Premature Downgrade of RTFKT’s Account By Cloudflare Raises Questions About Service Provider Accountability

April 24, 2025, Cloudflare limited access to the work for RTFKT Clonex NFT Collection, citing a violation of the conditions of use. The problem has occurred because NFT data has been hosted on the basis of Cloudflare, which does not support the streaming of large bandwidth content such as images and videos. This caused the replacement of art for the 19,500 NFT Clonex based on Ethereum by a black background and a message of violation.

RTFKT's head of technology, Samuel Cardillosaid the restriction was not due to an unpaid invoice, but results from the Cloudflare demotion to a free plan prematurely, before the end of their contract on April 30. The team planned to migrate Clonex and Animus NFTS to the Arweave decentralized storage platform since December 2024, but internal delays have slowed down the process. At noon on April 24, Cloudflare resolved the number and the work began to reappear.

The incident aroused concerns among collectors, because the NFT Clonex, formerly evaluated at more than $ 60,000 each at their peak in April 2022, are now worth around $ 300 due to a lower market and the closure announced by RTFKT in January 2025. Social publications on X have highlighted the risks of centralized storage, with users noting that the vulgation of the vulgation of Clonnex left the cryptopunks, which left the storage.

Cardillo underlined the migration to Arweave to ensure permanent and decentralized storage, aimed at preventing future disturbances. The event highlighted wider challenges in the NFT sector, because dependence on centralized servers can compromise the accessibility of digital assets, which has aroused calls for decentralized solutions.

Arweave is a decentralized storage platform designed to provide permanent, immutable and accessible data storage, which makes it particularly beneficial for NFTs like the RTFKT clonex. Arweave's “permaweb” guarantees that data is stored indefinitely with a single payment, unlike traditional cloud services (for example, Cloudflare) which require recurring costs and can suspend access to violations. This eliminates the risk of data loss due to unpaid invoices or service disturbances, ensuring that NFT illustrations remain accessible forever.

Arweave uses a network of nodes based on blockchain to store data on several locations worldwide, removing dependence on centralized servers. This protects the NFT against unique failure points, as seen in the Clonex incident where Cloudflare actions have temporarily blocked access to illustration. Once the data has been downloaded on Arweave, it cannot be modified or deleted, aligning the principle of the blockchain of the excited property. This guarantees the integrity of NFT assets, reassuring collectors that their digital art will not be changed or lost.

The arweave pricing model invoices unique costs depending on the size of the data and the storage time (generally calculated for 200 years). For NFTs, this is more profitable than recurring cloud storage costs, in particular for projects with large collections like Clonex (19,500 NFT). Peraweb allows anyone to access the data stored via a single URL, which makes it ideal for NFT metadata and illustrations that must be visible publicly. Arweave Blockweave technology is also effectively evolving, managing large -band contents like images and videos without performance problems.

Using Arweave, NFT projects report a commitment to decentralization and data permanence, meeting concerns about centralized storage vulnerabilities. This can strengthen the confidence of collectors, especially in a lower market where confidence in projects like RTFKT has declined.

The decentralized nature of Arweave makes it resistant to censorship or arbitrary restrictions by service providers, unlike the conditions of use of the conditions of service of Cloudflare in the case of Clonex. This ensures that NFT data remains available, whatever the external policies. The permanent, decentralized and profitable storage solution of Arweave tackles the vulnerabilities exposed in the Clonex incident, offering a robust alternative to NFT projects to secure their assets and maintain the confidence of the collector.

The incident has exposed vulnerabilities to rely on centralized platforms such as Cloudflare for NFT data storage. When Cloudflare has restricted access, the illustration of 19,500 NFT Clonex has become temporarily unavailable, demonstrating how centralized control can disrupt access to digital assets. This contrasts with the NFT in full chain like cryptopunks, which are less sensitive to such interruptions.

The temporary loss of works of art has shaken Clonex collectors, already suspicious due to the value of the collection from $ 60,000 to $ 300 per NFT. These incidents erode confidence in NFT projects, potentially depressing market confidence and resale values, in particular for projects related to centralized infrastructure. The event highlights the urgency of adopting decentralized storage platforms like Arweave, which RTFKT is currently pursuing. Permanent and decentralized storage ensures that NFT data remains accessible, whatever the third -party actions, aligning with the ethics of immutability and the blockchain property.

RTFKT's delay in migration to Arweave, despite planning since December 2024, underlines the need for proactive infrastructure management. Project teams must prioritize robust accommodation solutions to avoid disturbances of services, especially since they are evolving or faced the closure, as RTFKT did in January 2025. This incident reflects the difficulties of the current NFT market, including declining evaluations and operational missteps. He underlines the need for projects to balance innovation with reliable technical foundations to maintain credibility on a lower market.

The premature demotion of the RTFKT Cloudflare account before the end of their contract raises questions about the responsibility of service providers. NFT projects must negotiate clear and enforceable accommodation agreements to avoid similar disturbances. The Clonex incident serves as an edifying story, pushing the NFT industry to decentralized infrastructure while highlighting the importance of operational diligence to protect digital assets and the confidence of collectors.