In a saturated market, it takes more than usual to stand in the spotlight. With thousands of NFT collections and several more being released daily, creators have had to go the extra mile to make their collections unique and valuable. Jack Butcher’s Opepen NFT Collection proves that NFTs can provide more than normal experiences. The collection introduces unique features that make the NFTs not only valuable but also highly sought after. Unlike previously seen with open edition NFTs, the Opepen Collection adds a level of anticipation and hype often associated with limited edition NFTs.
What makes the collection so special? Well, this article explains everything about the Opepen NFT collection. The collection has delivered top performances this year, but for very good reasons. You may have wondered how often the NFT drops, then this article has your answer. You just need to read to the end. Let’s dive in!
Open NFT Collection: The Genesis
Launched on January 8, 2023, Opepen is an open edition NFT collection of NFT artists Jack Butcher. The digital artist is known for his numerous Open Edition NFT collections such as Checks and VV Rare, which have achieved significant success in the NFT space.
The Opepen coin in January occurred between a 60 minute period where users could mint the NFTs for free and a gas fee of around $5-10. Compared to most other tokens, Opepen NFTs can evolve after the drop-drop, meaning users can effectively choose what styling they end up with.
The collection consists of 16,000 Pepe-the-Frog inspired NFTs. The character from a 2005 cartoon is a recurring meme in the crypto and wider market space. Although the NFTs were minted for free, the collection has enjoyed considerable success and its value has skyrocketed.
How does it work?
The Opepen NFTs are not revealed with the coin. Instead, the artworks are revealed in sets that span a period of time. Each edition contains 80 Openens of the 16,000 NFTs in the collection.
For each set there are six artworks available in one, four, five, ten, twenty and forty pieces to make up the 80 for each drop. However, before a set is released, there must be a demand of 2,000%. This means that at least 160 Openen holders must apply to be part of that edition. So far there have been ten sets, each containing much more than the required 2,000%.
Another exciting feature is that trends in the crypto space and wider market often define each edition. For example, the VVR set was released after Apple launched its VR sets. Likewise, the Alien set also featured a design that references Larva Labs’ CryptoPunks NFT Collection.
Open Sets
As mentioned earlier, the reveal of the Open artwork only happens when the holder chooses to be part of the set. For that to happen, the Opepen owner will sign a message in his crypto wallet to have his full NFT revealed.
So far, the released sets contain unique designs with varied references and artwork inspiration. While some are like print editions meaning everyone gets the same designs, others contain slight variations. The sets were also designed by various digital artists, with Jack designing the first set.
Let’s take a quick look at all the released sets.
Set 001: 8×8
Released on May 3, this set was the first to be released after attracting a whopping 10,000% opt-ins. Being the origin set, it contains some of the most expensive NFTs within the Opepen collection. Since its release, the set has achieved double-digit sales, with the top selling for 25ETH. Jack Butcher designed this set.
Set 002: brought to light
Set 002 was also unveiled on May 3, albeit with demand reduced by 3,000%. The set is designed by the well-known digital artist SD 2.1. The drop contains 3D versions of the original Open design. It also has some 2D designs that appear to be hand drawn by the artist.
Set 003: full circle
Digital artist Batz designed this set which launched on May 30. Like previous sets, it surpassed the demand requirement after reaching over 13,500%. The set consists of blue, green, white and black tiles that are meshed in random shapes. Many designs in the set resemble Pepe the Frog, the meme inspiration behind the entire Opepen collection.
Set 004: Consensus
The Consensus Set fell on May 30, the same day as the third set. Demand for the set was over 12,000%, although set 003 had yielded over 13,500%. Artist VV designed this set, which consists of Pepe-inspired colorful squares and circles on a white background. The set became a considerable success and at the time of writing has the most expensive Open – Opepen # 15180.
Other NFTs in the sets have also sold for hefty price tags, many going for over $15,000.
