Here are the three most well-known, noteworthy and valuable NFT collections.
CryptoPunks
Created in June 2017, CryptoPunks is an collection of 10,000 pixel-art NFTs created by John Watkinson and Matt Hall. Each CryptoPunk was randomly-generated, and each has its own set of unique attributes.
Originally free-to-claim, CryptoPunks is now the most valuable NFT collection in the world. Holders include A-list celebrities, venture capitalist firms, and leading museums, galleries and auction houses.
Management of CryptoPunks was purchased by Yuga Labs in March 2022.
Bored Ape Yacht Club
Created in April 2021, Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) is a collection of 10,000 NFT ape avatars. Made by Yuga Labs, each Bored Ape was randomly-generated from an array of unique attributes.
Minted at 0.08 ETH each, BAYC is now the second most valuable NFT collection. Holders include the likes of Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Justin Bieber and Paris Hilton.
Yuga Labs have created several NFT collections based on BAYC, including the 20,000-piece Mutant Ape Yacht Club (MAYC), the Bored Ape Kennel Club (BAKC), metaverse project Otherside, and the likes of the ApeCoin DAO.
Pudgy Penguins
Created in July 2021, Pudgy Penguins is a collection of 8,888 stylised NFT penguins. Made by a cohort of four college students, each Pudgy Penguin was randomly-generated from a series of pre-defined unique attributes.
Minted at 0.03 ETH each, Pudgy Penguins is now the third most valuable NFT collection. The collection initially saw limited success, until its management was purchased by Luca Netz in April 2022.
Pudgy Penguins has garnered mainstream popularity, with over 2 million followers on Instagram, almost 500,000 on TikTok, and hundreds of millions of views on their animated shorts. This resulted in a nationwide toy distribution deal in the US, with their toys available in the likes of Walmart, Target and Walgreens.