Crypto
Why Cryptocurrency Is Back in the Art Market
Art Market
Arun Kakar
Maurizio Cattelan, Comedian, 2019. Courtesy of Sotheby’s.
It may not have been the most expensive sale from last week’s marquee slate of auctions in New York, but there was no question that Maurizio Cattelan’s Comedian (2019) was the most talked-about lot of the week.
The work, a banana duct-taped to a wall, sold for $6.2 million at Sotheby’s, including fees, well above its $1 million–$1.5 million estimate. But the sale was also notable for another reason: Sotheby’s confirmed that the winning bidder, cryptocurrency entrepreneur Justin Sun, would pay in cryptocurrency.
The sale was part of a growing trend that’s been gathering steam once again in the art world: the growth in prominence of cryptocurrencies. Museum acquisitions, new collectors, and even a meme coin have all made their way into art world headlines in recent months, sparking discussion about the role of these tokens in the market.
Sun, in speaking about the sale, recognized its significance as a case study of how the crypto community could be involved in the conversation around artworks, particularly those with viral potential online. “This is not just an artwork; it represents a cultural phenomenon that bridges the worlds of art, memes, and the cryptocurrency community,” said Sun. “I believe this piece will inspire more thought and discussion in the future and will become a part of history.”
Cryptocurrencies in the art market
The sale of Comedian in crypto has shocked corners of the art world but comes as less of a surprise to others.
“Cryptocurrency wealth is now encroaching on spaces once dominated by traditional collectors and has become hard for the art world to ignore,” said Alejandro Cartagena, co-founder of Fellowship, a gallery specializing in human-machine collaboration. “Crypto entrepreneurs are bringing new energy to the art world, challenging its established hierarchies and expanding its horizons in an exciting new dynamic.”
While they have been around since the creation of Bitcoin in 2009, cryptocurrencies first entered the art market mainstream in 2021 when they gained a huge rise in public popularity. This came mainly in the growth of non-fungible tokens (NFTs), unique digital identifiers that use blockchain technology to certify ownership of artworks, along with other assets. While NFTs are distinct from cryptocurrencies, both rely on blockchain technology and are associated with each other.
While the fervor around the NFT market has cooled since they initially burst onto the market, demand for this type of work is, like other cryptocurrencies, rallying towards the end of 2024. According to MSN, the NFT market is on track to close November with “strong momentum,” following an October where there was $356 million in sales volume—an 18% increase from September.
“Interest in cryptocurrencies within the art market is growing, although not as fervently as during the crypto boom of 2020–21,” said Stefanie De Regel, head of development for digital art platform TAEX. “This steady growth reflects the evolving integration of blockchain technology and the art world, driven by opportunities…such as NFTs, and innovative platforms for creative expression.”
Why cryptocurrencies are surging
The frenzy around the Cattelan sale underscored the fact that crypto is back in a big way, more than ever following the reelection of Donald Trump in the U.S. Though most cryptocurrencies slumped in the “crypto winter” of 2022 (a sign of their essential volatility), they are now on the rise again.
Earlier this month, the global crypto market reached a $3.2 trillion high, spurred on by a belief that the incoming president will enact crypto-friendly regulatory policies. This was boosted further last week when Trump nominated the pro-crypto hedge fund manager Scott Bessent as his treasury secretary, which caused Bitcoin to surge to a new all-time high.
There are other cultural signals for crypto market watchers, showing that the incoming administration intends to acknowledge its importance. Another Trump appointment, Elon Musk, will co-lead a newly set-up “Department of Governmental Efficiency,” (abbreviated to DOGE, likely in a sly reference to the meme coin Dogecoin). Musk is a crypto enthusiast, and once vowed to send Dogecoin “to the moon,” a popular slang used in crypto circles to express conviction. The cryptocurrency with the new department’s name has surged to a three-year high this month.
What is a memecoin?
