2021 was the year every celebrity tried to sell you a JPEG. From Paris Hilton to Jimmy Fallon to Snoop Dogg, the NFT (Non-Fungible Token) craze swept through pop media. The Bored Ape Yacht Club became a status symbol. While mainstream outlets tried to explain the technology, the prevailing popular narrative was one of confusion, ridicule (e.g., The Onion ’s relentless satire), and suspicion of environmental damage.