This is the article we read.
The article we read is called 10 things to know about CryptoPunks, the original NFTs.
Larva Labs created this collection of 10,000 cryptopunks. These are a collection of randomly generated misfits and non-conformists—something that I feel goes well with much of the internet and digital world.
I think that it is important that they are publicly accessible because they seem to be a landmark in the internet world. They are “publicly accessible through the ethereum blockchain which inspired the standard for NFTs.”
I think that it is important to note that even within the randomly generated punks, there are rare ones. These can sell for far more than some of the more generic cryptopunks. They all sell for thousands of dollars with the average sale price being $30,412.40 as of April 2021. One very rare punk, known as the wise alien was recently sold for $7.5 million. All of these are collectible and a community has been created because of their existence and active market.
It is interesting that no one is able to alter the cryptopunks considering they are made in the spirit of non-conformity. It seems even those who made them cannot if they tried. I don’t totally understand this though and may need to research further.
The video we watched is a Zoom recording called, AMA: NFTs (w/ Chris Nunes and Lauren Click).
Etherium is where much of the internet/digital art exists. Blockchain is an internet ledger. CryptoKitties is similar to cryptopunks. Kind of like playing cards which are also collectible. I remember kids trading playing cards in elementary school. Learning about this brought me back to that time. Still though, I feel like I am on the outside of this interaction but I’m interested in learning more.
Many people do not know the identities of the artists that use ethereum or even the identities of those who invest in the pieces. I think this sort of anonymity is helpful to analyze in this context. I think the internet is a place where individuals break out of society's standards and conformity as we learned from Russell, this may be an extension of this concept.
It was also interesting to hear that some artists interact and play with the community using puzzles and things like that to share their work. NFTs are definitely becoming more and more popular but there is still a drive to experience this artwork in a more physical way with digital screenings in physical spaces.
I also had no idea that NFTs could be more than art, that things are being converted to NFT form. I also took note that it was referred to as a visual version of Spotify—I love Spotify.
Energy usage is also a huge thing to consider when talking about NFTs, the proof of work is what requires the huge amount of computing power. You also have to address the safety of your cryptocurrency wallet if you are getting involved with this world. The ‘key’ to your wallet could be hacked so you should not keep that information online. Coinbase is helpful to create this wallet. Open C or Rarible are helpful if you are a first time cryptocurrency artist.