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NFT

NFTs are unique digital identifiers recorded on a blockchain that certify ownership and authenticity of a specific asset. Moving past the "PFP" craze, 2026 NFTs emphasize utility, representing everything from IP rights and digital fashion to RWA titles and event ticketing. This tag explores the technical standards of digital ownership, the growth of NFT marketplaces, and the integration of non-fungible tech into the broader Creator Economy and enterprise solutions.

12388 Articles
Created: 2026/02/02 18:52
Updated: 2026/02/02 18:52
GameSquare CryptoPunk NFT Bet: $5.15M Cowboy Ape Deal Brings Leshner Onboard

GameSquare CryptoPunk NFT Bet: $5.15M Cowboy Ape Deal Brings Leshner Onboard

GameSquare Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: GAME), a media and tech firm focused on Web3, has made a bold move into the world of digital collectibles with a new purchase. GameSquare has acquired the iconic Cowboy Ape #5577 CryptoPunk from DeFi pioneer @rleshner in a $5.15M strategic investment. We also added $10M of ETH to our treasury, bringing total Ethereum treasury holdings to over $52 million. pic.twitter.com/U2LFaPqECm — GameSquare Holdings Inc. (@GSQHoldings) July 24, 2025 In a press release shared with CryptoNews, the firm said it has purchased a rare “Cowboy Ape” CryptoPunk non-fungible token (NFT) from Robert Leshner, founder of Compound and CEO of Superstate. In exchange, GameSquare issued $5.15 million in preferred stock convertible into approximately 3.4 million shares at $1.50 per share. The acquisition marks GameSquare’s first direct NFT investment and is in line with its strategy to build a blockchain-native brand and generate treasury yield through digital assets. CEO Justin Kenna described the Punk as a “grail” investment and emphasized the company’s growing interest in on-chain finance. Alongside the transaction, Leshner has joined GameSquare as a shareholder, bringing his experience in decentralized finance to the table. What Is a CryptoPunk? CryptoPunks are among the earliest NFT collections created on the Ethereum blockchain. Launched in 2017 by software developers Larva Labs, the series includes 10,000 pixelated characters with varying traits. Of these, only 24 are “Ape” Punks—making them among the rarest. The Cowboy Ape (#5577), now part of GameSquare’s treasury, is widely regarded as a standout in the collection. Collectors often view CryptoPunks as digital artifacts that reflect early internet history and the rise of online identity. Building Yield Through NFTs and ETH GameSquare’s NFT purchase is part of its treasury strategy, which seeks to generate 6%–10% returns annually by using stablecoins and other digital assets. The Cowboy Ape will be used in community activations, marketing campaigns, and potential licensing deals, blending culture with capital allocation. GameSquare said it has partnered with 1OF1 AG, led by Web3 investor Ryan Zurrer, to manage the NFT yield program. The firm will also hold the asset and oversee yield generation efforts. GameSquare said it recently purchased $10 million worth of Ethereum—about 2,742.75 ETH at an average price of $3,646. This adds to a growing ETH position now valued at approximately 12,913.49 ETH. The company has invested a total of $45 million in ETH under its $250 million crypto treasury authorization. NFT Market Cap Jumps 21% to $6.3B Overnight The NFT market roared to life on Monday, jumping more than 20% in a single day, with total market cap rising from $5.1 billion to $6.3 billion . After months of stagnation, renewed interest in Ethereum-based collections appears to be driving the sudden revival. A major catalyst came in the form of a high-profile CryptoPunk sweep . According to on-chain data from Lookonchain, a newly created wallet, 0x1bb3, spent 2,082 ETH, or about $5.87 million, to purchase 45 CryptoPunk NFTs within hours. The transaction lit up OpenSea, where the walle t now holds assets valued at over 1,700 ETH, or roughly $6.5 million. $GAME Price Action As of 12:00 p.m. EDT on July 24, shares of GameSquare Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: GAME) traded at $1.32, marking a 3.94% increase on the day. The stock opened at $1.33, reached a high of $1.44, and dipped to a low of $1.26 during early trading. This intraday movement follows the company’s announcement of the CryptoPunk #5577 acquisition and the onboarding of Leshner as a shareholder, news that appears to have sparked renewed investor interest. GameSquare currently holds a market capitalization of approximately $125.2 million, with a 52-week trading range between $0.50 and $2.87.

