NFT crypto art is experiencing a tremendous growth curve. Sales volume on OpenSea reached $1.9 billion this month compared to just over $8 million in January. As many as 6 million people browsed the site, with hundreds of thousands of them buying and selling NFTs and crypto collectibles. Although OpenSea is the world’s first and largest NFT marketplace, it is just one of many digital markets on different blockchains facilitating different cryptocurrencies and protocols.

Several successful generative art collections were launched in August, yet none were more creatively groundbreaking or remarkably well-executed than Crypto-Pills. Micha Klein’s blockchain debut became the talk of the art world both online and off. The excitement and anticipation surrounding the release of 10,000 versions of his iconic “Pillman” character began a week before the 12-hour presale. Countless fans and followers flocked to Discord, Twitter, and Clubhouse to join the conversation and position themselves to own a piece of fine art history.

Decades ago, Aakash Patel attended NYU and was heavily involved in the nightclub scene — managing guest lists for venues like Tunnel, Limelight, and Palladium. Patel was introduced to Micha Klein through a promotional postcard he found in a nightclub, and he’s now a proud collector of Crypto-Pills NFTs.

“Because of his association with iconic art venues like Mary Boone Gallery, Crypto-Pills represents underground culture, but in a cleaned-up way that the finance world can support.” — Aakash Patel

Following a whitelist presale that saw more than half of its collection minted and transferred into hundreds of digital wallets overnight, Pillman was released to an anxiously awaiting public. The remaining Crypto-Pills promptly sold out within 11 minutes and 11 seconds in a frenetic frenzy of gleeful transactions. Each minted NFT revealed an extraordinarily unique Crypto-Pill with randomized traits rendered in colorfully impressive detail. Klein’s artful care and consideration for each Crypto-Pill exemplifies his tireless passion and talent. The exceptional quality of Klein’s fine art collectibles has inspired hundreds of first-time buyers to scour the secondary market for available Crypto-Pills before they’re priced out of reach. Thanks to a robust collector base of 2,000+ owners, floor prices have remained notably stable. As appreciative buyers purchase lower-priced NFTs, rarity tools help collectors assess the value of their newly acquired assets.

“I’ve been saving money, and I noticed that it was just sitting in the bank. I just didn’t know what to do with my money. I came to Clubhouse through a friend, and I started hearing what Crypto-Pills was all about.” — |dG|

The crypto community showed up en masse for Micha Klein’s genesis drop. A convergence of NFT artists, crypto investors, and blockchain innovators discovered common ground in a shared appreciation for Klein’s enduring legacy. Collectors quickly formed fan clubs to communicate amongst themselves and champion Klein’s art. Supported by a hive mind of idea contributors with a vested interest in his success, Miche Klein can now look to the future empowered by his collectors.

“It’s mind-blowing and wonderful. The response is overwhelming to see everybody revealing their avatars and discovering the collection. Because it’s all randomized, I haven’t seen them all myself. It’s exciting to browse my own collection.” — Micha Klein

Since selling out his entire collection, Klein is hard at work fulfilling deliverables, including random AirDrops for members of his active Discord community. Giclee prints of Klein’s artwork will also be gifted to the most active Discord members, and Klein is also preparing 3D assets for collectors to download. While reassembling the creative animation and graphics team he has worked with for decades, Klein is planning to introduce Pillman to the Sandbox metaverse.

“Your little pills have united so many people. It’s been such a beautiful community that has grown from this, and I’m grateful for the energy that you’re bringing into the world and the opportunity for all of us.” — Renata LaRocque

Crypto-Pills is the first major NFT avatar collection to be launched in Hong Kong and Klein’s first major project in Asia. Start Art Gallery will leverage its physical venue to exhibit diverse NFT artworks from global artists; positioning itself as a new type of gallery aimed at building a “Chain Art” community. The gallery is committed to connecting leading NFT artists and collectors and creating new art with future growth potential. Start Art Gallery will officially open in Hong Kong on September 5th, 2021.