Cyber Rhino Squad (CRS), a new conservation program, blends blockchain technology with wildlife protection. The goal of the Swiss program is to create a community of supporters who love art and wish to assist species conservation by using Non-FungibleTokens (NFT) — unchangeable digital certificates.
“Our idea is to work with strong NGOs such as Keep Nature Alive from Germany, the Wildlife Conservation Network from the USA, and other NGOs in Africa to support sustainable species conservation with the help of the international community,” says Lucas Pennewiss, founder of Cyber Rhino Squad.
“Protecting biodiversity concerns us all, and if you can also combine this important goal with offbeat art, it’s a perfect outcome for the community, for species conservation and for us,” says Raul Mächler, the Co-founder of Cyber Rhino Squad.
CRS’s first NFT collection will include 6,000 rhinos, two of which are particularly noteworthy, representing the only two northern white rhinos on the globe – mother and daughter: Najin and Fatu.
“The international BioRescue consortium is made up of scientists and conservationists working very hard and running against time to save this ecologically important species,” explains Steven Seet, scientific member of BioRescue and CEO of Keep Nature Alive.
Reasons for the conservation
Since 1965, rhinos have been on the Red List of Threatened Species. They have shown to be a unique animal species throughout the course of 50 million years, and they are among the umbrella species that are critical for other species and an entire ecosystem. Rhinos were formerly common throughout Asia and Africa, but their numbers are rapidly dwindling, with about 23,000 rhinos left on the planet. Apart from land use disputes and habitat damage, illegal hunting is the primary driver of the rhino population decline. A rhino horn is worth more than gold on the underground market.
“Anyone who purchases a Cyber Rhino Squad NFT not only acquires a fascinating work of art from a famous artist, but also makes an active contribution to global species conservation and, in this particular case, to the protection of rhinos. Cyber Rhino Squad’s main goal is to help prevent the extinction of the northern white rhino and to double the population by 2030. To this end, a share of the sales proceeds will be donated to www.BioRescue.org for support.” says Mächler.
Each rhino NFT by Cyber Rhino Squad is unique and a collector’s item with a wide variety of feature combinations. The current collection was created by the sought-after Polish artist Damian Augustyniak. Among other things, he has become known as the creator of GuzikArt. Augustyniak has already worked for famous musicians such as Joey Ramone of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band “Ramones”, but also for bands such as Slayer, Sabaton, Exodus, Party Cannon, Ankor, and many more. He has also worked on other NFT projects such as “Wicked Apes Bone Club”, making him one of the most sought-after and respected artists in the NFT world.
The 6,000 individual pieces, unlike most other NFT collections, come with full commercial rights of usage. Furthermore, customers are permitted to take part in virtual animal excursions in the Metaverse. The Metaverse is a Web 3.0 feature that allows users to travel around in digital environments to share experiences, learn new things, and even make trades. The number 6,000 reflects the weight of the white rhino, which is the strongest and largest rhino species. This species, after the elephant, is the second-largest land mammal, weighing up to 6,000 pounds.
The “Swiss guys” want to do it right, so they’ve applied for membership in the Blockchain Conservation Consortium, which ensures that NFT-initiatives follow an ethical code that ensures that the company acts sustainably and continuously reduces its carbon footprint while compensating it in an evidence-based manner through an auditing program.