All That Kekles!
Serving Bitcoin ₿rekkies since 2023
A glance at your Kekle a day could keep the bear away!
Official Website: https://Kekleberry.io
I. Introducing a ₿rekkie collection on the Bitcoin Ordinal.
Q: What are Kekles, you ask?
They are simply breakfast eggs with varied Web 3.0 moods.
Following the recent trend of burning bluechip NFTs on Ethereum (ranging from ENS tokens, to the Punks and to even a few Bored Apes) and inscribing them on the Bitcoin Ordinal, we asked ourselves the question:
“Which came first, the chicken or the egg?”
A debate over whether blockchain timestamp matters has emerged. We thought we’d add to it!
As crypto artists, we support both blockchains. We believe there is the potential for BTC and ETH to complement each other, creating a vibrant interoperable Web 3.0 for creators and artists. And we have seen new marketplaces such as Generative.xyz allowing payments in both ETH and BTC.
Q: Why breakfast eggs?
Eggs have more in common with Bitcoin that you may have imagined! Bitcoin is the leading digital currency, representing the early beginnings of a new decentralised financial era. Just like Bitcoin has had to overcome many sceptics to become what it is today, all eggs have to emerge from broken shells to see the world. But here’s the twist! We decided to cook our eggs as a menu item for the Bitcoin Fungible Breakfast.
More below…
Q: OK…so WTF is a Kek then?
In the early days of World of Warcraft, one of the most popular video games ever released, the two factions, the Horde and the Alliance, were mortal enemies. As the opposing faction’s messages were unreadable to the other, the Horde would mock the Alliance by typing “LOL”, particularly in PVP matches. This would appear as “KEK” to the Alliance.
“KEK” was also used in StarCraft matches. Blizzard is the company behind both StarCraft and World of Warcraft. This term is known by gamers of both games. In World of Warcraft, when a Horde player types “LOL” using the /say command, members of the Alliance faction see it as “KEK”.
Fun fact: Did you know “KEK” is the equivalent to how Koreans express “haha” in chat and during online games (ㅋㅋㅋ)?.
Today, many former gamers continue to use “KEK” in the NFT world, demonstrating just how influential gaming culture is in the world of NFTs and crypto.
Q. You got some ’splainin’ to do over Kekleberry. Why?
Kekleberry comes from the word “Cackleberry”. It is slang for egg (cackle referring to the chicken, and berry referring to the egg). Our Kekleberry project combines the word kek + cackleberry (egg) KEKLE (cakle) Berry.
Some RL Facts about eggs:
An Egg shortage occurred during the pandemic. It was actually a result of a big chicken cull because of an outbreak of Avian Flu, like a chicken pandemic at the same time as our human one. Eggs are such an important staple ingredient in the food chain. When eggs rise in price, we see a reduced availability of foods such as bread, cookies, noodles, and so on.
It’s worth noting that some regions, like New Zealand, are currently facing egg shortages, while in other places like California, the price of eggs has risen sharply.
This current egg scarcity is similar to that of Bitcoin’s, which only highlights its value. It is difficult to imagine a breakfast without eggs. Just as it is difficult to imagine Web 3.0 without Bitcoin.
Q. Seriously, is this a meme project for our beloved BITCOIN!?
Really, we wanted to capture the spirit of the evolution and history of blockchain tech, incorporating crypto slang… “moon”, “hodl;”, “FOMO”, “WAGMI”… and of course “GM!”. These phrases have become endearing to us. And that’s why they constitute a big part of the Ordinal Kekleberry.
This collection is also an experiment to challenge creators and artists to inscribe only the best for the OG chain. The Kekles are expressive memetic artworks that represent various moods and Web 3.0 culture. It is our way of paying tribute to Satoshi Nakamoto, the blockchain and its first application: Bitcoin.
Q. What sparked the Kekleberry project?
It all began when Jetski and 0xMJ were discussing a collaboration idea to capture the essence of “Moods” in crypto. There was one thing for certain, from the great to absurd, their chats always end up in kekles.
Soon after, legendary artist Rutger van der Tas and the versatile crypto artist/developer ejthek, joined the team.
The crypto space, almost defined by volatility, really has an impact on people’s moods. Some days we’re up. Some days we’re down. But we agree that breakfast with eggs can start your day off right!
