Since late March, a small corner of the Web3 Twittersphere has been playing a fun and frenetic NFT trading game.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s called Stealcam and it goes something like this: users connect their crypto wallets to the platform<\/a> and upload images or videos that instantly become NFTs. These are pixelated beyond recognition to everyone but the owner. Users are encouraged to steal NFTs from one another with the price increasing 10 percent at each forced handover.<\/p>\n The victim of NFT theft is repaid the price they paid with the surplus amount\u2014call it a crypto tithe\u2014divvied up between the image creator and the previous owner, who both receive 45 percent, and Stealcam<\/a>, which claims the remaining 10 percent.<\/p>\n Stealcam calls its NFTs \u201cmemories\u201d and has gained traction largely through social posting on Twitter. It\u2019s like the brash blockchain cousin of BeReal (the social media app that asks its users to share an image of themselves at random points throughout the day), but one charged with the financial dynamics of crypto and the social dynamics particular to it. Stealcam\u2019s tagline? \u201cSteal to Reveal.\u201d<\/p>\n Works on Stealcam by [clockwise from top-left] blua_discordia, rkeinwold, erogwen, and 0xPresley. Photo: Stealcam.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n If this sounds like a commentary on the ever-fluctuating values of cryptocurrencies<\/a> and NFTs, it\u2019s an unintended consequence of the web app\u2019s success. Stealcam was launched by pseudonymous developers known as Racer and Shrimp based on an interest in creating social apps for crypto platforms.<\/p>\n \u201cWe didn\u2019t intent the platform itself to be commentary, although I do see where that comes from,\u201d Racer told Artnet News. \u201cWe wanted to focus more on enabling creators than trying to be artists or creators ourselves.\u201d One aspect of this idea is that people\u2019s everyday moments have value, ones that can be measured in ETH.<\/p>\n The scene on Stealcam, as Racer described it, is made up of crypto natives, who see it as a playful extension of already established social media circles, and \u201cnet artists\u201d who push the app to its artistic limit by toying with concepts such as pixelation and interactivity (image descriptions are, inevitably, a secret). Racer cited SHL0MS<\/a>, Stealcam\u2019s top performer, as a good example.<\/p>\n One of the most active artists on Stealcam is Ben DeMeter who creates abstract geometric art using A.I. models under the name ArtGhost. DeMeter came to Stealcam fortuitously, having struggled to gain traction on established Web3 platforms.<\/p>\n \u201cIt felt like the early days of Web3, \u2018a thing\u2019 was being built but nobody knew what to do with \u2018the thing,’\u201d DeMeter told Artnet News. \u201cPeople were experimenting. Dropping sketches or practice pieces or photos of themselves wearing clothes. I saw an opportunity to do something audacious: Drop an entire collection.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben DeMeter, Dunescape #6: Vapor City<\/em> (2023). Photo courtesy of Ben DeMeter.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n As this suggests, compared to other NFT platforms or marketplaces, Stealcam is a decidedly low-stakes, low-barrier to entry, in part due to the low prices. This extends to the art minted on the app, which Racer describes as low production quality, often in-progress, and an extension of the \u201cunderappreciated ethos\u201d.<\/p>\n Activity on the Stealcam may have cooled a little in recent weeks, but Racer and Shrimp plan to expand Stealcam further by offering workarounds to crypto wallets so any artist can join. Next, Racer hopes to launch adjacent projects that tie in text, audio, or social media profiles with similar dynamics.<\/p>\n \u201cGamification,\u201d said Racer, \u201cis the vibe.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Stealcam](\"https:\/\/news.artnet.com\/app\/news-upload\/2023\/05\/dunescape6.1-1024x1024.jpg\")
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