We love this market. It’s fast, wild, and never boring. Whether you’re trading, collecting NFTs, or hunting the latest airdrop, there’s something happening every day. This week brought a ton of exciting updates: CryptoPunks were sold, Coinbase hit the S&P 500, and yes — we made it to the Trump Dinner on May 22nd. Let’s break it all down.
1. CryptoPunks Sold to NODE Foundation
Big news for NFT lovers. Yuga Labs has sold the intellectual property (IP) rights of the legendary CryptoPunks to the NODE Foundation, a nonprofit focused on preserving internet-native culture. While the sale price remains undisclosed, the acquisition makes NODE the most well-funded digital art nonprofit in the U.S., thanks to a $25 million endowment.
The foundation has formed an advisory board, including CryptoPunks creators Matt Hall and John Watkinson, along with a Yuga Labs representative. Their mission? To protect and elevate digital art like CryptoPunks in both online and traditional art circles.
Launched in 2017 by Larva Labs, CryptoPunks sparked the early NFT boom. These pixel-art punks reshaped digital culture and remain the most valuable NFT collection today, with a market cap nearing $1.2 billion.
Since their launch, CryptoPunks have generated over $3 billion in sales. Although Yuga Labs sold the IP, they still hold 400 of the 10,000 punks in the collection.
As a reaction to the news, the floor of punks moved up from 45 ETH to 48 ETH, just to settle around 47.5 ETH. We had 2 punks listed near the floor when the news came out and got swept before we could delist. The lesson is, keep some listed but never all, in case of an event like this. We could have made a couple of ETH more by just having 1 listed.
More NFT news: Degods CEO “Frank” steps down
2. Airdrop Claims & Updates
It’s airdrop season again, and we’re here to help you claim what’s yours. Staying up to date is key — tokens can move fast.
💡 Want to stay ahead? Check out the Best DeFi Airdrops of Q2 2025 and get back to farming.
3. We’re Going to the Trump Dinner Gala!
This one’s personal. We’re thrilled to announce that AirdropAlert will attend the Trump Dinner Gala in Washington on May 22nd.
The invitation came from a $TRUMP holder competition. Only the top 220 made the cut — and we did it. Our flights are booked, our suits are ready, and we can’t wait to represent the crypto airdrop community on this massive stage.
We’ll definitely pitch the idea of airdrops for America to the US president. Who knows? Maybe one day we’ll see an executive order for free tokens. We’ll bring you a full recap after the event.
Our story has already caught the eye of mainstream media and was featured on Bloomberg!
4. Coinbase Enters the S&P 500
It’s official — Coinbase Global (COIN) is joining the S&P 500 index on May 19th. This marks a huge moment for the crypto industry. Shares surged 24% to $256.90 on the news.
While the stock remains below its all-time high of $357, this move strengthens Coinbase’s legitimacy in the eyes of institutional investors. Analysts from Oppenheimer called it a “watershed moment,” noting that prior bearish arguments about lack of institutional adoption are now outdated.
Coinbase’s market cap hit $52.78 billion, cementing its role as the flagship U.S. crypto exchange. With Trump signaling more crypto-friendly policies, this could be the start of a new bullish chapter for regulated crypto platforms.
5. Germany Seizes $38M in Crypto from Bybit Hack Exchange
In a major crackdown, German authorities seized $38 million in crypto from eXch, a swap-based exchange tied to the Bybit hack earlier this year.
eXch enabled anonymous trades without KYC, making it a laundering hub for North Korea’s Lazarus Group. Back in February, Lazarus exploited a vulnerability in Bybit’s security, stealing 401,000 ETH — worth $1.5 billion — from a cold wallet.
The stolen ETH was rapidly converted across DEXes, including eXch. Within 48 hours, $160 million was laundered. The rest was frozen or traced thanks to a $140 million bounty offered by Bybit’s CEO.
Bybit has already rewarded over $4 million to bounty hunters who helped recover the funds.
German police, working with Dutch authorities, took down eXch’s infrastructure just days after the platform announced it would shut down due to legal pressure.
Cybercrime investigators stressed the importance of acting fast in the face of anonymous crypto swapping. Their goal: make it risky and unprofitable for hackers to move dirty money.
This marks a win for law enforcement and a warning to any shady exchange trying to fly under the radar.
Final Thoughts
From NFT history changing hands to global law enforcement cracking down on crypto crime, it’s clear the Web3 world never sleeps. The CryptoPunks sold, Coinbase climbed, airdrop farming thrives, and our team is off to dine with Trump.
If you’re not paying attention, you’re missing out. But don’t worry — we’ll keep tracking the latest so you can focus on farming, flipping, or just watching the drama unfold.
📢 Stay tuned for more updates from the Trump Dinner, airdrop claim guides, and the next big shift in the crypto world.
Crypto never sleeps — and neither do we.
If you enjoyed this blog, you may want to check our other crypto news updates.
As always, don’t forget to claim your bonus below on Bybit. See you next time!
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