Benoit Pagotto, the co-founder of RTFKT, passed away at the age of 41, and the news has been met with sorrow throughout the worlds of NFTs, cryptocurrency, and digital fashion.
Pagotto was the creative head of Nike’s digital division and one of the most influential designers in the world of Web3 design.
Tributes Pour in from Crypto and Fashion Leaders
The death of Pagotto was confirmed by Philippe Rodriguez, a partner at Avolta Partners, on Sunday. He referred to the death as being a sudden one, and recalled Pagotto as a simple yet highly imaginative intellect, in which beauty was considered a means to transform the world. The firm of Rodriguez advised RTFKT when it was acquired by Nike in 2021.
Visionary, Genius, Mentor, Friend & Brother The vision, mission and inspiration @benitopagotto gave to the world will live on forever. Heartbroken we lost a legend pic.twitter.com/Jwn1zBVpK0
— Zaptio RTFKT (@Zaptio) October 12, 2025
Co-founder of RTFKT, Steven Vasilev, paid tribute on X, stating that he had always harbored the vision and inspiration for the brand and that it would continue to exist. Former RTFKT CTO Samuel Cardillo also extended his condolences, remembering him as a sharp and fearless voice of creativity, according to Greg Solano, who, along with the other founders of the Bored Ape Yacht Club, Pagotto was one of the most kind-hearted and humorous individuals in the crypto world, remembered for his acts of generosity and sincerity in his business career.
A Visionary Behind RTFKT’s Rise
In 2020, Pagotto established RTFKT together with Vasilev and Chris Le. The three men created a studio, which bridged fashion, gaming, and blockchain culture. The fact that they partnered with artists like Takashi Murakami and Jeff Staple resulted in massive hits during the NFT boom. One of their most recognizable portfolios, the Clone X collection, has generated more than $ 120 million in lifetime trade, according to DeFiLlama’s metrics.
The acquisition of RTFKT by Nike in December 2021 marked a significant step towards integrating fashion and Web3 innovation globally. Pagotto was the head creative director, and he introduced the idea of physically connected NFTs that connected the digital and physical fashion worlds. He remained with Nike as Senior Director of Brand and Partnerships after RTFKT had wound down in 2024. In 2022, he was listed in the BoF 500 by Business of Fashion in its Digital Fashion and Metaverse Identity category.
Market Reaction and Industry Impact
Following the announcement of his death, several NFT projects associated with RTFKT experienced a surge in trading activity. Clone X prices increased by 21.4 percent in 24 hours, trading at 0.19 ETH, which had more than 9,000 unique holders. The total volume of sales had grown by over 200%, indicating a fresh market focus. The RTFKT NFT token also increased by more than 420% to sell at 0.03 ETH, with sales rising significantly on a daily basis.
Ethereum was able to ride the positive trend, gaining 8% in 24 hours to trade at $ 4,174.35, with more substantial investor confidence. Nonetheless, Nike shares tumbled by 4.17%, indicating that the market was not yet in complete control to invest its money in the company due to continuous market instability.
Benoit Pagotto has left a creative heritage that transformed the fusion of fashion and blockchain technology. His impact extended far beyond digital art, influencing a new generation of designers who found innovative solutions to open up the culture, drive innovation, and advance technology.
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