CryptoPunks Blaze Past $200K Mark
CryptoPunks are back in the spotlight, with the iconic 2017 Ethereum-based NFT collection surging past a $200,000 floor price for the first time since March. That’s a 163% gain since August 2023, when the entry point sat at just 20.45 ETH. Today, with ETH trading around $3,745, the floor has climbed to 53.98 ETH.
The rally reflects deepening interest in blue-chip NFTs amid a broader resurgence in the digital collectibles space. This week’s momentum was kicked off by an anonymous whale who swept up 45 CryptoPunks in a single transaction—an aggressive accumulation strategy that stirred the market. Digital art celebrity Beeple even responded with a new piece titled “BIG SWEEP,” commemorating the move.
BIG SWEEP pic.twitter.com/xfcMHozwC8
— beeple (@beeple) July 21, 2025
BIG SWEEP pic.twitter.com/xfcMHozwC8
— beeple (@beeple) July 21, 2025
Volume Surge Marks NFT Comeback
The Ethereum NFT market just had its busiest day since February, with $26 million in trading volume on July 20, followed by $24.9 million on July 21, according to Dragonfly’s Hildebert Moulié. Over half of that volume came from CryptoPunks.app, the collection’s official marketplace—highlighting just how dominant the collection remains.
Strategic buys by high-profile collectors targeting rare traits like “hoodie” Punks have stoked speculation that institutional or long-term investors are jumping back into the space. Even with the NFT market still trailing its 2021 highs, these moves suggest that confidence in digital collectibles is steadily rebuilding.
Macro Forces Give NFTs a Dollar Boost
Much of the action is being amplified by macro tailwinds. A weaker U.S. dollar—sparked by ongoing economic volatility—has given a boost to dollar-denominated crypto prices. That means the rising value of Ethereum has pushed dollar prices for NFTs like CryptoPunks higher, even without huge shifts in ETH-based floor prices.
Meanwhile, the overall NFT market cap has nearly doubled this month, ballooning from $3.6 billion to $6.8 billion, according to CoinGecko. Historically, strong Ethereum rallies have tended to lift high-profile NFT collections, and this year’s summer surge appears to be following that trend.
Lending Market Shows Punk Power
CryptoPunks aren’t just hot collectibles—they’ve become serious financial instruments. On lending platform Gondi, Punks lead the way with $21 million in active NFT-backed loans, according to research from DappRadar’s Sara Gherghelas. That dominance reinforces their reputation as premium collateral in the expanding Web3 lending ecosystem.
Even as new collections compete for attention, CryptoPunks remain a pillar of NFT value and liquidity. The combination of nostalgia, rarity, and liquidity continues to anchor them at the top of the digital collectible hierarchy.
