CryptoPunks face backlash while DMarket leads NFT sales

Monday’s top-ranked non-fungible token collection was DMarket, which recorded $742,104 in sales with 4,016 unique buyers and 3,648 sellers completing 34,740 transactions.

The second-ranked collection of the day, Fantasy Top, had a massive daily sales drop from $1.80 million the previous day to $682,369, according to CryptoSlam’s NFT rankings.

NodeMonkes took third place in the daily rankings with sales of $642,517, up from $274,929 the previous Sunday. The collection attracted 33 unique buyers and 27 sellers, resulting in a total of 34 transactions.

But the hottest development of the day came from CryptoPunks, which came in fourth place with sales of $636,242.

CryptoPunks, managed by Yuga Labs, the company that acquired the IP of the collection in 2022, announced new Super Punk World NFTs that “blur the distinctions of race and gender and reflect virtual and real world identities.”

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

It sparked controversy, with some members criticizing the artistic approach, while others labeled it “woke” for its focus on race and gender.

In response to the public outcry, Greg Solano, the firm’s chief executive, said, “Yuga won’t touch the bums anymore.” “They will only be decentralized and protected on the blockchain.”

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

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