Rams' Taylor Rapp Launches NFT; Will Donate Profits to Fight Anti-AAPI Hate

Los Angeles Rams safety Taylor Rapp is launching an NFT and plans to donate part of the proceeds to fight racism and violence against the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities which has spiked across the United States. 

Per Jabari Young of CNBC.com, Rapp is going to auction off a total of 90 NFTs to raise funds to combat the rise in hate crimes against Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders. 

“I am Asian American, and this community means a lot to me,” Rapp told Young. “I wanted to help my people, and what better way to raise money right now to donate than through creating an NFT collection and using my platform.”

Young noted that Rapp is also launching six digital collections on Thursday. One of his auction prizes includes tickets to an NFL game, as well as a meet and greet with players. 

A percentage of the funds raised will be donated to the #StopAsianHate GoFundMe page that has already received more than $4 million in donations. 

Rapp has yet to determine what percentage of the proceeds will be donated, but he told Young it will be a “large chunk."

Stop AAPI Hate, which tracks acts of hate and violence against the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, reported 3,795 hate incidents between March 19, 2020, and Feb. 28, 2021. 

Per Stop AAPI Hate, women reported 2.3 times more hate incidents than men. The group defines hate incidents as verbal harassment, physical assault, civil rights violations and online harassment.

Rapp's mother, Chiyan, is from Shanghai, and she met his father, Chris, in China, per ESPN's Lindsey Thiry. 

The Rams selected Rapp out of the University of Washington in the second round of the 2019 NFL draft.