Comedian (BAN) is a Solana-based meme coin inspired by Maurizio Catellan’s artwork (“Comedian”) of a banana duct-taped to a wall.

On Nov 18, 2024, Solana-based meme coin Comedian (BAN) stole the spotlight, surging by over 82% following a major listing announcement by top crypto exchanges Bybit and Binance. The surprise listing for Bybit Spot and Binance Futures trading drove hype around the BAN token, driving its price up within a 24-hour period. Although the token’s price has dropped since then, many remain bullish about this meme coin and believe it could replicate the success of many other top 

Let's learn more about BAN, and how it's blending artistic irony with crypto satire.

Comedian (BAN) is a Solana-based meme coin that draws its inspiration from visual artist Maurizio Catellan’s trending artwork (“Comedian”) of a banana duct-taped to a wall.

The token is designed to reflect a unique integration of satire and irony in the art and crypto worlds. There were three versions of this banana-themed art, selling on Sotheby in 2019 for between $120,000 and $150,000. Since then, the artwork’s value has risen to $6.2 million, making it one of the “most expensive fruits in history.” This led to the birth of Comedian (BAN), which fuses the satire of a simple banana with the viral nature of meme coins.

BAN seeks to leverage the social trends surrounding meme coins by merging humor and the internet culture around memes. The project not only invites its community to invest, but also to question the humor, hype and often absurd nature of meme coins and, at times, art. Its mission is to continue the hype around the Italian artist’s trending banana.

 to leverage the platform’s fast speeds, scalability, security and low fees. The Solana ecosystem has seen a recent surge in meme coins, which have continued to rake in millions in market capitalization and trading volume due to hype and a zealous meme culture.

In a surprise move, on Nov 18, 2024, Binance announced that it would be listing BAN for futures trading on its platform. Thereafter, Bybit also disclosed it would open Spot trading for Comedian (BAN). These two announcements from top-tier exchanges have driven hype for this meme coin, with some hoping that it will surge similarly to 

 (PNUT), another Solana meme coin that’s recently gone viral.

BAN experienced a remarkable rally just a day after the listing announcements, and its price skyrocketed to an all-time high (ATH) of $0.378. However, this was swiftly followed by a descent to below $0.15 just a week later. At the time of this writing (Nov 25, 2024), BAN is priced at $0.1255, with a market cap of $125.46 million.

BAN's stark price drop highlights the significant risk involved in investing in meme coins. They’re highly volatile and prone to short-term wild price swings. We strongly advise exercising caution as you trade BAN or any other meme coins.

You can buy BAN on Bybit’s Spot trading platform (

). To celebrate this listing, Bybit is holding two 

, running from Nov 19, 2024, 8AM UTC through Dec 26, 2024, 6AM UTC.

Comedian (BAN) has experienced significant interest from investors, primarily due to its Binance Futures market debut and Bybit Spot listing. As a meme coin, BAN could continue the viral nature of Cattelan’s “banana art,” which melds art and crypto through humor and satire. BAN is one token to watch as it unfolds in the wild space of crypto — especially within the meme coin niche.

Beginner

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Comedian (BAN): Where Crypto Satire Meets Art Irony

In this tutorial, we’ll explore how you can participate in the Sui Wonderland NAVI Staking Campaign!

Bybit Web3 is holding an exclusive Sui Wonderland NAVI Staking Campaign from Nov 25, 2024 through Dec 25, 2024! Follow our detailed guide below to find out how you can participate in the campaign and earn rewards.

How to Participate in Sui Wonderland NAVI Staking Campaign

Create or Import a Bybit Web3 Seed Phrase Wallet

 icon in the extension bar of your Chrome browser. 

