Latest CryptoPunks News

CryptoGarga, the Yuga Labs CEO, announced a shift in strategy for the Super Punk World collection, opting to randomly airdrop the 500-piece collection to holders of Nina Chanel's work instead of conducting an auction.

🚜 Back It Up

Yuga Labs faced backlash from the community regarding its handling of the Super Punk World collection. Originally produced with the intention of preserving the legacy of Punks via the Punks in Residence program, the company now seeks to realign its strategy, backing away from a Dutch auction. 

The Deets...Now

• Randomized Airdrop: The 500-piece Super Punk World collection will now be distributed to holders of Nina Chanel's work, offering a chance for supporters of her art to own pieces from this unique collection.
• Preservation of Punks: Yuga will only support museums and institutions in acquiring punks to educate audiences about their significance.

📣 Founder Feedback

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For more web3 and NFT news, visit the Lucky Trader newsfeed.

The auction of Nina Chanel's "Super Punk World" collection will begin next Wednesday, May 29 at 11:00 a.m. ET.

CryptoPunks introduced Punk in Residence, featuring Nina Chanel Abney as the inaugural artist, bridging traditional art with web3 innovation.

The Deets

• Innovative Program: A new platform for artists to define "what does punk mean to you?"
• Renowned Artist: Nina Chanel Abney, celebrated for her bold exploration of identity themes.
• Exclusive Partnership: Nina receives Punk #72, marking her official entry into the CryptoPunk community.
• Technological Experimentation: Leveraging new tech to bring a fresh perspective to digital art.

The Bulk

CryptoPunks is embarking on a groundbreaking journey with the launch of its Punk in Residence program. This initiative is designed to fuse the realms of traditional and digital art, offering a unique platform for artists to explore and redefine punk in the context of web3.

Nina Chanel Abney, a distinguished figure known for her vibrant and provocative works that challenge societal norms around race, gender, and politics, is the program's first artist. Chanel Abney is perhaps best known for her work on Nina's Super Cool World, a collection of 5,000 NFTs dropped in collaboration with Goda. 

By gifting Nina Punk No. 72 from the developers' collection, CryptoPunks welcomed Nina into the family and endorsed her vision of utilizing web3 technologies to push the boundaries of digital art.

🎤 Founder Feedback

🔜 What's Next?

Keep an eye on CryptoPunks' platforms for updates on Nina Chanel Abney's creations and future artists joining the Punk in Residence program. 

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For more web3 and NFT news, visit the Lucky Trader newsfeed.

Avant Arte and CryptoPunks, in collaboration with Yuga Labs, are set to launch "10,000 On-Chain," a special print edition for the iconic digital art collectibles.

The Deets

• Revolutionary Printing: The partnership boasts an innovative printing method utilizing smaller ink droplets for sharper images.
• Exclusive Paper Stock: After multiple tests, a premium paper stock has been selected to perfectly match the artwork's color, composition, and scale.
• Time-limited Offer: "10,000 On-Chain" will be available for purchase for 48 hours starting Thursday, 26th October.
• Own a Punk, Get a Unique Print: Punk owners get an exclusive chance to transform their digital asset into a unique multi-layered print.

The Bulk

Avant Arte further enhanced its reputation by collaborating with Yuga Labs and its legendary CryptoPunks IP. The upcoming "10,000 On-Chain" is a meticulously crafted print edition, representing the collective essence of all 10,000 CryptoPunks, assembled in a square format.

The new printing technique employed delivers sharper pixels, ensuring that each of the 10,000 Punks shines with distinct clarity. This method, combined with the ideal paper stock, results in a masterpiece that does justice to the individuality and significance of each Punk.

Additionally, every purchased piece will bear a silkscreen varnish seal and will be accompanied by a vibrant pink certificate of authenticity. Prices are set at $639 for unframed prints and $1,073 for framed ones.

🎬 Take Action

For those eyeing a piece of this historic collaboration, mark your calendar for Thursday, 26th October at 10:00 EDT. Don't miss out on the 48-hour exclusive release window. Pre-register your interest now at the provided Avant Arte link.

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For more web3 and NFT news, visit the Lucky Trader newsfeed.

A CryptoPunks community event is set to take place at Beeple Studios, bringing together enthusiasts, founders, and key figures in the community for networking, discussions, and a good time.

