First ASCII tribute/eulogy/image on the Bitcoin Blockchain
Often referred to as ASCII BERNANKE, Dan Kaminsky embeds the first tribute/eulogy and ASCII image in honour of cryptographer Len Sassaman.
This abbreviated crypto art timeline is adapted from the work of artist Martin Lukas Ostachowski. For a more in-depth look please visit his website
Often referred to as ASCII BERNANKE, Dan Kaminsky embeds the first tribute/eulogy and ASCII image in honour of cryptographer Len Sassaman.
Mike Caldwell starts issuing Casascius Coins, which are physical metal-plated or pure gold Bitcoins including authenticity holograms with private keys.
Yoni Assia’s Coloured Coins introduce the idea of cryptocurrency to represent other assets, which is arguably the beginning of non-fungible tokens.
The artist collates 500 paired Bitcoin public and private keys in a limited edition book of 50 and declaring it a bank.
Brainless Tales posts his iconic comic to Reddit. Subsequently, it will be continuously modified and made into memes by fans.
This cryptocurrency-inspired project by Stef Lewandowski and Liz Barile-Page visually encrypt secret messages as artworks, the project ended.
German artist Peter Frölich creates a conceptual artwork that consists of a working Bitcoin mining rig within a traditional antique gold painting frame.
Bitcoin-themed group exhibition curated by Erik H Rzepka and Wesley Yuen for Coinfest 2014 in Vancouver, BC.
Dave Young Kim paints Dorian Nakamoto as he attempts to evade the media after being identified by Newsweek.
This group exhibition takes place during San Francisco’s Bitcoin meetup, reportedly at that time the largest in the world.
The intricate pieces include destructed credit cards, modified bank logos, and Bitcoin ads attached to bank buildings and ATMs.
Monegraph is the first NFT platform on the NameCoin blockchain that allows people to certify images on the web, then tweet out public proof.
Paired by Rhizome, Kevin McCoy and Anil Dash build Monegraph within one day and create the first digital art token/NFT.
This physical “proof of non-work” currency LazyCoin is a store for “non-value”. It is produced and verified for doing nothing.
The French artists use the dark-net and Bitcoin to acquire a scanned copy of Satoshi Nakamoto’s passport.
Austrian Cointemporary platform showcases temporary online exhibitions of Bitcoin art, available for Bitcoin only.
Singer and activist Tatiana Moroz issues a personal token based on the CounterParty blockchain to fund her third studio album.
French artist Youl created a commissioned artwork for the Bitcoin project, which sold on eBay for nearly $3,000.
In this conceptual artwork, the smart contract can be set to nominate itself as art or not with a click of a mouse and the payment of the gas fee.
On her website, Rhea Myers presents the first Ethereum art market smart contract through which digital artworks can be registered and sold.
Utilizing Bitcoin Colour Coins, Nili issues her conceptual art coins as well as coins brand name assets such as ITWITTER, etc.
Texas-based Billy Mabrey created this painting in Shapeshift’s open call for art depicting the trading chart and the first BearWhale.
Kunst Halle Sankt Gallen showcases an interdisciplinary exhibition examining themes such as copyright, privacy, illegality and resistance.
The artist was commissioned to paint this artwork for the Inside Bitcoins Conference and Expo in Israel, where it sold for 35 BTC (~ $13,000).
Commemorating the 30,000 BTC ($9m) sale within 6 hours at a low market price, Christopher Steininger’s painting depicts this historic moment.
Habel and Steininger (entry above) win 5 BTC in ShapeShift’s competition for the BearWhale commemoration.
Artist Rhea Myers tokenized her soul conceptually as an MYSOUL token on the DogeCoin and CounterParty blockchain.
BitchCoin is an artwork-backed currency by Sarah Meyohas in an effort to challenge the current economics of the art world.
Digital trading cards issued on the CounterParty blockchain by the EverdreamSoft game studio, these cards become later the game Spells of Genesis.
Scarab is simultaneously an artist collective and a work of art itself based on the CounterParty blockchain.
