When nfts took off in late 2021, one collection reached incredible heights, and although it experienced a dramatic drop, their commitment saw the collection transform into a fast-growing entertainment powerhouse.
that collection is cool cats.
In just 3 years, they went from an unknown cartoon character to a top brand spanning animations, manga, physical collectibles and more, but how did they get there?
Here is our complete 2024 guide for x.com/coolcats” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>Cool cats.
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What are cool cats?
Cool Cats is a collection of 9,999 cartoon-style nft avatars on ethereum. Each avatar features the Blue Cat character with a fusion of traits, such as clothing, hairstyles, accessories, and more.
The collection was created by a team of four people:
- x.com/cloncast” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>Colin Egan (Clone): Main artist and creator of Blue Cat.
- x.com/evanluza” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>Evan Loza (Elu): Creative director.
- x.com/xtremetom” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>Tom Williamson (xtremetom): Blockchain expert and technical leader.
- x.com/Lynqoid” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>Rob Mehew (Lynqoid): Project manager, overseeing daily operations.
Tom and Rob left Cool Cats in April 2023, while Clone and Elu remain with the brand to this day.
The ideas behind Cool Cats began with illustrations Clone did in high school, and the character of Blue Cat dates back over 10 years. During that time multiple iterations and changes were made, ultimately landing on the character we know today.
The story of cool cats
Cool Cats minted on July 1, 2021, priced at 0.06 eth each (around $150 USD at the time). Only 300 nfts were initially sold, leading the team to reduce the price to 0.02 eth (around $50 USD), and the collection subsequently sold out in just 8 hours.
Eight days after launch, boxing legend Mike Tyson changed his twitter profile photo to a Cool Cat nft, and other celebrities like Reese Witherspoon, Alexis Ohanian, and Steve Aoki followed suit, giving the collection a big initial boost.
In early 2022, Cool Cats created the cool pets companion collection, with 19,999 unique companion nfts. Half was reserved for Cool Cats owners and the rest was available to the public. Each pet began as an egg that, when interacted with the Cooltopia online platform, could become a pet with one of four elements: grass, fire, water or air.
Along with Cool Pets came $ MILKan ecosystem token for Cool Cats. Holders earned $MILK by completing daily quests or owning a Cool Cat nft. Both Cooltopia and $MILK were retired in July 2023.
As of March 2022, Cool Cats was known as one of the top nft projects, ranking 11th in all-time sales with over $290 million in transactions and reaching an all-time low price of $92,000.
In June 2022, Cool Cats created Cooltopia in person in New York City, during an in-person pop-up. In September 2022, former Disney and Warner Bros Senior Vice President Stephen Teglas joined as CEO and, although his tenure was short-lived, he spearheaded a new look for the brand that gave them solid foundations for future success.
The remainder of 2022 and early 2023 saw a partnership with x.com/OneFootball” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>afootball for Cool Cats FC, the debut of kxside and shadow wolves such as new complementary nfts and the announcement of a major partnership with Futureverse.
In November 2023, Cool Cats appeared as part of the 2023 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, viewed by approximately 28.5 million people worldwide.
That month also saw the debut of “The Milk Chug,” the inaugural Cool Cats animated series, created by the animation studio. x.com/TitmouseInc” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>Chickadee. The series officially premiered in September 2024, releasing weekly episodes over an expected 13-episode debut season.
Cool Cats grew even further in July 2024, announcing a partnership with Kodansha, best known for publishing Akira and Attack on Titan, to produce a serialized manga series based on the Blue Cat character.
Despite all this success, it hasn't always been an easy road. The partnership with Futureverse has been widely criticized, especially after the cancellation of its first major game project in the summer of 2023. With much of the core team leaving shortly after, the negative reactions only increased, with some They questioned Cool Cats' commitment to its owners and web3. community in general.
What's next for Cool Cats?
Clone's goal is to see Blue Cat become a cartoon icon, and Cool Cats is his best chance yet to achieve that.
Cool Cats signed with the x.com/caafoundation” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>Creative Artists Agency (CAA) in March 2022, and it's clearer that Cool Cats' goal is to generate widespread cultural appeal.
While details are under wraps, the team has hinted at a number of future developments:
- Cooltopia: Although its game Sapphire Town was cancelled, new interactive experiences are expected to be offered.
- Physical goods: Cool Cats has always produced quality physical products and fans are eagerly awaiting more to come.
- Animations: If Series 1 of The Milk Chug is a success, we'll likely see more animations featuring Blue Cat.
- Live events: Cooltopia 2022 at nft.NYC was well received, and fans and holders alike were excited for future in-person experiences.
Cool Cats may not command the rock bottom price of its contemporaries like Bored Apes, Pudgy Penguins, and Azuki, but with its mangas, animated series, and more, its prominence continues to rise.
Clone has built a stellar community that believes in him, his vision, and Blue Cat's potential. With The Milk Chug gathering an impressive audience (episode 5 gathered over 100,000 views in 48 hours), fans are hoping to see Cool Cats alongside the main entertainment icons not only on web3, but throughout pop culture.
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