Thanks for all the comments on this video. I thought I would respond with a couple thoughts and then NEVER make another NFT video again :) 1. I wasn't paid to make this // The examples I share were meant to illustrate the utility of NFTs. I think NFTs are here to stay and far too many people are buying ones with zero utility. I simply wanted to address that and warn others. 2. I'm Not Shilling for NFTs // I say in the video that you shouldn't buy something just because someone else says its cool. I also say that you shouldn't buy something that doesn't provide you value. My examples were meant to draw a comparison between useful NFTs and useless NFTs. I talked about winning a Nintendo Switch and now I realize that feels awkward and promotional. I regret including that. 3. NFTs Have an Environmental Impact // It's true. Blockchain transactions consume a lot of energy. I didn't mention this because my video was meant to focus on utility and scams. In hindsight, I should have. I am encouraged by the attempts to reduce energy consumption in NFTs, though. For example, the NBA and Defi Kingdoms examples are running on a "proof-of-stake" model that uses 99.9% less energy than the typical "proof-of-work" model. I won't go into detail but you can look up the difference if you're interested. All industries MUST get cleaner if they want to have a future. I know some people appreciate the explanation I give here so I've decided FOR NOW to leave this video up and keep this comment pinned. Some subscribers feel like this is out of place for a channel dedicated to scam-baiting....and I get that. I'll be taking extra time to make sure the content I upload is in line with what you've come to expect from me. Thanks again for all the feedback. -Ben

Best way to avoid an NFT scam is to just not "invest" in them

They sound like the biggest scam ever. What a joke paying for a digital image, I don't care what supposed value it might have it is still a scam to me

This felt like an ad, don't join the scams that you fight against

You were supposed to destroy the scammers, not join them!

NFTs arent even proof of ownership. Its proof you paid someone, who likely doesnt even have the rights to the original image, to get a receipt that you paid for the right to CLAIM you own it. And the amount of stolen art being sold as NFTs without permission from the artists is insane. So now they are being used to sell art, they dont even own, for profit that should go to the artist. Not to mention how energy inefficient each transaction is and the fact that "energy efficient" blockchain tech is as much an oxymoron as "clean" coal burning. The whole thing needs to crash and burn, and I cant wait for the day it does.

Disagree 100% with this video. Everything you spoke about supporting content can already be done via patreon or other methods, the effect of NFTs on the environment and the MESS they cause legally are just not worth it. All of the things they claim they can exclusively do or provide can already be done via more suitable means.

Short answer to your question: yes, yes they are a scam . Edit: I appreciate you changing the title.

I still think that NFTs are a bunch of crap, and no-one can change my mind

NFT's are basically CS-GO skins, but they have no purpose other than people thinking they may sell for more later. The truth is, anyone can make a NFT, and anyone who does is bound to make a ton of money. Anyone who sells NFT's is a scammer, even if it's a real site.

I'm a big fan but sorry, no. 1- I've been around quite a few people who work with NFTs and the prime reason people buy them is to then resell them and "get rich", which isnt a given and lots of people lose their money. If they really just want to collect the art and keep it, sure thing, cool. Problem being, buying an NFT does not equal buying the artwork. You buy the proof of transaction, and have no ownership over the actual image. 2 - People say it's the "future of digital art" because "anybody can see who owns the piece". I have seen these apes COUNTLESS times and not once have i heard of whoever made them in the first place. Not to mention that most of these generic NFTs are lirerally GENERATED images, made to sell as many as possible. 3- Completely failed to mention the environmental impact of these transactions. Sure, that's not my main focus either, but something that's just "collectibles" should not be wasting that much energy, and anybody promoting NFTs failing to mention that is a no go :) 4- I'm a Digital Artist. 99% of digital artists i know are strictly against NFTs. Why, if the artists are the ones to profit? We're aware that people buying NFTs are not in for the artwork, and we do not want to sell our hard work to people who just want to own them so they can make more money off of them. But the biggest reason - Art theft. I see SO many artists getting their works stolen and then sold as NFTs against their permission. I can look up some of my favorite Artists on sites like opensea right now and find some of their works on there, sold by 3rd parties who do. not. own. the art. NFTs are a massive problem to the digital art industry. They're not environmentally friendly and serve no other purpose than Money Laundering. I can assure you none of the people obsessed with NFTs would be spending THAT much money to actually commission and pay artists directly to create a cool and unique image for them.