Coin Artist Marguerite Christin released her puzzle painting and raised attention for the 4.87 Bitcoin reward and the 3 years to solve it.
Austrian Museum of Applied Arts became the first museum to buy a digital artwork using Bitcoin from Dutch artist Harm van den Dorpel.
Los Angeles-based Verisart is a platform to create digital certificates for art and collectibles backed by the blockchain.
The first spore of the autonomous blockchain-based lifeform is created during a workshop at the Stadtwerkstatt in Linz, Austria.
Cyrus Adkisson presented and launched Ξtheria officially as the first decentralized virtual world at Devcon1 held in London.
Created in 2014, this collage of destructed credit cards raises $5.5k in Nov 2015 (May 2020 $150k) for the benefit of Dorian Nakamoto.
The artists showcase their shopping bot which uses Bitcoin to buy random items in the darknet at Horatio Junior Gallery in London.
Artist Harm van den Dorpel and Paloma Rodríguez Carrington launch Left Gallery as a a digital art gallery based on the Ascribe platform.
Cryptograffiti created his HODL prints and sculptures in the style of pop art artist Robert Indiana. F1016
Ruth Catlow curated Furtherfield Showcase which was exhibited at the Digital Catapult in London.
This Encyclopedia is the first physical book cataloging bitcoin and other cryptocurrency collectibles.
A blockchain-themed group exhibition hosted by Cryptograffiti and the San Francisco Bitcoin Meetup at Code & Canvas.
Release of the first User-/Artist-issued trading cards based on the CounterParty blockchain, arguably the first issuance of crypto art.
Derived from his BTCPAY Market, Joe Looney creates with Rare Pepe Wallet a dedicated place to collect, display and exchange Rare Pepes. S1416
Book of Orbs is a CounterParty exchange for game items that supports game-related currencies such as BitCrystals, WillCoins and PepeCash.
The CounterParty-based Rare Pepe card by DJ J-SCRILLA is a NFT that unlocks through message signing access to his hidden Soundcloud account.
Cryptograffiti showcases his Bitcoin-themed solo exhibition at the Digital Garage in San Francisco, CA. N0416
With the release of Woodcoin’s Guardian, the digital trading card game based in Berlin, Germany launches on the CounterParty blockchain.
Simon Denny’s sculptural installations explore the potential applications of blockchain technology at the Hammer Museum.
DJ J-SCRILLA and professor/attorney Cynthia Gayton air the first of their 27 podcast episodes about digital tokens, art on the blockchain and its uses.
Memorychain was a community-driven initiative on CounterParty in Asia, similar to RarePepe. The cards were issued between April and August 2017.
A digital card game based on the CounterParty blockchain by the EverdreamSoft game studio.
Curio Card offers rare digital art cards and is the first Ethereum-based NFT art token marketplace.
Travelling blockchain-themed group exhibition as part of the European collaboration project State Machines at Furtherfield, London.
Limited to 10,000 digital collectibles, crypto punks were issued for free on the Ethereum blockchain by Larva Labs.
This early ERC-20 crypto collectible lies dormant for many years. Rediscovered in March 2021, all 25,600 cats sell within hours.
Artist Gus Grillasca launches a CounterParty blockchain-based digital art marketplace. A1117
Bail Block is an app and website that addresses the broken justice system by raising money for bail funds by mining Monero cryptocurrency.
Edited by Ruth Catlow, Marc Garrett, Nathan Jones and Sam Skinner, this book features many blockchain art pioneers.
Digital collectible cats issued on the Ethereum blockchain by Dapper Labs, creating the ERC-721 NFT token standard..
Technology-themed group exhibition featuring blockchain-related art and digital collectibles at the ZKM Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe, Germany.
Founded in 2014, DADA launches with Creeps & Weirdos its first collection of Rare Digital Artworks, all artworks on DADA are created on the platform.
Winner of Furtherfield’s blockchain art commission, Clickmine is a hyperinflationary ERC-20 token minted by a clicking game.
Artist Stellabelle’s first sizeable crypto artist communities educated about opportunities/ crypto projects and was based on the Steem blockchain.
