ApeFest marred by reports of eye and skin injuries

Yuga Labs says they are talking to those who experienced eye and skin problems after a Hong Kong event last week

article-image

ApeFest at NFT.NYC 2022 | Photo by Ornella Hernandez

share

Several Bored Ape Yacht Club fans and owners have taken to X to report vision and skin problems after attending ApeFest, an event the NFT collection hosted in Hong Kong Nov. 3-5. 

One X user complained of “eyes burning” and “extreme pain,” prompting a trip to the emergency room, according to a Nov. 5 post. In the 108 replies to the post, more than ten fellow attendees reported similar symptoms, with some claiming a diagnosis of photokeratitis, which is when ultraviolet radiation damages cells in the eye. 

Photokeratitis, which is commonly caused by welding without eye protection, results in painful corneal abrasion, typically lasting anywhere from a few hours to several days, according to an emergency room physician who spoke with Blockworks. 

“Light bulbs have different wavelengths, so they could have been using bulbs with stronger UV wavelengths, and prolonged exposure can cause damage,” the physician added. 

If any lights broke or burst at the event, the physician added, this can increase the likelihood of widespread injury, according to a medical journal study

Yuga Labs, the crypto company behind the popular Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT collection, said in a statement that while they are “aware of the situation and are taking it seriously,” they also believe very few people were harmed. 

“We are actively reaching out to and are in touch with those affected,” a representative from Yuga Labs added. “We’re also pursuing multiple investigative lines of inquiry to learn the true root cause. Based on our estimates, the 15 people we’ve been in direct communication with so far represent less than one percent of the approximately 2,250 event attendees and staff at our Saturday night event.” 

In true crypto fashion, it took only a matter of hours for the online discourse around the incident to switch from concerned to trivial.

Loading Tweet..

“Still the best ApeFest yet,” one X user posted, about 31 hours after reporting eye pain.


Get the news in your inbox. Explore Blockworks newsletters:

Tags

Decoding crypto and the markets. Daily, with Byron Gilliam.

Upcoming Events

Old Billingsgate

Mon - Wed, October 13 - 15, 2025

Blockworks’ Digital Asset Summit (DAS) will feature conversations between the builders, allocators, and legislators who will shape the trajectory of the digital asset ecosystem in the US and abroad.

recent research

Research Report Templates.png

Research

Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) represent low-hanging fruit in a massive market ripe for Web3-driven disruption. The global CDN market was valued at ~$28B in 2024, and is projected to surpass $140B by 2034, (18.75% CAGR) underscoring the immense demand for efficient content delivery.

article-image

Sponsored

With early interest from an initial cohort of brands including Metaplex, Story Protocol, and Pipe Network, Shelby offers decentralized, cloud-speed storage for streaming, AI, and real-time content

article-image

The $135 million raise shows that TradFi giants are serious about crypto adoption

article-image

The banking system still processes payments like it’s 1975. Crypto might have a fix.

article-image

Fiserv’s launch follows Senate passage of the GENIUS Act for stablecoin regulation.

article-image

Bitcoin is emerging as “the new standard for long-term corporate resilience,” Swan Bitcoin CIO says

article-image

Cybersecurity experts explain how the attack could have been prevented