Many people's first reaction to this news was:
"Is NFT trying to ride the wave again?"
But let me give you a conclusion first:
When the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) intervenes, this matter no longer belongs to the crypto circle.
1. What happened? It's not a rumor; it's a formal acquisition
On December 20, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
Confirmed formal acquisition of 8 CryptoPunks NFTs, including the following numbers:
CryptoPunks #4018
CryptoPunks #2786
CryptoPunks #5616
CryptoPunks #5160
CryptoPunks #3407
CryptoPunks #7178
CryptoPunks #74
CryptoPunks #7899
Note the keywords:
👉 Not 'exhibition'
👉 Not 'borrowing an exhibition'
👉 Is 'acquisition'
In the museum context, what does 'acquisition' mean?
Enter the permanent collection system.
Second, why CryptoPunks and not other NFTs?
This is not an aesthetic choice, but a historical positioning.
The status of CryptoPunks in the NFT world is equivalent to:
The first batch of silver halide photographs in the history of photography
Duchamp's urinal in modern art
the 'prototypical object' in digital art
They have three characteristics that MoMA values highly:
1️⃣ Time anchor point
Born in 2017
earlier than the NFT explosion
not born for finance, but for experimentation
2️⃣ Technical symbolic meaning
Pixel art
Generative creation
On-chain native assets
👉 This is the starting point of the 'blockchain art language.'
3️⃣ Cultural influence
has influenced almost all subsequent PFP projects
defined the 'visual symbol of digital identity'
Heavily imitated, but never surpassed in its historical position
Three, what does MoMA mean in the art system?
Many people underestimate the weight of this matter.
What is MoMA?
👉 Modern art 'classic manufacturing machine'
It has determined:
Who is 'part of art history'
Who is just a fleeting trend
When MoMA puts CryptoPunks into its collection, it essentially says one thing:
'NFTs are not speculative products, but a recognized artistic medium.'
This sentence is worth more than any auction record.
Four, is this a boon or useless for the NFT market?
Lao Shi might say something that annoys you:
👉 In the short term, it is not useful for prices.
MoMA is not here to help you raise the floor price.
but the medium to long-term significance is extremely clear:
1️⃣ NFTs begin to enter the 'cultural asset' track
No longer solely relying on transaction volume to prove value
but relies on:
👉 Collection system
👉 Academic system
👉 Museum system
2️⃣ The differentiation between 'OG NFT' and 'financial NFT' will accelerate
with historical positioning
and pure speculation projects
will be quickly distinguished.
3️⃣ Future narratives will no longer be about 'how much it rises'
but rather:
Are you an early prototype of this medium?
Five, why 8 pieces? It's not a random choice
Museum acquisitions are rarely single-entity actions.
What does 8 pieces mean?
Different characteristics
Different images
constitutes a 'sample set'
This indicates MoMA's attitude is:
It is not about collecting an avatar,
but rather to collect a 'phenomenon.'
Six, Lao Shi's conclusion (very important)
Here’s a sentence you can remember directly:
When CryptoPunks enters MoMA,
The narrative of the endgame for NFTs,
has already moved from 'speculative assets,'
turning towards 'cultural heritage.'
Will the price rise?
Will
may also not happen
But one thing is certain:
NFTs will no longer be simply denied as 'bubbles'.$BTC
