TL;DR: With a new update or NFT collection being released almost every day, it’s clear the crypto ecosystem is constantly evolving. Cool Cats is one of the NFT collections paving the road to the digital universe — but it’s just the beginning. Knowing what brought it here and why it was created will lead you to make better decisions when investing or simply interacting with Cool Cats.

In this article, we’re gonna dive into the Cool Cats lore, answer all the Cool Cats related questions and even more. Prepare yourself for a fantasy story and a journey to the future of Cool Cats!

What is Cool Cats?

Cool Cats is a collection of 9,999 NFTs that live on the Ethereum blockchain. It is a rich ecosystem of captivating characters and comics, innovative games, unique merchandise, and fun animations.

Sit back, relax, and let’s dig into the lore of Cool Cats 😺

Welcome to the enchanting world of Cool Cats, where the vibrant town of Sapphire comes alive with a diverse and endearing cast of characters. 

At the heart of this whimsical tale is Blue Cat, a beloved feline resident of Sapphire Town known for his initial shyness that gives way to a charismatic personality. Alongside him is his ever-loyal sidekick, Chugs, a curious and adventurous spirit brought to life from a humble milk carton. The inseparable duo creates a delightful presence within the town, especially at The Milk Bar, where they craft delightful beverages cherished by all.

In this charming community, Blue Cat's circle includes Ardi, an anteater friend whose sharp intellect is matched only by his occasionally abrasive demeanor. Passionate about technology, Ardi thrives in solitude within his workshop in Sapphire Town, occasionally joining his friends for thrilling adventures and fueling his endeavors with caffeine from The Milk Bar.

Another dear friend of Blue Cat is Jo, a radiant red bird and a true fashionista. Always seeking innovative ways to style herself and her companions, Jo embodies adaptability and a knack for making friends wherever she goes. She spreads joy and light throughout Sapphire Town, spending her time at Feathered Fashions, where she sews and designs inspiring creations. Gardening, singing, and spending time with friends are some of the delightful activities that fill Jo's free moments, making her a cherished member of this vibrant community.

In the heart of Cool Cats' peaceful town of Sapphire, a buzz of excitement was in the air. Amidst the vibrant hues and playful banter, whispers of the mystical Cooltopia had begun to circulate. Cooltopia, a vast and uncharted digital realm, beckoned with promises of extraordinary adventures and hidden treasures yet to be uncovered. The catch? Very few had ventured into this uncharted territory, and even fewer had returned to tell the tale.

Among those brave souls with the spirit of adventure coursing through their whiskers, none were as eager as Blue Cat. Known for his insatiable curiosity and penchant for dreaming beyond the ordinary, Blue Cat couldn't resist the allure of Cooltopia. The mere thought of stepping into the unknown set his tail twitching with excitement. After all, he believed that curiosity may have killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back—and with a grin!

As far as the story goes, Blue and his sidekick Chugs go on fantastic adventures. And the best part…you get to shape the story!

Transforming these Cool Cats into NFTs serves a dual purpose: to open doors for the masses to integrate into the Cool Cat community and actively influence the development, expansion, and trajectory of the Cool Cat story and ecosystem. 

Beyond just being stylish profile pictures, these furry wonders offer a spectrum of utilities, ranging from exclusive involvement in community gatherings to standing a chance at winning merch, acquiring limited edition NFTs, and beyond!

Owning an NFT is different than screenshotting a JPEG - just like holding an original Rembrandt is more valuable than owning a replica. As their name suggests, NFTs are non-fungible by design. This is different from digital tokens like Bitcoin and Ethereum. 

Fungible assets can be exchanged for another asset of the same type, much like BTC, ETH, or even fiat. NFTs, on the other hand, are unique assets where their ownership details are documented on the blockchain, ensuring digital scarcity and unique attributes for each asset.

But how exactly is digital scarcity being enforced? 

The concept of NFTs first emerged in 2012 with the creation of Colored Coins, which could be used to represent real-world assets on the blockchain. However, Colored Coins only worked in a permitted environment, making it more similar to a database than anything else. 

As the crypto industry became more popular, people have continued to experiment with the idea of a digitally scarce asset. This led to the creation of ERC-721 and ERC-1155.

The ERC-721 standard is like a set of rules for making NFTs. These actions help in making special tokens with their unique information, making them different from one another.

