OpenSea Closed Its Doors to Cuban Artists
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OpenSea, a well-known NFT platform, recently barred entry to Cuban artists. The market is delisting all well-known Cuban artists as well as collector accounts. This is a compliant action with US sanctions law, according to OpenSea.
OpenSea is Closed to Cuban Artists, Image by starline on Freepik
When OpenSea was launched, it was a fantastic forum for artists all around the world to share their creations. Many artists have used it as a reliable source of revenue during the pandemic. OpenSea, however, has caused problems for Cuban artists. The well-known Havana-based art gallery Fábrica de Arte Cubano no longer has access to OpenSea. Many other artists, like Gianni D'Alerta, the director of NFTcuba.ART, and Garca Alarcón, were actually denied admission to the market.
The artist said that he claimed he could no longer access OpenSea on an arbitrary day. Additionally, the only notification he got was an email informing him that his actions violated the conditions of the Services. A website that advocates for liberty and a free market has now gone against its principles and blocked access.
As soon as the artist is barred from the market, all sold works of art are also removed. The blockchain and other NFT marketplaces still offer access to the NFTs. For collectors who want to display the art on different platforms, it is, nevertheless, confusing. Apart from the rumors of US sanctions laws, the OpenSea project has not provided any updates recently.
Final Thoughts
For many artists, the NFT marketplace served as a refuge. This is particularly true during the pandemic phase given the explosive growth of the NFT business in 2021. It is now a sizable investment platform with a value in the tens of millions. But as this OpenSea event demonstrates, not everyone is created equal. You will lose your rights if you are born on the wrong side of the planet. Iranian artists were removed from the platform earlier this year by OpenSea, and now artists from Cuba.