NFT startup Proof has launched its new Ethereum profile picture (PFP) collection Mythics, the latest evolution of its prominent Moonbirds project and the latest installment in its digital art ecosystem.
Set on a generative series of illustrations of mythical birds – with more of a hand-drawn aesthetic compared to the pixel-based Moonbirds – Mythics arrives with what the company calls a “new coin experience” for existing Proof NFT holders.
First announced in August 2022 In addition to a $50 million Series A funding round with Proof led by VC giant Andreessen Horowitz, the Mythics collection includes 20,000 profile picture NFTs based on the lore surrounding Moonbirds, a collection of 10,000 owl NFTs that has generated nearly $650 million in NFT trading volume to date.
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Moonbirds NFT holders must “nest” (or stake) their bird to qualify for a Mythic Egg, which hatches one of the new NFTs. Meanwhile, holders of the Proof’s Oddities collection – a previous spin-off linked to Moonbirds – must burn (or permanently destroy) their NFTs to qualify for a Mythic.
Starting today, 50 claimed Eggs will be randomly selected each day to be ‘activated’, plus 50 Daily Quirks that will be chosen to be burned. Ultimately, through this process, a total of up to 100 Mythics will be released per day, over the course of at least 200 days.
It’s happening….
The first Mythics egg activations and @oddities_xyz burns begin in 24 hours on the PROOF website! pic.twitter.com/X23ivkVBc9
— Moonbirds (🦉, 🎨) (@moonbirds) July 19, 2023
The new NFTs fall into three categories: the rarer Stones and Legendary Eggs – which make up 20% of the collection respectively – and Runic Eggs, which make up 60%. A Legendary Egg can spawn three mythical forms; it’s up to the minter to decide what form their Mythic will take. A runic egg has two possible shapes and a stone egg only one.
“With Mythics, we’re really trying to give our community a new experience that connects the Proof ecosystem and expands on the storytelling that started with Moonbirds,” Kevin Rose, co-founder and CEO of Proof, said in a release. “I’m so proud of how hard our teams have worked on this launch, with the goal of expanding Moonbirds’ storytelling through both art and technology.”
Mythics holders have full commercial rights to their art and can use the IP address of the characters – a fact that will certainly be welcome news to some community members. Evidence put a cat among the doves last August when it triggered an abrupt (and irreversible) reversal in the terms of its copyright.
Adopting one Creative Commons CC0 model meant anyone could commercially reproduce and use the art from the two earlier Moonbirds NFT collections, even if they didn’t own the NFT in question. The benefits of this were much debated at the time, with some Moonbirds holders angry at the unexpected change.
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Proof says all Mythics holders will have limited access to future Proof releases, art installations, and opportunities to attend digital and real-world experiences.
Holders also receive full membership in the Lunar Society, Moonbirds’ entrepreneurial arm where members can submit proposals and vote for projects to support. Mythics will also receive Proof ecosystem loyalty points when the company’s “Talons” rewards program launches.
The launch of Mythics also coincides with the opening of a real-world exhibit space and a Proof community hub. The 4,000-square-foot gallery in downtown Los Angeles is called Foundry by Proof and will hold a grand opening event on Friday.
