How to Buy Your First CrypToadz

TL;DR 

• CrypToadz were the creation of Gremplin, who drew them first in the Punks Discord
• The project is CC0, meaning anyone can copy or build on the art
• Despite having no roadmap, the community has set up grant programs
• CrypToadz have done more than 71K ETH in volume, you can buy them on OpenSea

What Are CrypToadz?

CrypToadz was a stealth mint that launched the night of Sept. 8, 2021 at a price of 0.069 ETH. The 6,969-edition collection sold out almost instantly on the strength of its artist, Gremplin, who at the time was about a month into the Nouns project he co-founded with nine others. Like Nouns, CrypToadz is CC0, or free of commercial license, so anyone is free to build on or recreate the Toadz art.

CrypToadz’s mint was around the same time as Loot meta (the n project, First First NFTs, and other derivatives) and is considered one of the premier CC0 projects in the market along with the one that made its artist, Gremplin, a household name. Before Nouns and Toadz, Gremplin sold most of his work on Rarible. Now that work has a 3.2 ETH floor price.

Who Created CrypToadz?

• Artist and founder Gremplin
• Team including @chan0_, @sum1eth, @motivatemeV2, @HEEEEEEEEEEE_, @ForNft, @emmy0x1, @BN10eth, and Cat.

Origins of CrypToadz

Before CrypToadz was a project, Gremplin was pixelating CryptoPunks’ owners art.

Punks art inspired the cigarettes, the zombies, the apes, the aliens, the socks, the hoodies, and countless other traits in the CrypToadz collection. Most of the custom Toadz are based on Punks. Others, like the ones with the Murdered by Fronkz and Legendary traits, are drawn in the artist's unique style (which he describes as "making a bunch of hairy, wiggling things"), unlike the rest of the collection, which is pixelated. 

The novelty of the CC0 project and its “vibes” vaulted Toadz up marketplace rankings. (Lucky Trader detailed this phenomenon back then, exploring Toadz' captivation with crypto culture and its "originality" and "authenticity.")  By early October of 2021, the collection had a nearly 15 ETH floor, before dropping off sharply. By November, the collection had a 4 ETH floor price, then leveled off to 2-3 ETH where it has been since. 

How Are CrypToadz Valued?

Like CryptoPunks, Toadz launched with no roadmap, and Gremplin would respond to questions about utility with “!toadmap.”

“We’re already frontrun by things we do - there’s like zero incentive to do things when the community is fully capable of building,” said Gremplin in a January Discord message.

Despite having just a toadmap, the community filled in, just like Gremplin said. 

In October of 2021, Toadz partnered with Arcade NFTs to build a 4,777-edition collection of playable NFTs, while also offering prizes and including some of the Toadz lore.

“When the Evil King Gremplin imprisoned all the CrypToadz, he exiled their leader Colonel Floorbin to Gooch Island. While the CrypToadz were freed during minting, their leader remains in exile. Now that the Toadz are free, you must guide them as they cross deserts, race over highways, and traverse space and sea to find and rescue their exiled leader. Good luck!” the Arcade NFT described.

In late November 2021, CrypToadz hosted Toadchella, a virtual concert in Decentraland. 

Near Christmas, Toadz holders got a holiday present of MistleToadz, a “festive, warty, amphibious creature spawned from the metaverse.” 

Right after MistleToadz, the project announced it was building a treasury for community initiatives, raising the secondary fees on OpenSea from 1.25 percent to 2.5 percent. Then the project contributed 40 ETH to a community grant fund. 

Still, the Toadz team (which includes a member of the Lucky Trader team) still supported community work. CrypToadz holders secured several exclusive allowlist mints for CryptoBatz, Cool Pets, and Turf.NFT — all of which surpassed a 1 ETH floor price at times.

In March of 2022, CrypToadz was featured in a preview video for Yuga Labs' Otherside game. 

In August, CrypToadz received 20 ETH worth of funding from Prop House, a public platform created by Nouns DAO to help certain NFT communities fund builders to work on their ecosystem. The first round will give out 1 ETH to 10 proposals in the Toadz community.

How to Buy CrypToadz

So you’ve decided you want a CrypToadz NFT? First, head to the Lucky Trader Asset Explorer and look at the different traits and decide which Toadz NFT fits you. Once you find one, click on the OpenSea link where you will be able to finalize your purchase. You can also purchase CrypToadz on other marketplaces like X2Y2 or LooksRare.

After you purchase, you’ll see the CrypToadz NFT in your wallet. Then you can join the Toadz Discord and its Verified Toadz channels.