Non-fungible tokens, also known as NFTs, are the hot new crypto asset — and one 12-year-old programmer in London is making the most of it!
Tech Prodigy Starts Coding at 5 Years Old
In many ways, Benyamin Ahmed is a typical kid. He goes to school and participates in after-school badminton, swimming, and taekwondo. But unlike most other students his age, he’s already learned a valuable skill — programming.
His father is a software developer who started teaching Benyamin how to code when he was 5 years old. Through sessions that lasted 20 or 30 minutes daily, he caught on quickly.
Enter NFTs
Benyamin started exploring NFTs in 2021. As Benyamin explained to several news sources, he was so excited by the technology and ease of ownership transfer that he started his own collection. But at first, he didn’t purchase NFTs and resell them. Instead, he coded Minecraft-related artwork.
Benyamin’s Minecraft NFT artwork titled “Minecraft Yee Haa” didn’t sell, but he kept trying. In mid-summer, the middle schooler decided to expand his knowledge and began to create a collection of 3,350 distinctive pixelated whales known as “Weird Whales.” Using every resource available, Benyamin took advantage of NFT coding lessons on Discord and YouTube. Each whale he created is reminiscent of early 2D pixelated art and features a unique characteristic, such as a Viking helmet or a smoker’s pipe.
Hitting the NFT Jackpot
Within nine hours of launching the NFT whales collection, a buyer offered over 80 ether — nearly $300,000 — for the collection. Resales and 2.5 percent royalties helped Benyamin earn another 30 ether. In August, his sales reached more than $350,000.
Benyamin has purchased several pieces of digital artwork since his “Weird Whales” success and decided to keep most of the money in a cryptocurrency wallet for now. However, he will convert some of his money to cash and stash it in a traditional bank account to cover taxes. Benyamin believes, though, that crypto is the future of money.
As for his future: Benyamin, with help from his father, plans to secure his intellectual property rights. He’s also started another NFT collection based on memes and superheroes, and his ultimate dream is to become a famous tech entrepreneur.
Connect With an NFT Lawyer
Want to get in on the NFT action? If you have legal questions or concerns, let’s talk. Our firm handles all manners of blockchain and cryptocurrency legalities, including NFT issues. If you want to prep a collection for sale wherein you retain royalty and intellectual property rights, we can help. If you need to register a company or a smart contract audit, we can do that too.
