CryptoKitties Get Physical
Today, CryptoKitties entered the physical universe. You can now buy them in the form of IRL, Ethereum-connected toys.
Back in November 2018, I wrote about the brand, new cryptocollectibles that could “collect real dust.”Called CryptoKaiju and created by CoinJournal founder Oliver Carding, the two types of these physical, tokenized collectibles available at the time looked like either bitcoin-themed dinosaurs or M&M characters wearing Ethereum logos.
Made out of vinyl, CryptoKaijua follow in the style of designer art toys by the likes of KAWS. They’ve gone pretty mainstream. You can find adorable vinyl versions of Harry Potter characters, or Bird Personfrom “Rick & Morty.”
Carding decided to tokenize this art form by implanting RFID chips into the feet of his CryptoKaiju, each of which is connected to an Ethereum-based nonfungible token, validating that your vinyl collectible is 100% unique. The new CryptoKaiju toy is modeled after CryptoKitties, licensed by the Kitties’ creators, Dapper Laps. This may be one of the most successful examples of a piece of physical art tied to a digital token (the token is inside the toy), but it raises some questions:
Will the highbrow art world take note of lowbrow art, and start tokenizing physical works with digital implants?
Does an IRL version of a CryptoKitty corrupt the digital originals’ value, meaning, and purpose? Or elevate all three?