Feels like I’m being sold something. Makes me uncomfortable. Makes me believe NFTs are scams.

I guess I am getting old, but I will just keep collecting real art that I can hang on my wall or display in my curios cabinet at home.

Very disappointed that you’re speaking so positively about this bs man. No way you’re falling for a scam while trying to fight against scams

NFT is like spending hundreds of millions on the Mona Lisa just to be still on the Museum for everyone to see.

Gotta love how you ignored talking about the rampant art theft (of which my sister is a victim), pump and dumps, and the major environmental impact of NFTs and crypto in general. You yourself admitted in the video that most NFTs will be worthless down the line, so why encourage anyone to buy at all? Not to mention the fact that if any of the websites/projects producing NFTs shut down/disappear from the web you no longer have access to the NFTs, since all you're really getting is a link to a webpage. Whatever the blockchain says, if OpenSea were to shut down those NFTs are gone and so is your money. There is no physical value, and thus no stability. If the Beanie Baby market crashes, you at least still have the physical Beanie Babies you purchased. You may not make your money back, but they still have value as toys to kids. But if the company running that video game you talked about goes under, what value do those NFTs have anymore? What actual utility do they have outside of that game? None! I'm honestly surprised you can't seem to recognize an obvious Ponzi scheme when you see one, especially after dealing with so many different scammers in your videos. Actually the best comparison I've heard is the Own a Star scam. You pick out a star in the sky and pay someone to send you a certificate that says you now "own" a star. The only proof is that certificate, which means if anything happens to it you've lost your money while the person you paid is laughing to the bank. There's also nothing stopping that person from selling an identical certificate to someone else (a scam I've seen happen several times with NFTs lately as well). Try to argue the star is yours in court? You'd get laughed out of the courtroom because you can't actually own a star. NFTs are the new Own a Star scam, except with far more on the line both financially and environmentally. I am extremely disappointed in the lack of research for this video, which you've made sound more like an advertisement than an actual fair assessment. Considering you own a few NFTs yourself, I guess I shouldn't be surprised at your obvious bias. You've lost a subscriber in me, Pleasant Green. Here's hoping you won't be left holding the bag when all is said and done.

The big problem with NFTs is that you're not really buying the asset, you're buying a receipt on a big list that says you own the asset. From there it's up to whoever holds that asset to decide what rights you have from it, and more often than not that's a good word or nothing. NFTs in games or as a form of project fundraising like you've shown are fun ideas, but with games you're buying into something where the utility is still limited and controlled by a publisher who can pull the plug whenever they feel like it. I agree though that if you think a project is worth the investment then there's no reason you shouldn't, the informed buyer is the best sort of buyer after all.

Yup they are a scam but it's *screenshot worthy*

Pleasant Green, I like you and you’re genuinely a really nice guy but, there are many more harmful impacts that NFTs had that you didn’t mention. Many people use NFTs to steal other people’s art work and try to sell it as their own without the creator knowing. I’ve had some friends who have been a victim of art theft and it’s not cool. Many other people in the comments have brought up the environmental impact of them and the fact they take a ton of energy to produce. It’s also the reason why many computer parts have been going up in price since many of these crypto miners have been buying up graphics cards. If you do still support NFTs and fully understand the impact that they have, that’s fine, it’s your choice. But, taking all that into consideration I personally don’t feel comfortable associating myself with them.

NFTs are just ownership of links to jpegs

I feel like this is one giant ad for NFTs.

NFT in short, is another way for you to become little exploiters, just like the big exploiters. Call it for what it is.

The trouble with an example like this Defi Kingdoms thing (which sounded almost like they were sponsoring the video) is that nothing they are doing couldn't also be done without NFTs and without the shocking environmental impact of NFTs.

I am a fan of physical media/mediums... digital assets mean nothing to me, and like some digital assets such as movies and video games, your rights can be pulled out from under you without notice. Now NFT is not quite the same thing, but I think it’s really dumb to purchase. Though, I wouldn’t mind selling them. 🤣

I guess youtube taking away the dislike counter makes some creators brave.

