While the transaction terms and buyer remain undisclosed, the move aligns with Nike’s strategy to refocus on its core athletic business under new CEO Elliott Hill.
Nike has sold RTFKT, the Non-Fungible Token (NFT) studio behind the Clone-X collection, prompting a sharp rebound in Clone-X prices after months of depressed trading.
Clone-X NFTs rose to about a 0.3 ETH floor following the sale report, up roughly 200% over 24 hours. The collection had fallen as low as 0.07 ETH after RTFKT said it would shut down operations a little over a year ago, leaving Clone-X down about 99.7% from its 2022 peak near 24 ETH during the NFT boom.
According to Bloomberg, Nike “quietly” sold RTFKT last month. Nike told the newspaper the sale took effect on Dec. 16, but it did not disclose the buyer or the price.
“RTFKT transitioned to a new owner on December 17, launching a new chapter for the company and its community,” a spokesperson for Nike said in a statement on Wednesday.
Former CTO Says “Story Shall Continue”
Samuel Cardillo, RTFKT’s former chief technology officer, hinted online that he may be involved in whatever follows. Quoting the sale report, he wrote “the story shall continue,” and replied to one community question with “you shall see,” adding, “did I ever stop being part of the story?” Cardillo has also previously posted that he is no longer affiliated with RTFKT, having left in April 2025.
RTFKT became part of Nike after the sportswear company announced a surprise acquisition of the digital fashion brand in 2020, at the beginning of the NFT mania. It’s one of the most successful NFT projects in terms of earnings, with over US$50 million (AU$74 million) brought in just from airdrops and royalties.
The sale now closes that chapter, while leaving open questions about what happens next for RTFKT’s flagship IP.
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