CryptoPunks Project Put on Hold by Yuga Labs Due to ‘Woke’ Community Outcry

cryptonews.com:

Yuga Labs, the company behind of the iconic and influential NFT collection CryptoPunks, has faced significant backlash and controversy over its latest venture.

After introducing CryptoPunks into museums, Yuga Labs revealed plans to allow notable artists to contribute to the project with the official Punks stamp.

The first effort involved artist Nina Chanel Abney, who was initially chosen as the inaugural selection for the Punk in Residence program.

She unveiled her new collection, “Super Punk World,” over the weekend at The School at the Jack Shainman Gallery in New York.

The planned NFTs for the collection were revealed on Monday. 

In homage to the irreverent, early-internet roots of the CryptoPunks project, Abney’s full-bodied characters juxtapose the 8-bit aesthetic with the abstract forms and strong proportions of her sculptures and collages – placed on colorful backgrounds from her previous work and… pic.twitter.com/JH6cSKk0VR

— CryptoPunks (@cryptopunksnfts) May 20, 2024

The collection featured her hand-selected avatars, which drew inspiration from the iconic CryptoPunks traits and her previous work.

Each avatar was meticulously curated and digitized to create 195 unique 3D-sculpted attributes, reflecting Abney’s aesthetic while paying homage to the irreverent roots of the CryptoPunks project.

Yuga Labs intended to introduce wallets, generative art, Web3, and NFTs to a more traditional art crowd and collectors.

“We’re trying to bring CryptoPunks to the masses here, in a way,” Nathalie Stone, General Manager and Brand Lead of CryptoPunks, said, “but also have them understand why digital ownership matters.”

Abney’s collection also addressed pricing disparities in NFT collections based on gender and skin tone, challenging