Twitter’s New NFT Verification Tool Does Not Confirm Authenticity

Right-click-and-savers can still get their NFTs verified, even if the underlying artwork was stolen

article-image

A verified NFT on Twitter

share
  • A Twitter spokesperson told Blockworks that users can click on a profile picture to see whether the NFT collection has been verified with OpenSea
  • All ether-based NFTs that have a recorded transaction on the blockchain will be displayed on Twitter profiles

There’s a wrinkle in Twitter’s closely watched move to support verified NFTs for profile pictures: It’s impossible to tell whether the NFT is an original or a ripoff.

While the tool does verify who owns the NFT, it can’t affirm whether the image in the NFT is an original or an unauthorized copy.   

Opportunists looking to use a pirated NFT image as their profile picture can upload an identical-looking image of an NFT on third-party marketplaces such as OpenSea, mint it as an NFT and get it approved and verified by the social media giant to use as a profile picture. 

“If you can verify any NFT, doesn’t that defeat the whole purpose of verification?” Brett Richey, founder of a Web3 sports betting startup BlitzPick, said.I thought Twitter would [roll] out verified collections only, but I can just mint a copy of [an] ape [NFT] and verify it, right? [This] seems pointless.”

The company said users can link their ether-based wallets to their Twitter accounts and display their digital collectibles as their profile pictures. 

Profiles with hexagon-shaped pictures have had their NFTs verified with the social media giant, thus signaling ownership on the blockchain. Users have to pay $2.99 each month through the company’s Twitter Blue subscription service and use an IOS device to utilize the new feature.

A spokesperson for Twitter told Blockworks that users can click on a profile picture to see whether the person’s NFT has been verified with OpenSea. All ether-based NFTs that have a recorded transaction on the blockchain will be displayed on Twitter profiles. 

“We want to make it possible for anyone to use NFTs and don’t want to gate-keep NFT collections that might not be verified by certain marketplaces,” the spokesperson said. “We felt it was important to give customers an easier way to see NFT details directly from someone’s profile picture and easily explore the contract address; by clicking on an NFT profile picture, people will be able to see whether a collection has been verified by OpenSea or another [third] party marketplace.”

Twitter Inc. (TWTR) was trading 1.6% lower at $33.62 per share at time of publication.

[stock_market_widget type=”table-quotes” template=”basic” assets=”TWTR” fields=”logo_name_symbol,price,change_abs,change_pct” links=”{‘TWTR’:{}}” display_header=”true” display_chart=”true” display_currency_symbol=”true” pagination=”true” search=”false” rows_per_page=”5″ sort_field=”logo_name_symbol” sort_direction=”asc” alignment=”left” api=”yf”]


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 (1).png

Research

Aave’s revenues have doubled from April lows and are fast approaching all-time highs. With 35% of borrow interest coming from ETH and 55% from stablecoins, Aave is emerging as a powerful proxy as an ETH and stablecoin beta. As looping strategies accelerate growth and Horizon positions the protocol to ride the RWA wave, Aave is shaping up as one of DeFi’s most compelling multi-narrative plays.

article-image

Private testnet aims to deliver low-cost settlement with partners including Visa, Deutsche Bank, and OpenAI

by Blockworks /
article-image

Solana saw $78 million in REV for August

article-image

Lit Protocol’s Vincent is shifting agentic finance from toy demos to production rails

article-image

The new system aims to unify Europe’s fragmented tokenized asset settlement and cut cross-border costs

by Blockworks /
article-image

Tron slashed fees by 60% as Plasma looms, threatening its USDT moat

article-image

The acquisition adds evaluation-based funding to Kraken Pro, giving traders access to capital on performance

by Blockworks /