs,” she added.
Spectrum News has reached out to the office of Melania Trump for comment.
