I Joined A Penguin NFT Club Because Apparently This Is What We Do Now

“There was great breast potential in the fat-looking penguins, so we decided to roll with it,” said Mr. Patterson.

First community NFT, CryptoPunks, a 10,000-pixel character string sold as of 2017. They have become a luxury status symbol with single images. sells for millions of dollars, paved the way for other community NFTs, including Fored Ape Yacht Club, a group of 10,000 cartoon primates that now sell for more than $45,000 per piece.

Mr. Patterson and his co-founders hope Pudgy Penguins will eventually join the NFT pantheon. The original collection sold out within 20 minutes, with more than $25 million in total changing hands. NFT Statistics, a website that collects data on NFT sales. Earlier this week, it was still possible to get a penguin for a few thousand dollars, but penguins with different colored backgrounds or rare features like gold medals around their necks can get much more. The most expensive was Pudgy Penguin #6873It sold for $469,000.

I texted Mr Patterson on Tuesday to ask if he had any advice for getting my own Pudgy Penguin without breaking the bank. (The New York Times’ spending policy doesn’t cover JPEGs of birds, unfortunately.)

“Wait, maybe I can do something,” he wrote back.

Minutes later, two Pudgy Penguins — #3166 and #5763 — the cryptocurrency appeared in my wallet. One was a picture of a penguin in rags and sunglasses; the other wore an igloo baseball cap and what looked like a bomber jacket. Mr. Patterson appreciated my willingness to learn about the community and said it was a gift. (As I cannot ethically accept gifts, I will return my Pudgy Penguins to Mr. Patterson after this column is published.)

I then joined the Pudgy Penguin Discord server, where I was greeted by a group of owners who were excited to see me because they thought getting The Times attention would increase the value of their penguins. (After receiving my images, I’ve had offers to buy them for thousands of dollars.) The co-founders of Pudgy Penguins earn a royalty every time a penguin is sold, but other owners only make a profit if they can resell their penguin. more than they pay.

Like any good crypto clique, Pudgy Penguin owners have developed their own language and customs. Penguins are “pengus”. Owners are people who “gather”. “Tufts” is a rare, valuable penguin species that is not covered, while “floor” refers to the cheaper and more common varieties.