“Checks” – the latest NFT art collection by @jackbutcher – is sparking a heated debate on the notion of “notability”. Who decides what becomes notable and what doesn’t? Through its use of memes, this thought-provoking collection delivers a powerful message to the internet, and has led to numerous Checks-inspired projects from renowned web3 artists like Beeple and Vincent Van Dough. This has created a viral trend that’s permeated the NFT space and directed focus on Twitter’s checkmarks, which have been a coveted badge of notability since their introduction. However, with Elon Musk’s recent Twitter takeover, everything’s changed. The checkmark can now be owned by anyone who can afford the $8 monthly fee, taking away the notion of notability it was previously built for.

Beyond the narrative, the Checks NFT is an ‘Open Edition’ social commentary art that is constantly evolving, and highly dynamic. In a single configuration, the NFT can pay tribute to contemporary artists, evoke notable portraits of a bygone era, or even reference recent memes. The team also plans to introduce ‘burning’ functionality for collectors, which inherently makes the collection more scarce.

Where is Checks headed? Will we see an explosion of ‘Open Edition’ NFTs in the future given the success of Checks thus far (from $8/mint to a current high of 2.5 ETH floor)? Or is it just overhyped speculation? Only time will tell. For more deep dives on Generative Art, you can also refer to our report here to learn more.