Azuki is an NFT project launched on January 12, 2022 by Chiru Labs, a Los Angeles-based Web3 startup, featuring a Japanese anime-style avatar (PFP) series of 10,000 unique generative NFTs. Each Azuki has 13 trait classes and 469 attributes, divided into four types: Human, Blue, Red, and Spirit, with the Spirit type being the rarest at 97.
Issuance method and total
issuance: 10,000 NFTs.
Minting: Using the Dutch auction mechanism, the starting price is 1 ETH, decreasing 0.05 ETH every 20 minutes, and the lowest is 0.15 ETH. However, due to the extreme heat of the market, the NFTs were all sold out before the price dropped for the first time.
Current holders: There are about 4,255 unique addresses that hold Azuki NFTs.
The public chain
,Azuki, is deployed on the Ethereum blockchain and adopts the ERC-721 standard. To optimize the large-scale minting experience, Chiru Labs has developed the ERC721A smart contract standard, which has been open-sourced for use by other projects.
Celebrity Support & Community
InfluenceAzuki has attracted the attention of several celebrities and collectors, including:
Steve Aoki: Famous DJ who holds multiple Azuki NFTs.
Jay Chou (Jay Chou): Chinese pop singer who publicly supports the Azuki project.
Adrian Cheng: A well-known art collector in Hong Kong who owns a large number of Azuki NFTs.
In addition, the Azuki community is active, with members actively participating in project development and culture building on platforms such as Discord and Twitter.
Company Ecosystem & Business
ModelChiru Labs: The company behind Azuki is building a Web3 brand that expands into areas such as physical goods, animation, and the metaverse.
Ecosystem Composition:
The Garden: An exclusive community for Azuki holders, offering benefits such as exclusive events, airdrops, and merchandise.
Beanz: Azuki's spin-off collection, with a total of 20,000 NFTs, as Azuki's sidekick character. Medium
Elementals: A new collection that expands Azuki's worldview, with a total of 20,000 NFTs divided into four elements: Earth, Fire, Lightning, and Water.
ANIME Token: The native token launched by Azuki, with a total supply of 10 billion, of which 37.5% is airdropped to Azuki NFT holders, and the rest is used for community funds, ecological development, and team incentives.
Physical merchandise: including plush toys in partnership with PMI Toys, limited-edition skateboards, and more.
Animation project: Partnered with dentsu on the three-part animated series Enter the Garden to further expand the brand's presence.
Intellectual Property & Controversy
Founder Controversy: Azuki founder Zagabond has admitted to being involved in several failed NFT projects, raising questions about his integrity in the community.
Elementals Collection Controversy: The collection has been criticized for being too similar to the original Azuki NFT, leading to a decline in community trust.
Metadata breaches: The Beanz series suffered a metadata breach before it was revealed, raising concerns about insider trading.
Summary
: With its unique art style and strong community building, Azuki has quickly risen in the NFT market as one of the blue-chip projects. Despite some controversies and challenges, its continued innovation and diverse ecosystem provide a solid foundation for the project's long-term development.
For more information on the latest developments in the Azuki project or how to get involved, it is recommended to visit their official website or check out the NFT collection on platforms such as OpenSea.
