GM

It’s a summer Friday. I’m guessing many of you are at the beach.

Just kidding, I know you’re browsing Twitter (I can see through your window).

In today’s edition:

• The most anticipated August NFTS

• Two new additions to the Mint List

• Three new drops

Links for the Mint/Watch list drops are HERE.

Did you know?

We have a premium pass that gives you access to a directory of every drop we cover, complete with detailed information on how to get on every whitelist (including those underrated ones that aren’t already full).

And for those curatooors out there, you can get free NFTs just by finding drops that end up on the Mint or Watch list.

Lastly, hang with me and the MoS team in a private discord with weekly voice chats. The vibes are great.

Would you like to be featured in Mint or Skip like the above ☝️ ?

August NFTs I'm watching closely 👀

August is looking like an interesting lineup for NFTs, but some of these are also starting to frustrate me (more below).

Let’s get into it.

Studies in Color, Light and Geometry by Zach Lieberman

August 8-10

Twitter 

Verse recently started a series of curated collections called Solos, and the next one is Studies in Color, Light and Geometry by Zach Lieberman.

Lieberman is a pioneer in the field, co-founder of the openFrameworks coding toolkit and a favorite among respected generative art collectors (check out his Foundation and SuperRare pages).

The release has two parts:

1. Cone Gradient Study – 50 still editions

2. Color Blinds Study – 25 generative videos

The former will be sold with 150 mint passes, which are then used to mint up to 5 editions of each still. This type of sales model experimentation is part of what makes Verse so intriguing.

Weebox Genesis Pass

Early August

Twitter 

You didn’t think we’d get through this list without some Anime right?

The Weebox Genesis Pass (a.k.a. Genesis San FranTokyo Pass) is a free drop from a doxxed, and very legit, team. While other Anime projects are trying to make their own IP from scratch, Weebox’s strategy is to strike deals with existing brands and help co-launch onchain experiences.

We still don’t know all the details, but we’re intrigued.

Fewoworld

August 21

Twitter

This project has been on our Mint List since the day we first launched Mint or Skip.

And now it’s finally launching – I think?

There’s a lot to like about Fewoworld, including their use of ERC-6551, which is the Next Hot Thing.

But unfortunately, the artist Fewocious is involved in a controversy that has yet to be resolved.

This has already cost him at least one major brand deal, and I’m guessing many other supporters are waiting until more information comes to light.

For now, their website continues to show an August 21st mint date.

Quasi Dragons by Harvey Rayner

August 22

Twitter 

Harvey Rayner, the creator behind the popular Art Blocks collection Fontana, is now launching Quasi Dragons on Verse, a collection 15 years in the making.

The drop features an innovative concept called composites – a burn mechanic that encourages collectors to collaborate and combine multiple NFTs to form new ones.

It’s a little complex, warranting an entire essay, but the artist believes this could be a new class of generative art in and of itself – and I tend to agree.

Flourish by Sterling Crispin

August 30

Twitter 

Presenting itself as a conversation with architects from an imagined past, Flourish is the work of artist and Apple Vision Pro developer Sterling Crispin. This will be his second Art Blocks release following 2022’s Neophyte MMXXII.

It has been created by imagining a language that unconventionally combines different geometric shapes in a very aesthetic manner.

These shapes then mix with the work’s aged, mostly sepia tones to create art that looks straight out of an alien's sketchbook.

LUCI: Chapter 5 by Sam Spratt

August

Twitter 

For nearly two years, New York-based artist Sam Spratt has been crafting and releasing the captivating tale of Luci, a monkey seeking the meaning of humanity in a post-civilization world.

But this isn’t your average monkey jpeg. Rather, the NFT art series accompanying the tale is a favorite among some of the most esteemed collectors and auction houses.

Now, after having recently sold another piece at Christie’s, Sam revealed that the fifth chapter of the story will come in the form of a 256-piece edition, with the first piece going towards that Christie’s sale.

