PepeYachtClub: An Introduction

I begin with an interesting read on BORED APE YACHT CLUB, in decline when the overall crypto market is signaling a turnaround off its bottom inching its way to the next bull market. Crypto, NFTs included, are 80% narrative and 20% utility — still. https://www.coindesk.com/web3/2023/07/03/bored-ape-yacht-club-nft-collection-floor-price-sinks-to-20-month-low/ My opinion is that there is a shifting narrative in the overall meta … a BIG one.

The unparalleled success of BAYC may be highly improbable for any other project to replicate. I’ll admit that. The data isn’t there to support such a proposition. And yet, ironically, the market appears “bored” with the apes. Even too, Shiba Inu has lost its luster — hardly anyone serious is banking on it to 100x here. Maybe it will 20x or thereabouts.

The crypto market is in a paradigm shift as well, as regulations come to pass and as mass adoption seems inevitable. And as narratives shift, so too does the flow of “money.” The rise of Pepe and the frog phenomena strongly suggests a new narrative for meme tokens. Perhaps Pepe’s rise also suggests a new ultra-niche market, which is becoming the new in-vogue in the crypto world. As investors usually say, “follow the money.” What is truly fascinating is how Pepe derivatives also have seen massive gains for investors.

Pepe2.0, for example, and others like it have shown the true power and value in the frog meme. Some Pepe derivatives are still etching and pacing their way to replicate such successes. Let’s face it, deep pockets diving in and supporting a project because a) they like it, and because b) they see a large ROI, and c) a strong and loyal community, all combine in the end to lead to the massive 1000x success stories we’ve seen. Admittedly, it’s not all that simplistic. Market factors play a huge role, of course.

Going back to BAYC, is it’s NFT empire falling? Possibly. I believe the BAYC core will hold that project together a long time. Yet, I see once loyal holders getting impatient as they see large growth in things like Pepe. The truth is, whales have sold for losses lately. Why?

As with any art or style, any genre, things can get stale and old, and the buyers start to demand something fresh. Yet the old genres will always have their strong “cult following.” And some old classics, naturally, will be things of value worth even more in the future…

That goes especially with art as once institutions and collectors preserve a thing of art to remain for perpetuity it solidifies a floor price for eons. But all art ebbs and flows in price, and few from the masses only continue to increase in price.

After all NFTs are “the new art” …different only because of technology — the blockchain. Who knows what people will do with NFTs 100 years from now or whether the blockchain is even a thing tied to investment and currencies, or art. One thing remains supported by history, people record and remember “the arts.”

Art and culture, culture and art, both remain constants in the epochs of history. However, it’s hard to know what a new medium will become in the future especially when technology is a 💯 requirement for its existence. Cave drawings need nothing technologically to last, just a cave. All other traditional art does not need the blockchain, just custody and care.

Well then, who knows? Maybe in 100 years some art collector will have a Bored Ape original NFT preserved with the best technology the world will have to offer. We simply can’t predict it one way or another. Maybe, though, there will be custody and care.

….

I’d like to change subject now to my/our NFT project, to lay down its narrative and vision. PepeYachtClub and it’s NFTS, “the project,” was born out of uncertainty to say the least. It’s story, to put it bluntly, was a “rescue mission” for what is a novel idea. The day before Father’s Day, 2023, PYC, PepeYachtClub, appeared on the blockchain as a new pair with ETH. I found it on DEXTools with the others who got in on the first day. It was available on Uniswap, and many buyers jumped in and pumped the token, which soon tanked following a series of suspect sales. The dev who created PYC locked liquidity for 2 months, but dumped his tokens after he saw his target price hit the chart. It was clear to buyers that in 2 months this dev would likely pull liquidity and rug the token altogether leaving holders with a worthless token. I don’t believe the original dev had a clue what a novel idea he really had — he merely came up with a good scheme to make a quick profit . His goal was simple:

Create a token project with all the looks needed to draw investors and degen plays day 1: renounced contract, high enough token sniffer score, etc. Add a TG and a website, and just wait to hit 60–80k MC, then dump!

And he did.

What happened next was legendary. Several of us came together and agreed the brand and idea would be attractive by the name alone. A core formed and a team: a businessman, web dev, artist, and loyal holder and shiller, with some whales, achieved a hostile takeover. The community banded together. It was clear that PYC had value and potential.

But the “old dev” needed to be ousted, along with his cohort who held a lot of the supply and who has followed this “rugster” on other projects. I wanted to write this Medium to set the record straight: good community members wanted to see the project succeed unlike its creator who had intentions only for himself.

