RTFKT Co-Founder Benoît Pagotto Dies at 41 — Crypto and NFT Community Pays Tribute to a Digital Fashion Pioneer

The Web3 and NFT community is mourning the loss of Benoît Pagotto, co-founder of the digital fashion house RTFKT, who passed away suddenly at the age of 41, according to multiple industry colleagues. Pagotto, known for his visionary work blending gaming, fashion, and blockchain, helped shape one of the most influential digital culture brands of the last bull cycle.

French tech executive Philippe Rodriguez first announced the news on LinkedIn on Sunday, describing Pagotto as “super creative, discreet, and humble,” adding that he “believed beauty could change the world.” The cause of death has not been disclosed.

Pagotto co-founded RTFKT in 2020 alongside Chris Le and Steven Vasilev, at a time when digital fashion and metaverse culture were still emerging concepts. The studio quickly became a defining name in Web3, known for its collaborations with high-profile artists and brands — most notably its Clone X × Takashi Murakami collection, which became a cultural touchstone during the NFT boom.

By 2021, RTFKT’s success caught the attention of Nike, which acquired the studio to spearhead its digital fashion and metaverse ambitions. Under Pagotto’s creative direction, RTFKT explored new ways to merge physical and digital ownership — pioneering phygital sneakers, NFT wearables, and on-chain identity experiments.

Though Nike began winding down RTFKT operations late last year, Pagotto remained publicly engaged with the brand, continuing to advocate for innovation at the intersection of fashion and blockchain.

Industry Pays Tribute to a Visionary

Tributes from friends, collaborators, and industry peers flooded social media in the hours following the announcement. RTFKT co-founder Steven Vasilev wrote on X that “the vision, mission and inspiration Benoît gave to the world will live on forever.”

Former RTFKT CTO Samuel Cardillo shared a raw and heartfelt message: “He was a grumpy Parisian cliché, an asshole and genius,” adding,

“I hope my dear friend will respawn as a badass mean crow.”

Greg Solano, co-founder of Bored Ape Yacht Club and known as Garga.eth, remembered Pagotto as “one of the kindest, funniest people I met in crypto,” noting that he offered help “when we were nobodies” and stayed grounded despite success. “I’ll miss his big, boisterous laugh you could hear from across a restaurant,” Solano wrote.

Pagotto’s work at RTFKT helped define the aesthetics and ambitions of digital fashion, influencing brands far beyond the crypto world. His belief in design as a vehicle for empowerment resonated with a generation of creators seeking new forms of identity and ownership in virtual spaces.

In April 2025, RTFKT briefly made headlines when images for several Ethereum-based NFT collections disappeared due to a cloud-hosting outage — an incident that reignited debates about decentralization and data permanence in NFT ecosystems. Pagotto’s voice was among the first to call for better infrastructure and greater transparency.

RTFKT and Nike later faced a $5 million class-action lawsuit alleging that buyers were misled about the longevity and support of certain NFT collections. While the case remains ongoing, Pagotto continued to emphasize community and creativity over speculation, framing digital fashion as “a cultural movement, not a cash grab.”

Pagotto’s Legacy Transcends NFTs

Pagotto’s passing marks more than the loss of a creative leader — it’s the end of an era for the NFT and digital fashion movement he helped ignite. At a time when much of Web3 is redefining itself post-hype, his legacy reminds the community that art, design, and technology can converge to express something deeply human: identity.

Even as the NFT market cools, Pagotto’s influence endures in how brands, creators, and collectors view digital ownership. His belief that “beauty can change the world” now feels prophetic — a timeless call for purpose in an industry still searching for meaning beyond speculation.