Yuga Labs has transferred the complete IP of CryptoPunks to the Infinite Node foundation, putting an end to a period of tensions related to the management of the collection.
This transfer comes after the controversy surrounding the derivative project Super Punk World, accused of altering the original spirit of the Punks.
The foundation plans to preserve and exhibit CryptoPunks in museums worldwide through a perpetual endowment and a prestigious advisory board.
Yuga Labs Sells NFT Collection Rights of CryptoPunks
It’s official: Yuga Labs has transferred the intellectual property rights of CryptoPunks to the non-profit foundation Infinite Node. A historic decision that closes one chapter and opens a new era of museum preservation for the most iconic NFTs of Web3.
A Break After the Controversy
Divorce was in the air. Following the controversy surrounding the Super Punk World derivative project, widely criticized for ‘altering’ the DNA of CryptoPunks, Yuga Labs has distanced itself. Accused of steering the collection’s image towards a politicized direction, the company found itself at the center of the storm. The announcement of the IP transfer to the Infinite Node foundation, specialized in digital art conservation, formalizes this step back.
Yuga has not disclosed the transaction amount, but the gesture is clear: refocusing on its Otherside ecosystem and definitively settling the Larva Labs legacy.
A New Guardian for the Punks
The Infinite Node foundation inherits full rights over CryptoPunks, one of the oldest and most iconic NFT collections, born in 2017 with its 10,000 pixelated avatars. To ensure their longevity, an advisory board has been established: including Larva Labs founders Matt Hall and John Watkinson, Art Blocks creator Erick Calderon, and Wylie Aronow, founder of Yuga Labs.
‘CryptoPunks have sparked a cultural movement blending code, community, and commerce,’ summarizes Micky Malka, president of the Node Foundation. The goal is to integrate the Punks into the world’s largest museums through an ambitious institutional partnership program while ensuring their preservation through a perpetual endowment.
A Clear Strategy: Cleaning House
Yuga Labs seems to be sorting through its portfolio. After the earlier sale of Meebits this year, the company continues its strategy: disposing of non-essential assets to focus entirely on Otherside, its proprietary metaverse. The message is clear: prioritizing the long term and complete control of the universe it shapes.
CryptoPunks are definitively leaving the world of quick speculation to enter the realm of digital memory. A dignified exit, almost institutional, for a project in need of a new lease on life.
