This Week in Crypto: PENGU Rallies 13% as Pudgy Penguins’ NFT Sales Slide by 52%

One of the week’s standout stories involves Pudgy Penguins, a popular NFT collection that ironically saw its token rise in price while its NFT sales fell sharply.

A standout story of the week involves Pudgy Penguins, a popular NFT collection that saw its token soar even as its NFT sales sharply declined. PENGU, the native meme token tied to Pudgy Penguins, rallied 13%, trading around $0.040. Launched less than a month ago, the token had already climbed 250% from its initial levels, briefly pushing its market cap above $2.8 billion before settling around $2.5 billion.

However, despite the token's gains, data showed Pudgy Penguins' overall NFT sales volume dropped by 52% in the last seven days to about $5.5 million. Wallet activity also revealed some early investors cashing out significant PENGU holdings, such as one account withdrawing $3.13 million worth of tokens from Binance. Nonetheless, community leaders maintain that engagement remains healthy, pointing to viral GIF stickers and Telegram groups that garnered billions of views and tens of thousands of new participants.

Looking ahead, PENGU is expected to broaden its footprint, with developers hinting at expansions to Ethereum and Abstract, an Ethereum layer-2 solution. While official utility remains unclear, Bybit analysts say PENGU could incorporate governance or staking perks in the near future. Influential crypto traders teased rumors of future airdrops for holders, enticing those who regularly check the Pudgy Penguins' Discord for new “enjoyer” roles.

Investors should note that meme tokens like PENGU are subject to extreme volatility. Even as they deliver eye-popping rallies, their fundamental value often depends on the evolving sentiments of a devoted fan base. Pudgy Penguins may have brand power, but the NFT slump underscores the fickle nature of hype. Whether PENGU can sustain momentum—or break away entirely from the NFT metrics—remains a question for the weeks ahead.

A swirling rumor that Yuga Labs might be selling the intellectual property rights to CryptoPunks drove the NFT collection's floor price up by 13% within just a few hours.

The speculation started when an NFT researcher known as “Wale.moca” tweeted about the possible sale on Jan. 14, citing unnamed sources. While Yuga Labs has neither confirmed nor denied the story, that didn't stop the market from reacting swiftly, as data from NFT Price Floor showed the CryptoPunks' minimum price jumping from 36.6 ETH to 41 ETH (nearly $130,000) in a short window.

CryptoPunks are widely recognized as one of the first and most valuable NFT collections in the marketplace. Yuga Labs acquired the Punks' IP from Larva Labs in March 2022, adding it to a roster that also includes Bored Ape Yacht Club. If Yuga were now selling or licensing CryptoPunks' IP to another entity, it would mark a major shift in the NFT landscape.

Punks hold a top-tier position by market cap—reportedly around $1.3 billion—nearly double that of the second-place Pudgy Penguins, making any IP transition a significant event for collectors and the broader NFT space.

Despite the excitement, industry observers caution that rumors of an IP sale can be just that—rumors. The NFT sector has seen dramatic price moves on far less substantial gossip before, underscoring how sensitive top collections are to both genuine developments and speculation.

Some collectors view the possibility of a new owner as a way to revitalize or expand CryptoPunks' brand. Others fear that a shift away from Yuga Labs might dilute the collection's historic identity or hamper synergy with Yuga's other high-profile projects.

In any case, this spike in CryptoPunks' floor price underlines the sustained power of marquee NFT sets and the NFT market's tendency to react immediately to rumors. Should Yuga release a definitive statement soon—whether confirming or dismissing the speculation—one can expect either renewed clarity or another wave of price volatility.

Outside the NFT realm, macroeconomic and regulatory signals held investors' attention. Several Federal Reserve officials indicated a cautious but neutral outlook on monetary policy as they await clarity from Donald Trump's incoming administration.

Fed Governor Michelle W. Bowman spoke of staying patient while reviewing “the economy's trajectory” before enacting more interest rate cuts. Meanwhile, Kansas City Fed President Jeff Schmid echoed a similar sentiment, suggesting the economy “needs neither restriction nor support” for the moment. These remarks contrasted with the rising calls for further easing within the crypto community, especially after December's 0.25% rate cut.

Market watchers interpret this neutral stance as a pause that might either reassure institutional crypto investors or limit any short-term stimulatory effects on speculative assets like Bitcoin.

On top of that, a recent survey by Bitwise found that 56% of U.S. financial advisers are more inclined to invest in cryptocurrencies since Trump's electoral win. This revelation hints at a potential wave of new institutional capital entering the crypto space if the administration lays