What Are CryptoPunks? The Ethereum NFT Sensation

Some of the oldest ever NFTs are now some of the most desirable—and expensive—crypto collectibles. Here’s what they are—and how you can buy your own.

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1 min read

> In brief

  • CryptoPunks is an Ethereum-based NFT project from 2017, making it one of the earliest examples of crypto collectibles.

  • Prices skyrocketed as the wider NFT market expanded in 2021, leading to numerous sales in excess of $1 million each.

The market for crypto collectibles released as non-fungible tokens (NFTs) exploded in 2021, with $2.5 billion in transaction volume in the first six months as NFTs entered the mainstream.

The boom has also seen NFT enthusiasts rediscovering some of the earliest non-fungible tokens, propelling the value of these crypto collectibles to hitherto-unknown highs.

One of these early NFT projects is CryptoPunks: a set of randomly generated pixel-based avatars. Some of the rarest, most desirable CryptoPunks have sold for millions of dollars. Seriously!

Here’s what you need to know about one of the most popular NFT collections around.