The world-famous publication could not have summarized the Bored Ape Yacht Club craze any more eloquently.

“Bored Apes are taking over Twitter.”

The Bored Ape Yacht Club – or BAYC – has marched into the halls of the social media space and celebrities, crypto enthusiasts, and athletes all over the world are just... bananas for it. Bad puns aside, the now-multimillion venture started as a small venture by a group of four friends on a fateful April of 2021. Fast forward to today, eight months into the year on December 2021, these apes have raised over one billion dollars since their inception, donated millions in charity, and has successfully produced 10,000 apes that have seemingly taken over the internet.

The BAYC ape revolution has had a major hand in ascending the NFT industry into mainstream dominance as it sold out at an auction in Sotheby’s in a single hour, raking in a staggering amount of $96 million.

Apes Take Over

On the high-octane, strife-filled grounds of social media, trends and sensations are fleeting -- fragile at best. It would serve daily dwellers to be stone-skinned and steeled as conflict is rewarded by engagement more than goodwill and cooperation and the incendiary are merited more than the virtuous.

Come May 2021, Twitter users gradually notice something shifting in the normal rabble of feeds and notifications. Other users and other famous personalities seem to be changing display pictures en masse. Within a few weeks, Twitter feeds and notifications all fell into the same trend; social media communities changing into ensembles of ape avatars. In a sweeping and contemporaneous wave, Twitter underwent a metamorphosis that resulted in a variety of apes flourishing diverse selections of eyewear, headwear, clothes, and bizarre quirks that range from cigars to mutations and laser vision.

The apes came in several expressions. Some had blasé expressions or teeth-heavy grins while some smoked cigarettes, having sticks of tobacco dangling from their maws, eyes red from being hopelessly stoned.

In gauntlets of threads, these apes interacted amongst each other, like their real-life counterparts in the wild. Amongst the chitter-chatter and… err... monkey business, it was revealed that these ape avatars come from a website collard the Bored Ape Yacht Club, officially launched earlier that year. For two hundred dollars a pop in the Ethereum blockchain at the time of the launch, BAYC released 10,000 different variations of the cartoon apes as NFTs.

Ownership of a Bored Ape NFT is also counted as verified access to an exclusive membership to a swamp-themed club for apes. On their website, an illustration of a wooden shack ornamented with strings of lights in several colors is highlighted.

Within the first hour of its release on Sotheby’s, all 10,000 iterations of the flamboyantly decorated primates have all been sold and gone. By the time NBA living legend and all-time great Stephen Curry bought an ape for himself via OpenSea in August, they cost him over $180,000. Many collecting communities in NFT communities coveted the release of the ape collection and considered ownership of such collectibles as actual status symbols -- the same way society bestows value in sneakers or watches.

The collecting circles of the NFT market were quick to get on board the BAYC hype. Enthusiasts forecasted the BAYC craze to be one of the biggest things to ever happen in crypto history. Matt Galligan, co-founder and CEO of messaging network for crypto XMTP, bought four Bored Apes during the launch and many NBA Top Shots collectors, video NFTs of NBA highlights, started changing their avatars into the highly-desired apes.

They weren’t wrong. As soon as these primates hit the market, it was nothing short of a gold rush. The Bored Ape Yacht Club’s first batch of NFTs has had their values skyrocket to more than two million dollars. The entirety of the collection has since accumulated hundreds of millions in trading. The most affordable apes, being the least rare, have been appraised to be over $14,000.

As the BAYC floor keeps on rising, thus becoming increasingly hard to obtain for the general demographic, more and more A-listers and celebrities are joining the fray. From rappers, athletes, Youtubers, influencers, and up to the stars at the summit of the celebrity spectrum, many celebrities have joined the NFT movement through the Bored Ape Yacht Club, one of the biggest collections in crypto history.

Jimmy Fallon: Bored Ape #599

One the more recent and biggest additions to the Bored Ape Yacht club is The Tonight Show host himself, Jimmy Fallon himself. On November 12, the TV host announced his membership to the yacht club, garnering dense media attention as it extends the streak of big occurrences in the NFT industry. Earlier this year, the Facebook Company was changed to Meta and Beeple sold an artwork for $29 million in an auction. With the entry of big names paired with groundbreaking news, it’s no mystery that consumer interest in the NFT space is at an all-time high.

Post Malone: Bored Ape #961 and #9039

Just a few days after The Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon announced his entry into the prestigious ape collectible line, multi-awarded record artist and singer/songwriter Post Malon also secured a dynamic duo of rare Bored Apes.

His purchase of the primate collectible was a collaboration with MoonPay, a crypto-centric payment company. One of these primate collectibles, now owned by the hip-hop superstar, was actually featured in the official music video of the hit track “One Right Now,” which Post Malone performed with The Weeknd.

Stephen Curry: Bored Ape #7990

The three-time NBA Champion Stephen “The Chef” Curry himself joined the craze, publishing his ape as his Twitter avatar in August. As the undisputed greatest shooter of all time and the man personally responsible for changing the game of basketball, Chef Curry’s presence in the NFT space is sure to turn some heads. Officially becoming part of the Bored Ape Yacht Club on August 2021, his grand entrance into the crypto community sent the collecting and enthusiast circles abuzz.

