Share this article
Crypto Whale DJ Seedphrase Sells Rare CryptoPunk for $4.4M
The investor-turned-DJ told CoinDesk that he was running low on liquidity and wanted to spark movement during crypto winter.
By Rosie Perper
Updated May 11, 2023, 4:25 p.m. Published Sep 29, 2022, 2:14 p.m.
Make us preferred on Google
DJ Seedphrase, an early bitcoin investor and prominent personality within the non-fungible token (NFT) community, sold his rare CryptoPunk 2924 on Wednesday to a buyer in Texas for 3,300 ether , or about US$4.45 million.
The Punk, one of only 24 Apes punks, was last sold in November 2020 for 150 ETH ($71,300) to DJ Seedphrase, the pseudonym of Danny Maegaard. Maegaard currently owns 20 other punks, including his signature CryptoPunk 8348, which features a top hat, big beard, shades and a cigarette.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Don't miss another story.Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today. See all newsletters
3300 ETH SOLD!!! pic.twitter.com/J7mFaA6GcZ
— seedphrase (@seedphrase) September 28, 2022
He told CoinDesk that he had been negotiating with a buyer who operates a family office out of Texas for the last week before deciding to sell his coveted hooded Ape punk.
"I was running low on liquidity and NFT sales volume has taken a nosedive recently, so I knew it would take an exceptional grail to get some market movement," he told CoinDesk. "I’ve regularly received private offers for the hoodie ape, so I knew the interest was there. It was just a matter of finding the right price."
The buyer had used a wallet that had been dormant for over five years to purchase the punk, leading some to question the transaction's legitimacy. In October 2021, Punk 9998 was traded between two wallets for 124,457 ETH, worth around $532 million at the time. The trade raised suspicions and ultimately turned out to be an insider deal known as a wash trade.
However, CryptoPunk NFTs, which are widely credited with starting the modern crypto art movement, have been known to fetch millions in resale. In June 2021, CryptoPunk 7523, also known as "Covid Alien," sold for $11.7 million – the highest sale ever for a CryptoPunk NFT.
The sale of Punk 2924 is notable during the current "crypto winter" as cryptocurrency prices have plummeted and NFT sales have stagnated.
More For You
KuCoin captured a record share of centralised exchange volume in 2025, with more than $1.25tn traded as its volumes grew faster than the wider crypto market.
What to know:
- KuCoin recorded over $1.25 trillion in total trading volume in 2025, equivalent to an average of roughly $114 billion per month, marking its strongest year on record.
- This performance translated into an all-time high share of centralised exchange volume, as KuCoin’s activity expanded faster than aggregate CEX volumes, which slowed during periods of lower market volatility.
- Spot and derivatives volumes were evenly split, each exceeding $500 billion for the year, signalling broad-based usage rather than reliance on a single product line.
- Altcoins accounted for the majority of trading activity, reinforcing KuCoin’s role as a primary liquidity venue beyond BTC and ETH at a time when majors saw more muted turnover.
- Even as overall crypto volumes softened mid-year, KuCoin maintained elevated baseline activity, indicating structurally higher user engagement rather than short-lived volume spikes.
More For You
Michael Saylor's Strategy catches a break from MSCI, but analysts caution fight isn’t over yet
MSCI won’t drop firms like Strategy from indexes yet, but a broader rule change may still be on the table
What to know:
- Shares of Strategy rose 6% after MSCI decided not to exclude digital asset treasury firms from its indexes.
- The decision alleviates immediate pressure on companies holding large amounts of bitcoin but not directly operating in the blockchain sector.
- Analysts caution that the situation may not be resolved, as future MSCI rule changes could still impact firms like Strategy.
Top Stories