Set 005: VVR
Set 005, designed by Jack Butcher, references the rise of spatial computing and falls on the same day Apple released its VR goggles. NFTs within this collection contain colorful figures that resemble VR glasses. Since its launch, within-set NFTs have seen moderate success in secondary marketplaces.
According to OpenSea data, the most expensive NFT within this set went for 6ETH.
Set 006: PIV
Created by artist PIV, this set commemorates the sixth anniversary of the CryptoPunks NFT collection. It also referred to six moments in art history. One of the standout NFTs in the set is the blue-black and turquoise “Alien” NFT which refers to CryptoPunks’ Alien NFT. The set was dropped on June 12.
Set 007: Finish
Set 007 is the third set designed by Jack Butcher, the creator of Opepen. The set was released on June 28 after an aggregate demand of 10.944%. The description of the set on Opepen’s website reads, “Without the finite, we cannot appreciate the infinite.” It also says that the set is “a nod to the seven levels of semi-perfect checks.” Checks is another open edition NFT collection from Jack Butcher.
Set 008: Infinite
Released on July 9, this set contains NFTs of the same design, which excludes any rarity or unique features. The set’s description states, “Without the infinite, we cannot appreciate the finite.” The set focuses on the appreciation of art rather than the value placed on the NFTs, asking holders to “consider the concept of infinity”. Digital artist Jalil created it.
Set 009: Unity
Created by Jalil, set 009 dropped after nearly 13,000% demand. The designs within the set introduce the theme of unity and prompt viewers to reflect on the concept of “an organized whole perceived as greater than the sum of its parts.” Unlike the infinite set, this set has different designs, mostly geometric shapes.
Set 010: 1/10
This set is the latest drop, created by digital artist VV. The set consists of original Openen designs, but in alternating colors of white, black and gray. The description of the set reads: “Yes and no in every imaginable variation. Everything comes from these two. The set fell on July 24 after a demand of more than 9,000%.
What makes the collection unique?
Compared to many NFTs seen in the market, Opepen is changing the NFT arts as we know it. Instead of creating value through rarity and scarcity, Jack Butcher experimented with uniqueness.
For example, the drop mechanism is a new concept in the NFT world. The mechanism creates interest in it and makes it maintain that high level of excitement with subsequent drops.
Similarly, the Opepen NFT shows how abundance, not rarity or scarcity, can sometimes spark great interest in an NFT. With its variety of sets, Opepen NFTs owners have a range of sets to join. As a result, there are many options to choose from when choosing the final design of their NFTs.
Its uniqueness has also attracted a lot of attention, with personalities in the crypto space joining the trend. At one point, even major crypto entities jumped on the Openen trend, further increasing its popularity.
Open thread
Open Threadition is an open edition NFT collection created by Jack Butcher for an NFT influencer ThreadGuy. Prior to the collaboration, a Jack Butcher Maximalist had approached ThreadGuy to trade in his Mutant Ape PFP for his highly sought after first edition Opepen NFT.
However, that offer wasn’t enough to convince ThreadGuy, who had since become synonymous with his Mutant Ape PFP, but that was before Jack Butcher made his offer. Instead of just asking to change his PFP, Jack designed a custom Opepen PFP inspired by ThreadGuy’s Mutant Ape. ThreadGuy accepted the offer and changed its PFP to the new Opepen NFT.
That was expected to cause a lot of buzz and frenzy, with many copycats on the way. Jack then took it further by launching an open edition of the custom NFT that anyone can hit for around $2.
Open edition sales have since generated more than $96,000, with over 51,000 NFTs made. Additionally, many crypto personalities jumped on the trend, with Beeple even getting its custom Opepen NFT from Jack Butcher.
Last words
The Opepen NFT Collection has introduced a new idea of how NFTs can preserve and retain value. With 190 more sets to drop, the collection still has a lot to offer its holders and the entire NFT ecosystem.
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*All NFT Plazas investment/financial opinions are derived from the personal research and experience of our site moderators and are intended as educational material only. Individuals are required to fully research each product before making any kind of investment.