NFT Trader Suffers $10M Loss After Sale of Rare Alien CryptoPunk
An anonymous NFT collector has suffered a $10 million loss after selling one of the rarest CryptoPunks on Thursday.
On-chain data shows that Punk #3100 changed hands for 4,000 ETH, translating to approximately $6.07 million via a private transaction on the official CryptoPunks marketplace.
The NFT is one of just nine Alien Punks in the original 10,000-piece CryptoPunks collection created by Larva Labs in 2017. Recognized for its distinctive blue skin and bandana, the Alien Punk is part of the most sought-after group in the NFT space.
Blockchain data from Arkham Intelligence shows that this particular NFT previously sold in March of last year for 4,500 ETH, then valued at more than $16 million. The sale ranks as the third most expensive single NFT transaction by dollar value. Just days after that transaction, Punk #7804 exchanged for 4,850 ETH worth roughly $16.42 million at the time, marking the second-largest deal in the collection’s history.
However, due to Ethereum’s price drop over the past year, Thursday’s 4,000 ETH sale amounted to just over $6 million, resulting in the seller making a $10 million loss from the transaction.
While the parties in the exchange remain unidentified, Etherscan records show that the purchasing wallet received 4,001 ETH from an account labeled “Coinbase Prime 2” shortly before the sale.
Alien CryptoPunks continue to dominate the top end of the NFT market. They are the rarest type in the collection, even more than the 88 Zombie Punks or the 24 Ape Punks. The top seven of the highest-value on-chain CryptoPunk sales involve these variants.
Despite their status, CryptoPunks have not been immune to the broader downturn in the NFT market. Data from NFT Price Floor shows that their asking price has dropped nearly 43% in the last three months, currently sitting at $71,031. This figure marks a notable decline from the collection’s peak in November 2021, when the figure exceeded $400,000.
Originally offered for free in 2017, the digital assets have evolved into cultural symbols of the early NFT era. In 2022, the intellectual property rights were acquired by Yuga Labs, creator of the Bored Ape Yacht Club.
Earlier this year, speculation swirled about a possible sale of the product’s IP. However, Yuga Labs co-founder Greg Solano dismissed the rumors, stating that while many parties had approached the company, there were no plans to divest any time soon.
NFT Crash: Trader Loses $10M Selling THIS Rare NFT Collection
One of the most shocking NFT sales of the year just happened: A trader sold CryptoPunk #3100, one of the rarest Alien Punks, and took a $10 million hit on the trade.
The seller originally bought the Punk for 4,500 ETH in March 2024 – worth about $15.79 million back then. This week, they sold it for 4,000 ETH, which doesn’t sound like a huge discount at first glance… but here's the catch:
The Ethereum price has dropped nearly 55% since then. The 4,000 ETH sale now equals only around $6.06 million, locking in a brutal loss, as reported by Cryptotimes .
Back in March 2024, ETH was trading at $3,500. Today, it sits around $1,568 – which means the seller didn’t just lose on the NFT itself, but also on the value of the underlying crypto asset.
This sharp drop is what transformed a seemingly minor ETH difference into a multi-million-dollar loss.
ETH/USD price in the past week - TradingView
CryptoPunk #3100 is no ordinary NFT. It’s part of the Alien Punks collection – with only 9 in existence out of 10,000 total CryptoPunks. At the time of its original purchase, it was the second-highest sale ever recorded for a Punk.
This case isn’t unique. Over the past few months, many NFT investors have sold at steep losses, especially those who bought in during the 2021–2022 hype cycle.
The sale of CryptoPunk #3100 underscores how volatile and speculative the NFT market can be, particularly when combined with crypto price swings.
Once a booming asset class, NFTs have seen declining volumes, floor prices, and investor sentiment across major collections. Even ultra-rare tokens aren’t immune.
One of the most shocking NFT sales of the year just happened: A trader sold CryptoPunk #3100, one of the rarest Alien Punks, and took a $10 million hit on the trade.
The seller originally bought the Punk for 4,500 ETH in March 2024 – worth about $15.79 million back then. This week, they sold it for 4,000 ETH, which doesn’t sound like a huge discount at first glance… but here's the catch:
The Ethereum price has dropped nearly 55% since then. The 4,000 ETH sale now equals only around $6.06 million, locking in a brutal loss, as reported by Cryptotimes .
Back in March 2024, ETH was trading at $3,500. Today, it sits around $1,568 – which means the seller didn’t just lose on the NFT itself, but also on the value of the underlying crypto asset.
This sharp drop is what transformed a seemingly minor ETH difference into a multi-million-dollar loss.
ETH/USD price in the past week - TradingView
CryptoPunk #3100 is no ordinary NFT. It’s part of the Alien Punks collection – with only 9 in existence out of 10,000 total CryptoPunks. At the time of its original purchase, it was the second-highest sale ever recorded for a Punk.
This case isn’t unique. Over the past few months, many NFT investors have sold at steep losses, especially those who bought in during the 2021–2022 hype cycle.
The sale of CryptoPunk #3100 underscores how volatile and speculative the NFT market can be, particularly when combined with crypto price swings.
Once a booming asset class, NFTs have seen declining volumes, floor prices, and investor sentiment across major collections. Even ultra-rare tokens aren’t immune.
Rare CryptoPunk NFT sells for $6M with seller absorbing a $10M loss amid NFT price slump
A rare CryptoPunk NFT just sold for $6 million at a staggering $10 million loss amid the continued slide in NFT prices.
CryptoPunk #3100, one of just nine Alien Punks in the original 10,000-piece collection, was sold for 4,000 Ethereum ( ETH ), worth about $6.07 million at the time of sale, according to an Apr. 10 transaction flagged by Arkham on X. The art brokerage firm Fountain reportedly brokered the sale, which was finalized through a private offer on the CryptoPunks marketplace.
NFT TRADER DOWN $10M ON CRYPTOPUNK This NFT Trader bought an Alien Cryptopunk 1 year ago for 4.5K ETH ($16M). He just sold it for 4K ETH ($6M). He just locked in a $10M loss. Address: 0x70587661c804c72BBa25EcddD8d17B332C984017 pic.twitter.com/765PHvUzob
When the NFT was first bought by the anonymous seller in Mar. 2024, it was the third-largest CryptoPunk transaction at the time, costing 4,500 ETH, or about $16 million. But with Ethereum’s price down roughly 56% over the past year, the seller’s 500 ETH loss turned into a net $10 million hit in dollar terms.
CryptoPunk #3100 is now listed three times in the all-time top sales leaderboard for CryptoPunks, having previously sold for $7.58 million and $16.03 million. Despite CryptoPunks remaining the top-tier profile picture NFT collection, its financial performance has taken a hit.
The collection’s floor price has dropped 67% from its all-time high of 125 ETH set in 2021, now averaging 42.5 ETH, as per CoinGecko data . At that time, ETH was trading at around $3,500, placing the floor price above $400,000 compared to just $65,900 at press time.
As NFTs’ popularity and asset prices continue to fall , the industry has been facing significant pressure. In Q1 2025, NFT trading volume fell to $1.5 billion, a 24% decrease from Q4 2024, according to DappRadar’s Q1 report .
Despite only a slight drop in trading activity, the steep drop in volume indicates fewer high-value transactions rather than a decline in users. CryptoPunks still commands a sizable share of the market, making up 23% of the $2.7 billion global NFT market capitalization.