XCOPY

A Journey from GIFs to Crypto Art

XCOPY’s artistic journey began in 2010 when he started sharing GIFs and experimental art on his Tumblr blog. These early works bear a striking resemblance to his present-day creations, marked by intricate patterns and a touch of darkness. However, his transition into the world of crypto art didn’t happen until he discovered Ascribe.io and its use of Bitcoin to create digital editions. This led him to start selling his digital art through Twitter and eventually beta test what would become SuperRare in early 2018. (SuperRare was just a dApp at that time)

XCOPY’s artistic evolution catapulted him into the upper echelons of NFT artists, where his work continues to be highly sought after. Additionally, XCOPY made a significant move by applying CC0 licensing to his non-collaborative works in 2022, allowing anyone in the public domain to use his art freely. This decision marked a notable moment in the ongoing discussions about NFT licensing. Now everyone knows XCOPY’s artworks by their trademarks which is disturbing images of dark humanoid characters displaying signs of torment and suffering with a dark taste of humor and mostly on an environment in the digital age, even in an interview with Artsy.net, XCOPY said, “I like contrasting everyday problems with death, it takes away their power for a moment. Dystopia creeps in further every day, it’s hard not to talk about it.”


Notable Artworks and Impactful Sales
XCOPY’s impact on the NFT world is substantial, with over 9,500 pieces of art sold on-chain and a collection valued at more than $61 million. Let’s explore some of his most iconic works and their remarkable price journeys:

1. “A Coin for the Ferryman”: Minted in 2018, this piece initially sold for a humble 0.5 ETH (approximately $137). However, in November 2021, it fetched a staggering 1,300 ETH, equivalent to $6 million.

2. “Death Dip”: This piece, minted just minutes after “A Coin for the Ferryman,” broke records by becoming the first XCOPY artwork to sell for over 1,000 ETH. It was originally sold for $400 and later resold for $1.7 million in 2021.

3. “All Time High in the City”: Minted on the same day as the previous two pieces, it initially sold for 0.5 ETH. In early 2022, it resold for 1,600 ETH, amounting to $6.1 million.

4. “Right-click and Save As guy”: A playful take on NFT ownership, this piece sold for $90 in 2018 but was later resold for a whopping $7 million or 1,700 ETH.

5. “Summer.jpg”: Created during the NFT craze of 2021, this piece sold for 336.529 ETH (over $830,000) and features the iconic “WAGMI” inscription on a champagne bottle.

6. “Grifters”: XCOPY ventured into non-1:1 NFTs with the “Grifters” collection on AsyncArt. This collection of 666 NFTs has seen significant value growth.

7. “MAX PAIN AND FRENS”: In 2022, XCOPY released an open edition on Nifty Gateway, allowing anyone to mint these NFTs for 1 ETH. It quickly gained popularity, with nearly 7,500 NFTs minted.