The Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT Collection: What Is BAYC?

The Bored Ape Yacht Club is now one of the most famous NFT projects in the industry. So much so, that even people foreign to crypto seem to know it too. But, what exactly is the Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) NFT Collection? Well, as one of the pioneers of an NFT membership club, it’s easy to see why top celebrities have “aped” in. Now, it’s fair to say it is the most important NFT collection since the Cryptopunks.

In this guide we will explain everything you might want to know about BAYC. Plus, all of the other top collections from Yuga labs including; The Mutant Ape Yacht Club (MAYC), The Bored Ape Kennel Club (BAKC) and their upcoming MMORPG Metaverse, the Otherside.

RECAP: What Are NFTs??

NFT, or “nonfungible token,” is like the VIP pass of the digital world. It’s a fancy certificate saying, “Hey, I own this digital thing, and it’s legit!” Picture it as the title deed for a swanky house or the authenticity card for that blingy watch.

Now, here’s the kicker: the big debate is whether NFTs are the future or just a digital doodad. Critics say, “Why pay when you can right-click and save for free?” But the magic of NFTs is that they broadcast to the world who’s the boss of that digital masterpiece. It’s like owning the Mona Lisa, not just a print. Sure, anyone can save a Bored Ape Yacht Club image, but only one lucky soul holds the NFT keys to that virtual kingdom.

Whether NFTs are the next internet revolution or an expensive fad? Well, that’s up for grabs. Some see them as the future of online trading, turning digital goods into high-stakes commodities. Others are side-eyeing, calling it an environmentally-costly digital pyramid scheme. The saga of NFTs continues!

Ok, So What is the Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC)?

Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) is an avatar NFT collectible project consisting of 10,000 unique tokens. Hosted on the Ethereum blockchain, each token is a unique piece of art featuring one of many bored apes. This collection is programmed generatively. Thus, each NFT collectible has its own unique expression, outfits, and accessories that set it apart from the rest.

Who Created Bored Ape Yacht Club?

Yuga Labs, the company behind BAYC, was founded by four friends; Gargamel, Gordon Goner, Emperor Tomato Ketchup, and No Sass.  Originally, they saw the BAYC NFT collection as a bit of a joke. Mainly, they aimed to have fun together and test their creative skills.  In fact, BAYC’s initial plan was simply to “make some dope apes and try to build something ridiculous”.

Fortunately, that something “ridiculous” has been a hit with fans, creating a brand that has gone far beyond the NFT space and exploding into the mainstream like no NFT collection before it.

At first, the identity of its four founders was unknown. However, this changed in February 2022 when Yuga Labs’ two founder/co-presidents Gordon Goner and Gargamel were doxxed by BuzzFeed. As unfortunate as this was, they later posted pictures of themselves via Twitter. Since then, Emperor Tomato Ketchup and No Sass have also revealed their names and faces via Twitter.

When Did Bored Ape Yacht Club Launch?

BAYC launched back in April 2021, but now the collection has fame in its own right. While the primary sale of the original 10,000 tokens took a week to sell out, the Bored Apes have been booming on the secondary market ever since. So much so that BAYC NFTs are arguably the most sought-after status symbol NFTs in the space.

At the time of writing, BAYC has amassed over 483,000 ETH in OpenSea trade volume – about $1.7 billion. 

Why are There 10,000 Bored Ape NFTs?

NFT avatars, which serve as distinctive profile pictures (PFPs), are a trendy phenomenon in the digital art space. These unique characters are often part of generative projects, where their features are algorithmically created from a predefined set. Apart from their aesthetic appeal, these NFT avatars also hold significant value, providing holders with entry into exclusive communities and opportunities to participate in real-life events, receive merchandise, play games, and enjoy various other perks. Notably, certain PFP projects have gained immense popularity, with some avatars commanding prices in the thousands of dollars.

The 10,000 Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) PFPs are unique and special due to their generative nature, each being algorithmically created with distinct traits. This exclusivity grants holders access to an exclusive community and various perks, making them highly sought after in the world of NFTs. The BAYC project’s popularity is also fueled by its vibrant and creative community, as well as its influence on the broader NFT space.

How Did BAYC Blow Up?

Upon release, each Ape sold for 0.08 ETH ( approximately $250 at the time). According to the creators, they wanted the initial sale to be fair and accessible. Honoring that promise, every Ape was worth an equal amount at launch. It’s important to note that this was a different approach to the bonding curve pricing that was common in the space at the time.

The current minimum price (as of October 3rd 2023) for Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) stands at $43,693, accompanied by a 24-hour sales volume of 555.72 ETH. Presently, there are 9,998 minted NFTs held by 5,568 distinct owners, resulting in a total market capitalization of $436,841,675.

How Much are Bored Ape NFTs Worth?

The highest BAYC NFT sale ever on OpenSea took place on September 30, 2021, for the jaw-dropping amount of 769 ETH. That’s about $2.7 million today. Number 2 comes in close with a 740 ETH sale price, and a 696.969 ETH sale comes in third.