Bitcoin isn’t the only cryptocurrency on the market: There are thousands more blockchain-backed currencies and tokens that are traded online. And the Cattelan sale also led to a bull run of its own. The cryptocurrency $BAN or Comedian is unaffiliated with Sotheby’s but describes itself as “inspired by Maurizio Cattelan’s artwork, featuring a banana taped to a wall.” The coin was picked up in the chatter of speculators online, who began trading it at high volumes. The meme coin (a term given to cryptocurrencies that are typically inspired by internet and cultural trends) saw its market cap—the total value of all its coins—surge to $300 million. It is now listed on major crypto exchanges such as Binance and Bybit—a significant sign of legitimacy in the crypto world.
Later, it was revealed that Michael Bouhanna, head of digital art and NFTs at Sotheby’s, created the cryptocurrency $BAN as what he called a “spontaneous project and a personal hobby” inspired by the “conceptual questioning of value,” which Comedian as an artwork represents.
As the price began to climb and the coin gained traction in crypto circles, Bouhanna was accused on social media of “insider trading.” Bouhanna took to X to deny accusations that he’d made $1 million in profit, noting that he did not “promote $BAN or encourage anyone to buy it.”
Cryptocurrency and museums
Yatreda ያጥሬዳ, Abyssinian Queen, 2024. Courtesy of Yatreda ያጥሬዳ.
Institutional support for NFTs has also become more widespread. NFTs are in the collections of the Centre Pompidou and LACMA. Last week, the Toledo Museum of Art in Ohio became the first major museum to acquire artwork using cryptocurrency when it purchased the digital artwork Abyssinian Queen (2024) by the Ethiopian artist collective Yatreda ያጥሬዳ. The purchase was made using USDC, a stable coin (a cryptocurrency that is pegged to a traditional, or “fiat” currency like USD or euro).
The decision to purchase the work, explained Adam Levine, the museum’s president, director, and CEO, was to “respect and align with the practices of the artist collective we were working with.”
“Just as we would pay in euros when purchasing from a French gallery or in pounds when dealing with an English auction house, it felt appropriate to transact in the preferred currency of Yatreda ያጥሬዳ, a web3 artist collective,” he told Artsy.
Where next for cryptocurrencies in the art market?
Comedian is unlikely to be the last headline-grabbing sale to be paid for in a blockchain-backed currency.
Cryptocurrencies are bringing new collectors into the art market with their own set of motivations, Cartagena points out. “We’re seeing a convergence of tech entrepreneurs and traditional collectors that fosters new dialogues,” he said. “We’ve also noticed that crypto collectors are less interested in singular ownership and more fascinated by shared authorship, networked systems, and ideas of co-creation. This dovetails with how artists are thinking about AI, decentralized platforms, and collaborative processes.”
This is reflected in auction sales, too. For example, Sotheby’s announced that it would accept cryptocurrency for A.I. God. Portrait of Alan Turing (2024), the first artwork to be painted by a humanoid robot. It sold for $1.08 million, far outstripping its estimate. Sales such as this are unlikely to be the last of their kind as crypto’s role in the art market becomes increasingly hard to ignore.
“Since Bitcoin’s inception only 16 years ago, the combined market capitalization of cryptocurrency globally has grown from $0 to more than $3 trillion; that value surpasses the GDP of the U.K. or France and is more than the market capitalization of any company in the world except NVIDIA and Apple,” said Levine. “Seen this way, it is hard to imagine how such value accumulation will not impact the art world.”
Arun Kakar
Arun Kakar is Artsy’s Art Market Editor.
Crypto
LAB Token Crashes 80% to $1.25 as $5B Market Cap Vanishes in 48 Hours
Key Takeaways
- LAB token cratered 90% over 48 hours, wiping out billions in market cap.
- ZachXBT slammed top centralized exchanges for failing to halt the July manipulation.
- Investors surged to avoid trading LAB as team token unlocks are set for later in July 2026.
LAB Trade Blames ‘Large Market Participants’
LAB, the native token of the multi-chain trading platform LAB Trade, suffered a catastrophic collapse this week, plunging from just over $7 to $1.25 on Wednesday—a staggering 80% decline in under 24 hours. This crash followed an equally brutal sell-off on Tuesday, which saw the token slide from nearly $17. In total, LAB wiped out nearly 90% of its value in just 48 hours.