OpenSea launches its Alpha of the first decentralized exchange and marketplace for digital collectibles.
Traveling blockchain-themed group exhibition as part of the European collaboration project State Machines at Aksioma, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
The sale of a Homer Pepe card at the emblematic Rare Digital Art Festival in New York City for the equivalent of $38,500 goes viral.
Travelling blockchain-themed group exhibition as part of the European collaboration project State Machines at Gallery Filodrammatica in Rijeka, Croatia.
In celebration of Valentine’s Day, Kevin Abosch created this fractionalized artwork with the gifting protocol GIFTO.io
Token holders/shareholders participate in decisions on Jonas Lund’s artistic practice and life. M2118
Kaleidoscope launches as a digital directory and marketplace for CounterParty-based crypto-collectibles and digital art. M2318
Andy Bauch explores in his solo exhibition the value of art and money with lego-based paintings and bitcoin reward puzzles.
Platform for digital original artwork registered on the Ethereum blockchain by Brooklyn-based Pixura.
Platform for digital original and editioned artwork registered on the Ethereum blockchain by Manchester-based BlockRocket.
Simon explores concepts of centralization decentralization through installations and modified board games at Galerie Buchholz in Cologne, Germany.
Digirare is a marketplace for crypto art and collectibles on the CounterParty Blockchain.
Kevin Abosch latest conceptual artwork is made up of 42 neon letters and numbers which represent a cryptocurrency contract.
New Zealand-based, this virtual reality world became one of the primary exhibition spaces for crypto art and digital collectibles.
Artists, curators and visionaries come together to discuss the potential impact of blockchain on art.
Maecenas auctions Andy Warhol’s 14 Small Electric Chairs at UK-based Dadiani Fine Art gallery.
Platform for digital original artwork registered on the Ethereum blockchain by Rare Art Labs based in Richmond, VA.
After a controversial Initial Coin Offering, the Codex protocol launches as a provenance registry for art and collectibles.
Auction house Christie’s hosted its first one-day art+tech conference entitled: Exploring Blockchain — Is the Art World Ready For Consensus?
Experimental project attempts at creating a combined crypto-collectible physical asset, it is archived in November. J2018
CryptoArte creates generative tokens and paintings based on the hash values of Ethereum transaction blocks.
UK artist Anna Riedler was commissioned to create a Bitcoin price visualization based on her AI-generated tulip images.
International blockchain-related group exhibition curated Simon Denny by at the Schinkel Pavillon in Berlin, Germany.
On the occasion of Bitcoin’s 10th anniversary, this international group exhibition showcased physical blockchain- and bitcoin-related art.
New Art Academy hosted the NYC ArtTech + Blockchain Connect Kimmel at the Center for University Life during, also launch of the Rare Pepe book.
89 Seconds Atomized is not only an art installation but also an experiment in digital ownership and community.
Montreal’s blockchain panel discussion with Crypto Art and Blockchain Experience zone at the Canadian Centre for Architecture.
Christie’s documented and recorded the $323.1 million in sales of its Ebsworth auction with Artory on the Blockchain.
Blockchain-themed exhibition curated by Georg Bak at the Kate Vass Gallery in Zurich, Switzerland.
Mintable is an open platform for ERC-721 tokens. In December 2020, the platform relaunched as an NFT-governed DAO. D0118
Blockchain-themed exhibition curated by Julian Stadon at the University of Hertfordshire in Hatfield, England.
Blockstack hosted a panel entitled Decentralizing Art: The Hype and Hope of Blockchain at Foley Gallery on the Lower East Side of New York City.
Italian artist duo Hackatao showcases in their show crypto art and a selection of international crypto artists.
Black Swan by Cryptograffiti becomes the least expensive painting ever sold for 1 millisatoshi or $0.000000037 at the time of auction.
Paris-based artist Bnoiit.C starts creating the first virtual museum to commemorate the crypto art movement. D2218
Politically charged during the Yellow Vests protest, this Bitcoin puzzle mural will be removed.
Brooklyn experiential specialists Red Paper Heart created Buttchain to demystify blockchain tech and how it will eventually infiltrate your everyday life.