Author: CryptoNews

2025/07/25

GameSquare acquired ‘cowboy ape’ CryptoPunk for $5.15m

GameSquare acquired ‘cowboy ape’ CryptoPunk for $5.15m

GameSquare is promoting its NFT pivot with a purchase of a rare CryptoPunk.

Author: Crypto.news

2025/07/24

GameSquare acquires CryptoPunk #5577 for $5.15 million and increases its holdings by 12,913 ETH

GameSquare acquires CryptoPunk #5577 for $5.15 million and increases its holdings by 12,913 ETH

PANews reported on July 24 that GameSquare Holdings (NASDAQ: GAME) announced that it had acquired the rare "Cowboy Ape" CryptoPunk NFT (No. 5577) from DeFi pioneer and Compound founder Robert

Author: PANews

2025/07/24

Appeals Court Overturns $9M Yuga Labs Victory Against Ryder Ripps in BAYC Case

Appeals Court Overturns $9M Yuga Labs Victory Against Ryder Ripps in BAYC Case

The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has largely overturned a district court’s $9 million judgment in favor of Bored Ape Yacht Club creator Yuga Labs, dealing a significant blow to the NFT company’s landmark trademark victory against artist Ryder Ripps and associate Jeremy Cahen. The appeals court ruled on July 23, 2025, that critical questions about consumer confusion in trademark infringement and cybersquatting claims must be decided by a jury rather than through summary judgment. We just heard back from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on the RR BAYC case. The Ninth Circuit confirmed: BAYC NFTs are protectable trademarks, which is an important win for every NFT holder. We'll now finish the fight in the district court, where the judge already fined… — Garga.eth (Greg Solano) (@CryptoGarga) July 23, 2025 NFTs Can Be Trademarked The decision reverses the lower court’s findings while affirming that NFTs can be trademarked as goods under federal law. Ripps and Cahen created the “Ryder Ripps Bored Ape Yacht Club” collection in May 2022, using identical cartoon images as Yuga’s original BAYC NFTs. Ripps claimed his project served as satirical commentary exposing alleged “neo-Nazi symbolism, alt-right dog whistles, and racist imagery” in the original collection. The district court initially awarded Yuga Labs over $8 million in damages , attorney fees, and costs after finding trademark infringement and cybersquatting violations. The court permanently banned the defendants from using BAYC identifiers and ordered them to transfer all infringing materials within two weeks. However, the appeals panel found the lower court had misapplied trademark law when determining the likelihood of consumer confusion. The decision sends the case back to the district court for trial, potentially incurring millions in additional legal fees and damages already collected by Yuga Labs. The ruling comes as the broader NFT market continues to decline, with trading volumes dropping 80% to $823 million in Q2 2025 , from $4 billion the previous year. 🖼️ NFT trading falls fifth consecutive quarter down massive 80% to $823M as major platforms exit market and lending sector collapses 97% to $50M monthly volume. #NFT #NFTTrading https://t.co/fat3I4TA4a — Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) July 8, 2025 Multiple major platforms have shut down their NFT operations, while lending markets have collapsed by 97% from a nearly $1 billion monthly volume. Trademark Battleground Shifts as Appeals Court Rejects Summary Judgment The appeals court applied the eight-factor “Sleekcraft” test to evaluate the likelihood of consumer confusion, finding mixed results that prevented a clear legal determination. While some factors favored Yuga Labs, others supported the defendants’ position. The court acknowledged that BAYC marks possessed both conceptual and commercial strength due to wide recognition and celebrity attention. Both parties sold NFTs in the same marketplace, with RR/BAYC tokens linked to identical Bored Ape images and identification numbers. However, critical factors favored Ripps and Cahen. The addition of “RR/” to their collection name created sufficient visual and auditory differences from the original BAYC acronym. The defendants primarily sold through their own rrbayc.com website rather than Yuga’s established channels. NFT purchasers were deemed “inherently sophisticated” consumers given the complexity and high prices of digital collectibles. BAYC tokens sell for millions, while RR/BAYC versions sell for $100-$200, alerting careful buyers to the apparent differences between the collections. The court found that the defendants possessed “dual motives,” combining satirical intent with commercial exploitation. Ripps maintained artistic credentials and included disclaimers about his critical commentary, complicating simple determinations of fraudulent intent. The judge rejected the defendants’ nominative fair use and First Amendment defenses, ruling they “used the marks as marks” to designate sources for their goods rather than merely referencing Yuga’s products for criticism. But the marks aren’t so similar. While the defendants used Yuga’s marks in their NFTs, they sold most of them through their own website, which clearly referred to their collection as RR/BAYC—favors defendants. pic.twitter.com/TEpsndywoG — Michael Eshaghian, Esq. (@LAIPAttorney) July 24, 2025 Legal Precedent Established Despite Pyrrhic Victory for Yuga Labs The appeals court affirmed that NFTs qualify as “goods” under the Lanham Act, establishing crucial precedent for digital asset trademark protection. The ruling distinguished NFTs from intangible content found in physical products, noting they exist purely in digital marketplaces. BAYC NFTs function beyond simple digital ownership certificates, serving as membership passes for exclusive online communities, granting access to branded merchandise, and facilitating participation in celebrity events. The Patent and Trademark Office has confirmed that NFTs perform traditional source-identifying functions in commercial markets. Yuga Labs retained trademark priority as the first commercial user of BAYC marks. The court rejected arguments that alleged securities law violations or NFT sales agreements stripped the company’s trademark rights. The decision dismissed the defendants’ copyright-related counterclaims while upholding the rejection of their allegations of DMCA violations. Yuga’s takedown notices properly invoked trademark rather than copyright protections. Ripps previously attempted to frustrate court orders by destroying private wallet keys containing RR/BAYC tokens in December 2023. Yuga Labs sought contempt sanctions, arguing the artist acted in bad faith to avoid compliance with asset transfer requirements. The legal battle has spanned over three years since Ripps launched his derivative collection. In a small win for Yuga, the Court affirmed the dismissal of defendants’ DMCA and DJ counterclaims. pic.twitter.com/02nu7EtEnH — Michael Eshaghian, Esq. (@LAIPAttorney) July 24, 2025 Both parties indicated plans for continued litigation, despite mounting legal costs and the broader NFT market’s steep decline from 2022 peaks, which exceeded $50 billion in annual trading volume.

