California-Based Artist Develops Insensitive COVID-19 Blockchain Collectibles 

The COVID-19 outbreak has become a global pandemic that has affected just about every nation in one way or the other.

With countries making changes to various policies and markets across the world taking more than a tumble over the past few weeks, many have been looking to see how crypto and blockchain might be able to provide solutions to the problem. However, one new app seems to be taking another spin at the crisis.

Taking the Virus Outbreak Too Far

Jaclyn Santos, a crypto investor and visual artist based out of San Francisco, has caused a bit of a stir in the crypto space thanks to Corona Babies – new, blockchain-based collectibles that, as he explained, was created to help commemorate the global pandemic.  

In a Twitter post announcing the lunch, the Corona Babies team explains, “Are you afraid of catching Coronavirus? Now is your chance to catch it in an all-new way — sans pneumonia, with Corona Babies.”

Are you afraid of catching Coronavirus? Now is your chance to catch it in an all new way — sans pneumonia, with Corona Babies! Collect cute and lovable $BATZ that are all infected with the COVID-19 virus. https://t.co/C5XfU1FY5p pic.twitter.com/epkowuaQ6a

— CoronaBabies (@Corona_Babies) March 7, 2020

Further research has found that the collectible is just a collection of 18 different bats that were drawn by Santos. They don’t do anything, but are commemorative tokens of the COVID-19 pandemic. Norm particularly what anyone could have meant when they touted crypto and blockchain as a possible solution to the global epidemic. 

Tokenized as $BATZ, each of the bats represents a different bat that has been infected by the virus. The bats go for 0.5 to 1.2 ETH (worth about $113 to $270) each, and we’re launched last weekend on the OpenSea marketplace.

The insensitive tokens have also gotten their generic descriptions, such as Rune, which comes from Iceland – a country which the developers explain provides them with great health insurance in case the virus spreads. Another bat, known as Olá, lives in Mexico and invites users in for a Corona (a popular craft beer brand)

Blockchain and the COVID-19 

This isn’t the first insensitive contribution by members of the crypto community to the COVID-19 pandemic. Three weeks ago, activists and developers from anonymous online message board 4Chan created CoronaCoin, a digital asset whose value has been pegged to that of the virus. The asset’s supply is being burned every two days to keep up with the official statistics from the World Health Organization, with its creators hoping to make a quick buck from it. 

Anyone have any documentation or articles about #CoronaCoin coming from any deepnet sources?

— Andrew Roe (@aroesec) March 9, 2020

However, there are institutions that have found a way to make blockchain useful for cutting the growth of the virus. Last month, the South China Morning Post reported that Xiang Hu Bao, a blockchain-based insurance claim platform, had added COVID-19 claims to the list of illnesses covered on its platform.

As the news medium explained, insurance companies across the country had been using the platform to handle claims regarding the virus. At the time, over 104 million users were recorded on the platform, and according to the SCMP, insurance companies that cover for the diseases will be able to use it for faster and more effective claim handlings.