CryptoPunks, Bored Apes, Decentraland and others — these are the most valuable NFT projects of 2021

Launched in: 2021 April

All-time trade volume: $1.05 billion

All-time average price per NFT: $104,400

Launched in (Mutant): 2021 August

All-time trade volume (Mutant): $571 million

All-time average price per NFT (Mutant): $32,600

Entering cartoon territory here, the Bored Ape Yacht Club collection consists of 10,000 unique ‘Bored Ape’ NFTs that reside on the Ethereum blockchain. Each ‘ape’ has different attributes, including facial expressions, fur colour and accessories. As we mentioned earlier, the CryptoPunks project served as inspiration for newer NFT endeavours, like the Bored Ape Yacht Club.

And, just as with CryptoPunks, each ‘apes’ different attributes determine its rarity, and thus, its value.

Owners usually use them as online avatars and as digital collectibles, placing their valuation firmly in ‘perceived value’ territory which has appreciated fast, with recent auctions of rare apes being sold for over a million dollars. In October, Bored Ape #8817 with gold fur was sold by Sotheby’s for a whopping $3.4 million.

The project has tried to take things a step further by allowing each Bored Ape owner to use their NFT as a Yacht Club membership card to access an online club, with members-only benefits such as a collaborative graffiti board, exclusive private concerts and other ‘perks’ over time.

The over 5,500 holders of this NFT received a bonus from developers of the same project, in the form of the Mutant Ape Yacht Club. Exposing an existing Bored Ape to vials of ‘mutant serum’ would create a ‘Mutant Ape’ NFT. This new collection has a limit of 20,000 mutant apes, which are also unique from each other and currently held by over 11,000 owners.