The Deets

• Date: September 30th
• Location: Beeple Studios, Charleston, SC
• Activities: Talks, drinks, music, and networking
• Notables: Chat session with Matt and John, founders of CryptoPunks

The Bulk

CryptoPunk holders can gear up for an amazing time as Beeple Studios opens its doors for a CryptoPunks meetup, aimed at bringing together the community for an interactive and fun-filled day. The event, scheduled for September 30 in Charleston, SC, promises a mix of enlightening discussions and entertainment.

The day event (1:00 PM - 4:00 PM) offers attendees the chance to engage with the founders, as well as other key individuals who have played a significant role in shaping the community. The highlight of the day is a chat with Matt and John of Larva Labs, the masterminds behind CryptoPunks.

The evening event (8:00 PM - 12:00 AM) is all about networking and connecting with your community in a more relaxed setting. Attendees can expect music, drinks, and an opportunity to see the CryptoPunks in a whole new light within Beeple Studios' Experiential Space.

Community Quotes

🎬 Take Action

Do you own a CryptoPunks or Beeple NFT and are interested in attending the event? You can RSVP and validate your ownership via tokenproof. Remember, you receive 2 tickets per NFT owned for inviting additional guests.

🔜 What's Next?

For those who cannot make it to the physical event, stay tuned for updates and highlights from the meetup. It will be an opportunity to get a glimpse into the discussions and happenings at the event.

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For more web3 and NFT news, visit the Lucky Trader newsfeed.

Yuga Labs gained ownership over the CryptoPunks wrapper as part of the Punks Restoration Project, according to a tweet from the project yesterday.

The Deets:

• CryptoPunks wrapper handed off to Yuga Labs
• Official home of Punk wrapper now at wrapped.cryptopunks.app
• Users can reach out to punks@yugalabs.io for questions or concerns

The Details

The CryptoPunks wrapper has been officially handed off from @Robi_air and the Ark Gallery DAO team to Yuga Labs, the owner of the CryptoPunks IP after an acquistion from Larva Labs. This move is part of the Punks Restoration Project, which previously has donated CryptoPunks to notable museums worldwide. 

The official home for the Punk wrapper has moved to https://wrapped.cryptopunks.app, where users can find information and resources related to their CryptoPunks NFTs. 

For any questions or concerns related to this update, users are advised to reach out to punks@yugalabs.io, where they will receive support from Yuga Labs' dedicated team.

❗️Why It Matters

This handoff of the CryptoPunks wrapper from Ark Gallery DAO to Yuga Labs opens up some interesting possibilites for the path of Wrapped CryptoPunks. For example, it's likely that Yuga Labs will improve the UI/UX and make it safer and easier to wrap CryptoPunks to the newer ERC-721 standards that existing NFT marketplaces utilize. 

🎤 Project Prose

📊 By the Numbers

Wrapped CryptoPunks continue to dominate volume on Blur.io, gathering more than 2,000 ETH in volume on most days. 

🎬 Take Action

Punk owners can visit the new home for the wrapper at wrapped.cryptopunks.app and reach out to Punks@yugalabs.io for any questions or concerns.

 

CryptoPunk 685 has been accidentally burned in a failed wrapping attempt, per this Etherscan transaction. The news was initially reported by @seanbonner and @punk9059.

❗ Why It Matters

To many, CryptoPunks is the premier collection. They've been featured in museums, and those with Punk PFPs are often true OGs in the space. At worst, they're 1A/1B with BAYC, and they rose back to #1 in Lucky Trader's Power Rankings this week.

There isn't much else to say and we send our condolences to vitalitygrowth.eth, who bought Punk 685 for 77 ETH less than two weeks ago.

🎤 Community Quotes

Worth noting that @yugalabs holds the V1 token for #685 which was a "dev punk" - along with 1084 other @v1punks which they've given no clarity about their future plans for. There's so much Cryptopunk history still to be written...

— Sean Bonner (@seanbonner) March 24, 2023

 

 

Welcome to the Weekly NFT Roundtable, where members of the Lucky Trader team weigh in on some of the most pressing questions, news, and events in the web3 space.

The commentary below is purely opinion —not financial advice!

P.S — We launched our first edition of the NFT Roundtable Live Show this week, now available on both YouTube and in audio form! 

Recommended Reading:

• Yuga’s $16.5M Pay Day

• Claire Silver Heading to The Louvre

 

Yuga's Bitcoin Blast Off 🚀

Question 1: The Yuga Labs TwelveFold auction finished on Monday, bringing in $16.5M (735 BTC) on the 288-piece collection. The highest bid was 7.11 BTC (101 ETH), and the lowest sale was 2.25 BTC (32 ETH). What are your reactions to those numbers? Predictions on what the floor price on these are in one year?

