Beeple Purchases First PFP: CryptoPunk #4593 for 114 ETH

Credit: Beeple

Mike Winkelmann, better known as the American digital artist ‘Beeple,’ has long been a mainstay in Web3. From his Everydays, which capture the day-to-day events in the space, to the selling of his 1/1s at Christie’s, the artist has been deeply involved in Web3, contributing art at a high level. But he had never purchased a PFP non-fungible token.

This week, that changed.

On Tuesday, Winkelmann bought CryptoPunk #4593 for 113.69 ETH or $209,000. The big buy quickly resonated throughout Crypto Twitter, capturing the attention of top influencers like DeeZeFi and Punk6529, who congratulated Beeple on the purchase and welcomed him to the CryptoPunks community.

Beeple responded with a long Tweet, underscoring the genius of the two creators of the CryptoPunks collection, saying that diving into the attributes and the design of the set was a fun experience:

CryptoPunk #4593 is a ‘clown’ punk that has three attributes: ‘Clown Nose,’ ‘Clown Eyes Green,’ and ‘Mohawk Thin.’ It has pale, white skin and a straight-line mouth. To celebrate the purchase, Winklemann created an Everyday featuring his new Punk, which he posted on Twitter:

CryptoPunk #4593 has an interesting history, with bids for it during the bull run of 2021 reaching over $1 million. Beeple’s purchase is still well above the floor price of the collection, which has fallen in this bear market, though it has fared considerably better than other top collections.

Beeple Ranks Among Top Web3 Artists

Mike Winkelmann made waves in the NFT space when his Everydays: The First 5000 Days sold at Christie’s for $69.3 million. That drew a great deal of attention to Web3, at a time when steam was beginning to pick up for the 2021 bull market. Since then, he has sold other works, some of which rank in the top 20 of NFT artworks sold in terms of price.

Here is a quick list.

  • Ocean Front ($6 million): This piece explores the theme of a community coming together to solve the climate crisis and was part of The Carbon Drop collection on Nifty Gateway. Justin Sun, the creator of the cryptocurrency TRON, purchased the work.
  • Crossroad ($6.6 million): Originally minted in October of 2020, this artwork explores the tension of the 2020 presidential race in the United States. While it originally sold for just $66,666, it would later sell in February 2021 for the higher price.
  • Human One ($28.9 million): Part of Christie’s 21st Century Evening Sale, it included an NFT and an electronic sculpture. The art features an astronaut walking in an evolving, endless landscape.
  • Everydays: The First 5000 Days ($69.3 million): The artwork that made NFTs a household term, this piece is a compilation of 5,000 Everydays. The selling price was huge, and it remains the top standalone NFT sale.

Although Beeple may not be considered a homegrown native Web3 artist, his works have done more to popularize NFTs than perhaps any other. His purchase of a CryptoPunk shows his commitment to the space, and Rarity Sniper is interested to see what moves he makes next.

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