Between 2020–2023, several anonymous accounts on Telegram and the dark web marketplace “Versum” offered a password-protected RAR for Bitcoin. Prices ranged from $5,000 to $500,000. The seller’s “proof” was a SHA-256 hash of the RAR file. No one has ever produced a working decryption key.
Real, but useless for experiencing the album.
: Upon completion, the digital master files were reportedly deleted to prevent leaks. The 88-Year Lock
The project was the brainchild of Wu-Tang producer Cilvaringz and the group’s de facto leader, RZA. Their goal was to restore the value of music in an era of digital piracy and streaming. By creating a singular, handcrafted work of art, they treated the album like a Renaissance sculpture or a fine painting. The 31 tracks were housed in a hand-carved silver-and-nickel box, accompanied by a 174-page leather-bound book containing lyrics and stories behind the songs. The Sale to Martin Shkreli
: The original sale contract prohibits the commercial release of the music until