Web3 goes hand-in-hand with counter-culture movements. One digital artist has embraced where the two of them meet to become one of the most notorious NFT artists in the world today. That artist is XCOPY.
2025 will see XCOPY celebrate 15 years as a digital artist. From humble beginnings on Tumblr to multiple multi-million dollar NFT drops, he has forged a reputation as one of the most celebrated counter-culture artists in the NFT industry.
XCOPY stands as one of the leading figures in both digital art and NFT art – but why is his work so renowned, how did he rise to the top of the industry, and what might we see from him in future?
Here’s our complete guide to the NFT artist known as XCOPY.
Key Insights
- Pseudonymous digital artist based in London
- First surfaced on Tumblr in August 2010
- Sold Right-Click and Save As Guy for $7 million USD in December 2021
- Sold his Max Pain open edition for over $24 million USD in March 2022
- Considered to be one of the world’s leading counter-culture NFT artists
Who is XCOPY?
XCOPY is the pseudonym for a renowned digital artist that’s based in London, UK.
He first surfaced in August 2010, creating digital artworks on Tumblr that critiqued modern society, with dystopian outlooks and a side of dark humour. His art often tackles themes such as death, modern society, and the anxieties manifested by the digital age.
XCOPY’s work often drawns from counter-culture ideas, with influences from punk, anarchism and horror. Across both static and animated pieces, you’ll find a brooding ambience, dark shadows, and vibrant neon accents. This style has become his hallmark – and one that many have tried to imitate.
The visual impact of his work is striking – though XCOPY is celebrated as much for the messages within his works as their aesthetics. His pieces often possess an unsettling nature, requiring viewers to confront this discomfort to find the true meaning behind his work.
XCOPY began to mint his works as NFTs in 2018. As one of the first notable artists to enter the NFT industry, he became one of its most prominent faces almost immediately. To date, he’s created more than 70 NFT collections, totalling over 13,000 individual NFTs – some of which have fetched millions of dollars.
His NFTs can be found on various platforms, including:
- SuperRare. XCOPY was one of the first artists to mint an NFT on SuperRare – home to his RΞMNANTS series and many early 1-of-1 NFTs
- OpenSea. NFT marketplace OpenSea houses secondary market trading for collections such as FRESH HELL, DAMAGE CONTROL, and GRIFT SZN
- Nifty Gateway. Art-focused platform Nifty Gateway is home to XCOPY’s MAX PAIN, TRAITORS, DISRUPTOR and many burn-focused collections
- Async Art. Now-closed, Async Art held programmable collections of interactive NFTs such as The Rabble and DOOM Party
Alongside solo works, XCOPY has also produced a number of collaborations. Through working with artists such as @neonglitch86, XCOPY has produced the likes of RELICS and SPORES, blending different art styles together to create all-new unique works.
On top of his NFT sales, XCOPY has garnered praise for his support of other creators. He’s been a big advocate for creator royalties, and has been known to praise other high-quality works in the space – such as the book CryptoPunks: Free to Claim.
The history of XCOPY
The rise of XCOPY aligns with that of the NFT industry itself.
XCOPY minted his first NFT on April 7, 2018. Titled Echoes of a Dead Earth, it was the first of what would become many 1-of-1 NFTs that he would mint on SuperRare.
Notable examples include Some Asshole, which would later sell for 1,300 ETH ($3.9 million USD), A Coin for the Ferryman, which would later sell for 1,330 ETH ($6.0 million USD), and All Time High in the City, which would later sell for 1,630 ETH ($6.2 million USD) – all of which were minted in 2018.
Another 2018 piece, Right-Click and Save As Guy, addressed the topic of digital ownership. The piece was reshared by XCOPY in August 2020, adding that “they said it at $100 they’ll still say it at $100,000”. It was later sold to Cozomo de’ Medici for 1,600 ETH ($7.0 million USD) in December 2021.
March 2022 saw XCOPY create two new NFT collections. The first was Grifters, a collection of 666 digital characters on Ethereum. As of January 2025, Grifters has a floor price above 15 ETH ($48,000 USD).
The second was MAX PAIN, an 10-minute time-limited open edition. MAX PAIN would raise $24 million USD – and become the focal point of future collections, such as 2023’s DAMAGE CONTROL.
DAMAGE CONTROL had fans burn MAX PAIN NFTs to acquire new NFTs. These new NFTs could themselves be burned to receive rarer editions. The DAMAGE CONTROL burn phase – which marked the conclusion of this experiment – ended on January 1, 2025.
August 2022 saw XCOPY announce that all of his prior and future solo works would be issued under a CC0 license. This meant that he relinquished all copyright claims to his works, allowing anyone to reuse or build upon his works.
XCOPY has continued to release regular art ever since, and was especially active across late 2024 and early 2025.
September 2024 saw his 2019 artwork Bad Flavour sell for 280 ETH ($665,000 USD) – an impressive sale given the general decline in the NFT art market over the past few years.
October 2024 saw XCOPY release Cope Salada – a collection of 250 unique 1-of-1 NFTs on the new Ethereum Layer-2 blockchain Shape. XCOPY describes this collection as “stripped back, raw, unadulterated, undiluted, and pristinely presented grade-A copium.”
November 2024 introduced the ICXN Collection – XCOPY’s debut in the Art Blocks ecosystem. The collection utilised the Art Blocks Engine – a code-based generative art platform – to create 500 unique 1-of-1 NFTs.
What’s next for XCOPY?
With XCOPY’s history of success, there’s no doubt that he’ll continue to push the boundaries of digital art, debate, and the NFT industry.
2025 will see the debut of XCOPY’s FRESH HELL collection. It is expected to be a 42-piece collection – which is yet to have an announced mint date.
Some areas in which we could see XCOPY make future contributions include:
- Interactive art. XCOPY has collaborated with 3D artists in the past, with his previous releases on Async Art seeing high praise
- Artist advocacy. XCOPY has continually supported artists over the years – and if an opportunity arises to do this again, XCOPY will certainly be there
- Global culture. XCOPY has been the catalyst for discussion not just on Web3 topics, but on wider societal issues too – and he’ll likely continue to do so
XCOPY has had an impact on both NFTs and digital art that’s comparable to that of figures such as Beeple and Pak.
With his vision, style and innovative work, XCOPY is not just a name – he’s a movement. His work make us consider the role of art in society – digital or otherwise – as well as to cast a new light on modern life.
XCOPY is a name that has, does and will continue to shape the future of the digital art world.
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