Welcome to the OpenSea digest. Let’s look back through the biggest NFT and web3 news of the week.

Alpha Centauri Kid sells out 178 editions of hybrid print series

Digital artist a.c.k., known as Alpha Centauri Kid, sold 178 editions of his new print, “Synth Wave,” during a 48-hour open window that closed Tuesday. 

The piece was the debut release from his Starry Nights series and came as either an unframed print or a walnut-framed version. Each is paired with a signed physical print and a matching NFT.

On X, some observers pointed out visual similarities between a.c.k.’s piece and Hokusai's well-known woodblock print, “The Great Wave off Kanagawa.” 

Well-known collector Adam Weitsman was among those who praised a.c.k., who said the response from his collectors exceeded his expectations.

PayPal turns down Stripe’s $53 billion buyout offer

PayPal's board rejected a joint $53.4 billion takeover bid from payment company Stripe and private equity firm Advent International last week, calling the offer too low, according to MarketBeat. The bid valued PayPal at $60.50 per share. 

The proposed deal reportedly centered on PayPal's dollar-pegged digital token, PYUSD, a stablecoin whose use has expanded since card network Visa added it to its settlement platform. 

PayPal’s new CEO Enrique Lores, who served on PayPal’s board for nearly five years and became chair in July 2024, was appointed to his chief executive role effective March 2026. After former CEO Alex Chriss made progress monetizing PayPal through Venmo and buy-now-pay-later lending, Lores is expected to focus on technological innovation. 

Deadfellaz’ Betty says new project ‘The God Pull’ aims to restore fun to digital collectibles

Betty, cofounder of the Deadfellaz collection, has set a July 27 launch date for her new project, The God Pull. She said in a post that she built The God Pull to bring enjoyment back to the collector community.

The project's premise centers on collecting in-game "omens" and pulling the God Pull to claim a share of the royalties, which pass to another holder once someone else takes the pull. The account has drawn more than 10,000 followers since launching in June.

The collection will be capped at 11,111 pieces, and minting will be free for Deadfellaz holders. A wallet checking tool called the God List is now live on the project's website. 

Christie's Art + Tech Summit brings together art and tech leaders in New York

Christie's held its 2026 Art + Tech Summit on July 16 at its New York headquarters, gathering artists, collectors, founders and journalists for a day of panels on art and technology. 

Speakers included collector and philanthropist Komal Shah, Christie's global chairman of 20th and 21st century art Max Carter, floor trader Peter Tuchman, Artsy and Artnet chairman Andrew Wolff, and Zillow co-founder Richard Barton. 

Discussions ranged from how younger, tech-wealthy collectors are approaching art buying to the role artificial intelligence might play in influencing taste and creativity going forward.

Christie's CEO Bonnie Brennan said younger collectors increasingly want their collections to reflect personal values and build community, while CNBC's Robert Frank noted that this generation tends to make its money digitally but spend it on physical goods.

The event is organized under Christie's Ventures, the auction house's investment arm focused on companies at the intersection of art and technology.

Visa launches new platform to manage stablecoins for banks and crypto firms

Visa announced a new platform July 16 that will let banks, fintech companies and crypto firms create, store, send and cash out stablecoins all in one system.

Dubbed the Visa Stablecoin Platform (VSP), the platform will first support Open USD, a planned stablecoin backed by more than 140 companies including Visa, payment company Stripe, card network Mastercard, and financial firm BlackRock.

Backers plan to pay most of the profit earned on the token's cash reserves to companies handing it out to customers, and Open USD is expected to launch later this year. 

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