This one’s getting hyped up by some of the most prominent curators and seems to feature a game that includes the artist’s existing collectors. Keep your eyes peeled.

Maybe: Symbiogenesis

TBD

Twitter

Dear Readers, this game by Square Enix is starting to annoy me.

I first wrote about Symbiogenesis back in March, and I was/am truly excited about seeing some pro game devs try their hand at blockchain gaming.

But since then all we’ve gotten is a bunch of sudoku-esque social media puzzles and giveaways.

This first mint that was supposed to arrive back in April…just didn’t happen, without explanation really. And we don’t really have dates on anything else.

HOWEVER, here’s some hopium. Today they announced a set of AMAs next week where they’ll be going over the roadmap.

I’ll be tuning in and crossing my fingers for some real updates.

Maybe: Dimensionals

TBD

Twitter

What’s going on here?

A few facts:

1. They delayed their mint abruptly, just days before launch

2. Their founder hasn’t tweeted in over a month

3. They put out a tweet earlier this week saying the new mint date was Aug 3, before quickly deleting it (no screenshot, but I saw it)

This was one of those free drops I was looking forward to the most. Specifically, because they planned on using live-streamed events (something I think we’ll see a lot more of in the future) as a way to give out NFTs all summer.

I still think it has viral potential, but with all this confusion I had no choice but to drop it from the Mint List.

My full preview of their game can be found here.

Maybe: Tony Babel

TBD

Twitter

The hype is still strong with the master of vintage animation.

Even in the bear market, Tony’s art tweets regularly get half a million views.

This is probably why Markus Magnusson, who just launched his own Garbage Friends collection, chose him as the first Typical Friends artist collab.

We still don’t have any info on supply or price – but the attention is there.

Maybe: Infinity Checks

TBD

Twitter

There’s no doubt that Jack Butcher was the main character of NFTs in July.

Now, for his next trick, he’s doing something new:

A non-speculative, refundable, open edition art experience.

Not exactly the kind of thing that tends to gain momentum around these parts, but with Jack’s track record I think there’s a real chance it could go viral.

We don’t exactly know when it’ll launch yet, but we know the contract has been finished for some time now.

NOTE: These drops are lightly curated. Our only requirement is that they have recognizable founders. As usual, DYOR. To learn more go here.

Polygon by Tyler Foust

Tyler Foust, breakout artist from Reddit’s Collectible Avatar program and Pluto Misfits partner, dropped a free, month-long open edition last night.

This collaboration with Layerr, a no-code launchpad for artist releases, celebrates the platform's recent launch on Polygon, featuring the sidechain’s symbol in the artist’s signature single-line art style.

Spaghetti Bones by Joshua Bagley

A new Art Blocks Curated release is upon us: Spaghetti Bones by Joshua Bagley, an artist most famously known for Ecumenopolis, a 2021 drop that reached a floor of ~20 ETH back in the wagmi era (good times).

In each of this collection’s 600 animated pieces, colorful brushstrokes progressively fill a blank canvas and sprawl out organically and in various directions simultaneously. This sort of pattern is called differential growth, and you can find examples of it in other Art Blocks releases.

This style has been done in various ways over the past few years of generative art so, in mid-2023, I don't find it all too compelling, but you might. Feel free to check out the project’s Sansa page for output examples.

The Mint List

1. Taproot Wizards. OG Bitcoin meme inscribed as ordinals

2. 10KTF PFP. Drop from a team that includes Yuga and Beeple

3. Project Animus. RTFKT's biggest launch since Clone-X

4. Shadow Hats. Ordinals drop from the creators of Forgotten Runes

5. Symbiogenesis. Square Enix's upcoming gaming NFT

6. Genesis SFT Pass. Digital anime collectibles from a notable team

7. Memeland [TBC]. High-value treasure MVPs minting on BTC

8. LUCI: Chapter 5. Follow-up from artist with esteemed collector base

9. Quasi Dragons. Innovative drop from an Art Blocks veteran

10. Studies in Color…. Art drop from a pioneer and museum exhibitor