Sudden loss in Web3 community
The world of digital fashion mourns the unexpected death of Benoît Pagotto, co-founder of RTFKT Studios. The 41-year-old French entrepreneur died suddenly, according to his colleagues who confirmed the news this weekend. Philippe Rodriguez, a longtime associate of the French tech scene, was the first to announce Pagotto’s death on LinkedIn Sunday morning from Paris.
Rodriguez remembered Pagotto as “super creative, discreet and humble” in his tribute. He described his friend as someone who was “passionate but always reasonable” and who sincerely believed that beauty could change the world. The news quickly spread throughout crypto circles, with many expressing shock and sadness at the loss.
Tributes from colleagues and friends
Steven Vasilev, co-founder of RTFKT, commented on the news, writing that “the vision, mission and inspiration that Benedict gave to the world will live forever.” This sentiment was echoed on social media platforms where Web3 communities came together to share memories.
Former RTFKT technical director Samuel Cardillo offered a more personal reflection, remembering Pagotto as a “grumpy Parisian cliché, an asshole and a genius” who spoke his mind without filters. Despite the brutal description, Cardillo clearly had a deep affection for his colleague, calling him a “unique human being” and expressing hope that Pagotto would “reappear as a badass, evil raven.”
Greg Solano, co-founder of the Bored Ape Yacht Club, known online as Garga.eth, shared some particularly warm memories. He wrote that Pagotto was “one of the kindest and funniest people I’ve met in crypto” and recalled how he offered help “when we were nobody” and remained genuine even after success. Solano said he will miss Pagotto’s “big, loud laugh that you could hear from across a restaurant.”
Building a digital fashion legacy
Pagotto’s work at RTFKT helped define the intersection of luxury design, gaming, and crypto culture during the last bull market. Founded in 2020 with Chris Le and Steven Vasilev, the studio became known for its virtual sneakers and collectibles, including the Clone X × Takashi Murakami series that blended digital art and fashion.
The company’s rapid rise caught the attention of sportswear giant Nike, which acquired RTFKT in December 2021. Under Pagotto’s creative direction, the studio explored innovative concepts such as physically linked NFTs and digital drops that connected sneaker culture to on-chain identity. Even as Nike began winding down RTFKT’s operations late last year, Pagotto continued to speak publicly on behalf of the brand he helped build.
Recent challenges and legacy
The past year has presented challenges for RTFKT. In April, technical issues caused images for several Ethereum-based collections to temporarily disappear when a cloud hosting outage disrupted off-chain storage links. The incident highlighted the centralized dependencies that sometimes undermine the permanence promised by NFT projects.
Around the same time, RTFKT and Nike faced a $5 million class-action lawsuit from NFT holders who accused the company of misleading buyers about the long-term value of their tokens. The complaint alleged that Nike promoted RTFKT’s NFTs as premium investments, then abandoned them by closing the studio and ending support – what the plaintiffs called a “soft rug pull.”
Despite these recent difficulties, Pagotto’s impact on the digital fashion and Web3 space remains significant. His vision has helped shape the way brands and creators think about digital identity, fashion and community in blockchain environments.
At the time of writing, no official obituary or civil status notice has appeared in the French media, and the cause of death has not been disclosed. The Web3 community continues to share memories and tributes to a founder who helped bring the worlds of high fashion, gaming and cryptocurrency closer together during a period of transformation in digital assets.
