Yuga Labs halts CryptoPunks project after 'woke' community backlash

Yuga Labs, the company behind the renowned CryptoPunks NFT project, has decided to cease any further development on the project following intense backlash from its community. The controversy arose after the announcement of the new Super Punk World collection on May 20, which featured 500 hybridized 3D sculptures designed by New York-based painter Nina Abney. The collection aimed to blur the lines of race and gender, paying homage to the irreverent, early-internet roots of CryptoPunks.

Despite the well-intentioned goals, the collection was met with severe criticism from some members of the crypto community, who labeled it as "woke." One community member declared that Yuga Labs had effectively "killed" CryptoPunks with this new direction, while another threatened to sell their CryptoPunk NFT in protest. The backlash was significant enough that Yuga Labs CEO Greg Solano announced that the company would no longer engage with the CryptoPunks project.

In a statement on X, Solano explained that Yuga Labs had envisioned the collaboration with artists like Abney as a way to bridge the gap between Web3 and the traditional art world. He emphasized the intention to get Abney’s work to those who already support her art, indicating that the new collection might be airdropped to holders of her previous work, SuperCoolWorld.

The incident has highlighted the challenges faced by NFT projects in balancing innovation with community expectations, particularly when it comes to sensitive topics like diversity and representation.

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