Former First Lady Melania Trump launched her newest collection of non-fungible tokens (NFTs), featuring a photograph of NASA astronaut Buzz Aldrin’s historic moonwalk. The catch? NASA does not grant approval for the use of its imagery in these digital tokens.

What Happened: Gizmodo reported this alleged breach, pointing out that NASA’s Regulations on Merchandising Requests and Media Usage Guidelines explicitly state that the agency does not permit its images to be associated with NFTs.

Melania Trump unveiled her Apollo 11 NFT collection, titled “Man on the Moon,” on Wednesday, coinciding with the 54th anniversary of the historic mission. Priced at $75, this limited edition collectible comes with an embedded audio file that purchasers can unlock to enhance their ownership experience.

Additionally, the guidelines emphasize that NASA is not approving any merchandising applications tied to NFTs.

According to NASA’s regulations, any individual or entity intending to use NASA imagery, emblems, or identifiers on merchandise must obtain prior approval from the agency. The approval process is governed by “strict laws and regulations.”

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Why It Matters: Melania Trump has been actively involved in the NFT space, showcasing her interest by introducing a range of NFTs that celebrate significant moments in American history. She also ventured into Solana NFT projects towards the end of 2021.

In a parallel development, the NFT collection belonging to former President Donald Trump experienced a surge in value in March following his indictment on criminal charges by a New York grand jury. However, those gains were short-lived as Trump released a subsequent batch of digital trading cards in April, significantly diluting the value of the initial project.

NFTs are unique digital assets that use blockchain technology of Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH), Solana (CRYPTO: SOL) among others to certify their authenticity, ownership, and provenance. Unlike cryptocurrencies, NFTs cannot be exchanged on a like-for-like basis, as each NFT has distinct characteristics and value, making them ideal for representing and trading one-of-a-kind digital collectibles, artwork, or virtual assets.

Photo Courtesy: Shutterstock.com

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