Menu
Home
People
Places
Arts
History
Plants & Animals
Science
Life & Culture
Technology
Reference.org
CryptoPunks
open-in-new
<h2 id="concept">Concept</h2> <p>There are 10,000 unique CryptoPunks (6,039 male and 3,840 female). Each one was algorithmically generated through computer code and thus no two characters are exactly alike, with some traits being rarer than others. They were originally released for free and could be claimed by anyone with an Ethereum wallet by paying only "<a href="/facts/Ethereum/6RfpJ46R">gas fees</a>", which were low at the time.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11"><sup>11</sup></a> </p><p>Most of the 10,000 CryptoPunks represent humans, but there are also three special types: Zombie (88), Ape (24), and Alien (9).<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12"><sup>12</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:13" href="#fn:13"><sup>13</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="controversies">Controversies</h2> <h3>Flash loan</h3> <p>In October 2021, a single NFT transaction was made for 124,457 Ether (US$532 million at the time of the sale) regarding CryptoPunk #9998, much higher than all previous NFT sales, leading to speculation on social media that this could have been some kind of scam, a security exploit or <a href="/facts/Money_laundering/98Gw3mgx">money laundering</a>. Larva Labs said that the purchase was made with a <a href="/facts/Flash_loan/xSlMeAR1">flash loan</a> where the NFT's owner bought the item from themselves with borrowed money, taking out and repaying the loan within a single blockchain transaction,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:14" href="#fn:14"><sup>14</sup></a> subsequently invalidating the sale from the asset's historic and from all the related statistics.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:15" href="#fn:15"><sup>15</sup></a> </p> <h3>Sotheby's 104 CryptoPunks auction</h3> <p>In early 2022, a Sotheby's auction for a single lot of 104 CryptoPunks was announced.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:16" href="#fn:16"><sup>16</sup></a> The auction took place on 23 February 2022, but its seller (<i>0x650d</i>) changed their mind 23 minutes after the auction began and decided to withdraw the auction to keep the whole lot.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:17" href="#fn:17"><sup>17</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="see-also">See also</h2> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Rare_Pepe/Bx3f9kjJ">Rare Pepe</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/EtherRock/6IWCn5l7">EtherRock</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Bored_Ape/o4o7oTu9">Bored Ape</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/List_of_most_expensive_non-fungible_tokens/XPJQamFv">List of most expensive non-fungible tokens</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Ethereum/6RfpJ46R">Ethereum</a></li></ul> <h2 id="external-links">External links</h2> <ul><li><a href="https://www.larvalabs.com/cryptopunks">Official website</a></li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>Larva Labs <a href="https://www.larvalabs.com/" target="_blank">https://www.larvalabs.com/</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>"10 things to know about CryptoPunks, the original NFTS | Christie's". <a href="https://www.christies.com/features/10-things-to-know-about-CryptoPunks-11569-1.aspx?sc_lang=en#FID-11569" target="_blank">https://www.christies.com/features/10-things-to-know-about-CryptoPunks-11569-1.aspx?sc_lang=en#FID-11569</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>"Will Cryptocurrencies Be the Art Market's Next Big Thing?". The New York Times. 2019-04-16. Archived from the original on 2020-12-15. Retrieved 2021-01-08. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/13/arts/cryptocurrency-art-market.html/" target="_blank">https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/13/arts/cryptocurrency-art-market.html/</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>"CryptoPunks | Fortune NFTy 50". Fortune. Retrieved 2021-08-05. <a href="https://fortune.com/nfty-50/2021/cryptopunks/" target="_blank">https://fortune.com/nfty-50/2021/cryptopunks/</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>Locke, Taylor (10 June 2021). "'Covid Alien' CryptoPunk NFT sells for over $11.7 million to billionaire buyer in Sotheby's auction". CNBC. Retrieved 9 December 2022. <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/06/10/covid-alien-cryptopunk-nft-sells-for-11point7-million-in-sothebys-auction.html" target="_blank">https://www.cnbc.com/2021/06/10/covid-alien-cryptopunk-nft-sells-for-11point7-million-in-sothebys-auction.html</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>Milmo, Dan (3 March 2022). "Ukraine to issue non-fungible tokens to fund armed forces". The Guardian. