In a significant development for the digital art landscape, the Infinite Node Foundation (NODE) announced on May 13, 2025, that it has acquired the intellectual property (IP) of the iconic CryptoPunks non-fungible token (NFT) collection from Yuga Labs. This acquisition, coupled with a $25 million endowment, positions NODE as the most well-capitalized nonprofit dedicated to digital art in the United States.
The terms of the deal were not disclosed, but NODE has established an advisory board to oversee the CryptoPunks collection, featuring the original artists Matt Hall and John Watkinson, alongside a representative from Yuga Labs. NODE emphasized its mission to create a “networked architecture” that allows digital art like CryptoPunks to thrive within both contemporary and historical art contexts.
CryptoPunks, launched in 2017 by Larva Labs, consists of 10,000 algorithmically generated pixel art characters that have had a profound impact on the art world, amassing a total market capitalization of nearly $1.2 billion as of the announcement date. With over $3 billion in sales recorded, the collection remains the most valuable NFT series to date, with individual pieces fetching prices as high as $24 million.
This acquisition marks a pivotal moment in the intersection of digital art and nonprofit initiatives, potentially reshaping how digital assets are perceived and valued in both cultural and economic terms. As the NFT space continues to evolve, the efforts of NODE could pave the way for future collaborations and innovations in the realm of digital creativity.