Tyler: The prices were too high, but pretty much expected. We knew the whales would come out for this one, and they indeed did. To put the 32 ETH “floor” in perspective, it would make TwelveFold the 7th highest Art Blocks generative art project by floor price. And it would be the 15th ranked project in the entire PFP/Art space by floor. It all comes down to location, location, location - Yuga took advantage of the Bitcoin Ordinals hype, executed, and earned a pay day (but they don’t rake as much if this is minted on ETH).

As for the floor price in one year, it’s probably around the same as it is now and very illiquid. I doubt we see more than one sale per month after the initial post-mint dust settles.

Jason: I think it’s tough to say the prices were “too high” when the NFTs were sold in a fair auction format. The prices are exactly as the market decided they should be. Yuga Labs proved they have a wealthy and dedicated following. With a low-count collection, they’re always going to do well. I don’t see how this helps their other holders, but that’s a conversation for another day. 

In a year, the upside is there. I don’t see the price dropping, as the people who bought these aren’t necessarily looking to flip, and as the Bitcoin NFT ecosystem grows (if it does), it’ll get easier to buy, sell, and trade NFTs. As new tools are developed, more money will start to flow in, and they could see a massive spike. Though, the most likely scenario is that they’ll stay right around the same price as they are today.

Ghost: Agree with Jason — the prices were what the market was willing to pay for them. This is why I think the people crying ‘cash grab’ are, to be frank, full of shit. Yuga has clearly built a brand and reputation strong enough that people want what they have to offer — and I think with the BTC inscription hype, it was a sharp move and a nice way to both play around with a different medium and style, as well as capitalize (16.5M is no joke). 

Even more importantly, and I think this leads into the “how does this help other holders” — this money isn’t in $APE, locked up or anything else.  So it adds to a nice war chest for Yuga to keep delivering on its other initiatives without having to drop more dilutive NFTs or do another land sale. It may not be as directly beneficial as an airdrop, but what’s good for the business is probably good for the holders if you believe their ability to reward will continue. 

I think the floor price is an interesting question — and probably depends more on the evolution and acceptance of BTC NFTs and Ordinals more than the actual collection itself. If Ordinals succeed, these will likely continue to be in demand for the Yuga provenance. If Ordinals fade out, these might be illiquid, but the supply is low enough that they will probably still hold significant value as digital artifacts. 

Logie: Would I have paid this much? Absolutely not. Do I think the people who paid it bought it for the art? Absolutely not. Do I think it could have gone a lot higher? Yes. Do I care to participate in a major debate about it? Not really. 

Jason’s right - it was fair price discovery. Sorry my answer stinks. 

Rumblings in the Amazon 👀

Question 2: Rumors are swirling around Amazon potentially entering the space with an NFT marketplace of their own, which will reportedly focus on gaming and digital ownership of physical goods. What would an Amazon entrance mean for the space, and what are your thoughts on those potential specific focuses?

*Note — these rumors are still unconfirmed by Amazon, and should be treated as just speculation for now

Tyler: It’s hard to over-state the importance of Amazon entering NFTs. It’s the number 1 household company name. Amazon Prime has over 200M subscribers. That’s a huge, active user base. And apparently, Americans trust Amazon more than every other company or institution in America apart from the U.S. military. This will be huge for my bags (over time) - a bigger user pool means bigger fish. And they’re going to want my jpegs.

Regarding specific focus areas, I’d say infrastructure support for token-gated product offerings and token-gated subscription models are likely top of list. Shopify just partnered with thirdweb to add Web3 features like tokengated commerce, NFT loyalty programs, digital collectible sales, and more to Shopify storefronts.

I’m not an e-commerce expert but this seems to be one of the most rapidly growing sectors for NFTs (and the most likely path to mass adoption).

Jason: Amazon entering the NFT space this fast is massive for global public appeal. It legitimizes NFTs as a technology that all other companies can’t ignore. And it fast-tracks legal and political regulation and acceptance. 

As Tyler mentioned, trust is important, too. Everyone trusts Amazon. In a space where trust is limited and rug pulls are frequent, involving massive, trustworthy companies like Amazon is a big deal.

All that said, Amazon joining the NFT space is inevitable. Whether it happens sooner or later, it will happen. NFT technology will infiltrate every aspect of the consumer experience and beyond.

Ghost: Imagine the cope from all the NFT-hating normies when they are buying our bags via Amazon Prime! In all seriousness, Amazon potentially entering the space is awesome to see — and another inflection point that the tech is here to stay, regardless of what normie sentiment and doom articles from media might make normies think.