Yeah but unlike trading cards a massive world wide powercut can wipe out all NFTs, it’s a volatile piece of art that can literally disappear depending on circumstances

As PT Barnum said, "There's a sucker born every minute."

Why is no one talking about the obvious? NFT's are a great way to launder money.

Honestly why even waste money on NFT’s when you could commission an artist and get actual good art??? Never understood that tbh

NFT's are also a great way to launder money. Gone are the days of having to decide where to put that big pile of illegally owned cash. Now with just a couple of clicks, you can own millions of dollars of legal "art" and resell them at a premium whenever you please.

So, this was pretty much an infomercial for NFTs

3:20 nfts for games does not make any sense either. You still have to rely on the game developer to keep the game going for your nft not to be useless. And if you are gonna rely on the game developers, why not just have your item ownerships stored in their database like normally, instead of having it on the blockchain. I have no clue how this should provide any value at all to these ingame items

Oh, so this is just an unmarked ad for the NFT projects that you hold a stake in disguised as a regular video. That's disgusting man.

Im really worried about the recent trend within gaming with NFTs. Konami just announced, with the 35th anniversary of Castlevania, that they're getting into the NFT market. SquareEnix said on their Jan 1st blog they want to start using it for gaming. That gaming is going to start being 'play to earn' or even more 'pay to play to earn' - basically a second job for most people just to 'enjoy' a game they like. Online gaming already has a ton of FOMO moments with gear or mounts or whatever - and now it would seem that you could miss out and not have opportunities to get unique items if you're not doing the NFTs or you're not constantly playing. Or you're having to pay more money into a game just to have that one unique special item that NO ONE else can have. I fear its going to break communities, it's going to make whales (people with too much time/money/both who spend insane amounts of real money to buy digital goods in-game) more valuable than they already are to companies, and well your average player who works but still wants to game are just going to be lost in the mix. Any thoughts on gaming and NFTs?

Never thought I'd see the day Pleasant Green would try to sell us a scam...

There's one key difference between beanie babies and NFTs: beanie babies technically exist

Digital scarcity is just stupid, this goes against all the benefits what the digital age can offer. And everything what is shown in games can be done without any blockchain NFT crap.

You forgot to mention how they use a TON of power doing the processing and how it fucked over the country of Kazakhstan. There also is a huge shortage on capture cards because they're being used for this so people can't get them for work/play. Also a TON of artists are getting ripped off, people will steal the art, make it an nft and post it to like openseas or something. And openseas has stopped taking people's requests to take down the stolen art so now it's a big runaround to get it taken care of. If you really want some one of a kind art just get a commission. There's honestly more cons then pros to all of this and it's kinda sad to see you try to push it without going over ALL that's going on with it.

...Or maybe you could just commission a really cool original art piece directly from an artist and have a nice original one of a kind thing as well as supporting an artist directly instead of contributing to the pyramid scheme/money laundering game...

NFTS are a huge bubble. I feel bad for anyone who gets tricked into buying them this late

Thank you for the explanation (and the awesome clips!) Unfortunately, I still think NFTs are stupid and a waste of money. Instead, people should put that money towards their savings or retirement!

Was this whole video a AD?

I cannot believe you, of all people, have made this video. This is clearly just a sponsored video dressed up as something else.

I think NFTs are fucking stupid. Sure some of the designs are cool but usually it's stolen artwork to be sold. I hate NFTs because it seems its all stolen art.

One major thing that was missed is that the blockchain only has the URL to the image not the image itself. so the person that owns/hosts the image can change it at anytime and because the blockchain is permanent that url is permanent and nothing can be updated. The “certificate of authenticity” is not a thing

Really disappointed to see this video. Had so much respect for your content but seeing this support of NFTs is so frustrating. NFTs are so harmful to the environment and the idea that they have worth is ridiculous. Its basically a fancy receipt that can cost thousands of dollars. I wouldnt be surprised if this crypto bubble bursts soon and peoples investments become totally worthless. Another huge issue with crypto is how the community prides itself on sole personal responsibility for finances which is so damaging!! It even comes up in the video with people who spend their money on this fake shit and cant get any reimbursement for this stuff bc thats how crypto is!! You talked abt some legitimate scams but didnt talk about the real environmental harms of NFTs and crypto

this video feels like a advertisement for NFTs

NFTs are scams. A cardboard box might be worth $1000 to a crackhead but that doesn't mean the cardboard box is valuable.

