OONA's "Treacherous Tickers" At Nasdaq Was A Critical Examination of Blockchain Vulnerability
On a rainy April evening in NYC, invite-only attendees at the Nasdaq experienced a traditionally unconventional performing art piece as OONA unveiled, "Treacherous Tickers." But what began as an exploration of value and symbolism evolved into a stark demonstration of the vulnerabilities inherent in modern digital exchanges.
Participants lined up in front of the Nasdaq, one of the biggest stock exchanges in the world, each stepping forward to receive a mysterious black envelope from a figure that seemed more suited to a federal agent than an art event. The only catch? Upon receiving the envelope, they were abruptly informed that the show was over and directed to exit. Confusion, shock, and a sprinkle of disbelief marked the faces of many as they shuffled to the sidelines. This simple act—receiving an envelope and being dismissed abruptly—left the tone for an event where nothing was as it seemed.
Inside each envelope was a key to a digital wallet, directly linking participants to the financial fate of OONA's artworks. These were no ordinary pieces; they were dynamic Non-Fungible Tokens designed to respond in real time to the market fluctuations of specific tokens, symbols like $DICKBUTT, $BOOBS, and $FEET, each representing different facets of cultural and financial critique.
The shared access of this wallet to 40+ attendees was meant to democratize the distribution of proceeds from the art auction. However, it also laid the groundwork for a dramatic security breach. Two opportunistic scammers deployed sweeper bots by executing smart contracts designed to empty the wallet as soon as any kind of funding were deposited, highlighting a critical flaw in blockchain technology's promise of secure, decentralized transactions. This backdoor method of stealing is synonymous with leaked seed phrases and further proves as to why you should never share it with anyone. Keeping a physical backup written down and stowed away is the safest way to keep thieves from obtaining your safe or public keys.
Photo courtesy of OONA’s Instagram.
The audience's reaction to "Treacherous Tickers" was polarized. While some attendees were captivated by OONA’s audacious integration of art and take on digital finance, many were left disillusioned by the unexpected debacle. The event served as a live case study in the potential and peril of intertwining art with emerging technologies.
BASESCAN’S screenshots of funds being auto transferred from the compromised wallet to the thieves’ wallets.
OONA's "Treacherous Tickers" at Nasdaq, although comparably lackadaisical on the surface in pale to her other outlandish acts ; felt like a potentially strong commentary on the ephemeral nature of value and the trust we place in digital systems. By accidentally exposing the blockchain's vulnerabilities through art, OONA questioned the stability of digital value and illustrated the broader implications of our reliance on technology to mediate social and financial interactions.
Photo courtesy of OONA’s Instagram.
This event will likely be remembered as a moment where art mirrored societal issues while also actively engaging with and influencing the discourse on technology and security. After removing myself from my personal feelings towards the compromising of what could have been a beautiful distribution of funds through blockchain — I have concluded that as the art world continues to intersect with digital finance, "Treacherous Tickers" was a critical examination of the complexities and challenges at this crossroad.
