Milady NFT Community Gains Prominent Support Despite Controversy

Milady, an Ethereum-based NFT community, has garnered significant attention and support from prominent figures in the crypto world, including Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin. Originating as an NFT collection, Milady has evolved into a culturally significant group within the Ethereum and broader crypto ecosystems. The community is known for its edgy humor, layers of irony, and a cult-like mentality, spanning multiple NFT collections, meme coins, global raves, a Minecraft server, and philosophical texts.

Milady, also referred to as Milady Maker, was created by the Remilia Corporation in August 2021. The NFT collection features cute Chibi anime-style characters with huge glossy eyes, each with an individual “drip” score and grade. The Milady character is believed to be inspired by Hororo from the anime series "Bottle Fairy." Unlike traditional NFT projects, Milady encourages users to change their profile pictures on X (formerly known as Twitter) to a Milady character, sparking the meme that simply changing one's profile picture to a Milady will change their life.

The Remilia ecosystem, which includes Milady, encompasses a quarterly magazine, derivative NFT projects like Remilio Babies, a record label, and more. The Milady Minecraft game server, called Miladycraft, serves as a social hub for community members and a thoughtful art piece on modern gaming and society. In December 2024, the Milady Cult Coin (CULT) launched on Ethereum as the official token for the project, following a pre-sale that was trolled as a scam by the project’s leaders and community members.

Milady is more than just an NFT project; it represents a mindset and a philosophical outlook on life. Much of the Milady ethos is derived from the writings of Charlotte Fang, the pseudonymous founder and CEO of Remilia Corporation. Fang, who goes by he/him pronouns but allows she/her depending on the "vibe," has shared his philosophical and sociological views through a series of blog posts on Mirror.xyz. A foundational concept for Fang and the Milady community is “network spirituality,” which refers to the cultural connections embedded through internet memes and references, encouraging the embrace of the digital self.

In another blog post, Fang philosophizes on cancel culture, arguing that everyone with a notable following will eventually be canceled, leading to the canceled taking over culture. This perspective may explain some of the controversial statements made by Fang and Milady members online. However, Fang's involvement in a 2022 controversy, where he was exposed for posting alt-right extremist content under the pseudonym Miya, has made him one of the most polarizing figures in crypto.

Initially, Fang tried to distance himself from Miya, but eventually admitted his involvement. He explained that the Miya account was a “performative identity” run with other contributors between 2019 and 2020, exploring fringe ideologies as a form of critical satire. Despite the controversy, Milady continues to be culturally relevant in the crypto space. In 2023, Tesla founder Elon Musk posted a Milady meme, causing its price to spike. Then in 2025, Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin donned a Milady profile picture, which many believed signaled a shift in his approach as he entered “wartime mode.”

Milady's controversial nature and bizarre ethos make it a community that cannot be ignored. The project's ability to maintain cultural relevance despite the fall of the NFT market and the controversy surrounding its founder highlights its unique position within the crypto ecosystem. Milady's continued support from prominent figures like Vitalik Buterin and Elon Musk further solidifies its status as a significant player in the Ethereum and broader crypto communities.