The Truth Behind the Alleged $56M CryptoPunk NFT Sale

CryptoPunk 1563 Transaction Raises Doubts

CryptoPunk 1563 was sold this afternoon for 24,000 ETH, or $56.3 million, in what appeared to be a large transaction. However, several visible and concealed red flags arose, raising concerns about the sale’s legality.

About $69,000 in ETH was paid in September for the purchase of CryptoPunk 1563. This raises questions as it is considered a “floor Punk,” meaning it usually sells near the entry-level price for the collection. With no rare attributes, there’s no reason to justify such an Extensive analysis of on-chain data indicates that the transaction was a component of a flash loan program. The purchase was made using flash loans, which are uncollateralized crypto loans that need to be paid back in one single transaction. The NFT buyer borrowed $24,000 in ETH from the DeFi protocol Balancer and paid it back in one transaction. Although the NFT did move between wallets, no actual money changed hands because the vendor repaid the loan. Only network fees were paid by the buyer.

This is not the first time such an application of flash loans has occurred. Someone paid an astounding $532 million for a CryptoPunk in October 2021 using flash loans, only to return the money in the same transaction.  While the event made headlines during the NFT market boom, the sale wasn’t recognized as legitimate by CryptoPunks creator Larva Labs or other NFT data platforms.

Source: CryptoPunk 

There’s an unexpected twist in this case. According to the on-chain investigator 0xQuit, this latest flash loan could be tied to an upcoming meme coin called “Kamala Harris Punk.” The sale appears to be a stunt aimed at generating interest in the token’s pre-sale. The NFT in question is set to be sold to the highest bidder after a weeklong pre-sale phase. The developer seems to be betting on earning more through the combined NFT sale and token presale than the current floor price of the Punk, which is around $63,400 worth of ETH.

While the goal is to raise interest and capital through the presale, this strategy could backfire. If the stunt fails to generate enough attention or bidders, it might end up being a costly gamble. The seller is hoping to recoup the amount raised in the presale through the final auction of the CryptoPunk, but there are no guarantees.

Excluding today’s questionable sale, CryptoPunks have generated about $16.7 million in trading volume over the past 30 days, according to data from CryptoSlam. The highest legitimate purchase of a CryptoPunk occurred in February 2022, when one sold for nearly $24 million worth of ETH. That particular Punk was recently resold, though the exact amount remains undisclosed.