CryptoPunks IP Changes Hands Again—This Time to a Nonprofit With a Mission to Preserve Digital Culture

CryptoPunks IP Leaves Yuga Labs As Infinite Node Foundation Takes Ownership

CryptoPunks, one of Ethereum’s most iconic NFT collections, has entered a new phase of stewardship.

The Infinite Node Foundation (NODE), a newly launched nonprofit backed by a $25 million digital art endowment, has officially acquired full intellectual property rights to the 10,000-piece collection from Yuga Labs.

Originally created in 2017 by Larva Labs and later sold to Yuga Labs in 2022, CryptoPunks has been a defining symbol of blockchain-based digital art.

This transfer is the first time a major internet-native art collection has moved under the control of a nonprofit entity.

Why NODE Took Over And What It Plans To Do

NODE says it will focus its stewardship on three main pillars—preservation, community engagement, and expansion.

The goal is to ensure the long-term integrity of the collection while finding new ways for it to be studied, exhibited, and contextualised in both online and traditional art environments.

In an official statement, Micky Malka, Chair of the Infinite Node Foundation, said,

“CryptoPunks sparked a cultural movement that blended code, community, and commerce. By pairing museum-grade conservation with an evergreen endowment, we intend to future-proof this landmark work and make it easier than ever for scholars, curators, and collectors to engage with it.”

The foundation is also planning to open its first public exhibition of all 10,000 CryptoPunks later this year at its gallery space in Palo Alto, California.

The venue will also feature a live Ethereum node to ensure permanent onchain access to the collection.

Who’s Behind The New Stewardship?

NODE’s advisory board will feature some of the most prominent names in digital art.

Wylie Aronow, co-founder of Yuga Labs, will remain involved in a guiding role.

Art Blocks founder Erick Calderon joins alongside original CryptoPunks creators Matt Hall and John Watkinson, who return after years away from active involvement.

Hall and Watkinson said in the statement,

“The NODE Foundation was created to explain and promote these ideas as a new art medium, and are the perfect long-term home for the Punks.”

Natalie Stone, who served as General Manager for CryptoPunks under Yuga Labs, will continue her work in the new setup, transitioning into an advisory position at NODE.

Financial details of the deal have not been disclosed.

How Yuga Labs Sees The Handover

Yuga Labs, which acquired CryptoPunks and Meebits from Larva Labs in 2022, says the decision to pass on the IP was always part of a larger vision.

In the same statement, Aronow explained,

“We’ve worked to elevate and protect their legacy, but we always knew Punks needed a permanent home built for preservation. Seeing that vision come to life with the NODE Foundation feels like a full-circle moment.”

Yuga Labs had actively promoted CryptoPunks through high-profile exhibitions and cultural partnerships, but now plans to focus more intently on its original creation, the Bored Ape Yacht Club.

CryptoPunks Market Sees Uptick Amid Ownership Shift

Following the announcement, CryptoPunks’ market activity has surged.

The collection’s price floor climbed more than 21% this week, with the average value jumping 78% in USD terms to $125,900, driven by Ethereum’s own recent rally of nearly 45%.

The collection has now surpassed $3 billion in total trading volume, according to data from Punks.wtf.

Source: Punks.wtf

Despite its historical impact and trading success, CryptoPunks remains largely absent from traditional art institutions.

NODE hopes to change that through global museum collaborations and educational partnerships.

How NODE Plans to Preserve and Promote CryptoPunks

NODE intends to push CryptoPunks into new contexts—bridging Web3-native identity with the structure of mainstream art discourse.

The foundation’s work will not alter the core ownership rights of current holders, who still retain full commercial rights to their individual NFTs.

Currently, 4,133 wallets hold pieces of the collection.

The IP handover from Yuga Labs to NODE is a rare instance where a nonprofit now controls the direction of one of the internet’s most influential digital artworks, with a mission to preserve and extend its legacy for decades to come.