Bart, who doesn’t believe in souls, sells his to Milhouse for $5 in the Simpsons episode Bart Sells His Soul, only to regret it later and be unable to reclaim it. When Bart gets to eat the tangible piece of paper on which he inscribed “Bart Simpson’s Soul,” the drama comes to a climax. A straightforward solution, but how do you reclaim your soul after selling it as a non-fungible token (NFT)? We may soon find out, as the cryptocurrency-NFT chapters of humanity’s journey from the light have officially entered the “selling my soul” phase.
Stijn van Schaik, a 21-year-old Hague art academy student, has put the “soul” up for sale as a digital artwork on the NFT market, according to Crypto Insiders. If you’re looking for a backup (or replacement) soul, it’s available for purchase on OpenSea under the name “Soul of Stinus.” Van Schaik writes, “Hello individual, you are currently staring at a soul.” “For the time being, it is mine.” Who knows what will happen after it is fully uploaded to the blockchain. What does it mean to have a decentralized soul? Let us investigate.”
NFTs are a contentious art form that represents a “one-of-a-kind” digital product that can only be held by one person, despite the fact that all of that can be changed with a quick Right Click + save. Its one thing to copy and paste someone’s favorite ape illustration (or to believe you’ve bought the Dune rights), but what if numerous people duplicate a single NFT?
Is Van Schaik on the verge of creating the world’s first digital horcrux? The Simpsons may have unknowingly anticipated the future once again, as the new owner of Schaik’s soul, like Milhouse when he sold Bart’s soul to Comic Book Guy, is free to sell it on. In a “selling of soul agreement,” Van Shaik has written out a few criteria for which the soul can be sold to, as well as specifics on fair use of sacrifices.
“Examples of Soul uses that would be permissible under these terms include (but are not limited to)…Sacrificing or offering said Soul, in whole or in part, to any deity or spiritual entity,” Van Shaik said. Aside from the blasphemy, Van Schaik’s soul has only received one bid, valuing the NFT at 0.1 Ethereum ($378). So, do you have any spares? If you’re still a little rusty on the odd new world of cryptocurrencies and NFTs, you can learn more about how they’re prone to rampant plagiarism here and here.