Another notable top 10 sale came from global music superstar Justin Bieber. The popstar made major news at the end of January when he purchased a Bored Ape for a whopping 500 ETH. While this is only good for the eighth biggest Bored Ape sale ever, it was notable for the fact that the Ape Bieber bought was not all that rare. In comparison, seven of the 10 highest BAYC sales were of Apes with the two rarest fur traits – solid gold and trippy.

Why are Bored Ape Yacht Club NFTs so Expensive?

So what made the Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT collection so successful? After all, there are hoards of animal-themed NFT avatar projects out there. Yet none come close to the success and impact of the BAYC. Of course, the Bored Apes were trendsetters, being the first project to execute many things at a high level.

In many ways, however, it was the Bored Ape community that powered it to success in those early days. To that end, many Ape holders state that their first reason to buy a Bored Ape was the community. In truth, there are a significant number of long-term holders in BAYC. This is definitely one of the biggest holder distributions for a blue-chip 10K project.

Who Bought Bored Ape Yacht Club NFTs?

To be sure, The Bored Ape Yacht Club’s immense popularity with major celebrities and brands has been the biggest factor in its immense cultural impact.

Indeed, BAYC’s list of celebrity members is too long to recount in its entirety. Just for an idea though, famous faces in the Yacht Club include: Snoop Dogg, Madonna, Eminem, Justin Bieber, Steve Aoki, Post Malone, Paris Hilton, Jimmy Fallon, Gary Vaynerchuk, Steph Curry, and Josh Hart.

Some big brands have also gotten in on the action like MeUndies and Adidas among others. There’s also the case of Christie’s and Sotheby’s – two famous auction houses which have hosted a number of NFT sales, including some Bored Apes.

Moreover, Gunna also owns an expensive BAYC PFP. Gunna proudly shared on Instagram that he acquired an NFT from @boredapeyachtclub valued at 300K. He named the NFT “BUTTA” and expressed gratitude to the project as well.

 The Bored Ape Kennel Club (BAKC)

Firstly, BAYC launched the Bored Ape Kennel Club. Although they were not available to purchase directly,  every Bored Ape holder received a dog-themed NFT airdropped straight to them. Despite the free airdrop, the BAKC NFTs now command quite the fee on the secondary market with a floor price of 7.429 ETH (at the time of writing).

The Mutant Ape Yacht Club (MAYC)

Secondly, the BAYC NFT team launched the Mutant Ape Yacht club (MAYC). Bored Ape Yacht Club Holders got an airdrop of one of three NFT serums, which could be “injected” into their Apes to create another Mutant ape!

The rarity and characteristics of the mutant apes varied depending on whichever serum you were randomly airdropped out of three types: M1, M2, or M3. What’s more, 10,000 MAYC NFTs were also available via a public Dutch auction.

While the announcement came only 24hours before the drop via Twitter, The Mutant Ape Yacht Club was an overnight success! In fact, some Mutant serum NFTs were going for as high as 269 ETH ($872,000) on secondary markets immediately following the drop. Holders were all dropped one serum per Bored Ape NFT, but each ape can be “injected” with each of the three types of serum once. Thus, the Bored Ape mutant serums are in high demand.

Bored Ape Yacht Club Coin: APEcoin

After months of anticipation, the token of the BAYC ecosystem finally launched. Everyone had the chance to get in on APEcoin. In short, the coin is a product of and the governance token for APEcoin DAO.

Firstly, BAYC and MAYC holders were the immediate beneficiaries of the APEcoin drop. To that end, Bored Ape and Mutant Holders all received airdrops of APEcoin on launch day. In addition, holders with a BAYC-BAKC or MAYC-BAKC pairing received a larger allotment of APEcoin. In addition, the APEcoin token was listed on almost all major crypto exchanges from day one.

Evidently, Yuga Labs fully intends APEcoin to be an important part of its plans moving forward. For one thing, the token will be at the center of its upcoming metaverse game, “Otherside” (more on that later).

Everything About BAYC Event: ApeFest

The first edition of Ape Fest, BAYC’s marquee IRL event, took place in New York City towards the end of 2021. The multi-day event included an immersive gallery event, merch pop-up, and warehouse party headlined by Beck, The Strokes, and BAYC member Lil Baby. Fittingly, the highlight of the first Ape Fest was an actual yacht party for holders.

After the immense success of the first Ape Fest, the BAYC team followed up with memorable show for their second year running. Yuga Labs managed to convince Eminem and Snoop Dogg to perform in 2022. In fact, they even dropped their new track at the event too! ApeFest was a whole 3-day event, with holders offered a choice to book a single day per Ape – with one plus one, of course. 

Moreover, BAYC now also incorporates MAYC events into their calendar.

Check Out The Drip: BAYC Merch

One of the most beloved products from Yuga Labs is its IRL, holders-only merch. The first ever, limited edition run of Bored Ape Yacht Club merch went on sale on May 29, 2021. Since then, Bored Ape hoodies, hats and shirts have become status symbols in their own right. Especially at IRL NFT events, where Ape holders wear them proudly. So much so that single items of Bored Ape merch goes for hundreds of dollars on eBay these days.

