Pudgy Penguins Surge 19.686% as CryptoPunks Purchase Revives NFT Market

Pudgy Penguins' latest price was $0.03713, up 19.686% in the last 24 hours. This surge was driven by a significant transaction in the NFT market, where an unknown buyer acquired 45 CryptoPunks for 10 million dollars. This purchase revived interest in several digital collections, with the PENGU token from Pudgy Penguins leading the crypto performance charts. The PENGU token is linked to the NFT collection from Pudgy Penguins and established itself as the best-performing digital asset of the day on the crypto market. This spectacular surge originated from a viral transaction on OpenSea, where a user purchased 45 CryptoPunks, driving the floor price of this digital collection up by 16.5%. Subsequently, the Pudgy Penguins’ floor price climbed by 13.3% to 16.57 ETH, amounting to approximately $63,000. This renewed interest also lifted other NFT tokens, mainly referring to Bored Ape Yacht Club, Azuki, and Moonbirds, which all showed double-digit increases. This phenomenon confirms the domino effect that can result from a major sweep on a flagship NFT collection.

The enthusiasm around this record transaction reignites speculation about a possible NFT bull run. In addition to PENGU, which saw a 31% rebound last week, several projects are betting on tokenizing their NFTs to maintain interest. For example, Rektguy saw its floor price jump by 27%. However, its REKT token only increased by 4.5%. This proves the current dynamic remains focused on visual rarity and iconic collections. Other projects follow this model, such as DeGods, once a Solana star. It launched its own token but struggles to take off again. Its floor price still gained 16.8%, even though its token dropped by 91% since its peak. The NFT market resurgence is a sign of returning speculative appetite. The CryptoPunks effect might just be the beginning. Is a new euphoric season approaching? Investors are on the lookout!

The Pudgy Penguins have become one of the most recognizable brands in crypto since Luca “Netz” Schnetzler took the helm in early 2022, ultimately becoming the CEO of Igloo Inc. and, later, the co-inventor of the Ethereum L2 Abstract. Netz believes that there will be another mania in the NFT space, similar to the periods of 2020 and 2021. He also predicts that gaming is even more likely to experience significant growth. While the Penguins began as an NFT collection, they’ve since expanded well beyond that with games, meme-inspired social videos, children’s books, and plush toys. Netz sees the brand competing with memes like Doge and Pepe in the short-term and giants like Pokémon or Hello Kitty in years to come. Part of the appeal from a brand standpoint is that physical toys can capture a different part of someone’s life and maintain a brand presence when all screens are off. They can also be intergenerational, holding meaning for adults and kids. Netz bought the Penguins brand three years ago for 750 ETH, or about $2.5 million, at the time. Chatting with Netz, there’s a determination and a confidence that suggests he’s not going to stop until “everybody in crypto” owns some piece of Pudgy Penguin IP and some PENGU, the brand’s affiliated memecoin. Tapping into the existing crypto-native audience and their families remains one jumping-off point, while expanding beyond into broader consumer markets is another prong of the plan. Igloo Inc., which owns Pudgy Penguins, Abstract, and the Overpass NFT licensing platform, is “on track” to make $50 million in revenue this year. Netz believes that the opportunity in the open ocean in crypto today is consumer, and he thinks you take a billion dollars in revenue in consumer and a billion dollars in revenue in DeFi, and the consumer founder’s making five times more money.

Pudgy Penguins ($PENGU) saw a surge fueled by rumors of an ETF listing, significant partnership announcements, and increased buying activity from major investors. Pudgy Penguins is built on Solana for high-speed, low-cost transactions, leveraging the Abstract blockchain for streaming payments, badge issuance, and gamified utilities. There is a total supply of 88.8 billion $PENGU tokens, with the initial airdrop accounting for most of the tokens. This aligns incentives across early NFT holders, developers, and ecosystem partners. The utility of the $PENGU token ranges from governance to in-game asset gating, staking rewards, and community rewards via soulbound tokens. Whale wallets have added roughly 200 million $PENGU since the start of July, indicating continuous institutional accumulation and confidence in the token’s prospects. Additionally, speculation around a potential “PENGU ETF” filing, reportedly acknowledged by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), has further fueled optimism. In June, Pudgy Penguins inked a high-profile NASCAR partnership, showcasing its mascot at events and tapping into an audience of over 75 million racing fans. Around the same time, it teamed up with Lufthansa’s Miles & More program, letting all purchases using $PENGU or fiat on the Pudgy Shop earn users miles, which are redeemable with over 300 partners. In gaming, the Web3 title Pengu Clash has launched via Telegram on the TON network, blending skill-based duels with optional blockchain rewards to boost community engagement. Additionally, Pudgy Penguins bolstered its expansion into Asia with a recent partnership with China’s Suplay Inc., preparing a line of Pudgy-themed toys and collectibles for the APAC market.

The Pudgy Penguins ecosystem has generated significant online engagement through its multidimensional Web3 expansion strategy. According to BitMart Research, the project achieved viral traction on Twitter as it evolved beyond its original NFT concept towards a broader digital IP ecosystem. Regulatory recognition is advancing for the associated token, with Binance confirming the removal of its Seed Tag designation for Pudgy Penguins effective July 21, 2025. This development reflects improved accessibility and established compliance requirements within the exchange platform. Market positioning continues to strengthen for the collection. Recent data indicates Pudgy Penguins surpassed the Bored Ape Yacht Club to become the second-highest ranked NFT project by key industry metrics, coinciding with ongoing growth in its token utility and adoption. This achievement highlights increased collector confidence in the brand trajectory. Strategic ecosystem building remains a core focus for the organization. Project development extends beyond initial meme origins toward comprehensive integration possibilities and sustainable application frameworks. This maturation is further evidenced by the consolidation phase in its lifecycle, prompting analysis around integration risks within crypto-based payroll and compensation systems as adoption broadens. Significant accumulation activity by large-scale holders has been reported. While the token navigates a critical phase regarding pattern formation, observed buy-side pressure underscores heightened investor interest in the underlying ecosystem's long-term value proposition independent of speculative trading activity.