Jonathan Mann, the creator behind the long-running “Tune A Day” venture, has turned his crypto misfortune right into a musical cautionary story.
After incomes $3 million by promoting hundreds of his songs as NFTs in early 2022, Mann discovered himself dealing with an enormous tax invoice and a portfolio in freefall.
Hoping for additional positive factors, Mann and his spouse selected to carry onto their earnings in Ethereum. However when the market turned and ETH started to slip, they have been unprepared. Regardless of the shrinking worth of their property, U.S. tax regulation nonetheless handled the revenue at its unique worth—leaving them owing over $1 million to the IRS.
In an try to delay promoting at a loss, the couple used ETH as collateral for a mortgage on Aave. However when the Terra ecosystem collapsed, it triggered a wave of liquidations, together with Mann’s. Instantly, 300 ETH vanished—successfully erasing years of inventive work.
Confronted with the specter of shedding their dwelling and retirement financial savings, Mann dug into his digital vault and offered a uncommon Autoglyph NFT for $1.1 million—simply sufficient to settle the tax debt. Thankfully, the earlier losses meant he didn’t owe capital positive factors on the sale.
Regardless of the ordeal, Mann continues his each day music venture, nonetheless minting NFTs and hoping for a second act—this time with a clearer monetary technique.