Key Takeaways
Pudgy Penguins has denied rumors of acquiring OpenSea, clarifying recent speculation tied to past CEO comments. Meanwhile, the NFT market has been showing strong signs of revival, led by surging volumes and iconic collections like CryptoPunks and CryptoBatz.
Speculation was rife over the weekend after rumours broke out that Pudgy Penguins had quietly scooped up NFT marketplace OpenSea in a behind-the-scenes acquisition deal.
However, this wasn’t to be. Clarifying these rumors, the project’s security lead, Beau, swiftly dismissed the buzz, stating that no such acquisition has taken place. He took to X and noted,
“Pudgy Penguins didn’t buy OpenSea… chill.”
How did the rumours start?
Pudgy Penguins, a popular NFT project known for its collection of 8,888 cartoon-like penguin avatars, has grown well beyond digital art since its 2021 debut. In fact, through a partnership with PMI Toys, the brand has also ventured into physical merchandise with its Pudgy Toys line. It aims to bridge the gap between NFTs and mainstream retail.
The latest rumors about acquiring OpenSea seem to be fueled by a few posts from CEO Luca Netz, which resurfaced recently. These include one from October 2024, in which he expressed interest in acquiring the NFT marketplace.
A flurry of announcements from Pudgy Penguins in December and subsequent changes in OpenSea’s token policies led some community members to draw speculative connections.
And, even though Pudgy Penguins is just one out of millions of the NFT projects listed on OpenSea, it didn’t stop speculators from joining some wild dots.
To his credit though, Beau was quick to shut down the rumors, stating clearly that no acquisition has occurred. He went on to add,
“I don’t actually think acquiring OS rn would make a lot of sense for us.”
NFT market dynamics
As far as the the broader NFT market is concerned, it has been showing some strong signs of recovery.
July alone saw the total market capitalization surge to $6.6 billion, up 94% from the previous month. Weekly trading volumes climbed by 51% too, according to DappRadar.
Ethereum-based NFTs have been leading the charge, with weekly volumes across all chains surpassing $140 million for the first time since January.
Notably, CryptoPunks‘ floor prices jumped by 53%, reaffirming their place as digital status symbols. Similarly, CryptoBatz saw an explosive 100,000% volume surge following Ozzy Osbourne’s death.
Although the collection didn’t hit its previous highs, the spike is a sign of renewed interest in iconic NFT assets.
