VanEck Partners with NFT Paris, Pudgy Penguins Surge, and Anichess Launches: A Roundup of the Latest NFT News

NFT News Update VanEck Joins as NFT Conference Partner, Pudgy Penguins See 170% Growth in One Month, and Other Updates

Today’s top NFT news includes VanEck, Pudgy Penguins, and Anichess – 18 January.

January 18, 2024 | 3 min read

Sead Fadilpasic

📷Source: pudgypenguins / Twitter

Today’s NFT news brings us major developments: prestigious asset management firm VanEck partners with NFT Paris, the Pudgy Penguins collection experiences a remarkable surge, and a new NFT-based chess strategy game called Anichess is launched for all players.

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VanEck Joins NFT Paris

NFT Paris, the renowned conference in the NFT space, has announced its partnership with VanEck, a leading asset management firm. This collaboration is a significant milestone, signifying the growing influence and acceptance of NFTs within the traditional financial sector.

🎥VanEck Announcement

The 3rd edition of NFT Paris is scheduled to take place on February 23-24 at the Grand Palais Éphémère. The conference expects over 100 exhibitors and will feature prominent speakers from diverse industries, including blockchain, gaming, social, fashion, art, brands, and corporations.

Among the notable partners for NFT Paris are Animoca Brands, Polygon, Art Blocks, 9dcc, and .arianee. Other sponsors include Ledger, Tezos, Narval, Pudgy Penguins, The Sandbox, and many more. The news has received a mixed response, with some welcoming the involvement of institutions, while others humorously express concerns about “jpegs” being targeted.

🎥Kraken NFT Meme

Interestingly, while VanEck embarks on this NFT partnership, it has also announced the closing and liquidation of its Bitcoin futures ETF, just two years after its launch. This move highlights the evolving nature of the financial landscape and the shifting focus towards digital assets.

For more information about VanEck’s Bitcoin ETF closure, read: VanEck Plans To Close and Liquidate its Bitcoin Futures ETF “XBTF”

Pudgy Penguins Take the NFT Market by Storm

Blockchain analytics firm Nansen reveals that the Pudgy Penguins collection has witnessed an astonishing 172% increase in its floor price over the past 30 days. This surge positions Pudgy Penguins as the best-performing NFT collection with a minimum volume of 1,000 ETH. Only L3E7 has seen a comparable increase of over 100% during the same period.

🎥Nansen Tweet

Moreover, Pudgy Penguins currently holds the top spot among the five collections with the highest sales volume. According to CryptoSlam, its value has skyrocketed by 312% at the time of writing. Following behind is LilPudgys, a collection of 22,222 NFTs derived from Pudgy Penguins, experiencing a rise of 173% in the past 24 hours. Dokyo takes third place, showing a modest 21% growth.

In terms of transaction activity, Pudgy Penguins has seen a significant boost over the last 24 hours. Transactions have risen by 279%, while the number of buyers and sellers has increased by 241% and 271%, respectively. Similarly, LidPudgys have recorded a 15% increase in transactions, 114% in buyers, and 123% in sellers.

Over the past seven days, Pudgy Penguins has claimed the sixth spot in terms of sales volume, surging by 330% to $7,985,196. During this period, it experienced an 185% rise in transactions, 192% in buyers, and 215% in sellers. In the past month, the collection ranks 14th, amassing a sales volume of $14,838,140. However, sales volume, transactions, buyers, and sellers have all declined by over 40%.

For more about Pudgy Penguins and their recent launch of the web3 game ‘Pudgy World’ powered by zkSync Era, read: Pudgy Penguins Unveils Web3 Game ‘Pudgy World’ Powered by zkSync Era

Anichess: The New Chess Strategy Game on the Blockchain

Following the successful Early Access launch of Anichess Mini Game, the NFT-based chess strategy game Anichess has officially opened its first stage to all players. Developed in collaboration with Chess.com and renowned chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen, Anichess combines traditional chess with blockchain technology and spellcasting.

🎥Anichess Tweet

Currently, players can enjoy a single-player experience, with online player-vs.-player (PVP) mode set to be launched in the first quarter of this year. The initial game release comprises Daily Puzzles and Bonus Puzzles, with plans to introduce additional game modes in the future.

In Anichess, players can collect NFTs called Orbs of Power by completing daily puzzle challenges. These collectible orbs are tradable on Polygon. Over the past week, Orbs of Power sales have surged by 1,393% to 3,627, with a volume increase of 603% to 5.85 ETH. However, the floor price has dropped by 98% to 0.095 MATIC.

Anichess has received $1.5 million in seed funding from an investor group in 2023, positioning it for further growth and development.

For more information about the prevalence of cheating in blockchain chess and its impact on the play-to-earn features of Immortal Game, read: Cheating Rampant in Blockchain Chess, Leading to Shutdown of Immortal Game’s Play-to-Earn Features

What About the Future of NFTs?

The world of NFTs continues to evolve and capture attention across various industries. As institutional players like VanEck enter the space, it’s clear that NFTs are gaining mainstream recognition. The surge in Pudgy Penguins and the launch of Anichess demonstrate the growing popularity and potential for interactive NFT experiences.

Looking ahead, we can expect more collaborations between traditional finance and the NFT ecosystem, leading to increased adoption and acceptance. The market will likely witness new and innovative use cases for NFTs, driving further growth and market penetration.

📚Further Reading:

1. Polygon NFT Volume Hits 6-Month High, Igniting Renewed Interest in Layer-2 Scaling Solution
2. Chainlink and Circle Partner to Enhance USDC Cross-Chain Transfers – Here’s How It Works
3. Hong Kong-based Value Partners Plans to Tokenize 3 Tons of Gold and Roll Out Cryptocurrency ETFs
4. FTX Debtors Release Estimated Values of Cryptocurrency Claims – Bitcoin Priced at $16,871 per Coin
5. Web3 Fundraising Fell 70% per Quarter Last Year, Female Startups Receive Only 6.3%
6. Game-NFT Market Set to Recover in 2024
7. What Does the Self-Custody Future Hold for Defense?
8. Clearpool Introduces Credit Vaults to Provide Blockchain Loan Efficiency to Lenders and Empower Borrowers

🗣️ Join the Conversation

What are your thoughts on VanEck partnering with NFT Paris? Are you surprised by the tremendous surge in Pudgy Penguins’ value? Will NFT-based games like Anichess revolutionize the gaming industry? Share your opinions and engage with us on social media!

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