Spacebudz

SpaceBudz is a pioneering NFT collection on the Cardano blockchain, featuring 10,000 unique pixel-art astronauts (or "Budz") depicted as cosmic explorers on adventures in a decentralized universe. Launched in March 2021 by founders Zieg (an early NFT enthusiast who owned a CryptoPunk since 2017) and Alessandro (operator of Berry Pool and creator of the Nami Wallet), it was the first major 10,000-piece NFT project on Cardano, helping kickstart the ecosystem's NFT scene. The collection sold out rapidly, with initial mint prices starting at 10 ADA and scaling up to 100 ADA per Bud in batches, generating massive early hype.

Key Features and Innovations

• Art and Rarity: Each Bud is a one-of-a-kind mix of traits like breed (e.g., bull, shark, elli), background, clothing, accessories, and expressions. Rarities drive value—legendary traits like "fire sword" or "ice sword" are highly sought after. The project pioneered Cardano's native multi-asset ledger for NFTs, avoiding the need for smart contracts at launch (unlike Ethereum), which kept fees low and predictable.

• Technical Contributions: SpaceBudz introduced the CIP-25 metadata standard for Cardano NFTs and helped develop CIP-68 for mutable assets. They also built a fully on-chain, smart contract-based marketplace, setting benchmarks for decentralization and open-source development (check their GitHub for code).

• Upgrades and Versions: The original (V1) collection uses CIP-25, while a V2 version migrated to CIP-68 for enhanced flexibility, like upgradable traits. Many holders have migrated via tools like Wormhole, though compatibility varies by wallet (Eternl recommended).

Market Stats (as of October 2025)

SpaceBudz remains a blue-chip Cardano NFT, with a storied history of high-profile sales—like SpaceBud #9936 fetching 510,000 ADA (~$1M USD at the time) in October 2021, or #7845 at 110,000 ADA (~$321K). Total all-time volume exceeds 48.4M ADA across both versions.

For the original V1 collection:

• Floor Price: 4,950 ADA (~$1,800 USD, based on current ADA price)

• Total Supply: 10,000 NFTs

• Owners: 1,292 unique wallets

• Listings: 19 active

• Market Cap: ~7.3M ADA (from earlier 2024 data; current estimates similar given low listings)

V2 shows higher activity, with a floor around 15,500 ADA. Trading happens on marketplaces like JPG Store, CNFT.io, and their native platform. Recent 24h sales are modest (e.g., 19 in 7 days for V1), reflecting a mature, holder-focused market amid broader crypto bear trends.

Community and Utilities

The SpaceBudz community is tight-knit and active, with ~17K on Discord, Telegram groups, and X (@spacebudznft, 50K+ followers). They celebrate milestones like their 4th anniversary in March 2025 with sketches, giveaways, and collabs—e.g., a permanent 25% discount on new ADA Handles for holders. Utilities include staking rewards (via partnerships), P2P trades, and integrations for virtual identities or avatars. Recent X buzz includes holders sharing rare traits like fire/ice swords and bear-market acquisitions.