A CryptoPunks owner sold their NFT for $6 million worth of Ethereum on Thursday, netting a $10 million loss in the process.
CryptoPunk #3100, one of nine Alien Punks in the 10,000-piece collection and the only one with a headband, sold for 4,000 ETH (approximately $6,076,840) via a private offer on the CryptoPunks marketplace. The deal was allegedly brokered by crypto art brokerage Fountain.
The anonymous seller had initially purchased #3100 in March 2024 for 4,500 ETH (around $16 million)—the third-largest on-chain sale of a CryptoPunks NFT at the time. The 500 ETH loss now amounts to a $10 million net loss, exacerbated by Ethereum’s 57% price decline over the past year.
Key Details of the Sale
- Buyer/Seller: Unidentified, but the purchasing wallet funded 4,001 ETH from a Coinbase Prime-linked account.
- Historical Sales: #3100 previously sold for $7.58 million and $16.03 million. Today’s sale marks the largest CryptoPunk transaction since April 2024.
- Rarity: Alien Punks are the rarest in the collection, with only nine in existence.
Market Trends
The CryptoPunks floor price has dropped 44% in 90 days to $64,727, a far cry from its November 2021 peak of $400,000. The collection, created by Larva Labs in 2017 and later acquired by Yuga Labs, remains a blue-chip NFT despite financial volatility.
👉 Explore rare NFTs like CryptoPunks
FAQs
Q: Why did the seller incur a $10 million loss?
A: Ethereum’s price drop and the NFT’s depreciated value led to the loss.
Q: How rare are Alien CryptoPunks?
A: Only nine exist, making them the rarest Punks.
Q: Who owns the CryptoPunks IP now?
A: Yuga Labs, creators of Bored Ape Yacht Club, acquired it in 2022.
Q: What’s the highest CryptoPunks sale ever?
A: Punk #5822 sold for $23.7 million in February 2022.
👉 Discover top NFT collections
Final Thoughts
While CryptoPunks retain cultural cachet, their market performance highlights NFT volatility. Investors should weigh rarity against broader crypto market trends.