Web3 pioneer Chiru Labs, known for its popular Ethereum NFT collection Azuki, has announced an extension of its project with the launch of 20,000 new non-fungible tokens. The new collection, Azuki Elementals, will expand upon the original anime-themed project by offering additional profile pictures (PFPs).
Token Airdrop and Upcoming Sale
Half of the 20,000 Elementals have already been distributed to the current owners of the 10,000 Azuki NFTs through an airdrop. During the “Follow the Rabbit” community event held in Las Vegas on Friday, holders were pleasantly surprised by this development.
The remaining Azuki Elementals will be sold in a Dutch auction set to commence on Tuesday at 9:20 am PST. The starting price for each token is slated at 2 ETH, which is approximately $3,750. This figure will be lowered every 5 minutes until all the tokens are sold out. It’s worth noting that the ultimate selling price of an NFT will serve as the buying price for all purchasers, and those who bought early will be refunded for any difference in price.
Moreover, current Azuki NFT owners will enjoy a 20-minute preferential pre-sale period before the auction begins, enabling them to purchase additional Elementals. Beanz NFT owners, associated with a collection that spun off from Azuki, will also get a 10-minute head start before the public sale begins to acquire Elementals NFTs.
The Mysterious Azuki Elementals
While details of the Elementals have yet to be revealed, the collection’s slogan,” Four Domains, One Garden,” provides a clue about its theme. It suggests a mythic landscape split into four distinct kingdoms, each characterized by a classical element: fire, water, earth, and lightning. “The Garden” is an affectionate term for the broader Azuki community. The community expands across both the digital metaverse and real-world collaborations and events, showcasing the seamless integration of the virtual and physical worlds in the age of Web3.
Azuki: A Pioneering Anime Avatar Project
Chiru Labs, the enigmatic quartet behind the leading Metaverse brand Azuki, has been making waves since the brand’s inception. Their novel virtual landscape, “The Garden,” was unveiled in January 2022. The launch led to tokenising and selling over 10,000 anime-inspired avatars as NFTs.
Their accomplishment was notably striking, with the collection’s value swiftly soaring to $29M in sales within minutes of being available. This feat was shortly followed by an additional $2M acquisition through private sales.
The appeal of these NFTs lies in their distinctive design. Azuki’s artistry adopts an intentionally counter-cultural style. The brand’s skateboarder aesthetic embodies a spirit of rebellion, an aspect that’s evidently well-received by the crypto community.
