5173

Weitsman bought a Bored Ape that had been stolen, first asked the original owner if they were okay with it, and even sent over some extra ETH. Everyone praised him: “Now that’s a real collector.”

I just found it even more ironic.

BAYC #5173 sold for 18.7 ETH through GrailsOTC. According to Weitsman himself, the Ape had been stolen before and had since changed hands several times. To put it plainly: the thief took the money and ran, and the people who bought it along the way sold it on too. Ownership never made its way back to the original owner. Now a big shot asks, “Are you OK with this?” and throws in a little extra. That’s called good manners, not getting it back.

Here’s what people should really be arguing about: an NFT everyone knows was stolen can still be listed, sold, and traded OTC—and for more than three times the floor price (around 5 to 6 ETH). Stolen assets get no discount and face no restrictions in this market. It all comes down to the buyer’s personal conscience.

Today, the buyer happened to be Weitsman. With someone else, the original owner wouldn’t even get a heads-up.

So don’t mistake this for a heartwarming story from the NFT world. What it shows is this: if your Ape gets stolen, your only hope is that the next buyer is a decent person.

#BAYC #NFT