I think these rumored focuses on gaming and ownership of physical goods are super interesting — and while the knee-jerk reaction from some has been to compare this to a Coinbase NFT marketplace launch, having those specific use cases as potential priorities signals to me that they are looking at things a bit differently. This is a good thing — and those are two areas that probably have the most potential to bring the tech mainstream, rather than the PFPs which have become the face of NFTs. 

Logie: I think we will all be disillusioned by what Amazon's entry into the NFT space will really look like. While I’m in the camp that strongly believes these rumors will lead to nothing, in the next month at the very least, I am shocked that many suspect an Amazon Marketplace will just be an OpenSea or Blur clone, and we'll just be trading our bags there along with Amazon’s millions of other customers. 

It’s not going to be like that. Not a chance. 

Amazon is obligated to act on behalf of shareholders, which means profits, margins, and money on the brain. Would they really join a race to the bottom, platform-fee-free game alongside OpenSea and Blur? I really doubt it. I’d suspect Shopify’s efforts (as outlined by Tyler) are closer to the Amazon web3 integration we will eventually see, enabling subscriptions, token-gating, and its world-class logistical network to flex. I really don’t think Amazon is going full web3. 

An AI Art Revolution 🤖 🎨

Question 3: Notable AI artist Claire Silver announced this week that her next collection will premiere at The Louvre, and that she has signed with WME Talent Agency. What does a move like this mean for the AI Art sector, as well as the public perception of AI-generated/assisted art?

Tyler: This is another massively bullish headline for digital art and NFTs overall. Claire Silver is going to be exhibiting an NFT in The Louvre. It’s a f***ing huge deal. I don’t think it matters what type of digital art it is (i.e. AI art vs generative); the whole space will benefit. 

I really liked Mando’s tweet on this matter “AI art at the Louvre is a Trojan horse. NFTs silently being accepted as the medium of the future.” NFTs have officially arrived. And just wait til the institutions see all of the cool things they can do with digital art that is just not possible with physical. The Digital Art Renaissance is beginning to play out before our eyes.

Jason: This is well-deserved for Claire Silver, one of the greatest artists in the NFT space. Museum adoption of AI art (and other forms of digital art) is important, but it has been happening for quite some time. See the Centre Pompidou displaying CryptoPunks and Autoglyphs. All of these museums want to be at the forefront of the next artistic revolution, and it’s rather clear at this point that AI art is part of that revolution. 

What’s more interesting to me is when these museums start using interactive digital experiences to create personalized, 3D works of art. Art will move beyond physical space. Museums, much like movie theaters now, are going to have to create a viewing experience that can’t be replicated at home with the newest Meta Quest.

Anyway, congrats to Silver and to all the artists currently participating in the NFT and digital art space. And thank you to the Louvre for recognizing the incredible talents of all these people.

Ghost: I think this is one of those inflection points where you look back and realize the paradigm is about to shift. Normies are so fearful of new technology, which includes both AI art and NFTs. So Claire is really fighting against the mainstream tide, and yet here she is in The Louvre. AI art has gone through a renaissance this year, and moments like these are ones that change entire narratives and help others see a different perspective on things. At one point, artists were probably mad at people that use Photoshop too! I see AI art becoming its own genre of accepted acclaimed art, and definitely think Claire is leading the way with her amazing collections and now mainstream work. 

Logie: I was at the Louvre last year, fighting for a picture of the Mona Lisa. It’s pretty incredible. What’s more incredible is the centuries and decades of history that are wrapped up in one building. I think the narrative that surrounds traditional art (particularly for those outside of it, like myself) is that it is stuffy, elitist, and unwelcoming. I’d say the Louvre and other museums around the world welcoming digital art, particularly art created on the blockchain, in what feels like such a quick manner is a major win for the space and a trend that has been quietly growing in the last few weeks and months. 

Punks Get Blurry 😵‍💫

Question 4: Punks are now on Blur, with Wrapped Punks seeing over 2,500 ETH in volume over the last week and the floor rising over 10%. Is this move good or bad for the Punks price long-term, and how big of a deal is this for the space? 

Tyler: I am not sure there is any long-term impact on the Punks price, but definitely short-term. We have already seen a sharp uptick (from 62 to 67 ETH in just 4 days), and new whales playing in the Punks market (Franklin has 10 now). The Blur trading experience is better than the traditional Larva Labs site (no ETH lock-up, no gas fees on every transaction, collection bid now available), and there’s much more liquidity (over 17k ETH in bids when I checked today).

