Crypto Gloss

Cool Cats

Cool Cats is a collection of 9,999 hand-drawn blue cartoon cat NFTs on Ethereum launched on July 1, 2021 — one of the first collections to earn “blue chip” status in the 2021 NFT bull market, with early celebrity adoption (Mike Tyson changed his Twitter profile picture to a Cool Cat), a floor price that peaked above 9 ETH, and a franchise that expanded into gaming, TV animation projects, and branded merchandise.

The Collection

Attribute Detail
Supply 9,999 NFTs
Blockchain Ethereum (ERC-721)
Launch July 1, 2021
Mint price 0.06 ETH
Creators Tom (founder), Clon, ELU, Lynqoid

Cool Cats are randomly generated from:

  • Body styles (12 base cats)
  • Hats (64 types)
  • Faces (90 types)
  • Shirts/outfits (110 types)
  • Tier system: Common, Wild, Cool, Classy, Exotic (rarity tiers based on trait combinations)

The blue cat body and cartoon art style became one of the most recognizable aesthetics in early PFP NFTs.

Cool Score System

Cool Cats uses a “Cool Score” — a rarity/prestige score from 1–10 based on trait combinations. Higher scores = rarer and more valuable NFTs. The system was an early example of on-chain rarity metrics used for community status.

Celebrity Adoption (2021)

In the September 2021 bull run, multiple celebrities publicly adopted Cool Cats:

  • Mike Tyson changed his Twitter profile picture to a Cool Cat — one of the most high-profile celebrity PFP adoptions of the era alongside Bored Ape Yacht Club’s celebrity wave
  • Various athletes and entertainers also displayed Cool Cats, contributing to the “status symbol” narrative

Floor prices peaked above 9 ETH during the 2021 bull market.

Cooltopia and Gaming

The team developed “Cooltopia” — a play-to-earn gaming ecosystem where Cool Cat holders could earn $MILK tokens, the in-game currency. Cool Pets (companion NFTs) were introduced as part of this ecosystem. The gaming roadmap drew on the broader P2E trend of 2021–2022.

Cool Cats TV Animation

Cool Cats announced a partnership targeting an animated TV series and brand licensing deals — following the template of Bored Ape Yacht Club’s celebrity-focused franchise expansion strategy. Progress on the animation front was slower than initially anticipated.

History

  • July 1, 2021 — Cool Cats launches at 0.06 ETH; sells out quickly; gains immediate community traction
  • August–September 2021 — Bull market drives floor to 5+ ETH; Mike Tyson and other celebrities adopt Cool Cats as Twitter PFPs
  • October 2021 — Floor peaks above 9 ETH; Cool Cats established as a “Big Five” NFT blue chip alongside BAYC, CryptoPunks, Doodles, and World of Women
  • 2022 — $MILK token and Cooltopia gaming ecosystem launched; NFT bear market drives floor decline
  • 2022–2023 — Floor drops significantly with broader market; Cooltopia roadmap continues at reduced pace; team continues development
  • 2024 — Cool Cats maintains community and brand; floor settles at a fraction of peak but collection retains cultural recognition as an OG blue chip

Common Misconceptions

  • “Cool Cats was just a copycat of Bored Apes.” — Cool Cats launched in July 2021, only two months after BAYC (April 2021), and independently developed its hand-drawn cartoon cat aesthetic. The two collections developed in parallel during the same market window, not sequentially.
  • “Celebrity adoption proves long-term value.” — Celebrity PFP adoption drove dramatic short-term price appreciation in 2021, but Cool Cats, like many collections from that era, saw substantial floor price decline in the 2022 bear market regardless of celebrity holders.

Social Media Sentiment

  • X/Twitter: Cool Cats has a loyal OG community; the collection is frequently cited as a founding member of the 2021 PFP era; activity has declined from bull market peaks but the core community remains engaged.
  • r/CoolCats / r/NFT: Positive within the existing community; newer NFT participants often view Cool Cats as a relic of the 2021 hype cycle rather than an active ecosystem.
  • Discord (Cool Cats): One of the original large NFT Discords; still active; Cooltopia gaming content keeps holders engaged.

Last updated: 2026-04

Related Terms

See Also

  • Bored Ape Yacht Club — the dominant blue chip of the same 2021 wave; launched two months before Cool Cats; sets the benchmark against which Cool Cats is frequently measured
  • Doodles — another hand-drawn cartoon PFP from the 2021 era; often grouped with Cool Cats as the “colorful” counterpart to CryptoPunks and BAYC
  • PFP NFT — the category Cool Cats pioneered; profile picture NFTs as digital identity and social status signal

Sources