Show HN: The Million USDT Artwork 1M pixel NFTcharity project built from scratch
by Zhiznevskyi | 2025-06-18 12:37:42+00:00
The Million USDT Artwork™ — Leave your mark on digital history. Take part in creating a one-million USDT NFT artwork together with thousands of users from around the world. One million pixels. One NFT canvas. One goal — to help those affected by war.

In an era where the digital space has become a new form of self-expression and solidarity, a unique project is born — The Million USDT Artwork™. This is not just an online map of a million pixels. It’s a mosaic of lives. It’s a chance to write your name into history — and at the same time, extend a helping hand to those who need it most right now.

What is the project all about? Each participant can select available pixels on the canvas and place:

an image

a link

a message

Once the entire canvas is filled, it will be transformed into an NFT and auctioned off internationally. All proceeds will be donated to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to support those affected by war.

My story — in a few words

My name is Igor Zhyznevskyi, and I’m from Odessa, Ukraine. Before the war, I ran an advertising agency and took part in social initiatives — we fought for justice and believed in change.

And then… everything disappeared. The war took away my home, my job, my family, my way of life.

I wasn’t a soldier, but I couldn’t just stand by and do nothing. Together with my team, we evacuated civilians from combat zones — we saved lives and took risks. Without support. Only with faith. No government assistance. No funding. Just roadblocks, bureaucracy — and silence.

We used our own savings. Only volunteers helped — ordinary people with kind hearts.

Then came the final blow: I lost my business. Everything I had built collapsed in weeks. I had no idea how to go on living.

Why did I start this project? At some point, a person I never expected anything from reached out and helped me. He helped me escape the war, arrange documents, and wait in Chișinău, Moldova, for a job onboard a ship.

Thanks to him, I joined a bulk carrier crew and spent more than six months at sea. It was in that isolation — surrounded by waves — that I started thinking about rebuilding. About how I could help others.

That’s how The Million USDT Artwork™ was born.

I had no coding skills. No tech education. Nothing. I started from zero. I learned to code using ChatGPT, tutorials, and free resources — on an old laptop that kept freezing.

It took me almost a year to build everything. Alone. At first, it was just an idea. Today — it’s real.

Tech: I built the backend in Node.js + MySQL + Redis + WebSockets + ImageMagick. Image rendering is pixel-perfect and async-queued. Payments go through CoinPayments and are confirmed via encrypted IPN, all integrated manually. Frontend is vanilla JS with canvas-based real-time rendering. The image system supports entropy detection, patch-based rendering, and fallback upscaling using Waifu2x/ESRGAN.

Join us There are still 1,000,000 pixels available. Each one is a chance to:

Make your voice heard Contribute to art Help those who truly need it Choose your pixels Add an image, link, and message Become part of digital history