The primary recognized case of a non-fungible token (NFT) created and shared by a “terrorist sympathizer” has come to gentle, elevating issues that the immutable nature of blockchain expertise might assist unfold terrorist messages and propaganda.
In a Sunday article in The Wall Avenue Journal (WSJ), intelligence consultants stated the NFT could possibly be an indication that Islamic State and different terrorist teams might also be utilizing blockchain expertise to avoid sanctions and lift funds for his or her terror campaigns.
The NFT in query was reportedly noticed by Raphael Gluck, co-founder of US-based analysis agency Jihadoscope, who discovered the NFT by means of ISIS-friendly social media accounts.
Dubbed IS-NEWS #01, the digital token is claimed to be a picture bearing the Islamic State emblem with textual content praising Afghanistan-based Islamic militants for attacking a Taliban place.
Mario Cosby, a former federal intelligence analyst specializing in blockchain currencies, stated the person created two extra NFTs on Aug. 26: one depicts an Islamic State fighter instructing college students to make explosives and the opposite condemns smoking cigarettes.
A screenshot of IS-NEWS #01 NFT (left). Supply: The Wall Avenue Journal
The analysts stated it could possibly be an indication that terrorist teams might use the rising expertise to unfold their message and take a look at new funding methods.
“It’s totally a lot an experiment […] Discovering methods to make content material indestructible,” says Gluck.
The digital token was reportedly listed on NFT market OpenSea, however the firm rapidly delisted and closed the poster’s account, citing a “zero-tolerance coverage on inciting hatred and violence.”
The trio of NFTs have been additionally reportedly current on NFT market Rarible and several other others earlier than it was shut down.
Whereas not one of the NFTs seem to have been traded, Cosby says the existence of the tokens is a priority as a result of “it is as censorship-proof because it will get,” including:
“There’s probably not something anybody can do to truly flip off this NFT.”
Safety consultants have beforehand expressed concern in regards to the future potential for terrorists to make use of new applied sciences and markets, together with NFTs, to fund assaults.
In February, the US Treasury launched a research that highlighted the expansion of the NFTs market as a possible space of concern.
In March, Israeli authorities seized a set of 30 crypto wallets from 12 alternate accounts linked to Hamas, a militant group primarily based within the Gaza Strip.
Associated: Terrorists are nonetheless elevating cash by means of crypto, however the influence is restricted
Final April, Matthew Levitt, director of the Jeanette and Eli Reinhard Program on Counterterrorism and Intelligence on the Washington Institute for Close to East Coverage, instructed Cointelegraph that whereas crypto has been linked to a number of terrorist financing instances, “it hasn’t made it right into a main one but.” has turn out to be a way of terrorist financing”.