August 5, 2024

At the end of 2019, Micah Johnson discovered digital art and the global power of the NFT community. But it wasn’t an easy transformation. “For nearly two years, I didn’t sell any of my works painted on traditional canvas and I really started to doubt myself,” he honestly shared. But he was persistent! In 2020, he created Aku, an NFT character of a boy astronaut, and earned the title of the NFT Creator of the Year in the Digital Asset Entertainment (DEA) ranking. In less than a year, this digital character generated over 20 million dollars in sales! Micah drew Aku inspired by a question his little nephew asked his mother: “Can astronauts be Black?” Today, the brave Aku embodies dreams without limits and inspires both kids and adults to pursue those dreams. Aku even made it to the cover of Time Magazine (in 2022) as a symbol of the metaverse and the infinite possibilities offered by the blockchain technology!

The following year, 2021, was also exceptional for Johnson. Visa, a major player in finances, partnered with the former baseball player to support digital artists, educate the market about NFTs, and discuss their functionality and significance for the future of culture and business. Today, these are the main topics of many conferences around the world! At the end of 2022, Micah founded the media company, WYE, which focuses on creating empowering content and building the NFT community. His innovative approach earned him recognition from Fast Company – WYE was named the Most Innovative Media Company. Johnson’s subsequent partnerships with giants like Starbucks and Disney showed that art is a bridge connecting culture, technology, and business. In 2023, his little astronaut Aku appeared in the “Aku Adventure” initiative as part of Starbucks’ Web3 Odyssey – a noble program aimed at supporting children who literally have nothing. Currently, Micah is preparing for the next edition of his initiative to gift kids with their dream Aku school backpacks and is asking friends from the NFT community for creative ideas to conduct this fantastic initiative!

Now recognized as one of the most influential people in the NFT world, Micah continues his mission to connect, inspire, and empower people through virtual art. Thanks to the funds he earned through hard work, he also pursues charitable activities, remembering that everyone deserves a good start in life and the fulfillment of their dreams. Virtual art helps with this. In an interview with Time Magazine, Micah Johnson summarized it this way: The greatest potential lies in people whose access to knowledge or experiences is limited due to their physical environment or circumstances. The metaverse gives them realistic access to an unlimited world!