With NFTs still driving the internet and popular culture wild, it seems like everyday someone is talking about them—including popular celebrities and billionaires galore getting their hands on some of the most popular digital artworks available.
So, for those who might have been hiding under a rock, here are some of the most popular NFTs you should already know about.
Bored Ape Yacht Club
A collection of 10,000 of the most prestigious NFTs on the planet right now, Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) each depicts an ape with different traits and visual attributes.
Currently there are over 6,200 owners of BAYC NFTs, including a star studded lineup of celebrities such as Jimmy Fallon, Justin Bieber, Steph Curry, Steve Aoki, Drake Bell, The Chainsmokers, Lil Baby, Post Malone, Snoop Dogg, Paris Hilton, Kevin Hart, Shaquille O’Neal, Logan Paul, Future, DJ Khaled, Eminem - as well as billionaire Mark Cuban and the co-founders of Ethereum and Reddit; Taylor Gerring and Alexis Ohanian.
People are going [literally] bananas for this collection of NFTs, with average sale prices currently over USD$200,000 and growing. Plus some of the NFTs with rarer attributes (accessories, outfits, facial features, etc.) going for potentially millions of dollars.
Beyond the celebrities jumping on the BAYC bandwagon, the project is increasingly becoming an off-chain brand. In fact , Adidas partnered with BAYC for its first NFT project, a BAYC mobile game launched in January 2022.
Azuki
Azuki is a new Ethereum-based NFT project that aims to become the largest decentralised brand for the Metaverse that is built and owned by the community.
It currently consists of 10,000 avatars that allow owners to unlock exclusive perks and privileges, such as “The Garden”, which according to the project’s website “...is a corner of the internet where art, community, and culture fuse to create magic. The lines between the physical and digital worlds are blurring and the rules are being rewritten.”
Many collectors and enthusiasts are praising the art and cohesiveness of the NFT project. At the time of writing, the tradeable volume of Azuki on a popular NFT marketplace hit 79,692.3 ETH (which relates to AUD$310,236,816) and around 5,500 current owners.
Mutant Ape Yacht Club
The Mutant Ape Yacht Club is a collection of up to 20,0000 NFTs that was released by the BAYC’s creator Yuga Labs after great anticipation from NFT fans and enthusiasts.
According to the website, the “Mutant Apes can only be created by exposing an existing Bored Ape to a vial of MUTANT SERUM or by minting a Mutant Ape in the public sale.”
What do they mean by exposing a Bored Ape to a vial of mutant serum? Well, the BAYC has done a few things to keep the NFT owners interested. First, it created the Bored Ape Kennel Club, offering owners the opportunity to "adopt" a dog NFT with traits that mimic those of the Bored Apes. Another freebie came in August 2021, which consisted of digital vials of mutant serum. Owners could mix their Bored Ape with the serum to create a Mutant Ape NFT.
Clone X—X Takashi Murakami
When it comes to virtual fashion, RTFKT has pushed the envelope with forward-thinking Metaverse wearables. The creator previously partnered with streetwear icon Jeff Staple on a series of collectibles, and then launched a CryptoPunks-inspired shoe project.
On October 29 2021, RTFKT unveiled its latest collaboration with Japanese contemporary artist Takashi Murakami. One of Murakami’s most famous artworks is of the smiling, wildly colourful flowers.
CLONE X is a series of 20,000 avatar NFTs collectables that dropped in November 2021 and have already amassed a huge loyal following as one of the most sought-after NFT series on the market.
The project’s various avatars feature a uniquely random combination of traits designed by Murakami and the assets received by owners will be able to be used in future NFT-based games, AR filters, Zoom meetings, and Metaverse platforms. RTFKT also promises to release future Clone X wearables, IRL item drops, and member-only experiences.
CryptoPunks
Basically, the level of hype BAYC has right now, CryptoPunks had a few months ago. While CryptoPunks NFTs are still incredibly popular (with a trading volume of over 44K ETH), they definitely drove the world crazy when one was purchased for a staggering half-billion dollars in October 2021.
In the world of NFTs, the CryptoPunks project is as close to ancient history as it gets, meaning it’s almost five years old. In 2017, Matt Hall and John Watkinson, founders of New York-based software company Larva Labs, created CryptoPunks from the duo’s software program that would generate thousands of different, strange-looking characters.
There are currently 10,000 punks, all of which were algorithmically generated and all claimed for free by those with an Ethereum wallet when the project launched in 2017. Now these NFTs re-sell for thousands, if not millions of dollars.
Ray Brown, market analyst at CoinSpot.
Now, read on for everything you need to know about cryptocurrency.
Image credit: Urban List
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is general in nature and does not take into account your personal objectives, financial situation or needs. Therefore, you should consider whether the information is appropriate to your circumstances before acting on it, and where appropriate, seek professional advice from a finance professional such as an adviser.