Behind the scenes, ERC-721 smart contracts keep a list of who owns which token, making it safe to pass tokens from one person to another. The contract also keeps count of how many tokens there are altogether and how many each person has.

As previously mentioned, Cool Cats NFTs are secured by the Ethereum blockchain. Ownership and transaction history are publicly visible on the Ethereum blockchain along with other important info such as the NFT's metadata.

Understanding how to access an NFT's metadata is essential for holders to grasp the specifics of what they're buying.

Metadata usually includes visual attributes like color, type, wearables, and so on. On the blockchain, it looks something like this:

Cool Cats have their own set of traits that make up their uniqueness. These are body, face, hats, shirt, tier.

Some traits are rarer than others, which makes a specific NFT stand out from the rest. For example, there’s a single alien-type Cool Cat and only 79 astro Cool Cats. 

Rarity is partially determined by tiers, but there are also rarities for specific traits and combinations of traits (for example, a Cool Cat in a full frog costume).

The rarity of these traits has been randomized out of 300,000 possible combinations from genesis.  Once minted, the NFT retains its inherent trait in perpetuity.

The Cool Cats NFT collection has been autogenerated. This means that out of the 300,000 potential combinations, only 9,999 of Gen 1 Cool Cats will ever exist!

What is the utility of Cool Cats?

Cool Cats make for an awesome avatar pic, but it’s also a ticket to participate in exclusive drops. 

One of the early experiments was a bi-weekly airdrop of Cool Cats Originals to the existing NFT holders. The idea was simple, every 2 weeks, 100 Originals were airdropped randomly. By making the airdrops exclusive, more people will be interested in buying Cool Cats.

Shortly after, Cool Cats introduced their own cryptocurrency, called $MILK. 

$MILK stands as a token amplifying engagement within the playful Cool Cats ecosystem, enriching the user experience within Cooltopia. In simpler terms, providing users with opportunities to earn and utilize $MILK translates to expanding their activity options!

One of the first major use cases for the $MILK token was the release of the Cool Cats comics. It was a great idea to expand on the Cool Cats lore and reward NFT holders.

The inaugural Cool Comics mint took place on September 21, 2022, issuing a limited edition of 2,500 copies on the Ethereum Blockchain. These initial editions were made available for purchase exclusively to Cool Cats and Cool Pets holders at the cost of 75,000 MILK. The Cool Comics mint rapidly sold out, marking a significant success that garnered widespread acclaim from the community.

On May 25, 2023, Cool Cats have come up with a creative way of keeping the community engaged. Enter, the Cool Score 😎

Cool Score is a composite score determined by various factors such as the NFTs in one’s collection, the level of participation within the community, and interactions in Cooltopia. 

The score is based on how long you’ve held to your NFT, what items you’ve hoarded in Cooltopia, your special event NFTs collected and your level of community involvement.

At the end of each season, NFT holders will be rewarded based on their Cool Score. The higher the score, the greater the chances to be included in future collection drops, IRL events, VIP opportunities, and much more.

One year after the introduction of the MILK token, Cool Cats made the decision to shut down Cooltopia and $MILK. To sweeten the deal, the team allowed token holders to spend their MILK on physical and digital rewards.

On the other hand, Cool Cats has opened the doors to Journeys, an interactive, gamified story-telling experience. Journeys can be thought of as “missions” – activities holders can complete to unlock new levels of the story and become eligible for rewards. 

Each Journey is two weeks long. During a Journey, holders may have to solve puzzles, answer riddles, burn specific items, or help drive the next part of Blue’s story. At the end of each journey, participants receive an NFT that reflects their score. 

In addition to exploring the Cool Cats ecosystem, NFT holders have perks that extend beyond. Here’s a short list of them:

On September 8, 2022, GAMEE, the mobile gaming subsidiary of Animoca Brands, announced its collaboration with Cool Cats NFT collection to introduce "Cool Cats Combinations," a hexa-based numbered tile game, within its Arc8 application.

During the week after the launch of Cool Cats Combinations, GAMEE held three tournaments within Arc8: one designated for Cool Cats NFT holders, another for Cool Pets NFT holders, and a third open to all Arc8 players. The tournament rewards included a combined total of three Cool Cats NFTs, 30 Cool Cats merchandise packs, 60 Cool Cats G-Bot Starter NFTs (providing access to G-Bot exclusive games in Arc8), and 10,000 MATIC tokens (generously supplied by our partner, Polygon).

