Crypto Gloss

Bored Ape Kennel Club

Bored Ape Kennel Club (BAKC) is the first companion collection to Bored Ape Yacht Club — 9,602 dog NFTs airdropped for free in June 2021 to all BAYC holders (at the cost of only gas fees), establishing the “companion airdrop” pattern that dozens of subsequent NFT projects copied, and becoming a standalone blue-chip collection in its own right with significant secondary market value.

The Collection

Attribute Detail
Supply 9,602 NFTs
Blockchain Ethereum
Launch June 18, 2021
Airdrop Free to BAYC holders (gas only)
Creator Yuga Labs

BAKC features dog character NFTs — each BAYC holder received one dog airdrop corresponding to their Ape. The dogs:

  • Different breeds and character designs
  • Styled to match the BAYC aesthetic
  • Various accessories, backgrounds, and traits
  • Each dog NFT has the same ERC-721 token ID as its original Ape (Ape #1234 → Dog #1234)

Why BAKC Matters

First major companion airdrop:

Yuga Labs’ decision to reward BAYC holders with a free companion collection became the template for dozens of projects:

  • BAYC → BAKC (dogs) in June 2021
  • BAYC → MAYC (Mutant Ape Yacht Club) in August 2021
  • Countless other projects airdropped companions following this pattern

The message: holding a quality NFT can result in free additional value without the holder doing anything.

Standalone value:

BAKC quickly developed its own secondary market separate from BAYC — holders who received their dog airdrops could:

  • Keep as a companion to their Ape (both are “BAYC ecosystem” NFTs)
  • Sell the dog on the secondary market at significant prices
  • The BAKC floor in 2022 reached 7–8 ETH at peak

Token ID matching:

The 1-to-1 correspondence between Ape IDs and Dog IDs creates a natural “matching set” appeal — collectors who own the matching dog and ape together command a premium for the pair.

The Serum and MAYC

Shortly after BAKC, Yuga Labs released the “Mutant Serum” — an airdrop to BAYC holders that could be used to create a Mutant Ape (MAYC) by applying the serum to an existing Ape. This created a third ecosystem asset. The pattern: reward holders → create more ecosystem assets → increase overall value of holding the BAYC ecosystem.

History

  • June 18, 2021 — BAKC launches; 9,602 dogs airdropped to BAYC holders; initial gas-war claiming
  • August 2021 — MAYC launches; the companion collection model is firmly established
  • 2021 — BAKC secondary market develops; floor reaches meaningful ETH levels; dog-ape matched pairs command premiums
  • 2022 — BAKC follows BAYC floor during NFT bear market but maintains relative premium vs. non-Yuga collections
  • 2023–2024 — BAKC remains a significant collection; Yuga Labs continues building the broader ecosystem (Otherside, HV-MTL)

Common Misconceptions

  • “BAKC was created to dilute BAYC.” — The companion airdrop was a reward mechanism for existing holders. The free receipt of value by BAYC holders is the opposite of dilution — it increased the total asset value held by BAYC holders.
  • “Each dog matches the same Ape by number.” — This is TRUE, not a misconception. Dog #1234 was airdropped to the holder of Ape #1234 at the time of the snapshot, creating natural pairing.

Social Media Sentiment

  • X/Twitter: BAKC is a beloved part of the BAYC ecosystem; the “ape + dog” matching set is a status symbol; Yuga Labs ecosystem news affects BAKC alongside BAYC and MAYC.
  • r/NFT: Frequently cited as the gold standard for companion airdrops; the pattern BAKC set is mentioned whenever any project announces a companion collection.
  • Collector community: High-value collectors who hold matching ape + dog sets are a specific sub-community with their own status hierarchy.

Last updated: 2026-04

Related Terms

See Also

  • Bored Ape Yacht Club — the parent collection; BAKC’s value is directly tied to BAYC’s ecosystem health and brand
  • Yuga Labs — the company that created both BAYC and BAKC; understanding Yuga’s strategy explains the companion airdrop model
  • NFT Airdrop — the mechanism used to distribute BAKC; BAKC is the defining example of a successful NFT companion airdrop

Sources