Read on Twitter
since discovering the hashmasks announcement tweet, i've done little but look at #hashmasks -- easily 20+ hours just looking through them.
a couple days ago that obsession paid off. i'm happy to introduce "The Real" and "The Unreal"
the rarest masks behind the unmasked. https://twitter.com/TheHashmasks/status/1357280983695978498
a couple days ago that obsession paid off. i'm happy to introduce "The Real" and "The Unreal"
the rarest masks behind the unmasked. https://twitter.com/TheHashmasks/status/1357280983695978498
before i extoll the secrets of these masks - for surely the lack of attention given to the above announcement reveals some secrets do exist - indulge me a brief story of their discovery
it begins with the release of the gallery -- pvp mode activated https://twitter.com/TheHashmasks/status/1356973891172917252?s=20
it begins with the release of the gallery -- pvp mode activated https://twitter.com/TheHashmasks/status/1356973891172917252?s=20
prior to the gallery release, maskers were essentially forced to coordinate to attempt to identify rarities, glyphs, anomolies
with the gallery, you could individually view every single mask
and so this is what i did. I scrolled for 15 straight hours through 16,384 masks
with the gallery, you could individually view every single mask
and so this is what i did. I scrolled for 15 straight hours through 16,384 masks
now a lot of people were programmatically analyzing masks by this point - which might be more efficient - but by the 3rd or 4th hour, my eyes were fucking trained to detect the smallest anomaly - and i've found many of which i believe the community remains unaware
my pride and joy of course, was this vignette at mask 3550 -- a small sanskrit message i had not seen and sparked a potential for a unique glyph
6384 masks later, of course, i realized it was not unique. it had a twin.
6384 masks later, of course, i realized it was not unique. it had a twin.
what an brilliant easter egg!
but i looked at the interface below, oh wait, the traits listed do not match the mask.
like a total fucking nob, i messaged the hashmask team alerting them of an interface issue on this mask
this will easily be a 100+ ETH mistake
but i looked at the interface below, oh wait, the traits listed do not match the mask.
like a total fucking nob, i messaged the hashmask team alerting them of an interface issue on this mask
this will easily be a 100+ ETH mistake
immediately after messaging them, i actually go check the provenance on #9934
https://ipfs.io/ipfs/QmQHKLUQJJ86nwrqLewRZpgaC3zhdQe9sqzZqixFmSJuXs
yep, confirmed not an interface issue. legitimate double print.
https://ipfs.io/ipfs/QmQHKLUQJJ86nwrqLewRZpgaC3zhdQe9sqzZqixFmSJuXs
yep, confirmed not an interface issue. legitimate double print.
at this point @brockjelmore steps in to assist in analysis - how is this even possible when the hashes are different?
sure enough, different images... metadata included??
nope, just saved at quality 8 and quality 7.
sure enough, different images... metadata included??
nope, just saved at quality 8 and quality 7.
at this point i immediately purchase the original on @opensea for 10 eth and begin searching for the other owner - and identify them
meanwhile, @TheHashmasks team is in a "war room" trying to determine what to do about the "error"
meanwhile, @TheHashmasks team is in a "war room" trying to determine what to do about the "error"
i go to sleep on the night of 2/3 at 2am thinking myself and the team are the only ones who know the truth about these masks
i wake up at 6am and see they have made an announcement at 5:58am regarding the duplication.
what the ever living fuck.
i wake up at 6am and see they have made an announcement at 5:58am regarding the duplication.
what the ever living fuck.
i spend the entire day yesterday negotiating, not sure if they know what they have, because the announcement didn't gain much traction
agree on 30eth
seller gets cold feet
withdraw my bid, playing hardball
seller wants to think
seller goes cold
seller lists for 666 ETH
fuck.jpg
agree on 30eth
seller gets cold feet
withdraw my bid, playing hardball
seller wants to think
seller goes cold
seller lists for 666 ETH
fuck.jpg
honestly, well done, mate. co-op mode engaged.
i convince them to name their mask "The Unreal"
why those names? well the inscription is part of a four line mantra called the Asatoma Prayer
our line translates to "Lead us from the unreal to the real"
i convince them to name their mask "The Unreal"
why those names? well the inscription is part of a four line mantra called the Asatoma Prayer
our line translates to "Lead us from the unreal to the real"
this is where things get interesting
the other lines also exist hidden within the hashmask collection of course, meaning THIS MASK WAS ALREADY 1/4 (maybe 1/3 if the "peace" line is omitted)
the other lines also exist hidden within the hashmask collection of course, meaning THIS MASK WAS ALREADY 1/4 (maybe 1/3 if the "peace" line is omitted)
in other words, not only would the only duplicate be a 1/2 in any circumstance, it also contains an extremely rare and powerful glyph...
so questions abound in my mind
@TheHashmasks clearly want to play this off as an accident... and they seemed genuinely freaked out when i told them
but never fully trust anyone, esp anon, in this space.
@TheHashmasks clearly want to play this off as an accident... and they seemed genuinely freaked out when i told them
but never fully trust anyone, esp anon, in this space.
too strange coincidences:
the original indexes were 3691 and 13691, exactly 1000 apart
the file quality was only 1 different - enough for a diff hash, but no real sacrifice to quality
the inscription literally referencing a real and unreal
the original indexes were 3691 and 13691, exactly 1000 apart
the file quality was only 1 different - enough for a diff hash, but no real sacrifice to quality
the inscription literally referencing a real and unreal
so why make the announcement and treat it like a bug? why not like a piece of the puzzle to figure out like everything else?
did the devs just want to fuck me over?
did the devs just want to fuck me over?
my personal theory is this was a rogue move by a single dev within the team, who implemented the duplication without the knowledge of the rest of the team
this is the only thing that explains both the panicked announcement and absurd number of coincidences
this is the only thing that explains both the panicked announcement and absurd number of coincidences
while i would have loved to acquire both, i'm happy to at least own The Real
its particularly sweet that I own it not due to luck of the draw or massive investment, but pure obsession
its particularly sweet that I own it not due to luck of the draw or massive investment, but pure obsession
so that's my story and role in hashmasks history
they are in fact both currently for sale
you can purchase either for 2,222 eth on @opensea
The Real: https://opensea.io/assets/0xc2c747e0f7004f9e8817db2ca4997657a7746928/3550
The Unreal: https://opensea.io/assets/0xc2c747e0f7004f9e8817db2ca4997657a7746928/9934
they are in fact both currently for sale
you can purchase either for 2,222 eth on @opensea
The Real: https://opensea.io/assets/0xc2c747e0f7004f9e8817db2ca4997657a7746928/3550
The Unreal: https://opensea.io/assets/0xc2c747e0f7004f9e8817db2ca4997657a7746928/9934