On November 11, 2022, Cool Cats Group along with Animoca Brands, and OneFootball Labs unveiled the release of a fresh collection comprising 4,000 "Cool Cats FC" NFTs on the Ethereum blockchain. This collection enables NFT holders to join the growing Cool Cats and OneFootball community, offering a blend of digital and tangible football-related benefits.

The objective of the "Cool Cats FC" collection is to unite enthusiasts of Cool Cats and football worldwide, commemorating the grandest football event on a global scale. This collection features an exhilarating array of football-themed rewards, including exclusive limited-edition merchandise, autographed items, opportunities to meet players, VIP experiences, and various other incentives that can be obtained through interactive and gamified engagements.

As the Cool Cats brand expands, NFT holders will be able to continually earn rewards. Whether you are hodling for a season or longer, the Cool Cats ecosystem continues to explore new ways of keeping holders engaged.

Who created Cool Cats?

Cool Cats was created by Colin Egan, Evan Luza, Tom Williamson and Rob Mehew in 2021. Before that, a couple of important events happened. Most events revolve around Colin Egan, who had the most influence over the artistic vision of the project.

Before Cool Cats, Colin Egan (Clon) had an array of characters he used to sketch. These were often doodles on the margins of his homework or creations that helped him learn new illustration techniques.

During high school, Clon ventured into selling his illustrations as printed designs on t-shirts. The ones that resonated the most with buyers were the cat prints, setting the stage for him to be recognized as "The Cat Guy."

In his college years, Clon continued honing his illustration and character creation skills through a challenge called 100 Days of Drawing. Every day, he crafted a character, forbidding himself from erasing or starting over, teaching him to embrace imperfections and avoid fixating on achieving absolute perfection.

It was on the third day of this challenge that a cat character emerged, unknowingly becoming Clon's central character for the next decade.

As the 100 Days of Drawing challenge concluded, it was evident that Clon's cat character was a favorite among fans. On January 16th, 2015, he introduced "The Cartoonist" on Instagram, focusing intensely on developing Blue Cat and establishing his presence in Atlanta, Georgia.

In the pursuit of promoting Blue Cat, Clon employed various strategies, from merchandise and festivals to drawing events, galleries, and unique collaborations, gradually amassing thousands of followers on social media.

By 2018, Clon temporarily halted his Instagram postings to pursue a career in motion graphics. 

In 2020, the term NFT crossed Colin’s path. For him, crypto was a domain that felt somewhat elusive, with libertarians making unconventional moves, challenging the conventional banking systems. It seemed intriguing, albeit confusing, and the internet was abuzz with discussions.

One day, a friend, Evan, also known as an ilustrator and a co-founder of Cool Cats, pulled Colin to a different project. As a motion designer by profession, Colin began crafting digital content for this venture. This was the gateway to the immersive realm of NFTs. 

Colin Egan (Clon) started to grasp the significance when exploring projects like Bored Apes, which had recently emerged. Fast forward to 2021, after diving into this creative journey and immersing themselves in the NFT space, things started making sense. 

In 2021, Colin Egan’s formal crypto journey began, investing in ETH, and a bit of Bitcoin. It had become a secondary savings account, a realization of the potential held by global decentralized currency.

His "aha" moment with NFTs didn't arrive suddenly, nor was it triggered by Bored Apes. Initially, Bored Apes left Colin baffled—why would someone pay so much for a digital image? They were looking at it purely from an artistic perspective, valuing one-off digital art. The turning point occurred when they grasped that an NFT was more than just a visual—it was a token, an investment in a project, akin to buying stock in a company. It became clear that investing in NFTs meant investing in the project's intellectual property. This perspective shifted his understanding, making him see beyond the visuals, and recognizing NFTs as tokens of value and potential investment.

Colin had worked on a past project with Evan, where their developer abruptly withdrew, leaving them stuck in a rut. They needed to find new developers and navigate through this setback. During this period, Colin had invested in another NFT called Phaticorns and had conversations with the developers, Tom and Lynq, who turned out to be the co-founders of Cool Cats.

The initial plan was to seek their assistance for the project Colin and Evan were working on, but Tom expressed reluctance as he didn't want to jeopardize their project. Despite the disappointment, Colin and Evan began contemplating their next steps for the project they had invested so much time and effort into.

In a moment of realization, Colin recalled an old poster he had created featuring Blue Cat in various outfits. This triggered an idea — inspired by the generative costume concept of projects like Bored Apes, they envisioned creating a similar concept with their character. Excited by this fresh direction, they named the project Cool Cats.

