Introduction
Yes, you read the title correctly. The NFT sector has been ripe with gains for the past six months. As popular as this sector has become, this could never have been achieved without the support of strong communities. So, today I figured that we’d have a little fun. We’re listing and discussing the top 5 NFT communities. This post will most likely ruffle a few feathers. However, let it be known that this is not a knock to any other communities.
There are plenty of amazing communities that exist within this space. The communities that I’m discussing today are communities that have proven themselves to be the cream of the crop. These are the projects whose communities are helping to redefine the space and bring NFTs to the masses.
Disclaimer: I am an active member of at least one of these communities. However, I plan to make this article as unbiased as possible.
Breaking Down The Stats
First, let’s pay homage to the meteoric rise of the NFT sector this year. Less than a year ago, NFTs were hardly on anyone’s radar. Now they’re the most discussed subject surrounding cryptocurrency.
All of the projects listed in this Top 5 have either made one or all of the lists below:
Now, before you all start to throw rotten tomatoes at me, put them down for a moment and hear me out. I recognize that value rankings are a weird stat to go off of, and I agree. However, a large determining factor in people wanting to acquire most PFP NFTs is to gain access to the community. So there is a case to be made that a high value and volume PFP NFT correlates directly to the strength of the community.
Based on everything stated above, and what I’ve observed in the NFT space, the communities I’d like to select to my Top 5 (keyword: “my”) are:
CryptoPunks
Bored Ape Yacht Club
CyberKongz
Cool Cats NFT
The Doge Pound
Now that we’re past the listing phase, let’s dive into the meat of what makes them Top 5.
The Doge Pound: The Jocks Of The Industry
First up, is the good ol Doge Pound. The word “Doge” alone garners immense support. Dogecoin already has one of the biggest (if not the biggest) communities in the fungible token world. It only makes sense that the Doge Pound would have similar results.
The project has over 4.5k owners out of 10k assets. This makes it one of the most evenly distributed projects in the space.
This community could be seen as the underdogs (no pun intended) of this list, but they have grit. That is proven in the team’s response to Beanie’s attempt to throw shade at the project.
Even if Beanie doesn’t recognize who the Doge Pound are, others do.
There seems to be an elite level of camaraderie and support within the community as well.
BowTiedGolem gives a pretty concise explanation to what makes Doge Pound a blue chip NFT.
The Doge Pound may never be as popular as the other four projects listed below. However, with the amount of community support it receives and the addition of utilities, it will definitely remain a blue chip NFT.
Cool Cats: The Coolest Cats On The Blockchain
The Cool Cats really stepped into the spotlight when Iron Mike (yes, Mike Tyson) changed his Twitter profile picture to a Cool Cat.
To be honest, the Cool Cats don’t need any celebrity endorsements. The community has done a hell of a job keeping the project relevant on their own.
Even the notorious Beanie has been seen giving the community its props on a few occasions. Here’s one example below:
The team is always vocal about how much they care about the community they’ve built.
They boast a healthy number of holders as well. This is especially bullish, because more members equates to a broader influence. This is what leads to mass adoption.
Others in the space recognize how community oriented the Cool Cats team is.
The team constantly looks for ways to deliver value to the members. I’m pretty sure that the release of the utility token only creates a stronger sense of project/brand loyalty within the community.
Of all of the communities that I missed out on being a member of, Cool Cats is probably the one that I regret the most. The community seems very chill, the artwork is cool af, and the team seems to really care. Those elements are what takes an NFT project from average to blue chip status.
The Cool Cats have definitely earned their respect and a place on this list.
CyberKongz: King Kongz Of The Alpha
The Wall Street Kongz are the undisputed Kingz Of NFT Alpha. This group has made so many legendary calls.
To be fully transparent, I have the pleasure of being a part of the Kong familia myself. It definitely feels like I’ve joined a fraternity of excellence.
It almost seems like everything they touch turns to gold. This isn’t some type of whale manipulation either. This is the result of some of the brightest minds in the space sniffing out the best NFT projects with great teams and strong fundamentals.
They’re basically a blue chip community that finds other blue chips.
The members are also very cool, respectful, and have a sense of humor.
The word has gotten out about how elite the community is. People are now starting to offer top blue chip NFTs for a chance to grab a Genesis Kong.
At this point, a Fidenza for a Genesis Kong isn’t even an even trade. One of the most reputable members of the Kongz family explains exactly why.
If you’re curious as to what makes the Cyber Kongz so special, it’s the quality of alpha that they deliver. It’s truly next level.
I’ve had my chance to experience quite a few NFT communities...and I’ve never quite experienced such a giga-brained community like the Wall Street Kongz. Check out the legendary calls that they’ve made:
One of the most recent Cyber Kongz calls was Bears Deluxe. The bears were just listed on OpenSea at a price of .01 ETH. The bears now sit at a floor price of 1.7 ETH. That’s a 170x growth.
The Kongz are still achieving pure organic growth. Uncle Pennybags provides us with a look into the Nansen charts.
EddyisKongz expresses the importance of communities in the world of NFTs.
The team also makes sure to give back to the community outside of the Kongz.
Sadly, most people have been priced out of the market for a Genesis Kong (159 ETH floor) or a Baby Kong aka a bebe. At the time of writing, Genesis Kongz have an average floor price of 170 ETH, and Baby Kongz have a floor price of 12ETH.
However, for those that are fortunate enough to grab one, the network and camaraderie that one is exposed to is invaluable.
Bored Ape Yacht Club: The Golden Children
BAYC is the community that needs no introduction at all. If you have seen or heard of BAYC, you’re either brand new to NFTs or you just haven’t been paying attention.
At any given time you can catch a member of BAYC hosting a Twitter Spaces chat with no less than 300 attendees in the audience.
The strength of the BAYC community has led them to achieve national fame. Along with the CryptoPunks, they have also seen historic auction sales via Christie’s.
BAYC probably has the biggest community in the space. This article perfectly details how BAYC was built purely off the community.
There’s nothing more to be said. The BAYC are the Golden Children of the NFT space. How long will their popularity last? You never can tell....but if they continue to make the right moves, I have a feeling that they will eventually be a household name outside of the NFT world.
CryptoPunks: The OGs Of NFTs
Finally, we have CryptoPunks aka The OGs of NFTs. Who are we kidding? You all know that this list would be pure blasphemy if the CryptoPunks weren’t listed.
The fact that the community has been diamond handed enough to hold these jpegs for years until multimillion dollar auction sales became a reality, is a testament to its strength.
That act alone puts this community in the bluest of the blue chip category.
There have been occasions where I’ve even heard of Kongz and BAYC members alike gathering alpha from the Punks Discord (don’t get it twisted, the Kongz are still the masters). That’s how much this community is respected.
Even the biggest celebrities are joining the community.
Being some of the most elite and mysterious members of the NFT community, you hardly see many Punks interacting on social media. However, when they do, they drop heat.
Let’s not forget this Twitter thread on the future of NFTs posted by Punk #6529 that instantly became legendary.
Conclusion
Those are the top five NFT communities today. I’m sure there are a good number of you that may disagree, and that’s fine.
However, whether you agree or disagree, all of the projects listed have managed to build communities that will likely stand the test of time and the bear market. I don’t see any of those projects falling out of the blue chip ranking anytime soon.
With that being said, anything can happen. So, I reserve the right to be wrong.
Could there be other NFT projects in this space with stronger communities? Possibly, but these are projects that I anticipate will remain at the top.