I’ll never forget the first time that we met Nandar in Yangon in 2021. Her lips curled into a smile as she buzzed with excitement explaining her vision. NFTs would democratize the art world in Myanmar, allowing artists to market directly to collectors around the world, without established gallery gatekeepers. Lastly, artists hailing from Southeast Asia – countries that are historically ignored, marginalized and underappreciated – would finally get their due. I believed it too. We all did.

Then the CloneX Cloudflare fiasco happened. And just like that, that shiny promise lost some of its sheen, if not all of it.

Centralization Still Reigns Supreme?

Let's be real: the CloneX incident, where the art associated with these NFTs vanished due to a Cloudflare terms of service violation, isn't just a technical glitch. It's a symptom of a much deeper problem: the persistence of centralization within a supposedly decentralized ecosystem. RTFKT’s Head of Tech cited a poorly timed decision to switch to a free Cloudflare plan. Whether it's billing issues or technical hiccups, the fact remains: a single centralized entity, Cloudflare, held the keys to accessing the art associated with thousands of NFTs.

Imagine what that would mean for an artist living in Cambodia. After months of work, they poured their heart and soul into creating this digital masterpiece, minted it as an NFT and then watched it disappear because of a Cloudflare error. That's not empowerment; that's digital feudalism. It's like having your gallery locked up because you didn't pay the building's internet bill.

It is ironic, isn't it? We talk a lot about decentralization, but a large part of the Web3 infrastructure is still dependent on these centralized behemoths. It's like building a house on quicksand.

Resource Disparity Amplifies the Damage

RTFKT, which is wholly owned by Nike, has an unmatched depth of resources at their disposal. The typical emerging artist in Southeast Asia has precious little support. RTFKT has the team and the money to build out this process over time and eventually move to a more decentralized storage solution like Arweave. For them, the storm can’t touch them, even if their floor price dropped. What about Nandar's friends in Yangon? They don't have that luxury.

Many artists in Southeast Asia are already facing significant hurdles: limited access to reliable internet, lack of funding for marketing and promotion, and a general lack of awareness about Web3 technologies. The CloneX debacle illustrates a cruel reality: even if they manage to overcome these obstacles and mint an NFT, they are still vulnerable to the whims of centralized entities.

This isn't just about the art. It is about the fundamental promise of Web3: to level the playing field and democratize access to opportunity. When centralized services can unilaterally censor or disrupt access to NFTs, that promise rings hollow, especially for those who need it most.

  • Issue: Centralized dependencies in Web3 infrastructure.
  • Impact: Disproportionately affects emerging artists with limited resources.
  • Solution: Advocate for decentralized storage and more inclusive governance models.

Beyond the Hype, Build Real Access

Let’s cut through the hype. Let’s work together to create a more equitable, inclusive Web3 that can realize the fullest potential of decentralization and empowerment. This means:

  • Prioritizing decentralized infrastructure: Support projects like Arweave that offer censorship-resistant storage solutions. Push NFT platforms to adopt these technologies as standard practice.
  • Promoting education and awareness: Educate artists about the risks of centralized dependencies and provide them with the tools and knowledge to make informed decisions.
  • Demanding transparency and accountability: Hold NFT projects accountable for their infrastructure choices. Demand that they disclose their dependencies and have contingency plans in place to mitigate the risks of centralization.
  • Supporting inclusive governance models: Advocate for governance structures that give a voice to diverse communities, including artists from emerging markets.

RTFKT's planned move to Arweave is a step in the right direction, but it's not enough. They, and other major NFT projects, need to actively engage with and support emerging artists from Southeast Asia to rebuild trust and demonstrate a genuine commitment to inclusivity.

I encourage you to advocate for projects that make Web3 more accessible and empower new and diverse artists to participate. Force NFT projects to be more transparent and accountable. Together, we can ensure that Web3 becomes an ecosystem where people everywhere—with opportunity and talent, wherever they are—have an equitable opportunity to succeed. Otherwise, we’re merely recreating a newer iteration of the same ancient system of gatekeeping.