Pizza Hut’s First-Ever NFT Sells for $8K | Eater

"Launching a weekly series called “1 Byte Favourites,” the chain is minting unique digital images of its pan pizza slices for sale on Rarible, with the first “slice” originally listed at 0.0001 ETH (about $0.18) but ultimately selling for $8,824. The campaign is framed as a bid to “enshrine” its pan pizza in the digital universe, but it has prompted questions about what buyers actually own (NFTs typically don’t include IP rights) and concerns about theft and hacking. Critics also call out the environmental cost of NFT transactions—citing estimates that a single NFT can have the energy and emissions footprint of an EU resident’s month of electricity or driving ~1,000 km—and view this push as at odds with the brand’s recent sustainability marketing (plant-based toppings, a round box to reduce packaging) and its parent company’s claims of water savings, labeling the move a hypocritical marketing ploy." - Jaya Saxena