‘Tiger King’ star and convicted animal abuser Joe Exotic to launch NFT from prison

The nonfungible token industry isn’t over yet, as Tiger King star Joe Exotic is set to launch his own NFT drop from prison, with some external assistance.

New York-founded cryptocurrency club More announced Tuesday its foray into the celebrity NFT space with an auction on behalf of former zoo operator and TV star Joseph Maldonado-Passage, known professionally as Joe Exotic.

With the support of Rozenfeld Meyer & Susman entertainment attorney Brad Small, the convicted animal abuser plans to sell some of his belongings alongside digital items and tokens from a federal prison in Fort Worth, TX. The physical items include Maldonado-Passage’s favorite pistol and holster, jackets frequently worn on the Tiger King series, and authentic audio recordings from prison.

Starting Friday, the public can bid on the “Official Tiger King NFT” auction, which will be hosted on major nonfungible token marketplace Mintable. The auction winners will acquire physical items with authentication papers and 3D digital models of each tangible collectible.

“The Tiger King” was convicted of multiple felonies, among them murder-for-hire and violating laws protecting endangered species. Maldonado-Passage killed five tigers to make room for other cats at his petting zoo in Oklahoma. He was also convicted for soliciting two hitmen to kill his sworn enemy, animal sanctuary owner Carole Baskin. 

According to National Geographic, Maldonado-Passage even attempted to broker the illegal sale of lion cubs on the telephone as he was awaiting trial in Grady County Jail. 

Maldonado-Passage views the NFT drop as a chance to give back to his loyal fan base. “It’s great to have a voice via blockchain technology and I’m honored to be the first to kickoff MORE’s celebrity NFTs,” he said, adding, “Whether you love me or hate me for what you think I’ve done, there’s no doubt that everyone wants a piece of The Tiger King!”

More CEO and founder Peter Klamka said that the initiative will help the firm drive the mainstream adoption of blockchain technology, noting that the NFT industry provides people with access to authentic unique goods that they would otherwise not be able to access. “There’s no better way to engage the mainstream in blockchain technology than to tie in familiar faces and names,” Klamka noted.

 More did not immediately respond to Cointelegraph’s request for comment.