When a harm ends, how can we make Amends?
During its proof-of-work era, Ethereum emitted nearly 20 million metric tons of CO₂. The blockchain has since transitioned away from that high-emissions algorithm. But avoiding the worst impacts of climate change also requires addressing past emissions.
Amends is a series by Kyle McDonald, designed to account for and repair the historical emissions of major art NFT marketplaces.
The original three digital sculptures addressed OpenSea, Rarible, and Foundation. In 2026, a fourth work—Amendment—extended the project to SuperRare.
The original NFTs went on sale after Ethereum left proof-of-work and were priced to fund complete carbon mitigation. Their handmade glass sculptures are shipped to their owners if the corresponding NFT is burned.
2026 extension
Amendment for SuperRare
Amendment is a real-time digital sculpture designed to address SuperRare’s approximately 3,626 tCO₂e share of Ethereum’s proof-of-work emissions. At $21 per tCO₂e, complete mitigation through Tradewater requires $76,200.
Based on Tradewater’s “Baby Bird Cylinder,” the work tracks its sale price. At the full target, the duckling remains indefinitely; below that price, it slowly corrodes and eventually disappears.
Before the public auction, the work may be acquired for $127,000, with 40% going to SuperRare and 60% to Tradewater. If unsold, the auction runs September 11–18, 2026, opening and closing at 12 p.m. ET. Secondary-market royalties received by the artist will go to Tradewater until its funding target is met.
Amends for OpenSea
Project Vesta is harnessing the power of the oceans to remove excess CO₂ from the atmosphere. They are accelerating the natural process of coastal mineralization by releasing olivine, a naturally occurring green sand, into the waves. This process simultaneously captures CO₂ and de-acidifies the ocean. OpenSea is represented by olivine.
Amends for Rarible
Nori is working with farmers to sink CO₂ directly into the soil. Regenerative practices like cover crop planting and no-till farming can remove over a ton of CO₂ from the atmosphere per acre of land. Rarible is represented by carbon-rich soil.
Amends for Foundation
Tradewater finds and destroys the most harmful greenhouse gases before they leak into the atmosphere. They focus on old refrigerants that are over 10,000 times more potent than CO₂. To date Tradewater has destroyed over five million tons CO₂e, and a recent study estimates there are still nine billion tons CO₂e waiting to be destroyed. Foundation is represented by shredded refrigerant cylinders.
The works are priced to pay for carbon removal and mitigation, along with the marketplace and project costs documented for each release. The 2022 works used three providers; Amendment works exclusively with Tradewater.
Emissions totals are based on a bottom-up estimate of Ethereum emissions combined with a value-based accounting of all transaction fees associated with each marketplace. This means that the emissions allocated to a marketplace is proportional to its transaction fees.
For full details, please see the agreements and financial breakdown. Contact us for more.
| Created By | Kyle McDonald |
|---|---|
| Visual Art | Robert Hodgin |
| Producer | Keira Heu-Jwyn Chang |
| Assistant Producer | Lisa Kori |
| Creative Assistant | Olive Kimoto |
| Sponsored by | Gray Area |
| Offset Partner | Project Vesta |
| Offset Partner | Tradewater |
| Offset Partner | Nori |
| Glasswork | Kazuki Takazawa |
Updated 1788489492.929 Fri Sep 04 2026 02:38:12 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)