A pop-up window will appear. Then, click on 

Follow the instructions to set your device password. Then, agree to 

 be sent to the server. Ensure that you remember it, as 

You may choose to set the newly created Bybit Web3 Seed Phrase Wallet as your default wallet. Then, click on 

Import an Existing Bybit Web3 Seed Phrase Wallet

 icon in the extension bar of your Chrome browser, and click on 

Import Existing Bybit Web3 Seed Phrase Wallet

: Enter your device password and click on 

: Enter or paste your seed phrases (you may choose the number of seed phrases by clicking the drop-down menu below 

: If you’ve created multiple addresses before, the 

 function will only restore wallet addresses that have assets associated with them.

 and scroll down to view the three pools available for staking. 

: You’ll then be redirected to the individual pool page. Input the amount you wish to deposit, and click on 

: Please remember to ensure that you have sufficient SUI in your wallet for gas fees.

Congratulations! You’ve successfully staked your assets in a pool under the Sui Wonderland NAVI Staking Campaign!

To view your current investments and rewards, navigate back to the 

 Only funds staked on Bybit Web3 Earn through the Bybit Web3 Seed Phrase Wallet after the event starts will be eligible to receive rewards. Please maintain your positions on Bybit Web3 to be eligible for reward calculation.

The Sui Wonderland NAVI Staking Campaign is a great opportunity for you to earn bonus rewards on your SUI, vSUI and USDC. Create your Bybit Web3 Seed Phrase Wallet and participate today!

navi staking campaign.png

In this tutorial, we’ll explore how you can complete a series of tasks in LumiWave for Sui Wonderland 2024.

In this tutorial, we’ll explore how you can complete a series of tasks in 

: Look for LumiWave’s Bybit Web3 Sui Wonderland 2024 campaign post on X.

and add your comments to complete this task.

button at the top right corner of the page. 

: Select your preferred social login option (

: Follow the instructions to complete your registration.

Ensure that you create a written record of it and remember it

, as losing this password will make your wallet 

and follow the instructions to connect successfully. Please note that you’ll need to disconnect your Sui wallet first in order to enable the 

lumiwave tutorial.png

How to Complete LumiWave Tasks for Sui Wonderland 2024

In this tutorial, we’ll explore how you can complete a series of tasks in Suilend for the Bybit x Sui Ecosystem Airdrop.

In this tutorial, we’ll explore how you can complete a series of tasks in DeepBook for Sui Wonderland 2024. 

: Download and install the Bybit Wallet extension.

: Fund your wallet with DEEP tokens. If you don’t have DEEP tokens, you may purchase them on Bybit and transfer them to your Bybit Wallet.

button on the top right corner of the page.

: Select your wallet from the list and approve the connection in your wallet. 

: Once your wallet has been connected, scroll down and click on the 

 token in the list of supported assets. 

: Deposit at least $100 worth of DEEP assets, and click on 

deepbook tutorial.png

How to Complete DeepBook Tasks for Sui Wonderland 2024

Bybit Learn

Metaverse

web3

Love anime art? Then you'll definitely adore Azuki NFTs and how they're changing the metaverse game.

Blockchain authentication of popular anime-style illustrations has infused the decades-old Japanese art genre with new commercial viability. 

) have taken the NFT world by storm. An anonymous team has combined the NFT phenomenon, anime’s cult-like following, and stunning visuals of ”counter-culture” skateboarders to create the explosive Azuki NFT collections. 

 is a brand created for the metaverse. Its NFT collection consists of 10,000 anime avatars that grant community members access to '”The Garden,” an exclusive virtual world or metaverse where Web3 enthusiasts, artists and builders gather to forge a decentralized future. 

Chiru Labs earns a royalty of 5% of any Azuki NFT resold. 

The project has a few key elements that drive a successful NFT project. The Azuki team has created and nurtured an expressive brand for the metaverse. Here are some of the reasons why Azuki NFTs are ruling the markets right now: 

Anime and manga are well-known cultural exports from Japan. Anime, a Japanese adaptation of the word “animation,” refers to animated content from Japan. They are typically inspired by Japanese comics or ”manga.”

Interest in anime-related content has spread worldwide, as it has become popular with children and adults alike. Characters like Pokémon, Dragon Ball Z and Digimon have been household names since the ’90s. 