The financial fallout was swift: a market capitalization that exceeded $5 billion on Tuesday morning evaporated to just $390 million by 3:30 p.m. EST on Wednesday. The freefall prompted the LAB Trade team to address the panic on X, where they expressed disappointment and deflected blame toward external heavy-sellers:
“While today’s market activity is disappointing, our product roadmap and long-term focus remain unchanged. We’re seeing significant selling pressure from large market participants. Several independent trading firms also hold substantial LAB positions that are not affiliated with our team. We’re working closely with our liquidity partners and continue to monitor market conditions,” the team said on X.
With this crash, LAB joins a notorious lineup of volatile tokens, such as RAVE, RIVER and SIREN. Each of these projects experienced meteoric rises followed by near-instantaneous erasures, sparking widespread “pump-and-dump” allegations against their respective teams and murky distribution networks.
Crypto Sleuth Slams Centralized Exchanges
Prominent on-chain detective ZachXBT, who previously flagged suspicious insider loans and market-maker coordination back in May, blasted major centralized exchanges ( CEXs) for failing to protect retail investors. Taking to X, ZachXBT criticized the lack of proactive intervention:
“Disappointing to see how no action was taken by Binance, Bitget, and Gate earlier to prevent it. If CEXs cared, profits from the accounts manipulating the price would be distributed to users at a minimum. Unlocks for investors were scheduled to begin later this month, however, multiple late vesting changes occurred in the past.”
ZachXBT reiterated his previous warnings that insiders have effectively controlled the entire circulating supply, allowing market makers to orchestrate extreme price manipulation on major exchanges. His final advice to the community was blunt: avoid trading LAB under any circumstances.
ZachXBT Names RAVE, RIVER, SIREN, and LAB as Victims of Bitget-Enabled Market Maker Fraud
Blockchain investigator ZachXBT has renewed his assault on Bitget, accusing the exchange of knowingly enabling market makers to run supply…
ZachXBT Names RAVE, RIVER, SIREN, and LAB as Victims of Bitget-Enabled Market Maker Fraud
Blockchain investigator ZachXBT has renewed his assault on Bitget, accusing the exchange of knowingly enabling market makers to run supply…
ZachXBT Names RAVE, RIVER, SIREN, and LAB as Victims of Bitget-Enabled Market Maker Fraud
Blockchain investigator ZachXBT has renewed his assault on Bitget, accusing the exchange of knowingly enabling market makers to run supply…
Crypto
Residents question proposed crypto mining center
STARKVILLE – Potentially higher utility bills and sound pollution topped the list of concerns raised by six residents who addressed the board of aldermen Tuesday about a cryptocurrency mining facility proposed for Industrial Park Road.
Vice Mayor Roy Perkins, who represents Ward 6, said he has fielded similar concerns from constituents following the board’s June 12 work session, during which members heard a presentation about the potential project.
“I know these things need to have full accountability, full transparency and different things,” Perkins said. “… Well you can rest assured the vice mayor is going to be on assignment. I’m going to do my part. I’m not going to do anything that’s going to negatively impact this community.”
The proposed facility would be a specialized type of data center designed to mine cryptocurrency, a digital currency that operates independently of government-backed financial systems. It is stored in digital wallets and fluctuates in value.
Mining facilities use specialized computers that draw large energy loads to secure the digital transactions that take place. The center proposed in Starkville would be much smaller than “hyperscale data centers” that store and process data for large tech companies.
Utility usage topped the concerns of most residents with Pam Jones, the first to speak, set the tone.
“I understand that this is on a smaller scale than the hyper-scale facilities, and I just wanted to be sure that we had ordinances in place that will count the noise, especially at night and that there will be water and power management,” Jones said.
Other residents took issue with what they see as a lack of transparency around the proposed project.
“I was quite disappointed to learn (the mining facility) was not an agenda item today,” said Eadie Keenan, a Ward 7 resident. “… Quite frankly, I have more questions than can fit in three minutes.”
Tiffany Womack, another Starkville resident, echoed Kennan’s concerns, adding utility usage and market volatility to her own list of issues.