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/03/ukraine-to-issue-non-fungible-tokens-to-fund-armed-forces" target="_blank">https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/03/ukraine-to-issue-non-fungible-tokens-to-fund-armed-forces</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>"Bored Ape Yacht Club creator buys CryptoPunks and Meebits". TheVerge. 11 March 2022. <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2022/3/11/22973394/bored-ape-yacht-club-cryptopunks-meebits-nft" target="_blank">https://www.theverge.com/2022/3/11/22973394/bored-ape-yacht-club-cryptopunks-meebits-nft</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>"Yuga Labs Statement About CryptoPunks Commercial Rights". Twitter. <a href="https://twitter.com/yugalabs/status/1502420714527334406" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/yugalabs/status/1502420714527334406</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>"CryptoPunks". CryptoPunks.app. <a href="https://cryptopunks.app" target="_blank">https://cryptopunks.app</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:10"><p>"NFT phenom CryptoPunks was just sold to a nonprofit". TechCrunch. 13 May 2025. Retrieved 17 May 2025. <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2025/05/13/nft-phenom-cryptopunks-was-just-sold-to-a-nonprofit/" target="_blank">https://techcrunch.com/2025/05/13/nft-phenom-cryptopunks-was-just-sold-to-a-nonprofit/</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:11"><p>Abbruzzese, Jason (2017-06-16). "This ethereum-based project could change how we think about digital art". Mashable. Retrieved 2021-10-13. <a href="https://mashable.com/article/cryptopunks-ethereum-art-collectibles" target="_blank">https://mashable.com/article/cryptopunks-ethereum-art-collectibles</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:12"><p>Cornish, Chloe (June 6, 2018). "CryptoKitties, CryptoPunks and the birth of a cottage industry". Financial Times. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved January 26, 2021. <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/f9c1422a-47c9-11e8-8c77-ff51caedcde6" target="_blank">https://www.ft.com/content/f9c1422a-47c9-11e8-8c77-ff51caedcde6</a> <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:13"><p>"How blockchain technology could revolutionize the art market". PBS NewsHour. September 11, 2019. Archived from the original on January 26, 2021. Retrieved January 26, 2021. <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/how-blockchain-technology-could-revolutionize-the-art-market" target="_blank">https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/how-blockchain-technology-could-revolutionize-the-art-market</a> <a href="#fnref:13" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:14"><p>Islam, Foyjul (29 October 2021). "A CryptoPunks NFT sells for an eye-popping $532 million - but the purchase isn't all it seems". Business Insider. Archived from the original on 2021-10-29. <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/currencies/cryptopunks-nft-sells-over-500-million-void-larva-labs-ethereum-2021-10" target="_blank">https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/currencies/cryptopunks-nft-sells-over-500-million-void-larva-labs-ethereum-2021-10</a> <a href="#fnref:14" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:15"><p>"CryptoPunks: Details for Punk #9998". LarvaLabs. <a href="https://www.larvalabs.com/cryptopunks/details/9998" target="_blank">https://www.larvalabs.com/cryptopunks/details/9998</a> <a href="#fnref:15" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:16"><p>Block, Fang (8 February 2022). "Single Lot of 104 CryptoPunks Could Net More Than $20 Million". Barron's. Retrieved 23 March 2022. <a href="https://www.barrons.com/articles/single-lot-of-104-cryptopunks-could-net-more-than-20-million-01644350747" target="_blank">https://www.barrons.com/articles/single-lot-of-104-cryptopunks-could-net-more-than-20-million-01644350747</a> <a href="#fnref:16" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:17"><p>Schultz, Abby (23 February 2022). "Sotheby's Withdraws Sale of 104 CryptoPunks at Seller's Request". Barron's. Retrieved 23 March 2022. <a href="https://www.barrons.com/articles/sothebys-withdraws-sale-of-104-cryptopunks-at-sellers-request-01645664443" target="_blank">https://www.barrons.com/articles/sothebys-withdraws-sale-of-104-cryptopunks-at-sellers-request-01645664443</a> <a href="#fnref:17" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>