London-based digital art platform on the Ethereum blockchain by art curator Sascha Bailey.
The conceptual artwork explores museums’ ownership of art, incorporates Monegraph and enables 50 people to become museum donors of this piece.
This conceptual piece is always on sale and supports the artist by requiring the owner to pay a 5% pa patronage at the self-specified price.
Generative artwork tokens issued on the Ethereum blockchain by Larva Labs in support of charitable causes.
Ethereum-powered mobile application to create digital collectibles, after 100,000 editions it ceases operations in October the same year.
Platform for digital original artwork and limited editions, registered on the Ethereum blockchain based in San-Francisco, CA.
The crypto art and collectibles scenes came together for the second edition of the RareAF in Brooklyn, NY.
Digital art platform spun off from Swisscom offers tokenized art and digital art-streaming in Switzerland.
Bard’s first solo exhibition explores AI, AR and cryptocurrency and blockchain art at the Bull Run Library in Manassas, VA.
Digital and crypto art festival hosted by KnownOrigin in Manchester, England.
Initially highlighting Cent creators, this long-running podcast showcases crypto artists and projects, later rebranded as Matthew & Rizzle Show.
Ethereum-based tokenization platform for digital art, collectibles and other use cases such as tickets, located in Berlin, Germany. A0119
Rendar gallery and the Bristol, UK-based physical gallery Upfest specialize in onboarding street art and graffiti artists. A2819
The blockchain-centred exhibition is held at the Centre Culturel et Communautaire Françoise-Dunn in Sherbrooke, QC, Canada.
Ethereum-based tokenization platform for digital art and collectibles, the decentralized team is based in Moscow, LA and NY. O2419
Crypto art group exhibition organized by crypto artist Max Osiris at the Innerspace Gallery in Los Angeles, CA.
Crypto art group exhibition organized by Jake Johns at the Zhu Bing Ren Copper Gallery In Shanghai.
MOCDA hosts blockchain-related artworks, projects and panel discussions during the Nam Jun Paik exhibition at the Tate Modern.
An international crypto art group exhibition hosted at the MadeMotion space in Madrid, Spain.
MOCA begins its rapidly growing crypto art collection which fuels crypto art creators and creations.
Nifties promotes crypto art, games and collectibles as well as virtual reality projects.
An experimental art platform for programmable digital art based on the Ethereum blockchain and located in San-Francisco, CA.
Following SuperRare’s royalty reduction, a tweet by Matt Kane sparks an artist-led initiative that establishes a 10% royalty standard within a month. M0420
USD transaction-focused art platform based on the Ethereum blockchain. Nifty Gateway was acquired by the Winklevoss twins of Gemini.
Public launch of the pixEOS Art Gallery based on the Eos blockchain focused on digital goods such as digital and physical artworks.
Artist Josie Bellini showcases and documents in her video livestreams the story of crypto artists and collectors.
The third edition of the iconic crypto art and collectibles festival launched a movement.
Foundation launches as the first digital art marketplace to address fluctuation and pricing based on the stable-coin DAI.
Cryptograph is a marketplace for NFTs made by celebrities and artists that generate funds for charities and good causes. J0720
NFT Showroom uses Hive-Engine’s layer 2 NFT smart contract platform to generate tokenized art.
The original NFT animation of Trevor’s painting sells for $55,555 to Pablo Rodriguez-Fraile of the Museum of Crypto Art.
WOCA (Women of crypto art) held a CryptoVoxels group exhibition entitled She Art with artworks from over 30 crypto artists.
Matt Kane enters with his Async project a 10-year collaboration for over $100,000 under the patronage of TokenAngels.
Dloop rebrands Elementum as the successor of the app NOOW, which was running on Swisscom TV.
Async.art partners with Christie’s to lead this auction which exceeds 7 times its estimate.
Based on the Matic protocol, Beyond focuses on non-static which can evolve over time such as interactive and dynamic art.
Canada-based Ephimera is an Etherum art marketplace specialized in fine art photography and video. N0520
Under artist Jessica Angels’ guidance, Artproject connects the traditional art world with the creative Blockchain ecosystem.
