Ozzy Osbourne, the heavy metal icon and founding member of Black Sabbath, passed away on Tuesday at 76, surrounded by family.
Widely remembered for his chaotic stage antics and genre-defining sound, Osbourne also left his mark on the digital world through a unique NFT collection, CryptoBatz — which has now seen a massive revival in both price and trading activity following news of his death.
Data from CoinGecko revealed that immediately following the news of Osbourne’s death, the average sale price of CryptoBatz soared over 400%, briefly pushing the floor price from under 0.02 Ether (ETH) to around 0.08 ETH, roughly $295 at the peak.
Launched in December 2021 during the height of the NFT craze, CryptoBatz features 9,966 unique digital bats—an intentional reference to one of Osbourne’s most infamous moments.
In 1982, the heavy metal star bit the head off a live bat during a concert in Des Moines, a stunt that has become part of rock folklore.
The NFTs creatively embrace this legacy, with each “CryptoBat” designed under Osbourne’s direction and marketed as “a completely unique piece of collectible art created by one of the most legendary rock icons of our lifetime.”
The collection stands out for its interactive feature: owners can “bite” other NFTs to create hybrid images called “MutantBatz.”
This feature supports notable collections like Bored Ape Yacht Club, Alien Frenz, and Cryptotoadz, making CryptoBatz more than just static digital art.
Beyond the price surge, CryptoBatz saw a remarkable jump in trading activity.
Based on data from DappRadar, trading volume surged by 100,000% within 24 hours, reaching $281,200—nearly 80% of the collection’s estimated $355,000 market cap.
A 100,000% surge in trading hit CryptoBatz within a day of the news. (Source: DappRadar)
The flurry of transactions involved 402 sellers and 327 buyers, notable numbers given the total supply of just under 10,000 tokens.
Despite this revival, current trading levels remain far below the project’s launch highs when average prices briefly topped 5 ETH.
The most expensive listing now is the Megadragon bat at 99 ETH, while the cheapest available token trades around 0.4 ETH.
The collection faced early setbacks in January 2022 when concerns arose about lingering posts on social media directing users to a Discord server linked to scams.
Reports suggested over 1,300 members were part of this server.
Since then, the problematic posts have been removed, improving the project’s credibility.
While CryptoBatz’s surge hints at renewed interest in legacy-driven NFTs, the overall market remains in a slump.
The total NFT market cap currently sits at about $1.49 billion, a steep decline from the $507 billion peak in April 2022.
Source: CoinMarketCap
Daily trading volumes hover near $12.8 million, with average sales around $71,900, showing that demand remains soft outside headline-grabbing collections.
Industry watchers note that CryptoBatz’s recent momentum, though impressive, has yet to reverse the wider market’s downward trend.
Still, Osbourne’s project shows how cultural icons can briefly reignite attention in an otherwise cautious environment.
Osbourne himself expressed enthusiasm for digital art before his passing, once saying he wanted a Bored Ape NFT for Christmas but was denied by his wife Sharon.
Instead, he created his own NFT line, merging his unique rock legacy with emerging technology.
His family’s announcement of his death on Tuesday reflected the deep respect held for the “Prince of Darkness,” stating:
“It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning. He was with his family and surrounded by love.”
The CryptoBatz collection now stands as both a tribute to Osbourne’s wild career and a momentary spark in a sluggish NFT market, capturing fans’ desire to hold a piece of rock history in the digital age.
JPMorgan is planning to let clients borrow money using crypto like bitcoin and ether as collateral. This comes as rules around digital assets in the US become clearer and demand from wealthy clients grows.
AnaisThe SEC Chairman said Ethereum is not considered a security, which has encouraged companies to increase their Ethereum holdings. This clear regulatory view has helped boost Ethereum’s price and sparked more interest from investors and firms.
AnaisChatGPT said: Shinhan Bank has added cryptocurrency tracking and educational tools to its SOL app, becoming the first South Korean bank to offer such services. The move signals growing acceptance of crypto in traditional banking, with plans to expand into crypto purchases and wallet management soon.
WeatherlyVitalik Buterin urged developers to simplify Ethereum Layer 2 networks by using Ethereum’s base layer for security and consensus. He said projects should stop rebuilding features Ethereum already provides and focus only on processing and verifying transactions.
WeatherlyStandard Chartered has started offering bitcoin and ether spot trading directly to institutional clients through its UK branch. This makes it the first major global bank to provide regulated crypto trading using existing foreign exchange systems.
WeatherlyBank of America has launched a new research series called On Chain to explore blockchain, stablecoins, and tokenised assets. The bank sees Ethereum and companies like Stripe as key to the future of digital finance and payment systems.
WeatherlySBI Holdings and Aplus now let Japanese credit card users swap loyalty points for Bitcoin, Ethereum, or XRP. This is the first time crypto has been added as a reward option, though the exchange amount is small and capped.
WeatherlyA scammer located in Nigeria has allegedly impersonated Steve Witkoff, the co-chair of the Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee, by making use of a barely noticeable type.
XingChiThe founder of WhiteRock Finance was arrested in the UAE over his suspected role in a $30 million scam linked to the failed crypto project ZKasino. The news caused WhiteRock’s token to crash, as investigators revealed forged partnerships and missing investor funds.
WeatherlyThe current crypto industry is also in an uncertain stage, and there are many possibilities that will coexist in the future. These possibilities will only become a clear reality when the market changes or external factors intervene.
JinseFinanceBinance HODLer Airdrop now includes Phase 4 of Simon's Cat (CAT), an official meme coin backed by the full intellectual property of the iconic Simon's Cat brand.
JinseFinanceMoney never sleeps, new stories are on the way, and I hope you can win this time.
JinseFinanceOP_CAT is an opcode in Bitcoin script, used to process data in Bitcoin transactions; OP_NET is a meta-protocol built on Bitcoin, used to issue, trade, and manage assets that comply with the protocol standards.
JinseFinanceCatizen is a groundbreaking web3 social entertainment platform on Telegram, aiming to create a decentralized application that integrates mini-games, short dramas, and e-commerce. With a recent investment from Binance Labs in its publisher Pluto Studio, Catizen is poised to make waves in the gaming and blockchain communities.
WilfredBitcoin L2, OP_CAT, BTC, OP_CAT: The missing piece of BTC L2? Golden Finance, This opcode has sparked discussion; what does it do?
JinseFinanceWhat is OP_CAT and should OP_CAT be restored?
JinseFinanceMeme coins featuring dogs, cats, and frogs have been competing, although dog-themed coins still beat out other coins to become the most widely traded.
JinseFinanceMetaverse is still very much important as the days of the internet are taking a new shape with the migration of different projects into Web3.
Nulltx
Bitcoinist