Overview
Azuki is a prominent NFT project featuring 10,000 unique, anime-inspired avatars on the Ethereum blockchain. Each Azuki NFT grants membership to “The Garden,” a digital space where artists, builders, and Web3 enthusiasts converge to create a decentralized future. The project seamlessly blends digital and physical experiences, offering exclusive drops, streetwear collaborations, live events, and more to its community members.
History
Launched on January 12, 2022, by Los Angeles-based startup Chiru Labs, Azuki quickly gained traction in the NFT space. The initial sale employed a Dutch auction format, starting at 1 ETH per NFT, and sold out within three minutes, generating over $30 million. Within a month, secondary market sales surpassed $300 million, solidifying Azuki’s status in the NFT community.
In April 2022, Azuki expanded its universe by introducing BEANZ, a secondary collection airdropped to existing Azuki holders. This move diversified the Azuki ecosystem and provided a more accessible entry point for new members.
Art and Design
Azuki’s artwork is distinguished by its anime-inspired style, drawing influences from streetwear and skateboard culture. Each avatar is algorithmically generated from a pool of traits, resulting in unique combinations that contribute to their rarity and appeal. The collection includes four distinct types: Human, Blue, Red, and the rarest, Spirit, with only 97 Spirit Azukis in existence.
The Garden
“The Garden” serves as the cornerstone of the Azuki community, offering a platform for collaboration, innovation, and cultural fusion. Members gain access to exclusive events, NFT drops, and collaborative opportunities, fostering a vibrant and engaged community. The Garden blurs the lines between the physical and digital realms, creating a unique environment for members to connect and build.
Hilumia
In January 2023, Azuki unveiled Hilumia, an interactive metaverse city that represents the project’s vision for the future. Accessible through Azuki’s website, Hilumia features various locations, each offering unique experiences and opportunities for community engagement. This development marks Azuki’s foray into the metaverse, providing a dynamic space for storytelling and interaction.
BEANZ
BEANZ is a complementary collection within the Azuki universe, introduced in April 2022. Described as “a small species that sprouts from the dirt in the garden,” BEANZ characters are companions to Azuki avatars. The collection offers a more affordable entry point into the Azuki ecosystem and plays a role in expanding the project’s narrative and community engagement.
Elementals
In June 2023, Azuki announced the Elementals collection, further enriching its ecosystem. This collection explores elemental themes and adds depth to the Azuki narrative, providing holders with new characters and stories within the Azuki universe.
ERC721A Standard
Azuki’s development team introduced ERC721A, an optimized smart contract standard that enables the minting of multiple NFTs for nearly the same cost as minting a single NFT. This innovation addresses high gas fees on the Ethereum network, benefiting both the Azuki community and the broader NFT space by making NFT minting more efficient and cost-effective.
Community and Culture
The Azuki community is known for its strong engagement and cultural contributions, including the creation of over 100 subcommunities, fan art, and community-led events worldwide. This active participation has established Azuki as a leading decentralized brand originating from Web3, showcasing the potential of community-driven projects in the digital age.
