- NODE Foundation acquires full IP rights for CryptoPunks, aiming to embed them in major art institutions globally.
- NODE plans a curated CryptoPunks exhibition in Palo Alto, featuring all 10,000 pieces alongside a live Ethereum node.
- Despite $377M in sales in 2024, CryptoPunks remain largely excluded from mainstream art, a gap NODE seeks to bridge.
The Infinite Node Foundation (NODE), a nonprofit endowment focused on conserving digital art, has acquired the full intellectual property rights for CryptoPunks from Yuga Labs. This landmark deal not only cements NODE’s role as the long-term steward of the iconic 10,000-piece collection but also sets the stage for an ambitious museum-partnership program aimed at embedding CryptoPunks in major art institutions worldwide.
A Vision for Preservation and Expansion
NODE’s approach to stewarding CryptoPunks revolves around three pillars: preservation, community, and expansion. The foundation plans to build a robust network architecture to showcase and contextualize digital art like CryptoPunks within both digital and traditional art frameworks. To guide this initiative, NODE has assembled a heavyweight advisory board, including CryptoPunks creators Matt Hall and John Watkinson, Art Blocks’ Erick Calderon, and Yuga Labs’ Wylie Aronow.
A Cultural Movement Meets Traditional Art
Despite generating over $377 million in secondary sales in 2024, CryptoPunks are still largely overlooked by mainstream art institutions.
NODE aims to bridge this gap by presenting the entire CryptoPunks collection in a curated exhibition set to debut at its new permanent exhibition space in Palo Alto. The space will also host a live Ethereum node, ensuring on-chain accessibility and permanence for the artworks – a nod to CryptoPunks’ decentralized origins and lasting impact on the digital art landscape.
