Centralized

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/ About the project

At first glance, centralized might seem like a regular NFT collection, a series of videos and 3D models created by Nahiko Mikasa and Arc4g.

But there is more than meets the eye. As the title suggests, the artwork is a criticism of centralization in the blockchain space, highlighted in a playful way using blockchain and smart contract features to create a new kind of game.

/ METADATA

Medium:

Smart Contract, Video (.MP4) & 3D (.GLB)

Collaborators:

ARC4G

Platform:

NiftyGateway

Contract Address:

0xd956cec366888e3c8899a5e52d251dafb4b24b06

Storage:

IPFS & Ethereum Blockchain

/ Year

2022

Mikasa has always been fascinated by how rules in a game can alter everything. This interest is closely linked to game theory. The concept is straightforward: every situation has an optimal strategy to maximize gains.

This idea is a significant component in the blockchain space, where trading plays a huge role in daily activities. Blockchain technology allows for what we call trustless behavior. You don't have to trust the other party or even the blockchain itself because you can verify everything by examining the code.

Together with ARC4G, it was decided to explore this theme with a fresh approach. Instead of controlling everyone's behavior within the drop or enforcing rules via code, as Mikasa typically does, the collection forces you to trust one person, one Centralized person.

The rules are simple:

Anyone can purchase a floppy disk (250+ editions)
Only one collector can purchase the Drive.
The owner of the Drive can burn a floppy disk they own to obtain a new NFT

Several things can go wrong:

What if the Drive owner doesn't burn any Floppy Disk ?
What if he only burns his ?
What if he burns his and his friend's ?
What if he offers burning services, have the Disks sent to him, but then never returns the exchanged videos? (Stealing)

Typically, Mikasa would enforce rules through code to tell a specific story. But here, the approach is different. Rather than using code to control behavior, it's used to unlock new possibilities.

Innovation does not rely on code. Innovation relies on people.