In June 2017
CryptoPunks was released in June 2017 as one of the first
non-fungible token (NFT) on the
Ethereum blockchain. The project was developed by American studio Larva Labs, a two-person team consisting of Matt Hall and John Watkinson. The
crypto art blockchain project was an inspiration for the
ERC-721 standard for NFTs and the crypto art movement.
"10,000 unique collectible characters with proof of ownership stored on the Ethereum blockchain. The project that inspired the modern CryptoArt movement. Featured in
Mashable,
The Financial Times,
The Paris Review,
Salon,
The Outline,
BreakerMag,
Christie's of London,
Art|Basel,
The PBS NewsHour and
The New York Times. Currently showing at the
ZKM Center for Art and Media in Karlsruhe, Germany as part of the
Open Codes Exhibition. The first "Non-Fungible Token," and inspiration for the Ethereum
ERC-721 standard that powers most digital art and collectibles.
"The CryptoPunks are 10,000 uniquely generated characters. No two are exactly alike, and each one of them can be officially owned by a single person on the
Ethereum blockchain. Originally, they could be claimed for free by anybody with an Ethereum wallet, but all 10,000 were quickly claimed. Now they must be purchased from someone via the marketplace that's also embedded in the blockchain. Via this market you can buy, bid on, and offer punks for sale. The zoomable image above is connected to the Ethereum network and has been colored to show you the status of every Punk in the market. Punks with a blue background have been claimed. Punks with a red background are available for sale by their owner. Finally, punks with a purple background have an active bid on them. You can click to zoom in on a Punk and reveal its details." (
https://www.larvalabs.com/cryptopunks, accessed 3-2021).