Artblocks is a generative design platform based created with the data and hosted on the Ethereum blockchain.
The digital art card minting and trading platform is based on the NEAR blockchain. D0720
Virtual exhibition features 33 Black crypto artists from 8 different countries and rewrites the narrative of who benefits from the value of Black creativity.
EthBlockArt lets people create deterministic blockchain artworks based on Ethereum blocks.
Paris-based L’Avant Galerie Vossen explores digital values and brings together the works of traditional painters, new media and crypto artists.
Curated by collector Sats Moon, Australia’s first immersive crypto art festival celebrates digital art, AR/VR and music at Paddington Town Hall in Sydney.
CryptoArt Week Asia promotes under-represented Asian-based artists in Asia and abroad during events in Singapore and virtually.
Metapurse’s B.20 token explores the intersection between social, utility tokens and a DAO backed by Beeple’s record-breaking 20 Collection.
Launch of the first general marketplace on the Flow blockchain, conceived by Dapper Labs, the team behind CryptoKitties and NBA Top Shot.
Initially, e-sports and crowdfunding-oriented, the community-driven platform minted its first OBJKT and operates on the Tezos Blockchain.
This collaboration between MoCDA, University College London and Hobs3D, is both a virtual group exhibition and series of online experimental studies.
Derived from a wallet, Bitski relaunches as a credit card based marketplace and individual storefront solution for digital assets.
Deplatformed Robness Cyberpop and Max Osiris on SuperRare launch the controversial trash art movement challenging copyrights.
Kalamint launches as the first user-curated marketplace based on the Tezos blockchain to create, sell and buy NFTs on the FA2 token standard.
Merging digital art with DeFi, charged particles allow creators and collectors to charge their NFTs with interest-bearing ERC-20 tokens.
The auction house chose Beeple’s EVERYDAYS: THE FIRST 5000 DAYS, a vast collage of his daily artworks as its first digital art-only auction.
Beeple (Mike Winkelman) sells his “EVERYDAYS” at auction for US$ 69,346,250, the 3rd highest for a living artist at that time.
In this international collaboration, nine galleries across meta-verses will spotlight the digital artwork of over 130 women from across platforms.
Feral Files launches as a generative art marketplace on the Bitmark Blockchain and is founded by Casey Reas, the co-founder of Processing.
Tron Blockchain-based social marketplace Fansforever connects creators and their fans through NFTs.
Atlanta-based ABV Gallery and Nifty Gateway showcase 20 international artists with their Chain Reactions NFT/Crypto Art group exhibition.
Artist Morgan Jesse Lappin’s first show with Trigonal Gallery combines collage and the new digital frontier of NFTs in Jersey City, NJ.
Superchief Gallery NFT opens with the “Season One Starter Pack,” an exhibition that will feature rotating NFT artwork from 300 multidisciplinary artists.
This group exhibition hosted by BlockCreateArt (BCA) is the first institutional crypto art exhibition held at the UCCA Lab in Beijing, China.
The inaugural Iconography & The Internet exhibition featured the original Pepe the Frog from 2006 by Matt Furie among others.
Curated by Daniel Heiss and Margit Rosen this crypto art group exhibition takes place at the ZKM Centre for Art and Media Karlsruhe in Germany.
SaveArtSpace presents Pixelated, a month-long, Miami-wide exhibition across billboards and bus shelters featuring 96 Crypto Punks.
Sotheby’s and Nifty Gateway collaborate on the auction of the anonymous artist Pak who conceptually explores and challenges scarcity.
Kenny Schachter curates this Ethereum-based crypto art exhibition for Galerie Nagel and Draxler in Cologne, Germany.
Michah Dowbak’s conceptual artwork sells at the Philipps auction for $4.2m and will create 220 more versions of itself.
TRUESY is a curated NFT marketplace focused on personalities and brands and built on the Tezos Blockchain.
Built on the Flow Blockchain, Versus is a serverless, on-chain centric marketplace which stores also the images on the Blockchain.