CryptoPunks face backlash while DMarket leads NFT sales

The top-ranking non-fungible token collection for Monday was DMarket, which recorded sales of US$742,104, with 4,016 unique buyers and 3,648 sellers engaging in 34,740 transactions.

The second-ranking collection of the day, Fantasy Top, experienced a big daily sales dip to US$682,369 from the previous day’s US$1.80 million, according to CryptoSlam’s NFT rankings.

NodeMonkes claimed the third spot in the daily rankings, with sales amounting to US$642,517, a rise from the previous Sunday’s US$274,929. The collection attracted 33 unique buyers and 27 sellers, resulting in 34 total transactions.

However, the day’s hot development came from CryptoPunks, which recorded US$636,242 in sales at fourth place.

CryptoPunks under Yuga Labs, the firm that acquired the collection’s IP in 2022, announced its new Super Punk World NFTs that “blur the lines of race & gender and reflect upon virtual versus real world identities.”

However, the new collection quickly received heavy backlash from community members.

Certain members critiqued the artistic approach while others have sparked controversy by labeling it as “woke” because of its focus on race and gender.

“Yuga will no longer touch punks,” said Greg Solano, the firm’s chief executive, responding to the public backlash. “They will just be decentralized and preserved on the blockchain.”

Bored Ape Yacht Club, Yuga Labs’ flagship collection, followed CryptoPunks at fifth with US$502,064.

Both collections are part of the Ethereum blockchain, which reported a total daily sales volume of over US$6.35 million to lead all chains on Monday.