Important Points to Remember
- Ozzy Osbourne has released the CryptoBatz NFT collection. It was developed in partnership with Sutter Systems.
- CryptoBatz NFTs allow holders to "bite" another NFT to create a MutantBatz NFT, which was inspired by Ozzy Osbourne biting a bat's head off live on stage.
- CryptoBatz is also undertaking a real-world treasure hunt for AncientBatz, a rare set of NFTs with the ability to "bite" up to 99 times.
Sutter Systems collaborated with Ozzy Osbourne to produce CryptoBatz, a collection of 9,666 pixel-art bats. Each bat can "bite" an NFT from one of the project's partner collections, resulting in a new hybrid MutantBat with characteristics from both the biter and the victim NFTs.
The History of CryptoBatz
Ozzy Osbourne, sometimes known as the Prince of Darkness, rose to prominence as the lead singer of Black Sabbath in the 1970s. Throughout his decades-long career, he earned a reputation for pushing the boundaries in his on-stage performances, including chewing the head off a live bat on stage in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1982.
Those who were born after Osbourne's music career peaked are more likely to recognize him from the hit reality TV show The Osbournes. The spaced-out singer delighted millions with his numerous antics while living in a Los Angeles house with his wife and manager Sharon and two of their three children on the show, which ran from 2002 and 2005.
The crypto community was equally excited and suspicious when word came that Ozzy Osbourne will be launching his own NFT line in January. Celebrity NFTs have a poor name, with numerous high-profile figures launching inferior collections that fail miserably. But, as Sharon notes in one of the project's promotional videos, CryptoBatz wasn't "simply another celebrity cash grab" right away.
Sutter Systems, a New York-based NFT firm, teamed with Ozzy Osbourne to bring his NFT vision to life, and CryptoBatz is their flagship collection. Gremplin, the legendary NFT artist behind CrypToadz, which erupted in popularity late last year, is honored in this endeavor. CryptoBatz aims to expand on CrypToadz's popular pixel-art style and continue the tradition of pixel-art NFTs that began with Larva Labs' CryptoPunks in 2017.
The 9,666 CryptoBatz collection follows a similar pattern to other generative avatar projects. Each NFT is a pixel-art bat with a wide range of qualities and characteristics. Many of the collection's elements, such as headgear and accessories, are based on those seen in past NFT collections, such as Bored Ape Yacht Club and CyberKongz. CryptoBatz, on the other hand, introduces a slew of new qualities devised by the Prince of Darkness himself.
Osbourne is listed as the project's creative director on the CryptoBatz website, a role he doesn't take lightly. Sutter Systems co-founder Jepeggi recently spoke with Crypto Briefing on Osbourne's contribution to CryptoBatz. He explained:
Several elements in the CryptoBatz collection allude to Osbourne's distinct aesthetic. Gold chains, purple-tinted "Ozzy" shades, and hairstyles and accessories inspired by the Prince of Darkness are also options for bats.
The collection also includes 29 "legendary" one-of-a-kind bats that were assigned at random during the mint, in addition to the algorithmically generated CryptoBatz. Many of the renowned CryptoBatz, such as the ToadBat by CrypToadz creator Gremplin, the SupBat by SupDucks artist FrankyNines, and the KongBat by CyberKongz creator myoo, are joint efforts with artists from partner projects.
The project's Discord server exploded in popularity as word of Osbourne's NFT collection spread. Early participants may be able to obtain a whitelist pass, which will allow them to mint CryptoBats prior to the public sale. Over 100,000 people had joined the project's Discord server by the time the minting began on January 20. Over 80% of the 9,666 CryptoBatz supply was distributed to active Discord users, assisting the project in establishing a solid community from the start.
For whitelist members, CryptoBatz was first produced for 0.08 ETH. The remaining bats were sold in a Dutch auction system, with prices starting at 1.66 ETH. Prices for CryptoBatz on the secondary market have been stable since the mint, rarely falling below 1 ETH.
MutantBatz is a company that is constantly innovating.
While Ozzy Osbourne's celebrity has surely added to the buzz around CryptoBatz, the focus has now shifted to a never-before-seen NFT minting mechanism.
Through a second collection named MutantBatz, the project plans to expand on the idea of NFT avatars. MutantBatz, on the other hand, will not be produced in the same way as the original CryptoBatz. Instead, holders can only make MutantBatz by "biting" a victim NFT from a partnered project with their CryptoBatz, a reference to the notorious incident when Ozzy Osbourne bit a bat's head off live on stage.
The new MutantBat NFTs will inherit traits from both the biting CryptoBat and the victim NFT, allowing holders to construct novel attribute combinations. The entire operation is managed by Ethereum smart contracts, and it is the first project to integrate the possibility to create hybrid NFTs.
One of the most problematic components of the CryptoBatz project, according to Jepeggi, was establishing MutantBatz. He explained:
"No one in the NFT space has ever done anything like this because it is both technically challenging and sheer legwork." We're working on a lot of new artwork and collaborating with our tech team to make sure it all works together seamlessly for the end user."
Bored Ape Yacht Club, CrypToadz by Gremplin, SupDucks, Alien Frens, and CyberKongz will all be able to bite NFTs from CryptoBatz. Holders must have a CryptoBat and an eligible victim NFT in the same wallet to generate a MutantBat. Because each CryptoBat can only bite once and each victim NFT can only be bitten once, holders must chose carefully before biting another NFT.
Jepeggi also told Crypto Briefing that during the minting procedure, his team had hidden some more Easter Eggs. "You can create completely new unusual features by biting precise combinations of bat and victim traits together," he explained. CryptoBatz that haven't bitten another NFT will become increasingly rare as more MutantBatz are minted through biting, until no more MutantBatz can be minted using CryptoBatz. The collection, however, does not end there.
Sutter Systems is undertaking a global search for AncientBatz, the third and last form of CryptoBat. Unlike conventional CryptoBatz, which can only bite once before becoming weary, AncientBatz can bite up to 99 times before becoming exhausted. Each AncientBat will be a one-of-a-kind, custom-designed piece of art by a world-renowned artist, making them significant collectors' items in and of itself.
The AncientBatz treasure hunt is still a mystery, but it involves uncovering a hidden QR code that, when scanned, unlocks a wallet containing the AncientBat. Sutter Systems claims that it would soon begin dropping hints and clues to AncientBatz QR code sites, allowing the bats to be found. A map on the CryptoBatz website displays prospective places all across the world, from Australia's east coast to Canada's far north.
Sutter Systems will, however, disclose MutantBatz minting before the AncientBatz quest begins. Bored Ape Yacht Club will be the first partner collection to go live on Feb. 20, followed by the other partners every three days until CyberKongz, the final collection, goes live on Mar. 4. Other special guests are involved in the release, including Sharon Osbourne, Jake Udell, and several famous figures from the CryptoBatz partner projects' communities, in addition to daily MutantBatz giveaways throughout the event.
Despite the fact that Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne are fresh to the NFT scene, they've set a fantastic precedent for future celebrities who wish to get engaged. CrypoBatz has improved on existing themes in the NFT sector to produce a collection befitting of the Prince of Darkness, rather than presenting a derivative project that collectors will shortly forget. CryptoBatz appears to be surviving as more avatar projects swamp the ever-growing NFT market by bringing on crypto natives like the Sutter Systems team and cooperating with major blue chip businesses.