Can’t Afford a CryptoPunk? 10 Notable Knockoffs
CryptoPunks are arguably the most iconic NFT project there is. Aside from their history as one of the first collections ever minted on the Ethereum blockchain, these JPEGs have exploded in value over the past few years as countless other 10,000 avatar projects follow in their footsteps.
With the Punk floor now sitting sky-high, most of us can’t and probably will never be able to afford to buy into the project. So what’s the next best thing? Well, not financial advice, but we’d probably recommend finding a fledgling project with an active community doing something innovative. But if you’re dead-set on rocking a CryptoPunk knock-off, there’s no shortage of options there.
Here you’ll find a fun list of Punk knockoffs that you may or may not have heard of. Some brought a bit of innovation into the unofficial PFP market, some straight up flopped, but all are much cheaper to ape into than the real deal.
3DPunks
3DPunks emerged at the beginning of March and almost immediately mooned. With only 100 ever minted, this project first caught steam with an endorsement from NFT investor Punk 4156.
After another co-sign from superstar gamer FaZe Banks, 3DPunk transitioned to an auction system and these beauties became quickly unattainable. Now that the market has cooled down a bit, prices (although still over 1 ETH) are also following suit.
Bastard GAN Punks
With a supply maxing out at just over 10,000, Bastard GAN Punks are a perfect marriage between generative art and, well, CryptoPunks. With each OG Punk having undergone a makeover via a Generative Adversarial Network or GAN (basically a generative computer), this project embodies the Punk spirit, with the added bonus of new positions, attributes, colors and more.
While the Bastard GAN Punks collection has seen the most volume traded out of all Punk derivative projects, the floor is currently sitting at 0.35 ETH. A small price to pay for one of the more creative derivatives if you ask me!
Chiptopunks
Among the ranks of CryptoPunk derivatives, Chiptopunks easily stand out. Not only is the art incredibly well done, but the collection goes beyond the static PFP, featuring 512 animated 3D Punks made entirely out of computer parts.
Chiptopunks offers up the essence of a Punk, with the rarity and quality of a 1/1. With a floor currently around 4 ETH, these may be out of price range for most. Obviously the appeal of a CryptoPunk is what drives the project, but even without the Punk aspect, an avatar made out of 3D computer parts could still be enticing.
Picasso Punks
For those who appreciate the finer qualities of a simple CryptoPunk, perhaps a Picasso Punk may be of interest? This project also mixes generative art and Punks, but with the addition of Picasso paintings for reference — with the end result depicting Punks as fine art.
Launched towards the beginning of 2021, this collection capped out at 1,000 Punk with a current floor of 0.5 ETH.
COVIDPunks!
Considering the timeliness with the COVID-19 pandemic and the fact that medical masks were already a coveted trait among OG CryptoPunks, this project makes perfect sense. With the cheapest COVIDPunk currently priced at 0.02 ETH, this may be the easiest Punk derivative to collect.
It has all the hallmarks of a Punk spinoff: 10,000 supply and new variations of the art and backgrounds, with the obvious upgrade being personal protective gear for the Punks. Although these Punks may be a bit more niche, there’s definitely something to be said about the history they embody along with the COVID crypto boom.
ClayPunks
3D collections take a lot of time and effort, and ClayPunks seems to be no exception. Although these launched back in April, a few are still being minted even now in August — with the total supply currently at 564.
Similar to 3DPunks, the quality of art is impressive with the added bonus of detailed textures and vibrant colors. These will run you 0.24 ETH minimum, a price potentially worth paying for those 3D clay aficionados out there.
CryptoOldPunks
It seems it was only a matter of time before the CryptoPunks aged. With the premise that the original 10k supply of Punks whittled down to 500 over time for err… obvious reasons, CryptoOldPunks set out to find a good home for these golden oldies.
The colors may be a bit duller and skin a bit more wrinkly, but these Punks still aged like fine wine. With a current floor of 0.06 ETH, you too can become a caretaker for a CryptoOldPunk in no time.
The CryptoBabyPunks
If Punks were going to get old, then of course they had to become young as well. Similar to 3DPunks, this project not only made a spinoff of the OGs, but did so with completely new art.
This collection depicts a group of 999 babies of varying Punkiness with five background colors signifying the five main types of Punks (Human Male, Human Female, Zombie, Ape & Alien). The current floor for a BabyPunk is .79 ETH. Higher than most but let’s face it, you’re paying a cuteness fee with these!
UltraPunks
Were you more of a raver or scene kid than a punk growing up? Then UltraPunks are definitely for you. With 874/1000 NFTs minted, although this project never fully got off the ground (similar to many Punk derivatives), it did receive some decent backing — and the art isn’t half bad!
Similar to CryptoPunks, this PFP project is made up of generative pixel portraits, but with the twist of funkier hair, brighter colors and more eccentric traits. With a current floor of 0.02 ETH, even green collectors can ape in strong.
HDPunks
Creepy as they may be, HDPunks had to be mentioned among the spinoffs on this list. These mostly speak for themselves as a 10k Punk derivative, but with high-definition art as opposed to the pixelated OG Punks.
These are also on the affordable side of the spectrum at 0.02 ETH. And while they do make a good PFP, I would recommend you not stare into the eyes of these perfect faces for too long.