--- title: "David Bowie’s Estate Has a Very Believable Excuse for Nixing Its Hated NFT Project" description: "Good Riddance The estate of David Bowie has a very good and timely excuse for shucking its widely-derided non-fungible token (NFT) line, thank you very much. Over the weekend, the \"Ziggy Stardust\" legend's estate tweeted that it would be \"postponing\" its forthcoming NFT collection, \"Bowie on the Blockchain,\" out of respect for the late Queen […]" date: "2022-09-12" modified: "2022-09-12" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/david-bowie-nfts-postponed" categories: - "Blockchain" - "Future Society" - "NFTs" tags: - "crypto" - "david bowie" - "nfts" - "queen elizabeth ii" - "the blockchain" - "the digest" --- # David Bowie’s Estate Has a Very Believable Excuse for Nixing Its Hated NFT Project ![The estate of David Bowie is canceling its much-derided NFT project because of the death of another famous Brit — but there's some issues with their gambit.]() *\Image: Michael Putland/Getty Images\* ## Ashes to Ashes The estate of David Bowie has a very believable and timely excuse for shucking its [widely-derided non-fungible token]() (NFT) line, thank you very much. Over the weekend, the "Ziggy Stardust" legend's [estate tweeted]() that it would be "postponing" its forthcoming NFT collection, "Bowie on the Blockchain," out of respect for the late Queen Elizabeth II, who died Friday at the age of 96. "We will update soon," the posthumous @DavidBowieReal account posted. ## Afraid of Americans There's a number of issues with this announcement — not least of which that the collection announcement was [hurriedly deleted on September 6](), a good three days before the Queen's death, and following major backlash from fans. Beyond the convenient timing, however, is the inconvenient truth that there was no love lost between the Thin White Duke and the House of Windsor. In fact, Bowie [twice rejected the late monarch's offers to be knighted](). "I would never have any intention of accepting anything like that," [Bowie told *The Sun* tabloid]() after his second time rejecting an offer to become a Commander of the Order of the British Empire. "I seriously don’t know what it’s for. It’s not what I spent my life working for... but it’s just not for me." When asked if he'd rejected knighthood because of issues with the crown or the British empire, Bowie demurred. "Am I anti-monarchy? I'd only have a serious answer to that if I was living in this country," the glam rock pioneer answered. ## Cat People In spite of his rejection of the title [accepted by]() — [or at least offered to]() — most British rock stars, Bowie's legacy was also leveraged to honor the Queen after punk icon Toyah Wilson and King Crimson founder Robert Wilcox [dedicated a home-recorded cover of "Heroes" to her late majesty](). The whole thing is incredibly cringe, of course — but not all that much more cringe than the disgraceful NFT collection itself. **More crypto crap:** [*Crypto Guy: Desperately Poor People Could Be NPCs in Video Games*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()