Moonbirds is a collection of 10,000 Ethereum NFTs, with each NFT featuring a pixelated owl character with randomized traits and features.[1] While common elements are found across multiple images, no two NFTs are precisely alike.[2] With a feature called nesting, Moonbirds holders are able to unlock private club membership and additional benefits.[3]
Founders
The Moonbirds collection was launched on April 16, 2022, as part of the PROOF Collective, a private, members-only group of NFT collectors and artists, by PROOF co-founders Kevin Rose, Justin Mezzell, Ryan LeFevre, and Ryan Carson.[4] Moonbirds was created with the goal of transforming art into “something everyone can appreciate, own, and share” as well as becoming a platform where collectors can connect with artists.[5]
Kevin Rose is currently the CEO of PROOF and a partner at True Ventures. Previously, he founded DIGG, a social news site; ZERO, an intermittent fasting app; and OAK, a meditation app. He was also previously a General Partner at Google Ventures.[6]
Justin Mezzell is currently the Chief Product Officer of PROOF and also the artist responsible for the 10,000-pixel art pieces in the collection. As an artist, he previously worked with companies including Google, Disney, and Facebook.[7]
Ryan LeFebre is the Director of Engineering at PROOF.[8]
Ryan Carson was previously COO of PROOF, but he stepped down on April 25, 2022, shortly after the launch of the collection. It was later revealed that Carson’s departure was due to his purchase of rare Moonbirds NFTs on a secondary marketplace on the same day as the launch.[9] Despite his departure, Carson remains a shareholder and PROOF Collective member.[10]
Launch
The Moonbirds collection was distributed in three major releases, with the mint price set at 2.5 ETH.[9]
The first release consisted of 2,000 NFTs exclusively for PROOF Collective members to mint prior to the general launch. Given that the PROOF Collective is made of 1,000 members, this first launch effectively guaranteed each of the Collective members the chance to mint two Moonbirds tokens at the time of launch. The second release consisted of 7,875 NFTS for the general public via a raffle held by PROOF. To be eligible for the raffle, potential investors needed to have 2.5 ETH in their registered wallet at the time of entry. In the third and final release, 125 Moonbirds tokens were set aside by the PROOF Collective team as reserves for use in future initiatives, including collaborations and marketing.
At the time of launch, there was controversy over the fact that the administrators gave PROOF token holders an advantage.[11] The launch garnered additional attention during the second release because of media reports of a glitch in the raffle that indicated signs of manipulation. Industry experts reported a Sybil attack, with data showing how one user created over 400 accounts and won over 50 NFTs in the raffle.[12]
Reception
Despite its controversial launch, the collection sold out within two days and has logged a total sales volume of over 320,000 ETH on OpenSea as of May 30, 2023.[11][13] By logging 49,000 ETH in volumes in a single day during the launch in April 2022, Moonbirds broke the single-day record at that time, which was Mutant Ape Yacht Club’s 41,000 ETH.[14]
The success of Moonbirds is attributed to the project’s backing by PROOF Collective, a community behind many previous large-scale projects, including BAYC, Crypto Punks, and Meebits, among many others.[9] In addition, Moonbirds offers nesting, a functionality that allows collectors to unlock benefits the longer they hold on to their Moonbirds NFTs.
PARTNERSHIPS
At Consensus 2023, Moonbirds NFT Collection and Mona announced a partnership to create the “Moonbirds Monaverse. The collaboration aims to offer various experiences for the community, focusing on town halls, watch parties, and art reveals.[33]
