Share this article

ApeFest Attendees Report Severe Eye Burn. BAYC Says Less Than 1% Have Symptoms

Several attendees reported have symptoms of photokeratitis, a condition caused by exposure to ultraviolet (UV) lights.

Updated Nov 6, 2023, 4:45 p.m. Published Nov 6, 2023, 4:45 p.m.
The original Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT collection features right-facing cartoon apes. (Yuga Labs)
The original Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT collection features right-facing cartoon apes. (Yuga Labs)

Attendees of ApeFest, an event hosted by Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) creators Yuga Labs, have received medical care after reports of blurred vision and burning eyes.

Bored Ape Yacht Club posted an update on their X profile, stating that "much less than 1% of those attending and working the event had these symptoms."

STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Don't miss another story.Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today. See all newsletters

"While nearly everyone has indicated their symptoms have improved, we encourage anybody who feels them to seek medical attention just in case," it added.

The response prompted an annoyed reaction from attendees, many of whom blamed the organizers for downplaying the incident.

One attendee reported that the problem with their eyes, which was diagnosed as photokeratitis, remained for more than 30 hours following the event. Photokeratitis is a condition that results from exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light.

The event, which was held in Hong Kong, featured lasers and strobe lights, with several attendees pointing towards the usage of incorrect bulbs as being the cause.

The floor price of Bored Ape NFTs fell to a low of 28.4 ether [ETH] earlier today, following a high of 32 ETH on Nov. 1.

Yuga Labs did not immediately respond to CoinDesk's request for comment.

More For You

Protocol Research: GoPlus Security

GP Basic Image

需要了解的:

  • As of October 2025, GoPlus has generated $4.7M in total revenue across its product lines. The GoPlus App is the primary revenue driver, contributing $2.5M (approx. 53%), followed by the SafeToken Protocol at $1.7M.
  • GoPlus Intelligence's Token Security API averaged 717 million monthly calls year-to-date in 2025 , with a peak of nearly 1 billion calls in February 2025. Total blockchain-level requests, including transaction simulations, averaged an additional 350 million per month.
  • Since its January 2025 launch , the $GPS token has registered over $5B in total spot volume and $10B in derivatives volume in 2025. Monthly spot volume peaked in March 2025 at over $1.1B , while derivatives volume peaked the same month at over $4B.

More For You

Michael Saylor's Strategy Hangs on to Spot in Nasdaq 100 Index

Executive Chairman of Strategy Michael Saylor

The annual Nasdaq 100 rebalance saw six companies dropped and three new additions, with changes taking effect on December 22, but bitcoin treasury company Strategy hung onto its spot.

需要了解的:

  • Strategy (MSTR) will remain in the Nasdaq 100 index despite a major reshuffle, which saw several household names dropped.
  • The firm's business model, which involves stockpiling bitcoin, has drawn criticism from analysts and index providers, with MSCI considering excluding crypto treasury companies from its benchmarks.
  • The Nasdaq 100 rebalance saw six companies dropped and three new additions, with changes taking effect on December 22, but Strategy's bitcoin-heavy strategy secured its spot.