import React from 'react' ; import Head from 'next/head' ; import Link from 'next/link' ; import Layout from "../../components/Layout" ; function About ( ) { return ( < > < Head > < title > History | PixelMap . io < /title> < /Head> < Layout > < main className = "w-full max-w-2xl mx-auto mt-12 sm:mt-24 min-h-80 px-3" > < h1 className = "text-3xl font-bold mb-4 text-white" > The History of PixelMap < /h1> < div className = "nes-container is-dark is-rounded" > < div className = "text-white font-medium prose " > < h3 > < span className = "text-blue-300" > What is PixelMap ? < /span></h3 > < p > PixelMap ( 2016 ) is often considered an NFT & quot ; relic & quot ; or & quot ; antique & quot ; , due to being one of the oldest NFTs in existence . The original & quot ; billboard - style & quot ; NFT , PixelMap is also known for being one of the first to store image data directly on - chain , as well as the oldest ( Ethereum ) NFT tradeable on OpenSea . It provides the ability to create , display , and update artwork on a & quot ; pixel map & quot ; with all historical data immortalized on the Blockchain . < /p> < h3 > < span className = "text-blue-300" > What inspired PixelMap ? < /span></h3 > < p > Heavily inspired by Alex Tew & apos ; s < Link href = "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Million_Dollar_Homepage" > < a className = "nes-text is-success" > The Million Dollar Homepage < /a></Link > , < Link href = "https://twitter.com/KenErwin88" > < a className = "nes-text is-success" > Ken Erwin < /a></Link > created the first fully decentralized equivalent , going live with PixelMap on < Link href = "https://etherscan.io/tx/0x79e41799591e99ffb0aad02d270ac92328e441d0d6a0e49fd6cb9948efb40656" > < a className = "nes-text is-success" > November 17 , 2016 < /a></Link > , years before the Non - Fungible Token ( NFT ) Standard ( EIP - 721 ) would even be written . < /p> < p > The < Link href = "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Million_Dollar_Homepage" > < a className = "nes-text is-success" > The Million Dollar Homepage < /a></Link > consists of a 1000 x1000 pixel grid , with a total of 1 , 000 , 000 pixels , sold for $1 each . Because the pixels themselves were too small to be seen individually , Alex sold them in 10 x10 squares for $100 each . Advertisers would then provide him with an image to display on the square , as well as a URL . Notably , the tiles themselves could only be updated by Alex , as the page itself was static ( invented roughly four years before Bitcoin had even launched ) . < /p> < h3 > < span className = "text-blue-300" > What makes PixelMap special ? < /span></h3 > < p > In many ways , PixelMap . io is similar to the < Link href = "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Million_Dollar_Homepage" > < a className = "nes-text is-success" > The Million Dollar Homepage < /a></Link > . There are a total of 1 , 016 , 064 pixels for sale ( on a 1 , 296 x 784 grid ) . The grid is broken up into 3 , 969 ( visible , plus one secret ) 16 x16 tiles , each at an initial price of 2 Ethereum ( $20 at launch ) . < /p> < p > However , unlike < Link href = "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Million_Dollar_Homepage" > < a className = "nes-text is-success" > The Million Dollar Homepage < /a></Link > , every tile is controlled by a contract on the Ethereum Blockchain , lending the following benefits . < /p> < div > < ul > < li > Each tile is truly owned by the entity that purchases it . Because the data is stored on the Blockchain , nothing short of every single Ethereum node shutting down can eliminate the data . < /li> < li > The contract is designed so that if a tile owner wants to update the image , change the URL the tile points to , or sell the tile for any amount they & apos ; d like , they can , without any central authority facilitating or controlling any part of the process . < /li> < li > If PixelMap . io itself were ever to go down , the data , owner , and URLs for every single pixel remain on the Blockchain , and any site could easily replicate and display the overall image . Essentially , the backend data of PixelMap is invincible as long as the Blockchain exists . < /li> < li > The project has been < Link href = "https://github.com/Pixel-Map/pixelmap.io/blob/main/LICENSE" > < a className = "nes-text is-success" > open sourced < /a></Link > , which means anyone can view the code , audit the Solidity contract , or even set up more frontends if they & apos ; d like . For instance , if someone wanted to set up an easier - to - use tile editor for PixelMap . io , they could , as all of the data is stored safely on the Ethereum blockchain . < /li> < /ul> < /div> < h3 > < span className = "text-blue-300" > What was the & quot ; rediscovery & quot ; ? < /span></h3 > < p > When PixelMap launched , much like a few other early projects , it was a bit too early before the concept of & quot ; NFTs & quot ; had taken off . Maybe 30 - 40 tiles were sold between the end of 2016 and 2017. The webserver crashed at some point in 2018 , eventually shut down entirely at the end of 2018. Between 2018 and August 21 , 2021 , nearly all traces of PixelMap disappeared from the Internet , except for the data stored on - chain . < /p> < p > On August 22 , 2021 , < Link href = "https://twitter.com/adamamcbride" > < a className = "nes-text is-success" > Adam McBride < /a></Link > , an & quot ; NFT Archaeologist & quot ; as he & apos ; s best described , reached out to myself ( < Link href = "https://twitter.com/KenErwin88" > < a className = "nes-text is-success" > Ken Erwin < /a></Link > ) , asking if I had created PixelMap . That was the beginning of the & quot ; rediscovery & quot ; , leading to a massive amount of attention in a few hours , no sleep for 50 + hours , an ERC - 721 wrapper to make PixelMap easier to use , and a revival of the website . More information about the rediscovery can be found on < Link href = "https://adamamcbride.medium.com/pixel-map-lost-2016-nft-project-78fc00e62179" > < a className = "nes-text is-success" > Adam & apos ; s Blog < /a></Link > . < /p> < /div> < /div> < /main> < /Layout> < />); } export default About ;