As we watch NFT collections rise and decrease month after month, Ghxsts has shown some of the most consistent growth of any active project. Ghxsts was founded by a single person and has gone from 0.001 ETH in first sales to a single Multimillion-dollar sale in less than four months.
While large-scale PFP initiatives have dominated much of 2021, many artists, big and small, have ignored the clamour and channelled their energy into improving small-batch endeavours. Despite the fact that Ghxsts has gained amazing success in just a few months, the project’s origins remain in that 1/1 focused community.
Here, we take a closer look at Ghxsts to see how its developer, GxngYxng, turned this ground-breaking initiative into one of the most popular indie NFT collections on the market.
The Origin of Ghxsts
Ghxsts was created by GxngYxng, an American artist currently residing in Japan.
The goal of the project was to capture GY’s own sorrow as well as the sensations he observed in people around him.
GY spent months painting portraits of what would become Ghxsts in the months leading up to the project’s May 2021 premiere, eventually quitting his steady work in the animation industry. His intention was to pursue NFTs full-time while doing part-time jobs to supplement his income.
Ghxst 001 was purchased on OpenSea for 0.001 ETH ($3 at the time) on May 2, the first Ghxsts sale. The whole cast of 101 Ghxsts sold out throughout the course of the month, kicking off the fantastic roadmap of GY’s new NFT universe.
NFT Mythology: Ghxsts
It all began with the first 101 Ghxsts, but the Ghxst mythology quickly grew, resulting in more characters, backstory, drop mechanisms, and more.
The Ghxsts universe currently consists of:
- 102 Ghxsts
- 43 Immxrtals
- 51 Demxns
- 12 Lunar Zxdiac
- 26 Alixns
- 10 Sirxns
- 1 Ghxst + 1 Ghxst = Immxrtal
- 1 Mythxcal (Current)
- 12 Divine Zxdiac
Many of the tiers of Ghxsts can only be obtained by holding a specified number/combination of NFTs from the basic collection. As a result, the final two stages — Gxd and Creatxr — (with Mxnsters and more to come).
Ghxsts NFT holders can benefit from a variety of benefits, including free airdrops, exclusive NFT mint access, and more. For example, collectors who own at least one Lunar Zxdiac are eligible for a monthly Eclipse Zxdiac prize, with a new Eclipse Zxdiac displayed each month.
This combination and rewards mechanism has been hailed as one of the most unusual and lucrative of any existing NFT project. Free airdrops continue to be a popular and well-received method of rewarding collectors. Given the increasing ETH worth of each individual Ghxst, GY could be dubbed the “Oprah of NFTs” for showering his collectors with free tokens.
The Community of Ghxsts
The community is maybe the most intriguing aspect of the Ghxsts project.
Unlike other PFP projects that based their communities on the selling of their collections, GY has brought together a diverse group of artists, collectors, enthusiasts, and others.
Over the last several months, the Ghxsts community — or Pxin Gxng, as GY refers to it — has grown at an exponential rate, with a number of top-tier NFT influencers joining the Discord. Many people may be surprised to learn that Ghxsts isn’t limited to a single collection outside of the main project.
Though all of these collections are worthwhile, PxinGxng needs special attention because it is second only to Ghxsts in terms of relevance.
Ghxsts opened the ground for the establishment of the Pxin Gxng, the de facto moniker for the project’s Discord and Twitter communities. As a result, the PxinGxng collection was produced specifically for and by the community.
It’s simply a collection of limited-edition items made by GY to make the collector community more accessible to individuals who wish to get involved. The PxinGxng level is significantly lower than the Ghxsts project’s main floor, and it’s largely made up of memes that reflect the community’s collective sense of humour.
The Future of Ghxsts
The core Ghxsts OpenSea collection has grown to 272 NFTs at press time, with the universe continuing to expand since its May introduction. Despite a slew of PFP projects, Crypto FUD, demands for an NFT bear market, and other factors, Ghxsts and its supporters are adamant that the project is here to stay.
While the significance of Ghxsts will continue to grow in the months ahead, the NFT space’s forward-thinking nature has put the project and its developer GxngYxng in the spotlight. The influence of GY’s project continues to spread throughout the NFT ecosystem, from partnerships with other renowned projects and artists to variants using the Ghxsts likeness. Ghxsts is a true win for GY that transcends beyond financial and personal accomplishment, becoming a shining example of independent artist success.
In July, GxngYxng tweeted, “You’ve altered my life and have become my greatest pals. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, PxinGxng and the entire NFT community; you’ve all helped me rediscover my boyhood goal.”