GM

This newsletter is for those who have questioned their sanity at least once while spending money on a jpeg, and yet keep coming back for more.

Salut!

In today’s edition:

• What I'll be minting today (if I'm lucky)

• Changes in the Lists

• Four fresh drops

More info on Mint/Watch lists HERE.

We've all had that nightmare…

Where we click a link to a fake NFT site and watch helplessly as our wallet gets drained.

I've seen it happen way too many times - even to the "pros".

But it's 2023, you don't have to keep going through the NFT space unprotected.

Pocket Universe is a transaction security tool that protects over 65,000 Web3 users from scams.

It works through a browser extension that pops up to validate each transaction before you sign, including:

1. Helping you understand what each transaction does

2. Giving you warnings about potential scams

And recently they announced that they'll cover anyone up to $2,000 if they get scammed from a transaction while using Pocket Universe.

So if you lost an NFT worth 1 ETH ($1,850 today) you'd get it all back for free.

Haven't seen that kind of confidence in a while.

Stay safe out there - learn more about Pocket Universe here.

What I’ll be minting today (if I’m lucky)

I had a phenomenal comfort meal last night – spicy chicken vindaloo with basmati rice and two glasses of Appalachian Cabernet Sauvignon.

I savored every bite like it was my last.

Why? Because I knew today would be chaotic and brutal. Your Most Favorite Author is participating in an old-fashioned mint war.

Context

Monday Reddit announced that their anticipated Gen 4 avatar series is launching on 7/26, aka TODAY! (for more opinions on the drop, read this.)

This is surprisingly short notice (no specific time even given yet), but it makes sense.

Reddit probably learned a lesson from their Gen 3 drop, where they did a more prolonged marketing sprint that alerted perhaps one-too-many flippers. The result was a bot attack on the most hyped avatars that left a sour taste for a lot of real supporters.

I’m expecting some changes this time that’ll make it harder for bots. But rest assured: the most hyped avatars will likely, once again, sell out quickly.

Times like these remind me of the famous Ben Franklin quote:

So last night I went through the entire list of announced artists (all 139 of them).

And, without further ado, here’s a short list of the ones I’ll be watching:

Artist: Bodegacatceo

Bodegacatceo (2000 supply)

Artist: Cool Cats

C4T Monitor (99 supply)

Artist: Rojom

The Astronomist (500 supply)

Artist: Gasolyn

Kyuri (500 supply)

Artist: Penguitt

Gloop (100 supply)

Artist: Aku Dreams (Micah Johnson)

Aku (5,000 supply)

Artist: Polila1

The Electric Elbow (5,000 supply)

Artist: Bogi_D

Good idea (222 supply)

Artist: Conall-in-Space

Assembler’s Echo (125 supply)

Artist: Withspaces

Fragile Thoughts (2,100 supply)

Artist: Chipperdoodle

Treasure of Conelantis (500 supply)

Some final thoughts

• The most hyped avatars will probably be the three from Cool Cats.

• Rojom is arguably the cult favorite from prior Reddit series.

• Chipperdoodle also has a meme following for the Cone trait.

• High-supply avatars will be cheaper (some just $10) but less likely to sell out.

• Supply for this drop is huge (potentially 500k overall). Many artists will not get close to selling out.

• New cult favorites will emerge. Go with your gut and you may find a hidden gem.

• I found this list VERY helpful. Check it for a comprehensive artist preview.

Good luck to those participating.

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

FVCKRENDER X Crypto Stamp Art

While last week I wrote about RSTLSS partnering with an unlikely duo in Paris Hilton and Gremplin, tomorrow we’ll see a comparably bizarre partnership drop: FVCKRENDER x the Austrian Post Office.

It only seems bizarre on the surface. Once you dig a little deeper, you’ll discover that this post office has been pioneering blockchain-enabled stamps since 2019, making them more seasoned crypto users than most of you reading this (don't worry, no judgment here).

With their Crypto Stamp Art program started in 2022, the company focuses more on the art collecting side of things rather than the pragmatic side of stamps.

This release might be an interesting one for fans of FVCKRENDER’s digital creations, as the 999 pieces in it come with free physical claims, literally backed by post office shipping.

Muttenz by wuwa

Ben Behorin, a.k.a wuwa, an Israel-based digital artist with decades of work mostly outside of web3, will be making his fourth Art Blocks Presents release this October with Muttenz, a 300-supply collection that experiments with shapes and colors.

The work builds on the learnings from his first three collections, The Primitive Trilogy, which you can read more about here.

Cel Mates Tattoo Drop

If you were waiting for a cosmic sign to get a tattoo, perhaps this is it. Cel Mates, a project by artist mcbess, is doing a tattoo drop this summer, with the NFT granting a free claim at the project’s IRL events.

Although the popularity of the Cel Mates PFP has been declining, Mcbess’s 50’s cartoon style could definitely make for some dope tattoo designs, in your Dear Writer’s opinion, but I’ll be waiting on further mint details.

TODEM - Holder Free Mint

In late May, I wrote about TODEM, an impressive generative AI art piece made of multiple NFTs by Jason Salavon and his collective Latent Culture, which saw a full release earlier this month.

It’s technically still minting for an indefinite period of time, with the current floor on unminted pieces sitting at 0.19 ETH. But it looks like the team is still cooking in the kitchen, as they’ve recently announced a follow-up collection.

The release will be a free mint exclusive to TODEM holders, and although I know nothing of it yet, I’m excited to see how they build on their last great work.

The Mint List

1. Taproot Wizards. OG Bitcoin meme inscribed as ordinals

2. Themes and Variations. Sotheby’s showcases pioneer gen artist

3. 10KTF PFP. Drop from a team that includes Yuga and Beeple

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

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

6. Symbiogenesis. Square Enix's upcoming gaming NFT

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

8. Reddit Gen 4 Avatars. Fourth collection from the social media giant

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

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