Share this article
It's Bananas, but Unconfirmed Metaverse Rumors Are Pumping ApeCoin
The latest price pump in almost-anything-goes crypto markets shows just how quick and easy it can be to touch off a fresh flurry of speculation.
By Eli Tan
Updated May 11, 2023, 5:11 p.m. Published Apr 20, 2022, 5:51 p.m.
All it took on Wednesday were a pair of tweets from the pseudonymous #cryptotwitterati handles @renegademasterr and @WillyTheDegen to ignite a surge in the price of ApeCoin (APE), a token linked to the buzzy-as-it-gets NFT project Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC).
The speculation is that Yuga Labs, the developer team behind BAYC, is pushing its “Otherside” metaverse toward a public land sale and that the sale might be priced in APE.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Don't miss another story.Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today. See all newsletters
None of the rumors has been confirmed, and crypto speculation often flames out spectacularly, along with the previously pumped token prices.
Yuga Labs didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
At press time, the APE price was around $16, up 24% over the past 24 hours and 68% over the past 30 days, according to the data site CoinGecko. The market capitalization has shot to a very biped level of $4.6 billion this week.
Was just sent some huge alpha re @yugalabs land drop. The sale will be a Dutch auction of some sort starting at 600 $APE.
— Renegademaster.eth 🫡 (@renegademasterr) April 20, 2022
BAYC / MAYC (Airdrop)
Punks, Meebits, Cool Cats, Nounz, WoW, Toadz (Auto WL)
Get your $APE ready. Looks like we’re gonna need it. #BAYC #OTHERSIDE
When the APE token launched in March, Yuga Labs announced plans to “adopt ApeCoin as the primary token for all new products and services.”
Details around its “Otherside” metaverse remain sparse. But trailers released by Yuga Labs show involvement from a slew of popular NFT (non-fungible token) faces, including Cool Cats, Nounz and Toadz, whose floor prices have all risen this week.
Lyllah Ledesma contributed reporting.
More For You
L1 tokens broadly underperformed in 2025 despite a backdrop of regulatory and institutional wins. Explore the key trends defining ten major blockchains below.
What to know:
2025 was defined by a stark divergence: structural progress collided with stagnant price action. Institutional milestones were reached and TVL increased across most major ecosystems, yet the majority of large-cap Layer-1 tokens finished the year with negative or flat returns.
This report analyzes the structural decoupling between network usage and token performance. We examine 10 major blockchain ecosystems, exploring protocol versus application revenues, key ecosystem narratives, mechanics driving institutional adoption, and the trends to watch as we head into 2026.
More For You
Bitcoin trails polar opposites, gold and copper, as 'fear and AI' trade lifts tangible assets
Gold and copper have outperformed other major assets this year, with gold rallying more than copper.
What to know:
- Gold and copper have outperformed other major assets this year, with gold rallying more than copper.
- Bitcoin has underperformed, failing to attract both fear-driven and AI-driven investment, highlighting a shift towards tangible assets.
- The divergence in performance between gold and copper reflects market bets on both AI-driven growth and systemic financial fears.
Top Stories