As a team, we were determined to create something special for the Bitcoin Ecosystem. Only the best of intentions for the OG chain!
Q. Guess that’s acceptable. What else can you tell me about the project and the style of art?
Yay! You got it, story time!
We are crypto artists, creators among other things, and we are about connecting the dots. We realised the chaos of Web 3.0 is about embracing imperfection and finding beauty in the imperfect. These Kekles represent all that.
Many other factors were considered, among which was that idea of finding perfection within imperfection. The story of Bitcoin is a perfect example of why Kekles were born. As a method of decentralised payment, Bitcoin is far from perfect. The proof of work (PoW) consensus mechanism has been criticised for its high energy consumption and BTC is no stranger to high levels of volatility. Despite all these flaws, Bitcoin still serves as the foundation for blockchain-based technologies.
Kekles’ style is based on 1980s Retro Art and colour. Computer graphics in the ’80s were created using vector and 2D bitmapping. Vector graphics used mathematical equations to create images that were scalable. Graphics were displayed on low-res CRT monitors with super limited colour depth. That’s why everything always looked so pixelated. This is where we found the commonalities to Bitcoin, conceptually.
Every “Kekle” artwork was carefully hand-drawn, with the initial concept generated using AI. As artists who have been creating digital art long before the arrival of AI, we do not rely on AI. But we do think AI can help in overcoming creative blockages and sparking the creative process. We are dedicated to our craft and put a significant amount of effort into every piece we release.
The spreading of blue chip NFTs from Ethereum to the Bitcoin network is disheartening. We collectively feel this is a form of disrespect to the chain itself. We feel an obligation to offer something fresh and distinctive to the Ordinal Bitcoin community.
At the end of the day, we are all contributors to this vast and growing Blockchain World. It is up to each of us to make it a better space!
II. Inscription, Mint and Rarities
Q. Have the Kekles already been inscribed?
Yes! All the Kekles had been fully inscribed, with the collection range between #75135 to #102109 (list can be found here). We submitted them for inscription in multiple batches, but we had no control over the final order, as that was determined by the blockchain. We kekled upon finding out the blockchain determined that our #1 inscription was ‘To the Moon Kekle’ (Inscription #75135). The last inscribed Kekle #102109 is a “WAGMI” Kekle (The blockchain dictated the order of importance).
Q. What is the supply and how much will it cost to mint?
The supply is 111, with five to be withheld. Four are set aside for each founder (creator) and one for a giveaway.
The sale will be conducted on a first-come-first-served basis on the Generative.xyz website.
We cannot guarantee the availability of your favourite Kekle, so make sure you’re fast, as minting comes on a first-come-first-served basis in waves.
Each Kekle is priced at 0.033 BTC or 0.48 ETH.
Q. Are there any specific traits or rarities?
All Kekles are 1/1s. Some may have scarcer traits than others. Look out for background traits that may be rarer than others. Some Kekles come with certain crypto slang such as:
HODL
APE
MOON
ALPHA
KEK
WAGMI
NGMI
There are multiple WAGMIs and 1x NGMI (which is considered RARE on its own. This Kekle was not going to make it, and it somehow did… therefore a holder of this Kekle shall receive a special 1/1 sauce in the future).
We treaded carefully with these slang expressions. We want to see some more “WAGMI” at the end of the day!
I’m too lazy to read all these…zzzzzzzzzzz.. Summarize it for me plz!
TLDR , “Kekles” pay tribute to Bitcoin’s history, and embody multiple important things in our collective culture:
- GM culture of Web 3.0
- Gaming Culture
- Our love for the best breakfast dish on the menu
- Early 1980s Retro Style Art
- A special edition of “Checks” eggs: A nod to Jack Butcher’s “This artwork may or may not be notable”.
- Last but not least: a healthy dose of crypto memes!
We hope the Kekles will help you start your day with a truly Good Morning.
III. What’s next?
We value our collectors, and the collection will serve as a foundation of our journey in expanding our footprint on the blockchain. The Kekle₿erry is the blank canvas that has inspired us.
IV. Charity
We are no strangers to contributing to charities. See our past collective effort in The Guild (Check it out here). The team (Jetski/0xMj/Rutger) are committed to donating parts of their personal income from this project to New Zealand’s recent flooding relief, the victims of Cyclone Gabrielle, the victims of the recent Turkey/Syria earthquake.