Together, Colin, Evan, Tom, and Lynq collaborated and began building Cool Cats, united in their enthusiasm to make this new venture a success.

Colin came up with the name "Cool Cats," saying it’s easily recognizable and memorable to anyone. He highlighted the significance of a name that's easy to say and spell, making it more accessible.

Moving into the strategic planning phase, Colin recalled the initial conversation with Tom and Lynq around May 19th 2021. During the first week, they brainstormed ideas and discussed the action plan. Colin began creating the character in a template form while Tom and Lynq contributed their technical expertise, focusing on incorporating rarities and unique features into the project.

The timeline progressed from this brainstorming period in May to the official launch on July 1st. Colin mentioned that during this period, he had an abundance of time due to a lull in his freelance graphic design work, allowing him to fully immerse himself in creating assets for the project.

The launch day was unconventional but in a surprisingly positive way. They commenced with a price of 0.06 Ethereum, which equated to approximately $150 at that time, offering one cat per purchase. Initially, there were substantial sales, reaching about 300 out of the 10,000 available cats. However, the momentum seemed to level off, and only sporadic sales trickled in.

Then, an unexpected turn occurred when a user in their Discord suggested lowering the price to 0.02 Ethereum (around $50). The idea was met with enthusiasm from the community, and they promptly made the change. Following this adjustment, the project completely sold out within the next six hours. This decision caught traction on Twitter, and the perception shifted positively, portraying them as creators more interested in community engagement than profiteering.

Colin acknowledged that this pivotal decision allowed a broader audience, including those with limited financial means, to participate. Many bought just one cat, and they still hold onto them, some even profiting by selling and reinvesting. This inclusivity in the early stages played a significant role in shaping the project's vibrant and positive community.

Despite their marketing not being top-notch at the time, Colin emphasized the power of approachable and friendly art. The audience connected with the art style and appreciated a team that engaged with the community openly, breaking the usual barrier of detachment seen with other projects. This genuine interaction and willingness to assist each other formed a strong sense of unity within the community.

Who is developing Cool Cats now?

Cool Cats is being developed by the core team and a few other influential members of the community. The Cool Cats leadership group manages the worldwide storytelling brand, making certain that collaborations and brand endeavors are inventive, motivating, and in harmony with the organization's objective to spread happiness worldwide.

In 2023, Cool Cats has undergone a notable shift in leadership. Clon, the founder and artist of Cool Cats, takes on a comprehensive leadership position, overseeing both the overall strategy and day-to-day operations. This change is in harmony with the brand's trajectory, underscoring Clon's expertise in steering the creative direction of the project.

In another major update, Stephen, known as @ChiefCoolCat on Twitter, had stepped down from his role as CEO. The community has expressed appreciation for Stephen's contributions, recognizing the foundational role he played in establishing Cool Cats as a prominent entity within the NFT space.

As of 2023, the Cool Cats team extends to 15-20 people. Many of the newly added team members are long-standing community members who offered to help with social media presence and community management. These members are now getting paid by the Cool Cats founders and are essentially part of the team.

Members who have contributed to the Cool Cats ecosystem can apply for a seat on the Community Council. The role of the Community Council is to bring in new contributors to the brand and help grow the project. 

As of 2023, it is unclear how the Council will operate and how much influence the council will actually have. Because Council members have to sign NDAs, they will not be able to share all the info they receive with the community. The extent of success is likely to hinge on the level of authority and independence granted to the Council by the Cool Cats team.

Investors are also an important component of the Cool Cats ecosystem. Although they don’t get involved directly in the governance of the project, they do exert an influence over the brand’s expansion into the mainstream.

On October 5, 2022, Cool Cats Group LLC received a strategic investment (undisclosed sum) from Animoca Brands. By partnering with Animoca Brands, Cool Cats plans to expand their IP into gaming initiatives and opportunities for GameFi.

Previously, Cool Cats revealed their partnership with GAMEE, a subsidiary of Animoca Brands known for creating a virtual casual gaming space that connects players, brands, and game creators. As part of this partnership, Cool Cats holders gained exclusive access to NFT claims, raffles, and community giveaways.

How does Cool Cats make money?

Now, let’s get to the juicy part – how does Cool Cats make money?💰 (No, flipping and rug pulling are not the correct answers)

The answer to this question is strongly related to intellectual property. 