I cannot believe you, an anti-scam channel, are advertising NFTS, a well known scam.

This “get of the nft train or get left behind” is so toxic. Besides being tangibly worthless scams, they have a huge environmental impact. I’m really disappointed by this.

NFT's are a scam. The NFT is not the image but the RECEIPT for the image.

Sorry bud you make good content but support for NFT's and not telling the whole story about NFT's is just reckless. NFT's is not helping our globe problem of energy crisis and making it worse by funding these types of programs. People are fully being effected by crypto in a huge way now since some people that have skills on digital creation are having such a hard time getting GPU's without spending a down payment on a car. Speaking of cars their prices are raising with the chip shortage from all the companies needing more factory's for the demand.

The disappointment I feel for PG basically making an advertisement for NFTs is immeasurable, and my day is now ruined.

as a digitsl commission artist, i assure you when someone commissions me THEY also OWN their piece i own my work, they own the character in their work and it's a mutual partnered ownership sorry green, there are a lot of other areas that you didn't mention about nfts vs their alternatives- like simply commissioning an artist

The amount of energy used in a single NFT transaction could likely complete an entire Folding@home work unit, or half of it.

In my opinion about environmental impact, that’s why it is important to keep two things in mind: #1 Don’t buy NFT. #2 Stay away from crypto currencies.

Although, I think this is great information on NFT's, I feel like you should of talked about the harms of NFT's. Glad you are trying to inform people about sketchy sites, but I think knowing the impacts of NFT's on our environment are just as important, if not more so than how to avoid sketchy sites. Still a great video and always excited to see more videos from you!

Short answer: Yes. The only person getting rich is the person who sells it the first time.

You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.

When i heard u had NFTs i knew where this was going. Disappointed you didn't discuss the massive environmental toll each NFT takes to make.

"You were the chosen one! It was said that you would destroy the Scams, not join them! I think NFT's will cause the next crypto crash. People will lose interest and prices will plummet

There are people selling art from a famous deviant art artist who passed away of cancer. (Qinni) The brother is fighting it, but it hasn't ended. "Stop profiting off my dead sister" - Qinni's brother

As an artist, a digital artist This holds no value to me at all I'd rather get 100 unique commissions than 100 of the same but slightly different

NFTs only sell you a hyperlink. You don't have or own the artwork or object. If the seller turns off the image server, you just own a dead link.

That is a scam, you know it, and really bad that you have a game in it. Sadly but he sold out himself. But still thx though for other videos.

With NFTs though you don't actually own the image. You just own the "directions", the URL to the image. At some point in time, if where that image is hosted changes.... too bad. You don't get to own the new URL.

Short answer: yes Long answer: yes

I don’t mind sponsored vids - but it’s pretty scammy to shill these NFTs to your audience without mentioning you’re getting paid for it anywhere.

I feel as the main issue is hype... peoples attentions spans are quick now, and the nft hype WILL die eventually, and anyone who still has an NFT will lose money.

Is this video an ad for Defi Kingdom? Or you just decided to make an NFT video promoting Defi Kingdom, after getting a Switch from them.

Imagine going in debt because you bought a poorly drawn picture of a monke

NFT GAMES ARE SCAMS. YOU NEED TO LOOK INTO THIS. Buy an NFT for a game and you barely make enough back as your NFT is worthless after so many uses. "Buy a nft, use it in X amount of battles, if you win you can make a small % back, good luck making all your money back" is more like it

All NFTs are scams

Odds are if he is explaining something, it’s a scam! Lol

This ad made me lose a lot of respect for you man.

I could buy an image of an artist for like 15- 50 dollars and own the full marketing, copyright, and have full ownership. I could legally give people DMCA requests to take that image down. I have so many characters that are my intellectual property. I have proof that I drew and designed them, or most recently bought 2 characters for $4.30 over PayPal. I think there is a place for NFTs. I have yet to see it myself. As an artist, I am appalled by people thinking that they brought the rights to an image, when they outright did not. If you really want to support artists, commissions them, buy Adoptables from budding artists. This will motivate them to keep on making wonderful art.

