Rumors are swirling around the swamp that Yuga Labs might be in the process of selling the CryptoPunks intellectual property.
On Tuesday, NFT insider and Mocaverse advisor Wale took to the timeline and shared a Punk purchase rumor he’s been hearing.
“I’m now confident enough to share it with y’all after hearing it from several sources close to the matter: Yuga Labs might be in the process of selling the CryptoPunks IP,” he tweeted. “They bought the IP + more than 400 CryptoPunk NFTs from Larva Labs back in March 2022. Who is the buyer? All I know is that it’s not a major Web2 brand, nor is it another big existing NFT company (Pudgy Penguins/Azuki/Doodles). From what I’ve heard, the plan of the potential new owners is to leave the IP untouched. Thoughts?”
Following Wale’s post, the Web3 world lit up with speculation. Theories about the mysterious buyer ranged from a DAO of CryptoPunk holders to NFT influencer SeedPhrase. Others joked about Kevin Rose and Ryan Carson acquiring the IP.
“Walking into an exciting meeting with Ryan Carson,” Yuga Labs Co-Founder Gordon Goner jokingly tweeted in response to all the rumors.
As of now, Yuga Labs has not commented on the speculation, and the company still owns the CryptoPunks IP.
As the Bored Ape Gazette previously reported, Yuga Labs acquired the CryptoPunks and Meebits collections from LarvaLabs on March 11, 202 and instantly gave CryptoPunk and Meebit holders their full commercial rights—just like BAYC and MAYC holders!
“It’s been amazing to watch the BAYC ecosystem use their rights to collaborate and build awesome shit we never could have dreamed up,” Yuga Labs tweeted following the acquisition. “We can’t wait to see the Cryptopunks and Meebits communities do the same. We’ve long admired CryptoPunks, and the work of the project’s founders, Matt & John. They’ve pushed NFTs and the broader crypto world forward, and we’re honored to carry the brands they’ve built into the future we’re building at Yuga. To be clear: the BAYC ecosystem will remain the center of our universe. We believe that what’s good for Punks is good for Apes and the rest of the space. Likewise, what’s good for Apes is good for Punks. We want to grow the pie, not fight over slices. We’re not in a rush to do anything but give people full commercial rights, see what they build, and listen.
Since the acquisition, Yuga Labs has launched several initiatives to elevate CryptoPunks, including: the Punks Legacy Project that placed CryptoPunks in Museums like the institute of Contemporary Art in Miami, published a book on the history of the CryptoPunks titled “Free To Claim,” collaborated with Avant Arte to give holders the chance to get high end prints of their Punks made, and launched the Punk In Residence program.
The Bored Ape Gazette will continue to follow this story and provide updates as they become available. Stay tuned!
Originally posted on The Bored Ape Gazette
