ConsenSys Marks Ethereum Merge With Green NFTs

Blockchain development firm ConsenSys has announced a line of green NFTs to commemorate Ethereum’s upcoming Merge.

ConsenSys Announces NFT Line

ConsenSys is releasing a line of eco-friendly NFTs to celebrate the Merge.

The company announced on Thursday, Sept. 1, that it will release a collection of NFTs called “Regenesis.” ConsenSys says that the NFT collection “explores the scale and significance” of Ethereum’s Merge and is “focused on the most important benefit of the Merge: sustainability.”

ConsenSys noted that Ethereum’s transition to Proof-of-Stake will reduce the blockchain’s carbon footprint by 99.95%, a number that is in line with estimates provided by Ethereum developers last year. With this change, the Ethereum network will be about 2000 times more energy efficient than it is today.

The collection of NFTs will feature art created by Chris Skinner and animated by KeithCity Group. The blockchain marketing agency Invisible North contributed to design.

ConsenSys will begin to mint the NFT at 1:00 PM UTC on the date of the Merge and will allow minting to continue for 72 hours.

NFT minting will be free except for gas or transaction fees, and users will be able to mint as many of the NFTs as they like. Ethereum contributors who are part of the Protocol Guild will also receive an airdrop featuring a collection of limited edition NFTs.

NFTs have historically been criticized for being environmentally damaging due to the fact that the Ethereum blockchain previously relied on the energy-intensive process of mining.

Companies and brands such as Ubisoft, the WWF, Minecraft, Discord, and Sega have received backlash over the past year after announcing plans to release NFTs. Even Kickstarter, which opted for Celo’s energy-efficient blockchain, faced criticism.

ConsenSys previously pursued energy-efficient NFTs in 2021 when it co-launched the Palm ecosystem on Ethereum.

While Ethereum’s transition to Proof-of-Stake will virtually eliminate the environmental impact of NFT minting, it is unclear whether this will be fully recognized by the public given the notoriety of past controversies around the issue.

Disclosure: At the time of writing, the author of this piece owned BTC, ETH, and other cryptocurrencies.