V. Who are the team members? They may or may not be notable. #DYOR
Recently, Jack Butcher sparked a movement with the Checks’ NFT collection. Upon Twitter’s acquisition by Elon Musk, individuals had the option to pay $8 per month to receive the coveted blue ‘checkmark’ next to their Twitter handle. Jack challenged the community to think critically of the significance of being ‘notable’ due to the changes made to Twitter Blue.
If someone is noteworthy, then anyone can claim to be noteworthy. The significance of his artwork becomes subjective and one we can relate to. Anyone can assert their involvement, but the blockchain timestamp and individual reputation ultimately serves as the truth.
Our team comprises crypto artists, entrepreneurs, an IT/dev wizard, business professionals, advisors, and employees at various blockchain companies even prior to the NFT craze.
Several of us previously co-led The Guild NFT, the first Non-Fungible Organisation, from the early days of the Covid pandemic through December 2022. The organisation had a primary focus on creating unique 1/1 Crypto Art pieces.
We have contributed a great deal to the early collaboration movement of Crypto Art, including Pandora’s Box (led by former Core team member/lead Shinji Akhirah), which was the first 1/1 nested piece ever created on the Ethereum network. It was acquired by an anonymous collector on the Charged Particles platform.
The Cyber Watch piece on Async platform, was led by Kekle team member Rutger van der Tas and was later acquired by Metakovan’s group (The infamous Beeple’s collector). The “Year of the 0x”, with a Blue BAYC ape representing the Year of the Monkey, has been featured and displayed at several galleries around the world, most notably at the CAFA in Shanghai.
During its time, the organisation also donated to a number of charities. Check it out here.
An OG minter of Bored Ape Kekle. She inspired the kickstart of Kekleberry, along with her fellow founders. Coffeeholic Jetski has long been a supporter of the Crypto Art movement. She has been involved with crypto for eight years. Her Web 2.0 career started at one of the largest software companies in the world in the early 2000s. She has contributed to the growth and scaling and management of multiple startups, including for DAOs and blockchain companies such as Cryptovoxels (now Voxels), as well as holding advisory roles for various projects since 2019. She is a technophile who loves art, PC games, and nature walks. She lives in New Zealand with her small family.
An artist with a lifelong passion for his craft, and since 2015, he has been exploring the intersection between traditional painting and digital art. As one of the first artists to accept BTC as payment, he was an early adopter of cryptocurrency. When he is in his creative mode, he becomes completely absorbed, existing in a timeless world without boundaries, where lines, forms, and colours converge to create something new. He was one of the Core members of The Guild NFT and contributed to several pioneering works and record-breaking sales, including Pandora’s Box. He also led the artistic project of the Cyber Watch on the Async platform. Prior to the formation of The Guild, he collaborated with Xcopy, Jossie Belini, Matt Kane, Coldie, and others on The First Supper on the Async platform, a ground-breaking large collaboration of art.
0xMj is not only a real-life chess champion (also tutoring on a limited basis) and a talented artist, but also a collector of jpegs. With three years of experience in crypto art creation and multiple collaborations under her belt, she is one of the co-founders of the BAAP Community, an Indian community for punks and apes holders. Like Jetski and Rutger, she was a founding member of The Guild, where she played an early core role. She has also contributed her skills to a P2E gaming company. With a remarkable ability to comprehend the space and its meme qualities, 0xMj is a multi-talented individual whose MJ touch is a must-have in your life. Trust us on this one!
ejthek has had a life-long fascination with the intersection of creativity and technology. Beginning with early childhood experiences such as coding in BASIC on a Commodore VIC-20 with a cassette drive or experimenting with desktop publishing using Broderbund’s original version of The Print Shop on an IBM XT, followed by the excitement of graduating to CorelDRAW on Windows 3.1, the drive to explore creative artistry through technological means has continued on into adulthood through graphic design, video production, book publishing, digital photography, and even creating level maps for a popular 3D video game. Discovering crypto & cryptoart in 2020 has reinvigorated ejthek’s passion and he has released art projects on various Ethereum platforms and numerous other blockchains, both independently and collaboratively as a contributing member of The Guild, and is quickly building his Web3 dev skills.
Yo…what a long read!!
It has been a long road since the inception of Bitcoin mining! Did you think we’d all be here today magically?
Get #Kekling with us.