Yes

This felt like an ad. I don’t wanna unsubscribe because I have enjoyed your content in the past but if endorsement of NFTs is something you’re gonna double down on I may have no option but to unsub please don’t trick people into buying into a fly-by-night operation

I love watching your videos, I would happily sit watching them back to back for 24hrs or more, if I could keep awake cos of legal pills I'm on for illnesses, Your videos are all amazing, your face, voice, demeanour, just great to watch, I'm surprised you've not been snapped up by TV companies by now, Ps: no I don't play for the other team, (if you know what I mean) Anyway, thanks for another great vid.

You were the chosen one! It was said that you would destroy the scams, not join them! Bring balance to the force, not leave it in darkness!

I've been a fan of your channel for a while, but it's disappointing to see you promote these. The segments where you promote you "supported projects" feel sponsored, and the video feels off compared to your others. Regardless of if you were paid to make this, I feel more research and effort should have been brought into the video.

Are NFTs scams? Yes. Are they stupid? Also yes.

Another video! I was just watching the did I get scammed video! Can’t wait for this

Just to make things clear. You are not buying the art when you buy the nft, you buy the url that points to the art haha

I'm incredibly disappointed to see this glowing endorsement of NFTs, which are harmful to the environment and have on numerous occasions been used for harm and harassment and art theft. I know numerous artists who have had their pieces stolen and sold by unauthorized third-parties on the blockchain, and it's not made any better by the fact that platforms like Rarible and OpenSea make it deliberately difficult to file a copyright claim for items minted on their services. This video probably shouldn't have been made in the first place.

That "going to my bank account" was pretty funny though

I got this video recommended and at first the video seemed normal and informative, but the like-dislike ratio was 86%(return yt dislike extension) got curious on what I missed,and after reading through many comments and rewatching , it felt more like an ad and it felt he is contradicting himself in the same video. Literally a prime example of looking at something with different perspectives matter AND dislikes does prove the validity of a video. Thank you my fellow commentors for reading.

Imo, NFTs should have never been character creator profile pics. And with how NFTs are being used and made at the expense of both artists and the environment, they're deplorable. I will not support a technology that's being used to exploit artists and scam people with cheap cash grabs.

Why did you present the NFT products like an ad-read? With the fun-commerical music, stock B footage from the product, an explaination about how it works and the benefits, explaining why you like the product and the whole "discord switch" which implied that people who invested could have the chance of earning a Nintendo Switch or other rewards. It immediately activated the "this is a sponsered segment" part of my brain. I know you disclosed that you had personal stake in the products, but it was just disingenuous in the way you presented them.

why do utility nfts even need to be nfts? Like why do cards in a video game have to be nfts to be limited and exclusive, virtual items already exist without the blockchain

From California Your work in fighting scams is invaluable. I was scammed twice last year, totaling losses over $120,000. It was a lengthy process involving federal intervention to get her money back. We need more people like *Prophecytrace* taking a stand against these criminals. Much love and support from California’s……

how much they pay you for the promo?

The comment section makes me happy. Restores some faith in humanity.

Paying thousands and even millions for a jpeg or a gif. It really is a golden age to be a scammer.

Did Ben go to the dark side? I instantly thought that when he mentioned that lazy game and I'm glad I'm not the only one.. Crazier story arc than Star Wars Episode 3

I am one of those weirdos who liked beanie babies. Guess what? back in the day I made 6 figures buying low and then auctioning off the bulk of the "rare" ones. Auctions are great-people become rabid. I actually felt a little guilty.

NFTs: A cool idea and technology in theory, but the way its used in many cases is just dumb and thats why a lot of people hate it.

5.3k likes and no dislikes? Wow, this must be a great video.

Except you don't own the image, it's copyright, or even the jpg, you own a database entry that has a link that points to where that image is hosted, if something happens to that website and it gets deleted, you're SOL

Most people do not own their NFT’s, they own a link that takes them to the image. Another thing I notice is that people who buy these links tend to try to pump them to other people to keep their value up… hence this video. It’s sad that you don’t mention really any of the downsides (environmental impact, lack of owning the actual asset, etc.) other than people who straight up scam. Ben, mentioning the projects you’ve invested in is super self-serving and not on-brand for you.