Cool Cats is an Ethereum-based collection of 9.999 randomly generated NFTs. The project and the community around it have grown considerably since its launch in July 2021, and the project is often seen as one of the “blue-chip” NFT of 2021 in its early stages.
In this article, we will discuss:
What is Cool Cats (MILK)?
Cool Cats is an NFT collection of 9.999 blue-haired cats generated by algorithms on the Ethereum blockchain. This collection positions itself as a family-oriented, community-centered project that aims to bring positivity to its entire ecosystem.
The project lives up to its name with the “coolness” of its well-designed features such as faces, bodies, glasses, hats, clothes and much more. But the feline cool factor is not equal, as some labels including “wild”, “classy” or “exotic” are considered superior to others. This ranking system is similar to what CryptoPunks and CryptoSkulls are using to categorize their NFT characters.
One of the coolest facts about Cool Cats is that all the cute kittens in the collection came from Egan's high school drawings. According to him, he has drawn cartoon characters his whole life, but his passion for cat illustrations started during high school and he ended up being known for his fascination with kitty doodles. He refined these designs with details such as measured line heights, ears, and whiskers, and later called this enhanced cat family the “Blue Cat,” which became the direct inspiration for the Cool Cats.
Why did Cool Cats become popular?
While the Bored Ape Yacht Club set off the NFT profile picture (PFP) craze, Cool Cats set off the industry's big wave of digital avatar frenzy. Even though its release was not a flop and was well received by NFT collectors, its true popularity and success exploded days after its minting, thanks largely to celebrity endorsements.
One of the first stars to jump on the trend was boxing legend Mike Tyson, who turned his Cool Cats NFT into his Twitter profile picture. Other personalities followed by buying their own NFT cats, including Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, DJ Steve Aoki and actress Reese Witherspoon.
What are Cool Pets?
Cool Pets is Cool Cat's companion collection, building on the project's popularity to further expand its character and collector base. The collection, made up of 19.999 equally adorable creatures, has set aside half of its offering for public sale and the other 50% for the owners of Cool Cats.
What's interesting with Cool Pets characters is that they start out as an egg, and the food and other items given to them by their owners would determine their appearance and elements. In addition, characters will also evolve into Fire, Water, Air or Grass element depending on how their owners would take care of them. The world of CoolPets also offers quests including 'Go Greet the Frogs', 'Save the Forest', 'Meet the Townspeople' and 'Sniff the Danger' which would allow holders to earn MILK tokens.
public utility services
cooltopia
Cooltopia is the official name of the Cool Cats ecosystem, made up of its Twitter and Discord communities, Cool Shop, marketplace and other virtual places where holders can hang out and get additional privileges. Owners also gain an exclusive role on the Cool Cats' Discord channel, which would help them become an active part of the community and engage with other NFT owners. Cooltopia also offers immersive games, tokens, engaging community events, collaborations and other activities that can bring holders fun and expand their digital assets.
non-exclusive license
The team offers all holders the privilege to do whatever they want with their Cool Cats NFTs, giving them the freedom to express their creativity in these assets. But keepers should also know that the team has the right to use any cat in the collection for marketing, merchandising and other purposes.
Partnership with Time Magazine
In recognition of Cool Cats' significant potential, publishing giant Time Magazine has partnered with the collection for an exclusive 'Time-themed' cats. The collection has 400 images of Cool Cats reading their Time Magazines in different and sometimes crazy places. An interesting fact here is that the team at Cool Cats Williamson, Mehwe, Egan and Luza were also the ones who created the exclusive collection, each contributing 100 pieces of NFTs.
But these NFTs were not sold directly to interested collectors; instead, Time hosted a competition in which participants must create a creative meme for the collaboration. Eight winners won the competition, and holders who participated in the event received the remaining 392 NFTs via lottery.
MILK Token
MILK Token is Cool Cats' "social token", which allows holders to purchase items including chests for battle, housing, and pets, as well as serving as currency for quests. The community celebrated the introduction of the MILK token by posting videos showing themselves drinking milk from small amounts to a full gallon, showing the fun and outgoing side of the folks at Cool Cats.
Where to buy NFTs Cool Cats?
Currently, Cool Cats can only be purchased on secondary markets such as OpenSea. As of March 2022, the minimum price for a Cool Cat was 7,88 ETH (approximately $27.000).
Future of Cool Cats
In March 2021, the creators of Cool Cats signed with CAA, a leading talent agency in Los Angeles, California. According to a press release, “the agency will identify and create opportunities for Cool Cats characters in a variety of areas, including licensing and merchandising, animated content, brand partnerships, live events, publishing and more.” Cool Cats and Cool Pets are just the first pieces of the massive Cooltopia ecosystem that the founders planned. Joining the CAA will only expand opportunities for growth.
“People’s perception of Cool Cats only exists in the NFT capability right now, but that’s really just our launching pad for the brand as a whole, so we aim to take it in pretty much every avenue possible,” co-founder Luza told The Hollywood Reporter.
Conclusion
Cool Cats has already established a solid foundation through its active community, celebrity endorsements, utilities and companion collection. But given the continued march of NFT projects willing to offer greater advantages, it should not remain confident and should continue refining its current offerings to further strengthen its community.