Since its initial merch launch, BAYC has done some additional drops including a genesis Mutant Ape merch drop, and its most recent March merchandise drop which required holders to pay for all items exclusively using APEcoin. It also collaborated on a merch drop with legendary streetwear brand The Hundreds.

Yuga Labs Acquires Cryptopunks & Meebits

Some of the biggest news to come from the Bored Ape Yacht Club in 2022 so far was Yuga Labs’ acquisition of the CryptoPunks and Meebits IP from Larva Labs. Without a doubt, this was one of the biggest developments in the NFT space so far.

BAYC and CryptoPunks had had somewhat of a friendly rivalry, with BAYC holders long predicting that the Apes would eventually “flip” the Punks (i.e. have their floor price grow past that of the Punks). Given that, the acquisition sent shockwaves through the NFT space.

Ultimately, the Larva Labs team felt that Yuga Labs would be better suited to serve the evolving demands of Punk holders at large. Indeed, Yuga Labs immediately granted all Punk and Meebits holders full commercial rights. Notably, this had been a point of contention between many Punk holders and Larva Labs for some time. 

Beyond that, the team quickly came out to say that it would not be pushing the boat out too far with either collection, to begin with. Instead, it will just wait and listen to holders before making any decisions on how to move forward with the former Larva Labs properties.

Otherside, the BAYC MMORPG x Metaverse

Continuing what was an absolutely massive week for the Bored Ape Yacht Club, Yuga Labs shook up the Web3 space when it revealed a trailer for something called Otherside. Although the trailer didn’t give away too much, people were quickly able to figure out what the trailer was teasing.

In, a leaked Yuga Labs pitch deck, they made various mentions of a meta RPG, gaming metaverse centering around the BAYC ecosystem. Yuga Labs eventually confirmed that Otherside was indeed the name of this upcoming gaming metaverse. 

Now, the Otherside is going into its first testing stage. Accordingly, fans are hoping the BAYC metaverse will launch in 2023 or earlier!

Dookey Dash, the BAYC NFT Game

In early 2023, Bored Ape Yacht Club launched a game named Dookey Dash, which is part of the continued narrative of the Trial of Jimmy the Monkey. The game was a survival-based sewer run. To play, players controlled an Ape avatar on a bike, picking up fragments on their dash through the sewer. Anybody could play the game, but only BAYC and Mutant Ape Yacht Club members had free Sewer Passes. Anyone not holding a BAYC, MAYC or BAKC could pick up a Sewer Pass on OpenSea. The Sewer Passes were so popular that they generated over $10m in trading volume within 48 hours of launch.

The leaderboard for the game was frozen on February 8th, and the final scores was released announced on February 15th. Professional video game player Mongraal emerged as the highest scorer with 928,522 points. For his efforts, he won the coveted ‘Golden Key’ from Jimmy the Monkey’s butthole.

Using BAYC IP For Commercial Ventures

To clarify, buying and selling isn’t the only way to profit from your Bored Apes.  In fact, buying a BAYC NFT gives you full commercial rights to the artwork. What does that mean? Basically, you are within your full legal right to use your NFT as a logo, make merchandise, and much more – All without those pesky legal repercussions.

Some of the Bored Ape Yacht Club members have used their avatar to launch craft beers or print t-shirts. For one example, Wiv Technology recently launched the Bored Wine Company, offering BAYC holders the opportunity to invest in limited edition wine. In a similar vein, SOUL launched a set of exclusive customized headphones exclusively for BAYC members.

There are also Bored Apes in use in TV shows, in music groups, and literature. Finally, some brick-and-mortar establishments have also taken advantage of commercial rights. There are the restaurants Bodega Taqueria in Miami, Bored and Hungry in Long Beach, California, and the E11EVEN Nightclub in Miami.

BAYC NFT is the target of Phishing scams

Unfortunately, the nascent NFT space has seen countless owners of high-value assets lose their NFTs. Naturally, the Bored Ape Yacht Club is no exception. As a matter of fact, the immense value of Bored Ape NFTs has made them a target for malicious actors. As a result, there have been a ton of sad stories involving Bored Ape owners losing their Apes.

Phishing scams – where people click on malicious and connect their wallets thinking they come from an NFT project’s team – are some of the most common ones affecting BAYC owners and NFT owners at large. There were also a number of BAYC NFTs lost to the OpenSea listing bug. There have also been some criminally low, unintentional BAYC sales, either due to “fat finger” listing errors, careless mistakes, or otherwise.

Most recently the Bored Ape Yacht Club was victim to a Discord hack. Thankfully the damage from the Discord hack did not appear to be as bad as with other project server hacks. Regardless, BAYC owners have arguably more cause to be extremely careful than any other project holders.

The Future Of Yuga Labs

Above all, the Yuga Labs team deserves a ton of credit. It has been able to carry BAYC to its present-day success by consistently building and delivering for its community. They’ve been leaders in the NFT space as far as innovating and branding. One could certainly argue that their success has pushed the entire NFT space forward.

And they’re showing no signs of slowing down. With the recent news of its $450 million funding round and $4 billion valuation, the Bored Ape Yacht Club team is flush with resources to keep building. All things considered, the future of the Bored Ape Yacht Club and its whole ecosystem is very bright indeed.