Clone X NFT Art Vanishes: Controversy Erupts Over RTFKT’s Sudden Disappearance

A heated debate has gripped the NFT community after users on X (formerly Twitter) noticed a startling issue affecting the Clone X non-fungible token (NFT) collection. As of April 24, 2025, holders reported that all visual art associated with their Clone X NFTs had vanished, leaving only broken image links and metadata behind.

Be CloneX

Make $81.3M from NFT sales

Get another $37.8M from royalties

Airdrop sneaker coupons

Go silent

Shut down

Don’t pay for servers

Holders left with a broken link and a dream

— Pix🔎 (@PixOnChain), April 24, 2025

The Rise and Fall of RTFKT

Founded in 2020, RTFKT (pronounced "artifact") quickly rose to fame for its futuristic vision, blending augmented reality, game engines, and premium digital design to create collectible assets. Its meteoric success drew the attention of global giant Nike, which acquired RTFKT in December 2021 for a reported $300 million.

RTFKT’s flagship project was the Clone X collection—20,000 unique avatars built on Ethereum, co-created with iconic Japanese artist Takashi Murakami. These NFTs were split into eight “DNA” types, ranging from common Humans (50%) to ultra-rare Aliens (0.15%).

Some Clone X avatars sold for astronomical prices. Notably, CloneX #4594 fetched 450 ETH in 2022, while CloneX #13134 sold for 368 ETH. At its peak, Clone X was among the most valuable NFT projects in the world.

What Went Wrong?

RTFKT’s downfall began in late 2024. Despite earning over $81 million in NFT sales and $37.8 million in royalties, the team ceased operations after Nike announced the brand’s official closure in November 2024.

Since then, RTFKT has gone completely silent—no updates, no communication with holders, and now, no hosted artwork. The cause? It appears the servers that once hosted the Clone X metadata and images are no longer being paid for or maintained.

#BTC #ETH #BinanceHODLerSIGN CryptoMarketCapBackTo$3T#BinanceAlphaAlert #BinanceHODLerSIGN