On December 20th, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) added eight CryptoPunks to its permanent collection. This acquisition recognizes CryptoPunks as an important part of digital and cultural history.
According to CryptoPunks, the eight NFTs included Punk 4018, Punk 2786, Punk 5616, Punk 5160, Punk 3407, Punk 7178, Punk 74, and Punk 7899. Punks confirmed that NFTs will be preserved and managed as part of the museum’s collection, becoming a testament to its history.
CryptoPunks continue to dominate the NFT market
CryptoPunks, welcome to the @MuseumModernArt collection!
Punk 4018, Punk 2786, Punk 5616, Punk 5160, Punk 3407, Punk 7178, Punk 74, and Punk 7899 will find a permanent home at MoMA and will be preserved and cherished as part of the museum’s history.
Collective… pic.twitter.com/hswHYVML2R
— CryptoPunks (@cryptopunks) December 19, 2025
CryptoPunks said the collective generosity of this gift demonstrates the tenacity and spirit of the punk community that has supported the project. The team confirmed that Mara Calderon and ArtOnBlockchain made this historic donation possible. CozomoMedici, JudithESSS, NTmoney, kukulabanze and Rhyd0n also contributed punks from their own collections as part of their continued commitment to the project.
According to CryptoPunks, 1OF1_art helped acquire the NFT.
CryptoPunk is a pixelated avatar randomly created by computer code recorded on the Ethereum blockchain. Matt Hall and John Watkinson introduced CryptoPunks in 2017. These two creators are also collectively known as Larva Labs.
CryptoPunks revealed that there are only 10,000 punks and no two are the same. Currently, 10,000 CryptoPunks are distributed across 3,121 people’s Ethereum wallets.
CryptoPunk has progressed to dominate the NFT market. At Christie’s 2021 auction, one of the most popular CryptoPunk NFTs, CryptoPunk 9997, sold for HK$33.9 million (approximately US$4.35 million), nearly five times its highest estimate.
First purchased in 2017 for 0.15 Ethereum ($66 at the time), the NFT is one of only 88 Zombie CryptoPunks in the world. Only 273 and 254 punks wear small beards and hats, respectively.
CryptoPunks market activity remains stable; show There is continued interest in the most affordable asset in the collection, with the current lowest price at 26.58 ETH (approximately $79.37). This project has achieved 1,888 sales in the past 12 months.
The project’s lifetime sales amounted to 1.4 million ETH, equivalent to approximately $3.89 billion, highlighting its enduring importance in the NFT market.
According to CryptoPunks, despite the larger market cycle, trading momentum remains strong in the short term, with sales of 136.48 ETH ($407,540) in the last day, 505.91 ETH ($1,510,000) in the previous week, and 2,850 ETH ($8,500,000) in the past four weeks.
NFT market trends will change the art world
NFTs are becoming increasingly popular in the art market. In July, the Museum of Contemporary Art Miami (ICA Miami) acquired CryptoPunk 5293, one of only 3,840 female punks. After its purchase, CryptoPunk 5293 became the first NFT to be included in a major museum collection.
On February 25, 2021, Christie’s put up an NFT-based digital artwork by artist Beeple (commonly known by his real name Mike Winkelmann) for online auction. The starting price for the NFT was $100, and no quote was provided.
According to Christie’s, Beeple sold At an unbeatable price of $69.3 million. The NFT made him the third most expensive living artist at auction (after Jeff Koons and David Hockney). Beeple has set a record for the most expensive digital artwork.
According to the 2025 Art Basel and UBS Art Market Report, the global art market will: Recalibratingbut it has not collapsed despite growing economic and geopolitical instability. The report argued that even though the overall numbers indicate a period of adjustment, the industry is expanding its base in the low and mid-price ranges and attracting new types of collectors.
According to the report, transaction volume increased by 3% to 40.5 million transactions. The increase in trading reflects continued market participation despite headwinds, the report said.
However, the report noted that sales across the tracked region will continue to face restrictions in 2024 due to political tensions, economic instability and trade fragmentation. The report said restrictions led to a 12% year-on-year decline to $57.5 billion.