$1.14M Zombie CryptoPunk Sale Precedes NFT Volume Surge – Simpsons Effect?
A rare zombie CryptoPunk NFT sold for $1.14 million on Monday, sparking speculation that interest in NFTs is rebounding after months of declining sales volume.
CryptoPunk #7458 is one of only 88 zombie punks in the collection of 10,000 unique punks. It has three attributes: a shadow beard, a knitted cap, and regular shades. This particular punk is especially rare, with only 4501 punks having three attributes.
The buyer was not identified, but the sale attracted buzz in the NFT community as it coincided with 17 other CryptoPunk sales on Monday—the most traded in a single day since March, according to NFTstats.eth, the director of research at PROOF.
This surge comes after a prolonged lull in NFT sales. The crypto market crash earlier this year drained enthusiasm, with monthly NFT sales volume dropping considerably.
Surge in NFT volume aligned with the new Simpsons episode
The sale notably aligned with a new episode of The Simpsons focused heavily on mocking NFTs and crypto culture. Titled “Wild Barts Can’t Be Token,” the episode parodied major NFT projects like Bored Ape Yacht Club, CryptoPunks, and Beeple.
The Simpsons previously demystified blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies in a 2020 episode, when a caricature of physicist Jim Parsons explained the concepts. This time, the show leaned more into crypto humor by depicting Homer’s rollercoaster of emotions as Bart became an NFT.
Data from OpenSea shows that in the last 24 hours, Bored Ape Yacht Club has had a trading volume of 2,495 ETH (+122%), while CryptoPunks enjoyed 1,674 ETH (+167,426%). CryptoPunks dethroned BAYC with a 785 ETH volume in the last 24 hours, as opposed to BAYC’s 225 ETH volume.
While the spotlight from The Simpsons may have boosted interest, it’s unclear whether the buzz will translate into a long-term crypto rebound. Isolated big sales don’t necessarily indicate a trend change.