With deep pockets and an obsessive interest in anime collectibles, anime fans have readily jumped on the Azuki bandwagon, sending its prices and popularity soaring.

Anime art is instantly recognizable due to its distinctive style. Azuki NFT characters embody the art form with an incredible level of detail in the artwork. Furthermore, the Azuki avatars come in many variations — females and males with different hair types, skin types, etc. Fans can find an avatar among the 10,000 Azuki characters to love. The exquisitely expressed unique traits and the rarity distribution (the presence of specific, unique attributes or traits in each character) make these collections exceptional in the NFT space. The Azuki artists haven’t disappointed.

In addition, the characters’ skateboarder art style screams anti-establishment, which is one reason the project is in huge demand, finding an affinity with like-minded individuals. After all, what could be more anti-establishment than crypto? 

According to the Azuki website, Azuki is “a brand for the metaverse, built by the community.” This repeated emphasis on community isn’t just for sound bites: Azuki recognizes the importance of a vibrant community, and emphasizes community ownership of the project. Community is the lifeblood of any NFT project. The community are the shareholders, the brand evangelists, the users and the soul of the project. Without them, the Azuki project or any NFT project would fizzle out.

Since the launch, the community has grown and currently boasts over 200,000 Twitter followers and 80,000 Discord members. These online social channels are well-moderated and provide a safe space for members to chill out and get to know each other. They also encourage conversation and updates on the project's various activities.

Upcoming Exclusive Streetwear Collaborations

In line with their objective to become the brand for the metaverse, the Azuki team has announced a streetwear collaboration that will feature Azuki clothing, merchandise and accessories. These will be available in "The Garden's" VIP store, only accessible to Azuki NFT owners.

The Garden is Azuki's version of the metaverse, that virtual world where community, art and culture intersect to create magic. According to their website, ”the lines between the physical and digital worlds are blurring, and the rules are being rewritten.”

The Garden will host exclusive streetwear collabs, NFT drops, live events, and more upcoming activities yet to be revealed.

A project is only as good as the team behind it. Any experienced investor — especially one aware of rug pulls that can doom an investment — always scrutinizes a project’s developers, engineers and backers before shelling out money. A high-quality team leads and supports a community. A lackluster team invariably loses support from the community, and the NFT project goes nowhere.

While most of the Azuki team members are anonymous, at least one, steamboy, is well-known in the gaming sector. He was the Character Art Director at Overwatch, a team-based first-shooter game. He worked on the Azuki project as an artist part-time, as well as a co-creator, but has become a full team member. As the lead artist for the high-profile video game, his profile adds credibility to the project.

The other anonymous members of the team are reputed to have extensive experience spanning crypto, gaming and technology. Most of what is known about them are snippets of information gleaned from their social media profiles:

Despite being anonymous, which is a negative for building trust, the team's level of commitment and professionalism seem to stand in for them.

One of the most expensive Azuki NFTs is #9605 and it recently sold for 420.7 ETH (approximately $1.4 million) on March 30, 2022.

For example, Azuki #7749, one of the most expensive in the collection, is a ‘“spirit” type Azuki. It features both the “spirit long” hair and the ‘“golden monk staff,” rare traits which can only be found in 15 of the 10,000 Azukis.

Blue and red types, with a rarity of 4.44% and 4.41%, respectively, have lower average sales prices. Human types, at 90.18%, are the most common, and have an average sale price of 7.86 ETH. 

After the type, the set of attributes of an Azuki NFT is the most significant determinant of its price. These attributes include clothing, neck, golden items and offhand features of 313 Azukis. 

Each Azuki NFT with a golden attribute traded at 28.1 ETH, while NFTs without golden items were sold at 8 ETH. 

Particular traits — Fire, Fireflies, Fox Fire and Sakura — also influence the price of each Azuki NFT. Fireflies (0.88%) and Fire (0.58%) are especially valuable traits that have sold for about 30 ETH each.

