MoMA Adds CryptoPunks and Chromie Squiggles NFTs to Its Permanent Collection

The Museum of Modern Art in New York has taken a notable step into the world of digital and onchain art, adding works from two of the most influential NFT collections ever created to its permanent holdings. Through a coordinated donation effort, MoMA has acquired eight CryptoPunks and eight Chromie Squiggles, signaling growing institutional recognition of blockchain-based art.

The 16 NFTs will be housed within MoMA’s Media and Performance department, a curatorial space dedicated to video, experimental technology, and other forms of new media. Rather than being purchased, all of the works were donated, reflecting a community-driven approach that mirrors the collaborative ethos behind many early NFT projects. Visitors can view the newly added pieces through MoMA’s official website.

The CryptoPunks joining the collection include #74, #2786, #3407, #4018, #5160, #5616, #7178, and #7899. These works were contributed by a mix of creators, collectors, and long-time supporters of the project. Larva Labs founders Matt Hall and John Watkinson donated CryptoPunks #74 and #5160, while other donors included Mara and Erick Calderon, Rhydon and Caroline Lee, Ryan Zurrer of 1OF1 AG, judithESSS, the Tomaino Family, and the Cozomo de’ Medici Collection.

The Chromie Squiggles entered MoMA’s collection through a similar community effort. Donations came from SquiggleDAO, gmoneyNFT, jdh, VonMises14, and several anonymous collectors. The process was coordinated with the help of 1OF1_art, which publicly acknowledged the support of MoMA curators Stuart Comer and Michelle Kuo for championing the acquisition.

CryptoPunks hold a distinctive place in digital art history. Created in 2017 by Larva Labs, the project is widely regarded as one of the earliest NFT collections. The 10,000 pixelated characters, each measuring just 24 by 24 pixels, were generated before the ERC-721 token standard existed, helping to shape the visual and conceptual framework for the profile-picture NFT collections that followed.

Chromie Squiggles also represent a foundational moment in generative art on the blockchain. Launched in November 2020 by Erick Calderon, known as Snowfro, the 10,000-piece collection became the genesis project for Art Blocks. At its height, Art Blocks recorded more than $587 million in monthly sales in August 2021, highlighting the rapid rise of interest in algorithmically generated digital art.

MoMA’s acquisition comes amid broader efforts to cement CryptoPunks within major cultural institutions. Earlier this year, Yuga Labs sold the CryptoPunks intellectual property to the Infinite Node Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on digital art preservation. The foundation has stated its goal of embedding CryptoPunks in leading museums around the world as part of its long-term stewardship.

The timing also aligns with renewed attention on so-called blue-chip NFTs. CryptoPunks saw their strongest weekly trading activity since March 2024 in late July, with more than $24.6 million in volume. While the collection’s total market capitalization has declined from its peak of nearly $2.5 billion to around $763 million, it remains one of the most closely watched assets in the NFT space.

By bringing CryptoPunks and Chromie Squiggles into its permanent collection, MoMA is not only preserving key examples of early onchain art but also acknowledging their influence on contemporary visual culture. The move reinforces the idea that digital works born on the blockchain can hold lasting cultural and historical value alongside more traditional forms of art.