CryptoPunks

Launched in June 2017 by Larva Labs, CryptoPunks is one of the earliest and most influential non-fungible token (NFT) projects on Ethereum. It consists of 10,000 unique 24x24 pixel art characters—humans, apes, zombies, and aliens—generated algorithmically and permanently stored on-chain. CryptoPunks pioneered the concept of digital ownership and collectible art on blockchain, predating the formal ERC-721 NFT standard. The project includes a built-in marketplace enabling direct peer-to-peer buying, selling, and trading of Punks, establishing a decentralized market for digital collectibles.

CryptoPunks helped define the NFT space by creating a typology of digital identities that collectors use as social avatars, fostering a shared culture and vocabulary around traits, rarity, and floor prices. Its technical innovations influenced the development of NFT standards and inspired subsequent digital art projects. The collection has achieved significant cultural and institutional recognition, with Punks selling for millions at major auction houses and entering museum collections worldwide. In 2022, Yuga Labs acquired the intellectual property, and in 2025 stewardship passed to the Infinite Node Foundation to ensure long-term preservation.

Developers and NFT platform teams can explore CryptoPunks as a foundational case study in generative art, on-chain uniqueness, and decentralized marketplaces. The project’s open documentation and GitHub repository provide resources for understanding its smart contract design and wrapped token implementations. CryptoPunks remains a seminal example of how blockchain can enable verifiable digital ownership and cultural identity. Interested users can visit the official site to view, trade, or claim wrapped versions of Punks, with comprehensive docs available for integration and development.