Logan Paul: Bored Apes #207 and #1442

In the chaos of The Bored Ape Yacht Club in April 2021, famous YouTubers flocked to the BAYC sale in record time. One exception, however, is the larger-than-life YouTube content creator, Logan Paul. After months of abstaining from inclusion to the famed yacht club, the Paul brother finally gave in and purchased two Bored Apes. The primary for the late purchase is unknown but whether it be the rising floor prices or the mainstream attention BAYC is garnering, the community welcomed the social media influencer into the wharf by the swamp.

Marshmello: Bored Ape #4808

The NFT space has been an amazing platform for musicians and producers alike. With prominent names like RAC and 3LAU on the frontlines of the electronic music genre in the crypto community, global hitmaker Marshmello was very much at home when he entered the NFT space in May 2021. It was only a matter of time before Marshmello got himself one of these famous primates.

Steve Aoki: Bored Ape #3719, #5823, #8716, and more

Steve Aoki has been recognized as one of the biggest known enthusiasts of NFTs. As a collector and a creator himself, Steve has been involved in the NFT space since early 2021 and has even minted his work. As an avid enthusiast, he was able to collect four Bored Apes. Just as the BAYC floor price reach 50 ETH, Steve Aoki was reported to have secured another one at the best possible time.

Mark Cuban: Bored Ape #1597

Mark Cuban, a world-renowned eccentric billionaire, investor. and entrepreneur, was quick to familiarize himself with the NFT and crypto market. Due to this enthusiasm, he quickly picked up on the rising fame of The Bored Ape Yacht Club. His interest also dates back to the CryptoPunks rush and is also an owner of the rare NFT. Mark Cuban isn’t the most active person on social media, but when he does show up on his followers’ walls or feeds, he’s likely to talk about two things: basketball or NFTs.

Mike Shinoda: Bored Ape #2299

Mike Shinoda, co-founder and the lead vocalist of the multi-award-winning band, Linkin Park has long been regarded to be a man of the times. The singer/songwriter has been involved in the NFT market even before 21 and is a proud owner of a Bored Ape.

Aside from his reputation in the physical world as a music legend, he has been building a rapidly increasing fanbase in crypto communities as well as a content creator, collector, and industry trailblazer.

LaMelo Ball: Bored Ape #598 and #7226

One of the hottest and rapidly rising stars of the NBA, Lamelo Ball, was among the first handful of collectors who joined the yacht club. The 2020 NBA Rookie of the Year immediately contributed to the fame of The Bored Ape Yacht Club by personally entering the Bored Apes Discord channel. With a new name to add to the hot celebrity list, The Bored Ape Yacht Club continues to rise and precede itself.

The Chainsmokers: Bored Ape #7691

Despite the lengthy break, The Chainsmokers are taking from the limelight and social media, the electronic duo was quick to change their Twitter profile picture into the familiarly designed primate. The dynamic duo became part of the club in September 2021; similarly acquiring a rare cheetah trait ape as Mike Shinoda, Mark Cuban, and Spottie Wifi.

Gary Vaynerchuk: Bored Ape #1452, #7912, and #8106

Gary Vaynerchuk, or more prominently known as GaryVee, is a business-minded influencer often sharing the latest marketing trends and practices online. With this reputation, it’s no surprise that he was quick to pick up at least three Bored Apes.

The real number of Bored Apes in his position is still unknown but it’s been said that GaryVee was around for the initial BAYC mint. As a business guru, GaryVee was certainly ahead of the flock in seeing the value in The Bored Ape Yacht Club early on.

FaZe Banks: Bored Ape #1158, #7534, #8937 and #9134

One of the earlier members of The Bored Ape Yacht Club, FaZe Banks is a polarizing character in the NFT space. Despite divided opinions, however, his acts of philanthropy are a universal and objective act of goodwill and have earned him respect from fellow members of the BAYC community and the entirety of the NFT community.

Timbaland: Bored Ape #590

Timbaland, despite being new to the Bored Ape community, having joined the ranks in September 2021, has been an active member of the BAYC circles. He’s been actively participating in the community and has even announced BAYC-exclusive content. Timbaland has announced the release of an NFT – through his BAYC-dedicated Ape-In Productions – the first the legendary producer has ever minted.

Dez Bryant: Bored Ape #2902

One of few NFL stars to take notice of The Bored Ape Yacht Club, Dez Bryant, wide receiver for the Baltimore Raven, was one of the early birds to the BAYC mania. Part of the yacht club since July, he was among the first celebrities to dial in before the wave of celebrities decided to join the club.

Lil Baby: Bored Ape #129

Despite being one of the biggest rappers of this generation, Lil Baby shows a passion for the Bored Ape Yacht Club. The rapper/recording artist from Atlanta was joined by many celebrities who acquired their Apes through MoonPay.

Since acquiring his ape and membership, Lil Baby has been active in the BAYC circles and even performed in the Bored Ape warehouse party during NFT.NYC.

The stars have flocked to the yacht club in droves and these are just a few of the biggest and brightest to have landed on the swamps of the Bored Ape Yacht Club. In conjunction with the active community that supports and makes the overall value of the Bored Ape Yacht Club enlivened and enriched, the presence of this rare collection of talents and enthusiasts can only mean good things for BAYC.

Like this article? Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter for more content like this.