The average sale price of each Sakura (0.8%), Smoke (0.81%) and Fox Fire (0.86%) NFT is 15 ETH, or around $40,000. Notably, their average sale price is still higher than ordinary Azuki NFTs with no unique trait (93.71%), which have sold for 7.92 ETH on average.

Both the offhand features (such as Golden Sheathed Katana, Water Orb and Lightning Orb, etc.) and clothing features influence the price of each Azuki NFT. 

The golden Kigurumis are one of the rarest types of attributes, with the Cat (0.05%) being the rarest. Another expensive piece in the Azuki NFT collection is Azukis without clothing (0.05%), selling at an average price of 78.66 ETH.

As a trait, hair has a similar impact as other traits. Azukis with no hair (0.08%), or hair designs specific to a spirit type, have outperformed the rest. Azukis without hair have sold for an average of 30.69 ETH, while Spirit hairs have sold within the range of 42.7–76.5 ETH. 

Fire (0.22%) and Water (0.21%) hairs trade at an average sale price of 29 ETH each. The other hair attributes have sold for between 3.2 ETH and 15.2 ETH.

Red Bean (0.4%) is an ear trait associated with the origin of this brand that's pegged at 27.2 ETH. 

The golden earphone (0.35%) surpasses the neck attributes, with an average sale price of almost 40 ETH.

Compared to the average trading price of the remaining neck attributes, Azuki NFTs with these have netted between 7.65 ETH and 16 ETH.

Fire (0.57%), Glowing (0.78%) and Lightning (0.46%) eyes are outstanding from other eye attributes. Azukis with these three types of eyes have sold for more than 18.4 ETH, while those with other eye traits have netted prices between 6.9 ETH and 12.4 ETH.

The hype surrounding the NFT movement has attracted creators, artists and collectors in large numbers, hoping to cash in on the skyrocketing prices of these digital collectibles.

The Azuki NFT collection joined the trend with a bang, setting an unprecedented sales record in a flash. Starting at an initial price of $3,400 for each token, Azukis now sell for an average of $37,700, with some rarer ones going for more than $500,000. This is by no means cheap! So is this the right time to invest in Azukis? You're probably also wondering if the price has peaked and if there's future potential for further price appreciation. Read on as we discuss the valuation of Azuki NFTs and how you can price them.

NFTs represent volatile assets in the volatile cryptocurrency space. But unlike other digital assets, NFTs are difficult to valuate because they typically have no intrinsic value. Like most artworks, the value of an Azuki NFT is subjective — and only worth as much as people are willing to pay for it. Clearly, hype plays a significant role in determining the value of NFT collections, which makes them a risky investment.

However, an Azuki NFT offers something more than hype — namely utility. As mentioned above, it gives holders membership to The Garden, with plans for a line of streetwear collabs, Azuki merch, NFT drops, live events, and more.

Art collectors also hope that these digital collectibles will appreciate with time, like their real-life counterparts, partly due to their uniqueness and scarcity. Azuki NFTs will delight many art lovers, due to their distinctive style and exquisite craftsmanship. Some buyers do so purely for art's sake, rather than as an investment. 

Azukis have primarily maintained their value, despite tapering after initial giddy heights. The anime trend remains quite popular, especially in Asia.

While these underlying assumptions indicate a bright future for the nascent collection, it’s impossible to determine with any certainty that Azuki NFTs will stand the test of time. 

As with any investment, spend only what you can afford to lose, do your research, and practice caution before buying an NFT.

The Azuki anime-art collection made a grand entrance into the $41 billion NFT market with the objective of becoming a hot brand for the metaverse. So far, the project has lived up to expectations — and it’s just getting started. 

The Azuki team and community are as distinctive as their collection, and have proved to be dynamic, dedicated and innovative. These ingredients have combined to make Azuki a metaverse superstar.

Azuki NFTs: How This Anime Art Brand Is Becoming A Metaverse Hit

Grab Up to 5,000 USDT in Rewards

Grab Up to 5,000 USDT in Rewards