The Weekly: Sweet Jebus, are NFTs Back?
Cryptopunks rallied this week as the floor rose nearly 35% in a 48 hour span – the "gnarly" run featured punks with a diverse range of traits, a sight sure to make Nina Chanel smile.
In the end, 49 unique punks sold yesterday, the most in a day since November. So far, another 11 have already sold today.
— Stats (@punk9059) August 21, 2024
Floor is up 33% in the past two days. pic.twitter.com/OvvJOA9xag
swapped the pfp back to the punk to celebrate one of the more gnarly 48 hours of punk action we've seen in the last two years pic.twitter.com/aSP2sgHYh5
— DeeZe ⛳🏌️♂️ (@DeeZe) August 21, 2024
On NFTs, Artchick asked whether there is a reason for any NFT projects other than punks to exist – short answer, no; but must you say it out loud?
Is there a compelling reason for any NFT project other than punks to exist?
— artchick.eth 🔥👠 (@digitalartchick) August 20, 2024
Jebus bid farewell, as he claimed to be "retiring the online identity" – from one failed quitter to another, 'see ya next week, and thanks for the pasta.'
Retiring the online identity.
— Jebus (@Jebus) August 20, 2024
Has been life -ev for a long time now, time to let it go.
Peace yall.
Hilda reminded artists that THEY are the cool kids in Web3, not the collectors or degens – totally agree; now excuse me while I mint some slop and update my bio.
I say it often & I’ll say it again:
— hilda (@Hildabroom7) August 21, 2024
ARTISTS — You are the cool kids in this high school that is web3
Not me, not collectors & definitely not the degens
+ Move with purpose
+ Practice making decisions from a place of confidence not fear
+ Tell YOUR unique story
Pindar Van Arman tried to gatekeep the genre of “AI Art,” arguing that a work's aesthetics and subject matter should define its genre — Fair enough, but I doubt we'll see 'post-photographers' calling themselves "Fake Photos of Fake People Artists" anytime soon.
More and more people are coming to the realization that just because you use AI to make the art, that does not make it AI art. We don't call art made with photoshop, photoshop art. Tools don't define a genre, the aesthetics and subjects being explored does. https://t.co/rd9Zll7ait
— Pindar Van Arman 💎 (@VanArman) August 19, 2024
The latest prompts create photorealistic images.
— Pindar Van Arman 💎 (@VanArman) August 15, 2024
Its obviously not photography, but its also not AI Art anymore.
What is it?
In a historic moment for generative art and Web3, Erick Calderon (Snowfro) minted the final Chromie Squiggle, #9999, directly into LACMA's wallet — In hindsight, it seems obvious, but who knew the secret to creating an enduring NFT collection was to spend four years minting it out?
Chromie Squiggle #9999
— Stephen / Imperfect Line (@stephensantoro_) August 21, 2024
The end of an era. One of the most important algorithms has just been completed. I can't imagine the emotion that Erick must be feeling right now. LACMA cementing this moment into their permanent collection is legendary. Generative art on the blockchain is… pic.twitter.com/NI18hs51p4
10K Chromie Squiggles
— wayne simonetti (@memphis_mantis) August 23, 2024
Nov 27, 2020 to Aug 21, 2024
2020: 5,256 minted
2021: 3,991 minted
2022: 487 minted
2023: 264 minted
2024: 2 minted
While many target immediate sell-outs,
Snowfro took the long way home 🌈
(@ArtOnBlockchain x @DuneAnalytics)
src: https://t.co/sP8ogLggDf pic.twitter.com/D0QmXCQDPR
EXPANDED.ART honored photographers on "World Photography Day" by discussing photography with AI artists — because of course they did.
🟦 ON PHOTOGRAPHY 🟦
— EXPANDED.ART (@ExpandedArt) August 19, 2024
📸 It‘s World Photography Das, so let‘s talk photography! With…
▪️ Roope Rainisto
▪️ Margaret Murphy
▪️ Justin Aversano
▪️ Sasha Katz
▪️ Patrick Lichty
▪️ Alejandro Cartagena
▪️ Boris Eldagsen pic.twitter.com/SF7AKUuQgt
After Sotheby's Digital Art Day Sale reportedly received over 2,000 bids, AOI asked "are NFTs officially back?" – no, but last cycles bags are!
The Sotheby's Digital Art Day Sale received over 2,000 bids
— AOI (@ArtOnInternet) August 22, 2024
Are NFTs officially back? pic.twitter.com/Q5Rl2jb2Ob
The Magic Eden Foundation announced its token, $ME, which will be claimable through Magic Eden's iOS/Android mobile wallet. According to their post, “the future of on-chain will be limitless…” — just as long as you’re using our mobile app...
Announcing $ME, powering the #1 cross chain dApps ecosystem
— $ME (@MeFndn) August 22, 2024
People should be able to trade fungibles & NFTs on any major chain any time, all in 1 place. First, $ME will be adopted by @MagicEden, the largest BTC dApp, NFT platform, and Runes DEX.
The $ME claim will be in… pic.twitter.com/XFxACAeRyW
Ledger revealed its new Ledger Flex, which will feature a new E Ink touchscreen and Security Key App – sounds great, but does the battery charge?
Introducing Ledger Flex.
— Ledger (@Ledger) July 26, 2024
Ledger Flex marks the new standard for Ledger devices, featuring a secure E Ink touchscreen, NFC, and our new Security Key app that will allow you to go from painful logins to passwordless ease, all from your secure Ledger device.
Shipping NOW at:… pic.twitter.com/6zCDanmUtB
Recognizing the value of a face card, nicedayJules doxxed live on OG's moneyneversleeps — subsequently commits to using his new visual presence to help lift up the uggos still in the trenches.
moneyneversleeps episode 22: the great doxxin' of funghibull, artie handz and nicedayjules https://t.co/8CcEeuDYoB
— 💰❌💤 OG (@OG_crookedwest) August 22, 2024
Took my mask off so I could rep for the folks in the mud.
— JULES (@nicedayJules) August 23, 2024
Go a little bit harder for all of the artist that keep this culture, culture.
The ones w/out ATH's, SR bots and the like.
While the mask is off...I am still Britney bitch. 😉 pic.twitter.com/AVfA9MXXSA
Delronde collected Botto's “Communicate Displace” via private sale, the final piece needed to complete his holy trinity of 'digital stores of value’ — Alas, a collector who fully understands the meaning of Botto’s life's work: profits.
It’s been a year since I started collecting AI art seriously. Finally hit my personal goal of having a piece from what I consider the top 3 AI art collections:
— delronde (@delronde) August 18, 2024
A Lost Robbie
An alignDraw paper set
A Botto genesis
Hard to say what the future holds, but i believe these three will… pic.twitter.com/kcwcbEUx48
It's a very good question. It's not purely by artistic merit, though it is a factor.
— delronde (@delronde) August 20, 2024
I believe these three already are, or will soon become "digital stores of value". https://t.co/Q0p3vgi6ka
Not a good analogy, but you can think of it as glyphs/punks/squiggles of AI art.