The problem is, it’s only the wrapped punks (like 630 total). For this to really have a bigger impact we would need to see the entire Punks collection on Blur. But it’s been a fun narrative, and I do think we’ll end up seeing some surprising price action over the coming weeks.

Jason: Blur is irrelevant to CryptoPunks’ long-term price. The collection will be traded on every new marketplace and likely on every semi-successful blockchain. Wrapped Solana Punks, Wrapped Bitcoin Punks, Wrapped Blur Punks — it doesn’t matter. It’s nice to see people talking about Punks again, but this is a non-event, IMO.

Ghost: Short-term, we’ll definitely see more trading volume — and have already seen upticks in floor price and secondary action. Long-term, it probably doesn’t matter that much. Though I do think we see a bump in unique holders, as OG punks with big bags have more readily available bids to sell into. I think there will also be some new converts — someone like Franklin or another Ape whale might discover that they vibe with Punks more now that they can trade them more freely. 

Logie: I wonder if Jason cares about the manifestation of his Punk as a Wrapped Solana Punk. Probably not. 

Anyway, I’m sorry to disappoint, but I also think this is a non-event. I don’t expect enough users to undertake the technical challenges or risk required to wrap their CryptoPunks just for the purpose of trading them when Punk trading on Larva Labs works perfectly fine and comes with considerably less risk of financial ruin. 

If the number of Wrapped Punks increases dramatically as a result of this news, then you can come ask me again.

Meet the Roundtable:

Ghost: Ghost is an NFT analyst at Lucky Trader. He has been in crypto since 2017, and entered the NFT space via NBA Top Shot in January of 2021 before minting Bored Apes and degenning into the broader market. 

Tyler: Tyler is a high-volume NFT trader, having reached the top 100 in NFT sales revenue using NFTBank’s rankings, a Pengu maxi (in Luca we trust), and a writer for Lucky Trader. Tyler’s writing spans market analysis, news breakdowns, project ecosystem overviews, and web3 opinion pieces.

Logie: Logan is a content lead at Lucky Trader and is best known for selling every good NFT far too early. He also maintains an irrational exuberance for clay-based NFTs. 

Jason: Jason is an NFT lead at Lucky Trader. He has been involved in the NFT space since CryptoKitties in late 2017, and, like most, he lost a lot of money on Top Shot in early 2021. But nevertheless, he persists (with his Series 1 Legendary From The Top LeBron James Block).

 

 

Liquid Collections is collaborating with CryptoPunk holders to offer exclusive custom scotch whisky bottles via their genesis Drops of Punk release early next month.

❗The Details

Liquid Collections has sourced a single cask Scotch to produce ~300 whisky bottles available in its initial "Drops of Punk" release, which will be available only to CryptoPunk holders. Each NFT is backed by six bottles of "Drops of Punk” Scotch where the bottles will be customized to feature the holder's Punk artwork and ID number. 

The whisky itself is a unique 15-year-old single malt scotch that is limited to a single cask selected by the Liquid Collections team. The whisky was distilled in the Scottish Highlands in 2008, initially aged in an ex-bourbon barrel and then re-racked to a 2nd-fill Oloroso sherry cask in February 2022.

🧠 Need to Know

• The mint will begin on March 8 at the Liquid Collections website.
• The cask will be bottled in June.
• Bottles will be exported to the US in late June/July, and ready for delivery in August. Bottles can be shipped within the US only (to 34 states).
• Punk holders need to be pre-authorized (Punk owner validation) for access to the early mint.

⚡ Take Action

• Interested Punk holders need to pre-authorize as a Punk owner and to indicate from which wallet they intend to mint. TokenProof is one of the tools integrated to validate Punk ownership.
• The official collection page for pre-authorization and minting is now live at: https://liquidcollections.com/collections/drops-of-punk
• 40 Punk holders will be selected from the pre-authorized list and provided a guaranteed mint in the initial 24 hour pre-mint period (starting March 8th).
• On March 9th, any pre-registered Punk-holder can mint.
• The NFTs (backed by the six bottles of whisky) will cost 0.75 ETH.

🔜 What's Next?

• Collectors holding a Drops of Punk genesis NFT will gain early access to future releases and have the potential to play a role in shaping the brand's future direction.
• Liquid Collections has plans to expand Drops of Punk with super premium releases in other coveted spirits categories, including bourbon, rye, Japanese whisky, Irish whiskey, tequila and mezcal.