Pudgy Penguins has denied hypothesis that it acquired NFT market OpenSea, following a wave of social media chatter suggesting a deal could have closed as early as December 2024.
In a Saturday publish on X, Beau, head of safety at Pudgy Penguins, dismissed the acquisition discuss. “Pudgy Penguins didn’t purchase OpenSea… chill,” he wrote.
He claimed that the venture has huge plans, so there’s no must concentrate on only one potential acquisition. “Discuss partnering with Lufthansa and NASCAR, and go discover the subsequent nice model for us to proliferate with,” Beau wrote.
Pudgy Penguins is a set of 8,888 flightless chook NFTs launched in July 2021. The venture has additionally expanded into bodily merchandise with a Pudgy Toys line in partnership with PMI Toys, permitting NFT holders to earn from business use by its OverpassIP platform.
Associated: Blistering NFT ‘sweep’ underway as CryptoPunks, Penguins surge
Rumors of Pudgy Penguins’ curiosity in OpenSea
The rumors of OpenSea’s acquisition gained traction after a number of X customers pointed to previous feedback by CEO Luca Netz, together with a now-resurfaced October 2024 publish the place he mentioned he wished his firm to purchase OpenSea.
Different neighborhood members speculated that a purchase order could have occurred quietly, citing coincidental timing with Pudgy’s December bulletins and OpenSea’s later coverage shifts round token help.
Nevertheless, Beau pushed again on the narrative. “I don’t truly suppose buying OS rn would make a whole lot of sense for us,” he wrote in an earlier reply, emphasizing the workforce’s desire to concentrate on confirmed developments quite than hypothesis.
Pudgy Penguins has not too long ago leaned into model partnerships, together with tie-ups with Lufthansa and NASCAR. Final month, the venture additionally launched a skill-based Web3 sport referred to as Pengu Conflict for The Open Community (TON) blockchain, becoming a member of the aggressive mini-game house.
Associated: Ozzy Osbourne’s demise sparks 400% surge in CryptoBatz NFTs
NFT market rebounds as CryptoPunks lead $6.6B surge
The NFT market is displaying renewed momentum, with complete market capitalization hitting $6.6 billion in July, a 94% leap from the earlier month, based on DappRadar. Weekly buying and selling volumes additionally climbed 51%, marking the strongest efficiency since February.
Main the comeback is the Ethereum-based assortment CryptoPunks, whose flooring costs jumped 53%. DappRadar analysts famous the gathering’s enduring enchantment as a Web3 standing image. On July 22, CryptoPunks noticed 83 new purchases and a 15.9% flooring worth rise inside 24 hours, reaching practically $180,000 per Punk.
Journal: NFT Creator: Jack Butcher’s no fan of NFT royalties: ‘You’re getting paid on churn’
