{"id":82366,"date":"2023-11-08T23:58:09","date_gmt":"2023-11-09T04:58:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ifintechworld.com\/investing\/fluorescent-paint-uv-light-at-bored-ape-nft-event-examined-as-cause-of-attendees-eye-pain\/"},"modified":"2023-11-08T23:58:13","modified_gmt":"2023-11-09T04:58:13","slug":"fluorescent-paint-uv-light-at-bored-ape-nft-event-examined-as-cause-of-attendees-eye-pain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ifintechworld.com\/?p=82366","title":{"rendered":"Fluorescent paint, UV light at Bored Ape NFT event\u00a0examined as cause of attendees\u2019 eye pain"},"content":{"rendered":"
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At least 15 guests who attended a Bored Ape NFT event have reported suffering pain and burning in their eyes, which some of them are blaming on the fest\u2019s bright lighting.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Yuga Labs, the blockchain company that hosted the \u201cApeFest\u201d event in Hong Kong, confirmed that several guests have complained of eye discomfort and vision problems following the celebration of the Bored Ape Yacht Club\u2019s non-fungible tokens collection (aka NFTs) over the weekend.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u201cWe suggest that anyone experiencing symptoms seek medical attention, a Yuga Labs spokesperson told MarketWatch on Tuesday. \u201cRight now, we are continuing investigating alongside our ApeFest vendors and contractors to identify the potential source(s) of these issues.\u00a0At this point we\u2019re looking into fluorescent paint in one of our setup areas, and most definitely looking at UV light.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yuga Labs added that it\u2019s launched an investigation to find the root cause, adding that a relatively small number of guests were affected. \u201cBased on our estimates, the 15 people we\u2019ve been in direct communication with so far represent less than 1% of the approximately 2,250 event attendees and staff at our Saturday night event,\u201d they said. \u201cWe are not in a position to confirm the cause or speculate on how we\u2019ll avoid it in the future, until the investigation is complete.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

ApeFest advertised hosting \u201cchill hangs\u201d and \u201cmeetups and mayhem\u201d on its website. The event gave special discounts to Bored Ape owners, and featured live music and screens showcasing several Bored Ape NFTs.<\/p>\n

But afterward, several people who claimed to have attended the event posted on X, formerly Twitter, to vent about their eye issues.<\/p>\n

\u201cI woke up at 04:00 and couldn\u2019t see anymore,\u201d tweeted @CryptoJune777<\/a>. \u201cHad so much pain and my whole skin is burned. Needed to go to the hospital.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another user claimed to have spent more than six hours and roughly $380 at an eye center to treat their pain, which medical professionals diagnosed as photokeratitis, a condition that occurs when eyes are exposed to an abundance of ultraviolet light, according to the College of Optometrists, a medical body that provides guidance for optometry.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Photokeratitis symptoms will typically go away on their own and there is usually no permanent damage, the optometry group\u2019s website explains.<\/p>\n

See also: <\/strong>How bitcoin\u2019s next rally could carry it past $40,000<\/p>\n

The Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT collection includes 10,000 digital art pieces. The project launched in 2021 during the height of the NFT craze, and scored major purchases from celebrities including Justin Beiber, Snoop Dogg and Jimmy Fallon.<\/p>\n

But since then, prices for the Bored Apes digital collectibles have plummeted. The floor price of Bored Apes NFTS dropped below 28 ETH, or about $53,000 on several occasions in the past few months, according to data analytics platform CoinGecko.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s well below when the Bored Ape project topped at a floor price of 153.7 ETH, or about $430,000, in April 2022, per CoinGecko.<\/p>\n

Sara Gherghelas, a blockchain analyst at DappRadar, told MarketWatch\u2019s Anushree Dave in July that part of the reason that the Bored Ape project, and the NFT market in general, has dried up recently is due to broader market conditions, a so-called crypto winter, as well as an overall decline in enthusiasm for digital art.<\/p>\n

From the archives (2022): <\/strong>Opinion: Don\u2019t dismiss Bored Apes \u2014 NFTs could turn out to be a practical platform for sales and smart contracts<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n