DALLAS, TX.- The tech revolution has thrust history into warp drive, and movements that once took decades or longer to establish now take just a couple of years. Six years ago this month, Larva Labs released its CryptoPunks into the world. Considered some of the most iconic NFTs ever produced and often credited with kicking off the non-fungible token craze, these portraits were algorithmically generated by computer code and number 10,000. No two are exactly alike, each featuring distinct characteristics, with some traits rarer than others. In the past year LACMA, ICA Miami and Centre Pompidou have all added Punks to their collections, signifying consensus and continued interest in this digital medium.

"On June 30, we're thrilled to offer collectors a chance to collect a CryptoPunk and join an art movement with historical provenance when we offer CryptoPunk 6837 for sale with no reserve," says Taylor Curry, Heritage's Director of Modern & Contemporary Art in New York. "This particular Punk was once owned by social media star and pro wrestler Logan Paul; it has a few rarer traits for the Punks. This historical project is as relevant as ever." This Punk indeed is one of 6,039 male Punks, is one of 2,459 Punks to sport an earring, one of 351 with a cap and one of just 293 with an eye mask.

CryptoPunks were an inspiration for the ERC-721 standard behind most digital art and collectibles. Unleashed into the wild in 2017, they were originally given away – all 10,000 of these randomly generated pixelated portraits made of computer code. And then: If you'd been reading news headlines you know that what was once given away soon became coveted and valuable, driven in part by "…Silicon Valley CEOs, prominent venture capitalists, famous YouTubers, poker stars and major business personalities" who fell in love with the 'Punks, as TechCrunch noted in a story examining "The Cult of CryptoPunks." Prices skyrocketed; so, too, did interest and demand.

Thus CryptoPunks became historic markers along the route of this, our current digital revolution. That of course includes Punk 6837, with his purple hat, sly robber mask and cheeky grin. Turns out he's enduringly good company.