A New Era for Digital Art’s Most Iconic Collection Begins
PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Infinite Node Foundation (NODE), a nonprofit endowment dedicated to conserving digital art, is proud to announce its acquisition of the full intellectual property rights for CryptoPunks from Yuga Labs. This purchase secures long-term stewardship for CryptoPunks and launches an ambitious museum-partnership program to embed them in leading art institutions worldwide.
Created in 2017 by Larva Labs, CryptoPunks are digital art’s original rebels– the 10,000 unique characters challenged traditional notions of art, ownership, and community. Their influence extends far beyond the blockchain, sparking a cultural shift that continues to reshape our digital world.
A New Model of Stewardship
NODE is committed to stewarding the CryptoPunks legacy through three pillars of preservation, community, and expansion. This includes building a network architecture that will allow digital art like CryptoPunks to be studied, exhibited, and contextualized within both digital and art-historical canons.
To guide this journey, NODE has assembled an advisory board made up of visionary voices in digital art and the history of Punks: Matt Hall and John Watkinson (Larva Labs), Wylie Aronow (Yuga Labs), and Erick Calderon (Art Blocks).
“CryptoPunks sparked a cultural movement that blended code, community, and commerce,” said Micky Malka, Chair of the Node Foundation. “By pairing museum-grade conservation with an evergreen endowment, we intend to future-proof this landmark work and make it easier than ever for scholars, curators, and collectors to engage with it.”
“The Punks were created to be truly decentralized, and have become a defining example of digital permanence and online network effects," said Matt Hall and John Watkinson of Larva Labs. “The NODE foundation was created to explain and promote these ideas as a new art medium, and are the perfect long term home for the punks.”
“When Yuga acquired CryptoPunks’ IP, it wasn’t just about ownership– it was about honoring a cultural icon we believed in,” said Wylie Aronow, Co-Founder of Yuga Labs. “We’ve worked to elevate and protect their legacy, but we always knew Punks needed a permanent home built for preservation. Seeing that vision come to life with the NODE Foundation feels like a full-circle moment. They are best positioned to protect the Punks legacy.”
A Living Legacy
Despite generating over $377 million in secondary sales in 2024 alone, CryptoPunks remain largely excluded from mainstream art discourse. NODE seeks to bridge this gap by challenging conventional frameworks and expanding how digital art is experienced.
NODE will debut a major exhibition of the full 10,000-piece CryptoPunks collection in collaboration with creators Matt Hall and John Watkinson. This newly curated presentation of the full CryptoPunks collection will debut alongside the opening of NODE’s permanent exhibition space in Palo Alto. The space will also host a live Ethereum node, contributing to the accessibility and permanence of the works on-chain.
NODE is the first nonprofit to acquire full IP rights to a major internet-native artwork—a milestone unmatched by any traditional art institution. With significant financial backing, NODE is now the most well-capitalized nonprofit in the United States focused exclusively on digital art.
ABOUT THE INFINITE NODE FOUNDATION
The Infinite Node Foundation is a nonprofit organization committed to the preservation, study, and exhibition of digital art. Through its initiatives, NODE seeks to elevate the status of internet-native artworks and integrate them into the broader cultural and academic discourse.
Contacts
Press Contact:
Emily Kitts
kitts@kittscomms.net