“If (the center was) to go bankrupt or something like that, would that possibly fall back on the responsibility of Starkville citizens?” Womack asked.
Mayor Lynn Spruill did not answer each question individually, instead encouraging those with questions to watch the June 12 presentation. Due to the project’s early stage, she noted the board does not yet know answers to all the questions raised during Tuesday’s meeting.
“I brought (the center) to the board as an opportunity for us to begin that process of learning so we are nowhere near making a decision,” Spruill said. “Which is why it isn’t on the agenda and won’t be on the agenda for some time.”
Spruill said the proposed center is currently going through the staff vetting process. Once the process is complete, staff will make a recommendation to the board on whether to pursue the center. At that time, Spruill expects to be able to answer residents’ remaining questions.
Spruill said transparency is important to her and the board while going through the process of vetting the mining center.
“Nothing is being hidden. It’s all out there for everybody to see, and we’ll make decisions based on facts not on Facebook craziness,” Spruill said. “… We want facts, and we want all decisions to be made with facts. And so hopefully that will put some of your concerns (to rest), at least to the extent that this is nowhere near something that will be on the agenda.”
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Crypto
Jim Rickards Asked Robert Kiyosaki to Read One Manuscript, Then His View of Global Finance Changed
Key Takeaways
- Robert Kiyosaki said a manuscript shared by Jim Rickards changed how he views global finance.
- Kiyosaki warned commonly held financial assets could face pressure as financial rules shift across markets.
- His claims remain warnings, with evidence and future market developments still central.
Why Did One Manuscript Change Robert Kiyosaki’s View?
Robert Kiyosaki, the author of the best-selling personal finance book Rich Dad Poor Dad, said an advance manuscript of “The Entropy Trap” shared by Jim Rickards prompted him to rethink how he views global finance. Rickards is an economist, lawyer, and financial commentator known for writing about currencies, debt, and systemic market risk. Kiyosaki said the early reading changed his perspective on where the financial system may be headed.
The reaction was framed around a warning about financial change. The book, written by Mickey M. Maini, “blew my mind and opened my eyes to what & why global financial change is coming,” Kiyosaki described. His comments focused on what he described as a shift in the rules behind wealth, assets, and trust.
The central claim is that wealth could move away from people relying on traditional financial assumptions. Kiyosaki asserted:
“The informed will be tomorrow’s ULTRA RICH. Todays uniformed operating by the old rules of money… will become the new poor.”
The Warning Behind the Claim
The warning centers on assets that depend on trust, including U.S. bonds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and mutual funds. Kiyosaki framed those instruments as vulnerable under the financial shift he says is coming, placing commonly held investment products at the center of the risk.
That claim is severe, but he presented it as a warning rather than a proven outcome. He also pointed to large bondholders, including Japan, saying they have already started dumping U.S. bonds. He did not provide supporting data in the statement.
The acclaimed author shared:
“Message from book… ‘All assets that require trust, assets that most people have… such as U.S. bonds, ETFs, mutual funds will be flushed down toilets, all over the world.’”
The broader conflict is whether traditional financial assets remain reliable under the conditions Kiyosaki described. His framing divides investors between those preparing for a changed financial system and those still operating under assumptions he says may no longer hold.
What Still Needs to Be Proven
A planned August study session could clarify the warning Kiyosaki described. He said his study team would examine the message and that Rickards may join, though the evidence behind the claims has not yet been laid out.
For now, the warning rests on Kiyosaki’s account of a manuscript that changed his view. He urged readers to prepare, writing:
“I want you to be one of the world’s new rich.”
What remains unknown is whether market data, policy moves, or investor behavior will confirm the risk he described.
His recent commentary has focused on what he describes as fragility in the global monetary system, particularly around the U.S. dollar. He has pointed to rising debt, central bank policies, and inflation as risks that could trigger a sharp market downturn.
Alongside those concerns, he has repeatedly highlighted bitcoin, gold, and silver as alternative stores of value. In his view, those assets may help reduce exposure to traditional financial instruments during periods of currency weakness and market turbulence.
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