A recent social media post by prominent Web3 figure Lior Messika has ignited discussion within the NFT community, highlighting a perceived contradiction regarding the state of the Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) collection. The tweet, posted by "lior.eth (Lior Messika)," pointed to a specific Bored Ape NFT sale for $1.4 million, directly challenging the prevailing sentiment that "BAYC is dead and will never come back!"
Messika's post contrasted this high-value sale with his own past investment, stating, "Also OP: acquired a tier D BAYC derivative for $1.1m four years ago." This comment underscores the fluctuating values within the NFT market and the personal stakes involved for early investors. The specific $1.4 million sale has not been widely corroborated in recent public market data, which largely reflects a significant downturn for the collection.
The broader market sentiment for Bored Ape Yacht Club NFTs has been predominantly bearish throughout 2024 and into 2025. Floor prices, representing the lowest available price for an NFT in a collection, have seen substantial declines from their peak values. Industry reports and market analyses indicate a cooling of the overall NFT market, with sales volumes for top-tier collections like BAYC experiencing considerable reductions.
Lior Messika, known as the founder of Novel Labs and Mutant Cartel, and an investor in Yuga Labs (the creators of BAYC) through his firm Eden Block, has been an active voice in the NFT space. He is particularly associated with the Mutant Ape Yacht Club (MAYC), a derivative collection of BAYC. Messika has previously attributed the decline in BAYC prices to rampant speculation rather than fundamental issues, noting that "the market is now dictated by the fear and greed of a few traders."
His past acquisition of a "tier D BAYC derivative" for $1.1 million likely refers to a Mutant Ape or another less prominent derivative with specific traits that might have been considered less desirable at the time. Mutant Apes, while part of the Yuga Labs ecosystem, typically hold a lower value compared to the original Bored Apes. Messika's tweet, therefore, serves as a commentary on the market's volatility and the often-unpredictable nature of NFT valuations, even as he himself has built projects within the Bored Ape universe.
The ongoing debate surrounding BAYC's relevance and value reflects the broader challenges faced by the NFT market. While some individual sales may still command high prices, the overall trend points to a period of recalibration and decreased investor enthusiasm. The contradiction highlighted by Messika's tweet encapsulates the complex and often paradoxical reality of digital asset valuations in a maturing, yet still volatile, market.