Author: CryptoNews

2025/07/24

Bridges are a road to nowhere for blockchain communications | Opinion

Bridges are a road to nowhere for blockchain communications | Opinion

The web3 industry needs to wake up to the fact that, so long as it relies on code to secure transactions, there will always be some level of risk.

Author: Crypto.news

2025/07/24

Here’s how to get Takashi Murakami’s 108 Flowers Revised NFT card

Here’s how to get Takashi Murakami’s 108 Flowers Revised NFT card

Japanese artist Takashi Murakami is launching a collection of NFT cards inspired by his physical works. Will you be one of the on-chain users minting the card collection on July 31? On July 24, Takashi Murakami informed his X followers…

Author: Crypto.news

2025/07/24

Yuga Labs’ $9m judgment overturned in Bored Ape copycat case

Yuga Labs’ $9m judgment overturned in Bored Ape copycat case

In a sudden turn of events, non-fungible token giant Yuga Labs has lost a $9 million judgment after a U.S. appeals court ordered a trial in its lawsuit against the creators of a contested NFT collection accused of copying Bored…

Author: Crypto.news

2025/07/24

Legendary investor Dan Tapiero: All in on crypto, Bitcoin aims for $1 million

Legendary investor Dan Tapiero: All in on crypto, Bitcoin aims for $1 million

Interview guest: Dan Tapiero, American macro investor and founder of 50T Podcast source: When Shift Happens Air Date: Jul 10, 2025 Organized by: BitpushNews Preface: In the ever-changing financial world,

Author: PANews

2025/07/24

Artist Takashi Murakami will launch NFT collection cards on the chain through Base App

Artist Takashi Murakami will launch NFT collection cards on the chain through Base App

PANews reported on July 24 that according to The Block, the famous Japanese artist Takashi Murakami announced that he will launch the NFT series "108 Flowers Revised". The series is

Author: PANews

2025/07/24

Data assetization, how does Irys unlock the trillion-dollar storage track?

Data assetization, how does Irys unlock the trillion-dollar storage track?

Author: 0xResearcher Everyone is saying, “Data is the new oil.” But in the real world, most people are just passersby at a gas station on the side of the road,

Author: PANews

2025/07/24

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