A New Zealand led NFT project featuring fluffy rabbits has raised over $1 million for the Auckland City Mission after a surprise late night auction and some help from Snoop Dogg.
FLUF World's owners teamed with Wellington-based game studio Beyond VR and the 'Gin and Juice' rapper to auction the NFTs to help the fight against poverty and homelessness in Auckland.
Seven FLUF World NFTs were paired with seven limited edition Snoop Dogg themed 'Burrow' spaces and sold on OpenSea, the largest NFT trading platform in the world.
The rapper shared the link to the auction with his 19 million followers on Twitter.
This is the second donation from Non-Fungible Labs, which owns FLUF World, to the Mission, after it donated $100,000 just before Christmas.
Auckland City Missioner/Manutaki Helen Robinson described last night's auction as an "extraordinary act of generosity".
"[It] has connected two seemingly unlikely communities in the best kind of way," she told Newshub.
"In 48 hours, we have gone from not knowing what a FLUF is to having seven auctioned off on our behalf - raising over $1,000,000."
Robinson is still determining the best way to maximise the impact of the surprise donation, but says it will make a difference.
"I can say for certain that this money will help to feed, house, and provide healthcare to those who would otherwise go without," she told Newshub.
"Thank you to all of those involved - we are truly grateful."
Co-founder Brooke Howard Smith said he's been passionate about Auckland City Mission for some time and during a recent visit he had an idea.
"While it's great we are creating digital burrows for the FLUFs, why can't we be helping the Mission house actual people who just need a place to call home?" Howard Smith said.
"I talked to the team and next thing you know we were organising the auction. I never dreamed we would raise over $1million dollars in one day," he said.
CEO of Non-Fungible Labs Alex Smeele said it was "really special" that the community was able to come together to make a positive change in the lives of those who needed it.
"We are astounded that a single FLUF sold for $160,000 as part of the auction," he said.
"We couldn't think of a more worthy cause to support. The team at Auckland City Mission are the true heroes here, as they make the world a better place without any expectation of recognition."