So PYC was essentially bought out, the old dev agreed to lock liquidity for 101 years, and he did, and he transferred the website to us. All the while I went right to work developing the NFT project! No promises of some NFT part of the project, “soon.” No way, this is PepeYachtClub! We needed NFTS to be what we are! The community needed to see the derivative and parody of Bored Apes happen from the get-go!

You see, we have the benefit of history and can learn from the mistakes of pioneers in this space. BAYC started APE token long after the success of the NFTs and launched it at “the crash” of 2021–2022. APE did well for a time and crashed along with the rest of the crypto market; and then crypto winter, one of the worst ever, hit. Lesson learned: start out during the bottom and build from there.

We believe long and slow wins the race. Like the turtle against the rabbit. Or in this case the green thing is a frog. But you get my point. The turtle wins because he steadily and persistently headed to the finish line. The rabbit danced around him with his arrogance and cockiness. The better mind is why the turtle won — patience, perseverance, tenacity.

Crypto projects often moon fast, tank, and people leave for the next hopeful gamble. It’s the name of the game, for good or for bad. It’s hard to keep a loyal community. But one of the keys to success is adapting. Branch off a project to keep with the times! No sequels. A new production is needed. If the audience (or community) knows it’s the same director for the new movie they will go see it. (More on this below.)

I believe the inside core and loyal holders of a project need to see that movie preview and have a chance to get their tickets first. Then they will keep coming to the show!

…

What does that mean? Well, build a big success and reward your following handsomely, all the way to the top. And when it comes time to build anew — adapt — when the narrative demands it, bring your loyal followers with you. Adapt to the market with the new meta. I’m talking BIG. Yet,I’m striving for walking BIG too.

In other words, I’m planning for the future as much as for the next day. PYC isn’t some “pet project” I hope “makes it,” and if it doesn’t, oh well, gonna throw in towel and quit. We had/have a vision, all of us, I/we want to see it to “the end.” Sounds like I’m getting ahead of myself here, but I’m not. The core developers of this project are convicted in our principles and vision for the project. We are true believers in DeFi, and we are “ryoshi.” “Fishermen.”

PYC is going to be everything BAYC is and isn’t, everything Shiba Inu is and isn’t. In believing in the Shiba Inu’s founder, Ryoshi, and his vision for truly decentralized finance, we seek to bring that vision to PYC. This is not about elitism, closed circles raking in ETH for our benefit alone, central control, etc. The PYC devs — this core group following the ouster of a fraudster who could care less about DeFi fleecing others to fill his wallets — is dedicated to and is convicted in making something epic for a community so that all may be able to prosper according to his or her participation.

Everyday I wake up thinking of how I can build PYC and it’s NFTs to fulfill the same vision Ryoshi once presented to the world. I do it for our community and for my family — this is about changing lives for the good. Everyone including myself loves to profit from the fruits of one’s labor, but for me profits and prosperity with altruism for a community is far more fulfilling than profits alone.

I plan to develop the PYC NFT collection to make it the next BAYC, but better. And when, per what I was illuminating above, the narrative changes and market changes I plan to adapt and launch with what will carry the community into the next lucrative and life changing success, hopefully bringing in new community members whose lives will be changed. When the time comes to make that move it will all be in the communication with the community.

Call me overzealous or crazy. It bothers me not. Naysayers who will fud and discourage such a tall task are not my concern. Our community in the end is bigger and more powerful than me. The community, in my strongly held belief, will make it happen. And yet, I am blessed to have a based and trustworthy team supporting me and me supporting them. This team and it’s “mutiny” of the old dev’s project allowed for us to “set sail for promising seas and new adventures.” One hundred and one years locked LP was the first hurdle. Having a 💯 renounced contract luckily fell in our laps!

The ERC-20 $PYC token coupled with the NFTs are both integral to the overall project’s success. Synergy and utility with the two are being worked into the ecosystem. I’m going to go into the details of the NFTs and tokens in our next Medium, but to find out more join the Telegram at https://t.me/+GozVJFvYWTdhMGIx . We will gladly tell you more there. Although, so as to give you an idea, NFT buybacks, rewards, and member privileges are all part of the “package.” Utility will set us aside from any Pepe derivatives in our own unique brand and permutation of BAYC and of Pepe itself.

This is an amazing and exciting time for crypto, and memecoins are at the heart of the current buzz and hype in the market. Mass adoption will mean a tsunami of money will pour into all avenues of the “crypto-sphere.” While we appeared on the blockchain at first glance as just another memetoken, that is just the initial “wrapping” or “packaging.” Once you open it up you will see what is inside! Again, slow and steady wins the race, and we are in this pursuit for this marathon and for the next one to follow.

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“Think of yourself as on the threshold of unparalleled success. A whole, clear, glorious life lies before you. Achieve! Achieve!”

- Andrew Carnegie