CryptoPunks was released in June 2017 as one of the first non-fungible tokens (NFT) on the Ethereumblockchain. The project was developed by American studio Larva Labs, a two-person team consisting of Canadian software developers Matt Hall and John Watkinson. The experimental project was inspired by the London punk scenes, the cyberpunk movement and William Gibson's novel Neuromancer, Johnny Mnemonic, Blade Runner[1] and also electronic music artists Daft Punk. The crypto art blockchain project was an inspiration for the ERC-721 standard for NFTs and the modern crypto art movement. Many investors and collectors consider CryptoPunks NFTs pop art, digital blue chip art investment and digital Warhols.[clarification needed][2]
Background
There are only 10,000 unique CryptoPunks (6,039 males and 3,840 females), all of which are made digitally scarce through the use of blockchain technology. Each one was algorithmically generated through computer code and thus no two characters are exactly alike, but some traits are more rare than others. They were originally released for free and could be claimed by anyone with an Ethereum wallet. There will never be more than the original 10,000 CryptoPunks.[3][4][5]
Beyond their historical significance, the collectible appeal of CryptoPunks is enhanced by the rarities of certain traits and types of characters. Most of the 10,000 total punks are humans, but there are also three special types: Zombie (88), Ape (24) and Alien (9).[7][8]
