> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://v1punks.gitbook.io/cryptopunks-v1-wiki/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://v1punks.gitbook.io/cryptopunks-v1-wiki/what-are-cryptopunks.md). # What are CryptoPunks? CryptoPunks, released June 9 2017, are widely considered the most influential NFT collection ever produced. Artists Matt Hall & John Watkinson, through their company Larva Labs, created 10,000 uniquely generated characters inspired by the London punk scene, cypherpunk movement and Daft Punk. An experiment in artificial rarity & ownership recorded on the Ethereum blockchain, CryptoPunks would inspire the ERC-721 token standard and help birth the industry we know today. The impact of their work has changed the lives of many in our space & seen artists all over the world benefit from a new, direct, means to earn a living from their trade, via NFTs. Early claimants and collectors worldwide have seen their lives completely transformed by Punks & many of the most influential and accomplished in our space now choose to use a Punk as their online identity. To date CryptoPunks have featured in multi-million dollar auctions by both Christie's and Sotheby's and been donated to museums across the world including ICA Miami, LACMA and Centre Pompidou. In 2024, a first-of-its-kind feature-length documentary film is set to be released chronicling the CryptoPunks story. Watch our video here:\ [https://x.com/v1punks/status/1707405162346659922](https://x.com/v1punks/status/1707405162346659922?s=20) --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter: ``` GET https://v1punks.gitbook.io/cryptopunks-v1-wiki/what-are-cryptopunks.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.