MoonCats-Acclimated NFT Overview

Mooncats are procedurally generated pixel cat NFTs on the Ethereum blockchain. 

Originally launched just after CryptoPunks, less than 10% of Mooncats were “rescued” (minted) prior to 2021. Largely forgotten until early 2021, the remaining 90% of Mooncats were rescued in just a few hours as participants were able to rescue with a free transaction that only required gas. 

To rescue a Mooncat, users were able to search an ever-expanding universe of potential cats until they found one with characteristics they wished to claim. After copying the ID for a desirable Mooncat, users could then rescue the cat they had selected via the contract on Etherscan. 

Made up of 25,344 Mooncats, 96 of which are Genesis black and white cats, Mooncats have become widely accepted as one of the first collectible NFT projects. However, the original lead developers are no longer involved. 

After an influx of community support, Ponderware, a contributor to the Mooncat project from 2017 was discovered, contacted, and has taken the reins as the project lead. 

Since Ponderware’s establishment, a handful of Mooncat advancements have been made. 

An official wrapper has been built to bring the Mooncats to the ERC-721 standard (which they pre-date), making them tradeable on platforms like OpenSea. A second wrapped collection, "Wrapped MooncatsRescue" also exists and holds cats that were wrapped shortly after being resuced in early 2021. With the new acclimated standard, Mooncats can now have accessories, like space helmets and have potential DeFI involvement via Cudl Finance. 

In late September, 2021, project lead Ponderware officially announced that a selection of Mooncats from 2017 would be auctioned at esteemed auction house Sotheby’s.