Here are 10 influential collectors you should follow in 2023
With the new year comes new opportunities, renewed excitement and of course new problems. While 2023 has yet to hit the NFT space hard in any way, general blockchain enthusiasts are undoubtedly preparing to ride the ups and downs of the NFT market for another year. But for the true believers, seasoned collectors, the new year also brings with it a chance for greatness.
As both established creators and newbies featured in nft now’s Next Up set their minting plans for the year, collectors big and small alike are looking to make profitable turns and collect elusive grails. But not all collectors are created equal. While some hide in the shadows to execute trades day after day in an attempt to stack ETH, others operate in the public eye, aiming to support artists, inspire others and impart wisdom to their followers.
So to honor those who have consistently shown themselves in the NFT space, we’ve handpicked 10 collectors who have had a noticeable impact on the ecosystem over the past year. Chosen through qualitative calculations and presented in no particular order, these movers and shakers are people you’ve probably heard of by now, and are definitely worth keeping an eye on.
Cozomo de’ Medici
Cozomo de’ Medici is a pseudonymous NFT collector, investor and thought leader who has become one of the most popular and prominent names in the NFT community. When he first became active on Twitter in August 2021, he quickly amassed a large following by posting cryptic tweets, sharing selfies with major celebrities, and trolling the NFT community with a stunt in which he appeared to reveal himself as the legendary rapper Snoop Dogg. While it’s clear that Cozomo has ties to many higher-ups in the music industry, he built a reputation throughout 2022 as an anon championing crypto-artists, a collector of NFTs from lesser-known creators, and the provider of a large network of investors through the Medici Group.
OSF
Earlier Wall Street trades reversed NFT enthusiast OSF wears many hats within the NFT ecosystem. First known in space as a whale collector, he has since adopted the roles of artist and builder throughout art project Rekt Guy as well as via Canary Labs, a Web3 imprint created in collaboration with his fellow pseudonym NFT collector Mando. Aside from finding success with Rekt Guy, OSF remains an avid collector and champion of creators and traders alike, with its platform Degenz provide the public with frequent, deep and insightful analyzes of the NFT market.
Yeah
Yeah is an NFT collector, curator and enthusiast who has gathered a following by routinely offering insights into – and analyzes of – the NFT market. He styles himself as a buyer and seller of crypto art which he considers “historically significant”. To this end, he focuses on art created from around 2018 to 2020, while also taking an interest in creations and creators that push the boundaries of crypto art and NFT technology. His fundraising tactics have been covered up New York Timeshe is one of the all-time leading collectors in sales on SuperRare, and was even honored by NFT superstar Beeple with a portrait with the likeness of his unique CryptoPunk #638.
DCInvestor
DC Investor is one of the leading investors and project advisors in the NFT area. Billed by someone as the owner of “the world’s largest NFT portfolio”, he was an early adopter of crypto, and as soon as NFTs started to take off, he went all in on crypto art. As such, his impressive collection includes some of the biggest names in NFTs, such as CryptoPunks and Art Blocks. Considered an experienced and knowledgeable collector, he often provides input and advice on what’s going on in both the crypto and NFT space via his Twitter account, offering his followers invaluable insight into the current and future direction of the market.
Anonymous
As the name suggests, Anonymous is an anonymous NFT collector who has took advantage of his background in investment management, – in addition to previous experience in online poker and fantasy sports – into a successful run as an NFT investor. After starting with 50 CryptoPunks in January 2021, he managed to grow his collection at an astonishing rate while maintaining his persona as a sort of “everyman” in the NFT space. Aside from Anonymoux’s work curating and collecting high-value NFTs, he often offers wisdom and encouragement to his many artist and collector followers on Twitter.
Keyboard Monkey
One of the most successful traders in the NFT space – with over a decade of experience trading stocks and crypto to his name – is Keyboard Monkey (also known as KBM). An early entrant into the NFT trend, he has ridden the wave to massive success and breaks the process down to a science. His advice on how to play the NFT market is well regarded in the community and he is also seen as a master at finding rare 1/1s. In addition, he regularly supports up-and-coming creators, often appearing on podcasts to share his strategies and high-level views on how to navigate the volatile field, imparting wisdom to both his followers and the NFT community.
Gmoney
Gmoney, once an anonymous investor before revealing his face in late 2022, first gained attention when he paid 140 ETH (about $150,000 at the time) for CryptoPunk #8219 in January 2021. By May, Gmoney had cemented his status as an influential brings together , Delphi launches INFINFT, a fund investing in several NFT projects with crypto research and investment company Delphi Digital. In 2022, he continued to be a champion of artists while becoming more of a builder himself by launching the projects 9dcc and Admit One, the former a multi-faceted project aimed at bridging the gap between physical and digital assets, and the latter made. as a private group that aims to provide the NFT space with opportunities and education.
Seed phrase
Daniel Maegaard, better known by his pseudonym Seedphrase, is a collector and investor with undeniable prominence in the NFT space. After making millions from crypto investments in the 2010s, Maegaard saw the incoming NFT wave and quickly decided to build an NFT empire. To do so, he acquired NFTs from some of the most sought after collections in the world, the most notable being CryptoPunk #8348 – often considered the rarest punk of all. A big proponent of blockchain technology and the malleable nature of identity in Web3, in 2023 his punk has become his alternate persona and has led Maegaard to branch out his influence into the world of fashion and electronic music as a DJ.
VincentVanDough
Vincent Van Dough is a pseudonymous NFT collector, investor and thought leader who has become one of the most popular and prominent names in the NFT community. Said to have used tens of millions on NFTs Van Dough rose to popularity for collecting/believing in NFTs even before NFTs achieved mainstream notoriety. Through the vicissitudes of the NFT market, Van Dough has remained a staunch supporter of historic and meaningful art NFTs, and is said to be the purveyor of one of the largest collections of Art Block’s NFTs. In 2022, Van Dough launched Art of This Millenniuma global gallery specializing in contemporary digital art working closely with artists on all aspects of career planning and execution.
DeeZe
DeeZe is a pseudonymous NFT collector, investor and crypto trader who has become one of the most influential commentators and tastemakers in the NFT space. Considered a champion of rising artists and builders within the ecosystem, DeeZe first started making a profit through crypto trading, then moved to DeFi before becoming a big advocate of photography NFTs – dedicating countless of his Twitter spaces to putting the spotlight on artists in the burgeoning sector. Having remained faceless and pseudonymous, he is considered to be a typical part of the NFT space and is apparently one of the most respected anons in Web3.
