Azuki NFT Guide

What is Azuki NFT?

Azuki NFT Collection, introduced by Chiru Labs in January 2022, rapidly emerged as a pivotal force in the NFT space, amassing a strong community within The Garden, a dedicated Web3 platform for collaboration and exclusive perks. This collection features 10,000 anime-influenced digital collectibles, which made a remarkable debut by garnering over $29 million, thanks to their unique fusion of artistic allure and practical benefits. Azuki holders also get exclusive access to airdrops, experiences and derivative NFTs like Beanz.

Azuki avatars extend beyond mere aesthetics, offering holders access to special releases and an entrance into Azuki’s gamified Metaverse, Hilumia, thereby attracting anime enthusiasts and facilitating a smoother transition from Web2 to Web3 for users. The project, spearheaded by Zagabond and supported by a talented team at Chiru Labs, aims to weave an extensive brand narrative that transcends the traditional boundaries between the digital and the physical worlds, despite facing challenges related to trust and transparency in the past.

Azuki Traits and Rarity

The collection of 10,000 Azuki differentiates themselves from each other with different traits which include hair, clothes, background, skin type, special abilities and objects like swords, skateboards and other items.

The most valuable Azuki types are 'Spirit' which represents 0.97% of the total collection. The current floor price for an Azuki Spirit type is around 98 ETH, which is over $300,000 US dollars as of the time of writing. The next most valuable trait is Azuki's who have gold clothing, items and objects and they are generally worth around 20 ETH per NFT.

‍

Azuki NFT Floor History

The floor price for Azuki NFTs has been increasing steadily since their launch in January 2022. In the early days, Azuki were changing hands for around 1 ETH each. By April of that year, the floor price had sky-rocketed to over 30 ETH and has since settled to around 6.3 ETH, meaning the collection has retained over 6x in value. The growth has been largely due to the team having released several experiences, derivatives and airdrops to keep investors interested and locked in.

What Happened with Zagabond?

The key point of controversy for the Azuki project is their founder, Zagabond. Zagabond is a well-known member of the Ethereum community and has been involved in a number of NFT projects and companies over the years.

In late 2021, Zagabond was accused of plagiarism by several members of the community after he copied large portions of an article written by another member of the community without attribution. Zagabond was also found to have built a number of other NFT projects before Azuki and completely abandoned them, leaving investors with worthless collectables. You can follow Zagabond's Twitter for updates below.

‍

Azuki Roadmap

The Azuki NFT charts a captivating roadmap that extends its vision beyond the conventional NFT space into a comprehensive Web3 experience. Launching with a vibrant collection of 10,000 anime-inspired digital artworks, Azuki aims to cultivate a robust community dubbed The Garden, where holders can access exclusive benefits and collaborative opportunities.

The project's trajectory includes expanding into a gamified Metaverse called Hilumia, offering unique digital and physical drops, and fostering immersive storytelling. Azuki's roadmap is distinguished by its commitment to blending art, technology, and community engagement, promising to bridge the gap between digital collectibles and real-world experiences, thereby setting a new precedent in the NFT domain.

‍

Azuki BEANZ NFT Airdrop

On March 31st, 2022 - the Azuki team airdropped a project called BEANZ to NFT holders. Each Azuki holder received 2 BEANZ for each NFT they held, which are currently valued at around a 1 ETH floor price. The BEANZ series are collectable sidekicks for Azuki's that enable their own unique experiences, games and use-cases. The airdrop was successful in both driving up the price of Azuki's as well as introducing a new project with high potential to Azuki holders.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, Azuki NFTs offer a unique blend of investment and experiential opportunities, distinguishing themselves with exclusive privileges and a diverse array of traits. Despite controversies involving the founder, the collection has retained significant value and continues to entice investors with consistent airdrops and promising future plans such as a meta-game and NFT fractionalization.

However, due diligence is key, as the fluctuating floor prices and Zagabond's previous projects underline the inherent risks in NFT investments. Overall, the Azuki NFT collection is carving out a space in the decentralized brand landscape and playing an integral role in building the metaverse.