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

CryptoPunks IP now belongs to NODE Foundation

The Infinite Node Foundation (NODE), a nonprofit focused on preserving and advancing digital art, has officially acquired the intellectual property (IP) of CryptoPunks from Yuga Labs. Yuga had previously acquired the rights from Larva Labs in 2022.

The historic transfer places one of the internet’s most culturally significant art collections into a mission-driven endowment.

According to the announcement, NODE plans to preserve the project’s technological integrity, foster community engagement, and expand the ways CryptoPunks are studied, exhibited, and understood. 

Refik Anadol releases sold-out generative artwork, ‘Biome Lumina’

Digital artist Refik Anadol has sold out his latest project, “Biome Lumina,” a collection of 1,000 generative “living paintings” priced at $5,000 each.

Released on his new art-tech platform Dataland, the collection is powered by the studio’s Large Nature Model (LNM), an AI trained on over 2.4 million images and global rainforest data that Anadol says are ethically sourced.

Each collector set includes three elements: a generative AI data painting and a corresponding museum-quality physical print, plus a living painting on the My.Dataland platform.

Pudgy Penguins launches Pengu Clash on Telegram-friendly TON blockchain

Pudgy Penguins has released Pengu Clash, a new multiplayer web3 game built on TON, which is closely integrated with the Telegram messaging app.

The game features short, skill-based mini-games and uses a “Play2Win” model, meaning players can earn prizes by competing well as opposed to spending more money. It was developed on a multiplayer gaming platform called Elympics, which supports real-time matches and social tournaments.

Meanwhile, the Pudgy team seems to be teasing expansion into more physical toy collectibles. One tweet asked the community who needs a Ghost Pudgy figurine with a video of the see-through penguin toy released last Halloween. Another asked “Are you ready?” and revealed neon-lit storage cases of collectible characters, hinting that more is to come from this web3 brand.

Frank steps down as CEO of DeGods

Rohun Vara, best known in the NFT space as Frank DeGods, announced he is stepping down as CEO of DeGods after three years of building and leading the influential NFT projects DeGods and y00ts. Leadership will now pass to core team members, Chill and Pasta.

In a series of candid posts, Vara acknowledged the intensity of the role, shared gratitude for the relationships formed, and said he is retiring his public wallet.

Vara’s departure marks the end of a defining chapter for the DeGods brand, one of the most prominent NFT projects on the Solana blockchain.

Coinbase to acquire Deribit

Coinbase has announced a $2.9 billion agreement to acquire Deribit, a Panama-based crypto options exchange with a strong institutional user base. The deal includes $700 million in cash and 11 million shares of Coinbase’s Class A stock, reportedly making it the largest acquisition in crypto history.

Deribit, known for its derivatives liquidity, will effectively expand Coinbase’s global presence and strengthen its platform across spot, futures, perpetuals, and options.

Steak ‘n Shake will accept Bitcoin payments nationwide starting May 16

Fast food chain Steak ‘n Shake is set to accept Bitcoin as payment at all U.S. locations beginning May 16, which will make crypto available as a payment method to over 100 million customers.

The rollout follows months of social media teases and hints that lean into Bitcoin’s cultural relevance. Steak ‘n Shake is one of the first major U.S. restaurant chains to launch nationwide Bitcoin payments, rather than limiting it to a pilot program.

Arbitrum Gaming Ventures deploys $10 million to grow its web3 gaming ecosystem

Arbitrum Gaming Ventures, a $65 million initiative backed by the Ethereum layer-two (L2) network Arbitrum, has deployed its first $10 million into studios and platforms building web3 games.

The initial cohort includes Wildcard, a 2v2 collectible card action game led by industry veterans Paul Bettner and Katy Drake Bettner, Hyve Labs, a social gaming platform enabling cross-channel play on apps like X and Telegram, and Xai, a layer-three (L3) network designed to bring Steam-scale distribution to web3 games. 

Launched in 2024, the fund partners with firms like Paradigm and BITKRAFT to support long-term player-centric growth across Arbitrum’s ecosystem.