An NFT auction initiated by Independent Reserve, which aims to raise funds for the Sydney Children’s Hospital Foundation (SCHF), is happening this week.
SYDNEY, June 8⸻ Commissioned by Sydney-based cryptocurrency exchange, Independent Reserve, a charity auction for an NFT artwork by the Australian digital artist Hipworth has opened for public bidding at MakersPlace.
All proceeds raised from the sale of the single edition NFT will be donated to the Sydney Children’s Hospital Foundation (SCHF), which holds its exclusive annual fundraising event, the Gold Dinner, this Thursday, 10 June.
Gold Dinner’s highlight
Titled “QUEEN,” the NFT is the only Gold Dinner auction item that has been opened to the public, allowing anyone around the world to bid on it in the lead-up to the event.
QUEEN is minted & will be auctioned live @ Sydney’s biggest #charity event The Gold Dinner Gala June 10 with all proceeds donated to the Sydney Children’s Hospital. Offers can be placed leading up to the event. 😊#nft #nftart #cryptoart #charityevent https://t.co/5PnMcLEqcD pic.twitter.com/b6b1yM3EnA
— Hipworth (@hipworth_) June 3, 2021
Under normal circumstances, charity auction items would only be open to bids from those attending the event, which is a who’s who of Sydney’s wealthiest and most influential philanthropists. The auction finishes Thursday with the winner, in or out of the room, announced at the Gold Dinner.
“Everyone is talking about NFTs right now, and we are thrilled to have an extremely talented artist, Hipworth, to be contributing his time, effort, and vision to this project,” said Adrian Przelozny, CEO of Independent Reserve.
“The potential of the digital art space has captured the imagination of those in the traditional art world and the crypto community alike, so the top bid could easily come from either sphere,” said Przelozny. “The winner will not only walk away with a priceless NFT to add to their collection, but they will also be providing a solid contribution to the future of the SCHF.”
NFTs have attracted global attention from the traditional art world for their high price tags. In March 2021, an NFT titled “Everydays” by the digital artist Beeple sold for $69mil at a Christie’s auction, making it the third most expensive piece of art ever sold by a living artist.
Independent Reserve leading the significant cause
In addition to commissioning the NFT artwork’s creation, Independent Reserve also donated Bitcoin to the cause and has rallied the global crypto community to do the same.
Since providing the ability to make donations in crypto via their website, the cryptocurrency exchange has raised thousands of dollars from the wider community.
“Independent Reserve is proud to have donated bitcoin to this worthy cause and to have helped the Gold Dinner conduct their first-ever NFT auction,” said Przelozny.
We're donating $30,000 in Bitcoin to Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation (SCHF) and would love for you and the #crypto community to join us in raising for this amazing cause.
Please donate today at https://t.co/vENnVnkbKk#fundraising #cryptocurrencies #Bitcoin #Ethereum pic.twitter.com/LCVce9J46r
— Independent Reserve (@indepreserve) May 27, 2021
With Przelozny adding that he was quietly confident that the crypto community would back his appeal, he shared that the crypto market cap has increased significantly this year. Those who can encourage them to generously support the vital work of the Sydney Children’s Hospital.
“SCHF’s Gold committee has taken a forward-looking move in accepting donations in crypto, which underscores the commitment of the Sydney Children’s Hospital to technology and innovation. As more and more Australians increase their trust and confidence in digital assets, I’m sure this will be a more common occurrence in the future,” said Przelozny.
Australians are not strangers to the idea of raising money for charity through crypto donations and NFT auctions. In March 2020, an NFT race car for the videogame F1 Delta Time was sold for 51 wrapped ether (wETH) to assist relief efforts for the catastrophic bushfires of mid-2019.
Other prizes available for auction
Gold Dinner’s other prizes available for auction includes experience packages with Crown Sydney and Crown Melbourne, each valued at $85,000 and $60,000 respectively; a new kitchen or bathroom valued up to $100,000 from luxury Italian designer, Boffi; a $20,000 Alex Perry wardrobe including a meet and fitting with the designer himself; a surfing retreat with world-class surfer Tom Carroll valued at $13,000; an all-inclusive vacation to Lizard Island on Queensland’s Great Barrier Reef valued at $12,000; and an at-home private chef experience with celebrated Sydney restaurateur Jonathan Barthelmess of The Apollo Group, valued at $5000.
Public bids for the NFT artwork by Hipworth must be placed at the following link before 7:00PM Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST) on Thursday, 10 June 2021: https://makersplace.com/hipworth/queen-1-of-1-69436/
Donations to SCHF can be made in cryptocurrency at the following link: https://www.independentreserve.com/schf
For further information and media enquiries, please contact:
Helen MCCOMBIE
Citadel-MAGNUS +61 2 8234 0103 |
Alexandra ABEYRATNE
Citadel-MAGNUS +61 438 380 057 |
About ‘Gold Dinner’
First held in 1997, Gold Dinner is regarded as the signature charity event in Australia. Its philanthropic vision has raised over $30 million over the last 22 years for sick kids in urgent need of tomorrow’s care today. Funds have helped vital support projects such as The Centre for Clinical Genetics, Palliative Care, and research into rare diseases.
About Independent Reserve
Independent Reserve, established in 2013, is Australia’s most trusted cryptocurrency order book exchange and OTC trading desk. Over 200,000 customers from Australia, Singapore, and New Zealand trust Independent Reserve to easily buy and sell Bitcoin, XRP, Ethereum, and other major cryptocurrencies.
The company offers a range of innovative features, including insurance on crypto assets, AutoTrader, KPMG tax estimator, API integration,, and world-class security.
Who is Hipworth?
Hipworth is an artist with mesmerizing style who has been a force within the crypto art and NFT community from the early beginnings. He has sold his pieces on MakersPlace, Nifty Gateway, SuperRare, BlockParty and has also been featured in some of the worldʼs first physical and virtual NFT exhibitions, including Future Art (Sydney) and Virtual Niche (Beijing).
Throughout his career,, he has teamed up with and received commissions from global brands such as Redbull, Amnesia Ibiza, Carl Cox, Opera Victoria, and Pioneer DJ, to name a few.
His method includes collage, illustration, graphic design, VR Sculpting, 3D, Augmented Reality, and animation. He combines rich textured landscapes that explore the human condition juxtaposed by surreal and majestic settings.
About Makersplace
Powered by blockchain technology, MakersPlace is an authentic and unique digital creation platform for digital creators. The company enables creators to protect and sell original and special editions of digital creations. The company connects creators with fans and collectors worldwide through a marketplace and network of partners.
Creators can sign and set a limited supply on the work while delivering proof of authenticity, ownership. and scarcity on the blockchain. With MakersPlace, creators can better capture the total underlying value of the digital work. MakersPlace was founded in 2016 and is based in San Francisco, California.
Image courtesy of Cointelegraph News/YouTube