Think of popular trademarks such as Mickey Mouse, Spider-Man, or Coca-Cola. Every time you see movies, books merch, or posters with them, know that the owners of the IP get a share of the profits. The same thing goes for NFT holders, in theory. 

When it comes to NFTs, it’s quite challenging to fit them into the traditional framework of copyright law. To give more context, owning an NFT doesn’t mean holders have automatic control over the creative work. This creative control needs to be granted by the creator. 

As such, NFT holders should pay attention to what IP rights, if any, come with owning the NFT.

You can read full details about the Cool Cats NFT License here.

By visiting the Terms & Conditions section of Cool Cats, we can see that NFT holders have “a limited license to use the Art embodied in the NFT. The license lasts as long as you own the NFT.” 

Currently, Cool Cats benefits from all the profits related to its intellectual property. Any profits derived from brand deals and appearances go directly to its creators. It’s not all bad for the NFT holders, as they get to be part of future profit-sharing initiatives.

Another way of generating revenue is via royalties.

The Cool Cats creators have instilled a royalty fee structure for secondary sales. For each Cool Cat NFT transfer, its creators earn 5% of the value. Royalty fees serve as a revenue stream for the project to continue building and expanding. Cool Cats has earned $8 million in 10 months since its launch from royalty fees.

The mission of Cool Cats is to become the “Hello Kitty of Web3.” Using a mix of cute and adventurous, Cool Cats managed to gain exposure in the mainstream and Web3. Let’s revisit the biggest features of Cool Cats:

On April 8, 2022, Cool Cats have participated at NFT.NYC, is one of the biggest NFT events. Cool Cats have crafted a magical experience for new audiences and even offered holders the chance to have their NFT projected onto buildings throughout New York City. 

Held within the spacious 30-thousand-square-foot area of Center415, attendees had the opportunity to experience Cooltopia by donning an NFC bracelet, acting as their access pass to accumulate points across various activities and activations during the event. 

The Merch Shop, gated by tokens and powered by Shopify, allowed attendees to explore and purchase the latest Cool Cats products. Throughout their journey, attendees would unlock "loot chests," filled with prizes such as Cool Cats plushies designed by TOIKIDO and brand-new merchandise premiering at NFT.NYC. 

Opening these chests would grant Cool Cat holders special rewards, including codes for virtual bonuses to use in the Cooltopia video game and the chance to showcase their Cat on a building during NFT.NYC. Guided quests took attendees through dedicated element areas within Cooltopia, promising surprises at every twist and turn.

Following the mind-blowing experience at NFT.NYC, TOIKIDO partnered with Cool Cats to develop a merchandise line inspired by the Blue Cat. As part of the deal, Cool Cat holders are promised exclusive drops and special events.

On May 23, 2023, Cool Cats have made their appearance at VeeCon 2023. Gary Vee himself is the holder of Cool Cats #6835.

Cool Cats avatars have been featured in Reddit’s Gen4 series of Collectible Avatars. The avatars have three categories that are based on Blue Cat & Chugs, Shadow Wolf, and C4T Monitor. Owning at least one of these avatars boosts the Cool Score for its holders.

Cool Cats have participated in the Comic-Con event held in San Diego. Blue Cat made a real-life mascot appearance, stopping for pictures throughout the convention center.

On the Web3 front, Cool Cats is collaborating with gaming developers, nWay, iCandy, and Sync Studios. Game developments include an endless runner game, a multiplayer arcade game, and a mobile game.

On April 11, Cool Cats announced a strategic partnership with Futureverse, a leader in metaverse infrastructure and content. This dynamic partnership aims to integrate Cool Cats' iconic brand with Futureverse's cutting-edge technology, enhancing utility for Cool Cats NFT holders and further solidifying Cool Cat's position as a leader in the NFT space.

In addition to this exciting collaboration, upcoming Cool Cats products are set to impress. These include a proprietary internal Web3 portal and marketplace enabling holders to customize their assets. Furthermore, a virtual metaspace experience will allow 3D Cool Cats to venture beyond their 2D form and explore the world. With the aid of artificial intelligence tools, holders can collaboratively evolve Cool Cats content and much more. Cool Cats remains devoted to realizing its vision of being a foremost entertainment brand that celebrates 'cool' through community-focused storytelling and innovation.

Where can I buy Cool Cats?

You can buy Cool Cats on OpenSea.