Moonbirds, the popular digital collection featuring pixelated owls, has announced some big changes. Now, the people who own these NFTs have more power over what happens to the artwork. This change led to excitement in the NFT community, with the value of Moonbirds going up.
Wait, What Are Moonbirds Again?
Moonbirds are a type of NFT. If you’re new to NFTs, they’re basically unique digital art pieces that you can buy and own. Think of it like a rare baseball card, but it exists only online. Moonbirds became popular with their cute owl designs and because of PROOF, the successful company that created them.
What Changed and Why?
Originally, Moonbirds had something called a “Creative Commons (CC0)” license. This meant anyone could use the owl artwork, even for making money, without needing permission from the owner. This was considered a bold move for an NFT project, and some people liked the freedom it offered.
However, in February 2024, a big deal happened: Yuga Labs, the company behind the super-popular Bored Ape Yacht Club, bought PROOF and the Moonbirds collection. Yuga Labs doesn’t use that open license for its projects. They believe NFT owners should have more say over how their artwork is used.
So, Moonbirds said goodbye to its CC0 license. Now, if you want to make things using Moonbird art (like t-shirts or mugs), you have to actually own one of the NFTs.
What Does This Mean for Moonbirds?
- More Power for Owners: Holders of Moonbirds now have a much more valuable asset. They’re not just collectors, they have the potential to make money from their NFTs directly if they’re creative.
- New Look: Moonbirds are being redesigned! They’ll go from simple pixel art to cool 3D avatars that can be used in Yuga Labs’ online world called the Otherside.
- Beyond the Screen: Moonbirds might be coming to the real world with things like toys and clothing. This trend has been successful for other NFT projects and could make Moonbirds even more popular.
The NFT Community Reacts
The changes seem to be well-received. Right after the announcement, the “floor price” of Moonbirds jumped up (that’s the cheapest one you can currently buy), and a lot more were traded. This showed that collectors are excited about where Moonbirds are going.
Let’s Go Deeper: Why Does This Matter So Much?
The whole Moonbirds situation sparked a big discussion about NFTs and ownership:
- Control vs. Freedom: Some people feel this change goes against the original spirit of NFTs, which was about openness. Others say it’s important for artists and creators to be rewarded for their work and have control over it.
- Bigger Picture: Yuga Labs is a huge force in the NFT world. Their decision to go in this direction could influence how many other projects think about copyright and licensing.
It’s Still Early Days
Nobody knows exactly what the future holds for Moonbirds. But, this is an exciting time for the project and could lead to big new things for owl NFT fans and the whole NFT space.