ð Lore & Worldbuilding
Deep dives into the stories, mythologies, and creative worlds behind iconic NFT collections.
The Story of the Bored Ape
In a distant future, a serum accident created the Bored Ape â apes who became immortalized on the blockchain after being too wealthy and bored to do anything but hang out in a swampy yacht club. Each Ape has unique traits reflecting their "background," "fur," "clothes," "eyes," "mouth," and "hat."
The Bored Ape Kennel Club (dog companions), Mutant Serum (creating Mutant Apes), and Otherside (the metaverse game) expanded the universe.
The Original 10,000
Before "PFP" was a term, CryptoPunks showed what could be done with generative art on Ethereum. Created by Larva Labs (Matt Hall & John Watkinson), these 24x24 pixel characters were originally free to claim â anyone with an Ethereum wallet could get one.
The lore is minimal by design â they're just "cryptopunks." But their cultural significance is massive: they defined what a "blue chip" NFT could be.
Huddle Up
The Pudgy Penguins originated from an iceberg that floated away from Antarctica, carrying 8,888 penguins to a new home. Each penguin represents a unique combination of traits â backgrounds, body, face, head, and accessories.
The project faced controversy in early 2022 when the original team sold out, but a new team (including "dx" and "må ") took over and rebuilt the community. Now one of the most recognized PFP projects.
The Deified
DeGods started as a Solana-based PFP collection but evolved into a broader "IP" project. The lore: DeGods are the "dead (de)" version of an original project â cosmic beings transcended beyond mortal form.
They migrated to Ethereum in 2023 as the "DeGods Universe" expanded â $DUST token, comic books, and cross-chain expansion.
Celebrating Diversity
World of Women was created to bring more diversity to the NFT space â the collection features exclusively female and non-binary characters, celebrating representation in Web3.
The project donated to women's charities, partnered with major brands, and proved that "utility NFTs" (commercial rights, events, drops) could work at scale.
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