Yuga Labs has let go of the reins and handed the Moonbirds NFT universe, along with its Mythics and Oddities collections, to the rising blockchain gaming studio Orange Cap Games. The deal became final on May 30th, which signaled a bold shift in how NFT brands are trying to transform from static collectibles into immersive gaming ecosystems.
Market Reaction: Moonbirds Sales Soar
Following the announcement, Moonbirds trading volume rose over 2,500% and topped $2 million in just days. The price of floors jumped from around 0.30 ETH to over 0.45 ETH, with more scarce assets nearing 4 ETH, according to Binance and Cointelegraph. Along with the price movement, daily volume climbed to 69.5 ETH, signaling renewed market interest in the collection that was once fading away. This sharp uptick suggests that collectors and traders alike both see the IP’s new direction as a credible path to long-term value, especially given that Orange Cap’s roadmap is mostly gaming-focused with a rising demand for NFTs with real utility.
Orange Cap’s Vision: From NFTs to Playable Worlds
Orange Cap, most known for its Pudgy Penguins card game, recently raised $3.5M in Seed Round as seen in this article by Akira Ming. The company has also announced plans to create cross-platform gaming experiences for Moonbirds, integrating them into mobile and metaverse environments.
CEO Spencer Gordan-Sand said, “The goal is to bring Moonbirds to life with 3D avatars and interactive storytelling.”
The company envisions the IP in the Otherside Metaverse and potentially launching on ApeChain or Ethereum mainnet. By merging storytelling, gameplay, and asset ownership, Orange Cap strives to make Moonbirds a main example of NFTs evolving into digital identities.
Strategic Industry Context: Mainstream Momentum and Institutional Interest
Yuga Labs’ sale of the Moonbirds IP to Orange Cap Games shows a larger industry shift toward mainstream adoption and innovation in the blockchain. As seen in Galaxy Digital’s plans for a Nasdaq listing, institutional interest in crypto and Web3 is growing at rates like never before, encouraging projects to move beyond static collectibles and toward dynamic, utility-driven experiences. This strategic change positions Moonbirds to capitalize on the expanding market for immersive gaming and metaverse integration, which aligns perfectly with broader trends in the sector.
What Lies Ahead?
This strategic reshuffling by Yuga Labs also mirrors a larger shift occurring across the entire crypto industry, where regulation and compliance are becoming central to long-term growth. As detailed in our coverage of the evolving compliance mindset among crypto firms, leading companies are already refining their operations and portfolios to stay ahead of new legal frameworks while continuing to push boundaries in blockchain innovation. For Yuga Labs, offloading non-core assets like Moonbirds is not just a business decision, but it’s part of a larger realignment to remain focused and future-ready in a maturing market. As regulatory clarity continues to evolve, moves like this one will become more standard practice for NFT and Web3 pioneers who are aiming to thrive in the next phase of the digital asset economy.
My Take: NFTs Moving Beyond Could Change the NFT Game
As someone who has been following crypto along with NFT and blockchain gaming trends, I am very excited to see Orange Cap pushing Moonbirds beyond static collectibles. Turning these assets into ones that you can use and actually interact with feels like the natural next step for NFTs to gain real utility and lasting value. Orange Cap has the potential to transform the perception of NFTs among the general public and contribute to the integration of their technology into daily life if they are successful in realizing their goal of fusing storytelling, gameplay, and digital ownership.
Source
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Yuga Labs sells Moonbirds IP to Orange Cap Games
Yuga Labs Sells Moonbirds NFT to Game Studio
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Nicholas Newman is a 19-year-old based in Westchester, NY. He began his college journey at Iona University in New Rochelle and is now a student at Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business in the Bronx NY, majoring in Accounting and Finance. Nicholas has been actively involved in the crypto space since 2020, both on the investment side and in development, and continues to explore opportunities at the intersection of finance, technology, and digital assets.
