NFTs, short for non-fungible tokens, hit the headlines when the work of American artist Beeple, Every day: the first 5000 daysit sold for $69 million in March 2021. With such exorbitant amounts splurged on digital assets, the most popular NFT projects have attracted more people to invest in the metaverse, which is exactly what happened in 2022.

Today, several NFTs projects are released every day. From world-renowned singers to movie stars to public figures, everyone is investing in digital assets and showcasing them on social media, which is leading to an exponential increase in NFT sales.

Here are 7 top NFT projects of 2022:

cryptopunks

CryptoPunks was one of the first non-fungible token projects on Ethereum. Released in 2017 by Larva Labs, they are algorithmically generated and have a collection of 10,000 unique collectible tokens. The company collaborated with two Canadian software developers to create this collection.

The characters in this NFT project look like pixelated versions of punks that can be bought, sold, or bid on. The collection includes punks, which are the most common form. There are another 88 punk zombies, 24 punk apes, and nine punk aliens in the collection.

These punks come on a special background colors that allow buyers to know the status of the digital asset. A red background indicates that it is for sale, while those with a purple background mean that there are ongoing sales for the character. However, if the background color is blue, the punk is not for sale.

The CryptoPunk sold for the highest price was an alien avatar valued at $7.58 million.

American rappers Jay-Z and Snoop Dog, along with tennis player Serena Williams, are some of the famous CryptoPunk NFT headlines.

Bored Monkey Yacht Club

One of the most famous NFT projects is Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC), which is sure to generate more interest in 2022. Some well-known names who have invested in BAYC include talk show host Jimmy Fallon, musician Future, music producer DJ Khaled and YouTuber Logan Paul. The latest celebrity to join the bandwagon is American rapper Eminem, who currently owns digital art that resembles him. He also uses it as his Twitter profile picture.

Manufactured by Yuga Labs, BAYC features animated apes that have varied features and rarities and inhibit the Ethereum blockchain. The NFT project has a collection of 10,000 unique bored monkeys.

Released in April 2021, its prices have skyrocketed in a matter of months, making this collection one of the most highly prized collectibles in the industry. Those who own these NFTs receive a Yacht Club membership card, which has many benefits, including invitations to private concerts in the digital world.

The highest price a BAYC NFT has been auctioned for is 769 ETH or $2.3 million.

Mutant Apes Yacht Club

Mutant Ape Yacht Club (MAYC) is a unique collection of apes created as a separate project by the creators of BAYC.

MAYC launched in August 2021. There were 10,000 mutant apes in the collection, which sold instantly for $96 million. But this is not where the ‘mutation’ stopped.

According to CoinGekoMAYC could be created by using a “vial of mutant serum or by minting a mutant monkey on public sale.”

What this means is that the creators of BAYC added a unique system that not only greatly benefited owners of the original Bored Ape NFTs, but also raised the popularity bar for Mutant Apes.

They introduced a new NFT, known as “Serum”. Bored Ape card holders could add the “Serum”, of which there are three types available, including the mega mutant serum, to their ‘apes’ and turn them into Mutant Apes.

This meant that the 10,000 bored monkeys could become an equal number of mutant monkeys. In addition to the already published mutants, the total number of NFTs in the Mutant Apes collection reached 20,000.

MAYC NFTs are a bit cheap compared to the Bored Apes that are currently being hoarded by celebrities and venture capitalists alike.

A mutant monkey can cost around $32,600. some celebrities Mutant Ape Yacht Club NFT owners include American rapper Lil Baby, actor Drake Bell, NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal and Ethereum co-founder Taylor Gerring, whose mutant ape was created after exposing a bored ape to a megamutant serum.

infinity axis

Another important NFT project to know about as of 2022 is the game. infinity axis. It is a play-to-win blockchain game. The game that resides in the metaverse was originally released in May 2018 and has gained a lot of popularity over the past year.

The official website explains the game as a “universe filled with fascinating creatures, known as Axies, that players can collect as pets.”

It further states: “Players aim to fight, breed, collect, breed, and build kingdoms for their Axies. The universe has a player-owned economy where players can actually own, buy, sell, and trade the resources they earn in-game through skillful play and ecosystem contributions.”

The most expensive Axie ever sold went for $820,000 and the game has 2.8 million daily active players, the website claims.

cool cats

Another collection in the NFT space that has been making headlines are cool cats, and it exists on the Ethereum blockchain. Released in June 2021, it consists of 9,999 unique characters that are based on a blue cat animation. But what makes each of these characters unique is the combination of different facial expressions, features, and outfits.

One of the best things about this NFT is that the developer can reproduce the characters for a future generation. The highest bid so far is for a cool Zombie cat that went for $3.5 million at auction. These NFTs can only be used as art so far, and their owners can be a part of various community events and giveaways.

Mike Tyson is one of the few celebrities who own Cool Cats NFT.

decentraland

Released in July 2020, decentraland is one of the newer projects among NFTs.

Headlining the Ethereum blockchain, Decentraland allows the user to enter the world of virtual reality where they can buy land, build houses, and create avatars. Not only that, owners can even trade in the digital collectibles they make.

Buying land here can cost you a considerable amount. According to a report from Business Insider, Land was sold for USD 15.53 million in Decentraland in November 2021.

Paris Hilton is one of the celebrities associated with Decentraland.

meebits

Larva Labs created Meebits in May 2021. Following a similar vibe to CryptoPunks, Meebits is a pixelated 3D avatar that can be used in the virtual world. The NFT collection comprises 20,000 unique characters that can be represented. Their prices can go up to 100 ETH, depending on the rarity of the characters. The average price of an NFT, however, is around US$14,700.

Hong Kong actor and singer Shawn Yue Man-lok is an investor in Meebits. Soby, a cryptocurrency influencer on Twitter, is also among other celebrities who have quite a few Meebits in his possession.

(Main and Featured Images: The Lunacian/Axie Infinity/axie.substack.com)