untitledpunk.xyzOpenSea
Historical Record

A fragment of CryptoPunks history, preserved on-chain.

Pixel artwork decoded from the GIF data URI in punks1.sol in the Larva Labs CryptoPunks repository.
UNTITLED PUNK

Background

The image data representing this artefact originates from the Larva Labs CryptoPunks repository. It is present in punks1.sol, an early, undeployed test contract committed to the repository on , seven days before the deployment of the V1 CryptoPunks contract.

The artefact exhibits a visible indication of a second ear, alongside a combination of visual traits absent from the official CryptoPunks collection. These characteristics have led to the suggestion that it may predate the collection’s official artwork.

Discovery

In 2026, a digital archaeologist operating under the name @Arkinon uncovered an untitled Punk artwork embedded as Base64-encoded GIF data in an early commit of the Larva Labs CryptoPunks repository. The artwork appeared within punks1.sol, an early test contract that was never deployed.

Upon examination, the artwork was identified as a potential CryptoPunk prototype created by Larva Labs. It may represent one of the few, or potentially the only, known examples of CryptoPunk artwork outside the official collection.

The original image data was copied directly from the early commit and inscribed into the image field of a ERC-721, preserving the historical artwork in its original encoded form.

From the commit

Image
data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhGAAYAPMAAAAAAFYmAGg8CHI3CXE/HRQsfIVRFP/ZJhY3pBpDyGOFlp6engAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACH5BAAAAAAALAAAAAAYABgAAAR+UMlJq7046817R2AIegqSnOiJfGm7YomJFHGIIoAWFwDh+yFCLpMoKHq/pFAnQQYCvydguMAghYMfYDBVLL6Xq9JHBVcAB7FyqJmukeyqdaztqJPxjHjqZrfHAAZdfF0Wd0KCRwaLfhNXhFOCAAIGAo1NdRSBi5ZzZIZ8JBwRADs=
Repository
larvalabs/cryptopunks
Path
punks1.sol
Commit
539ba5c4382a7353a3930da1da23e0937b326867
Git blob
ab7e29a4fccfd313124f4e278b4080d2b6a77b2e
Commit date
3 June 2017, 06:53:14 AEST (UTC+10)
Author
Matt Hall
Message
Initial commit with previous contract versions.

NFT metadata

Image
data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhGAAYAPMAAAAAAFYmAGg8CHI3CXE/HRQsfIVRFP/ZJhY3pBpDyGOFlp6engAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACH5BAAAAAAALAAAAAAYABgAAAR+UMlJq7046817R2AIegqSnOiJfGm7YomJFHGIIoAWFwDh+yFCLpMoKHq/pFAnQQYCvydguMAghYMfYDBVLL6Xq9JHBVcAB7FyqJmukeyqdaztqJPxjHjqZrfHAAZdfF0Wd0KCRwaLfhNXhFOCAAIGAo1NdRSBi5ZzZIZ8JBwRADs=
Result
Artwork rendered from the NFT metadata image field.

The image field and the image data in the commit are the same string, byte for byte.

The image data field contains the exact data used to render artwork on NFT marketplaces such as OpenSea and Blur.

Research suggests this is the first time this data has been stored on-chain.

Traits

Punk #5647 is the only official CryptoPunk with the unique combination of a pipe, bandana, and earring. This makes the Untitled Punk a true 1:1 artwork outside the CryptoPunks collection.

This NFT is a representation of the original artwork and does not imply endorsement by, or affiliation with, the creators or intellectual property owners of CryptoPunks. It serves as a historical relic, preserving the artwork on-chain.

Untitled Punk, a male punk with a bandana, earring, and pipe.
Untitled Punk
  • TypeMale
  • AttributeBandana
  • AttributeEarring
  • AttributePipe
CryptoPunk #5647, a male punk with a bandana, nerd glasses, goatee, earring, and pipe.
Punk #5647
  • TypeMale
  • Hair/HatBandana
  • JewelryEarring
  • In MouthPipe
Search trait combination

Source code

The punks1.sol contract references the Untitled Punk in an array. Both entries hold the same image data. Decoding either one produces the artwork shown below.

punks1.solSolidity
    string[2] public punks = [
        "data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhGAAYAPMAAAAAAFYmAGg8CHI3CXE/HRQsfIVRFP/ZJhY3pBpDyGOFlp6engAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACH5BAAAAAAALAAAAAAYABgAAAR+UMlJq7046817R2AIegqSnOiJfGm7YomJFHGIIoAWFwDh+yFCLpMoKHq/pFAnQQYCvydguMAghYMfYDBVLL6Xq9JHBVcAB7FyqJmukeyqdaztqJPxjHjqZrfHAAZdfF0Wd0KCRwaLfhNXhFOCAAIGAo1NdRSBi5ZzZIZ8JBwRADs=",
        "data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhGAAYAPMAAAAAAFYmAGg8CHI3CXE/HRQsfIVRFP/ZJhY3pBpDyGOFlp6engAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACH5BAAAAAAALAAAAAAYABgAAAR+UMlJq7046817R2AIegqSnOiJfGm7YomJFHGIIoAWFwDh+yFCLpMoKHq/pFAnQQYCvydguMAghYMfYDBVLL6Xq9JHBVcAB7FyqJmukeyqdaztqJPxjHjqZrfHAAZdfF0Wd0KCRwaLfhNXhFOCAAIGAo1NdRSBi5ZzZIZ8JBwRADs=",
    ];
Decoded GIF from punks[0] in the preserved punks1.sol. 24 by 24 pixels.
Decoded image · punks[0]
Format
GIF89a
MIME type
image/gif
Dimensions
24×24
Frames
1
Color table
16 colors
GIF bytes
209
GIF SHA-256
1923d240e3f3619fe7f26ff361dfb60838459bf55a349e154d609121dd466d2a
Inspect source

The string stored in the contract. This is the preserved text, not a response fetched from GitHub.

data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhGAAYAPMAAAAAAFYmAGg8CHI3CXE/HRQsfIVRFP/ZJhY3pBpDyGOFlp6engAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACH5BAAAAAAALAAAAAAYABgAAAR+UMlJq7046817R2AIegqSnOiJfGm7YomJFHGIIoAWFwDh+yFCLpMoKHq/pFAnQQYCvydguMAghYMfYDBVLL6Xq9JHBVcAB7FyqJmukeyqdaztqJPxjHjqZrfHAAZdfF0Wd0KCRwaLfhNXhFOCAAIGAo1NdRSBi5ZzZIZ8JBwRADs=
Base64 payload

The characters after the data URI prefix, before they are decoded into GIF bytes.

R0lGODlhGAAYAPMAAAAAAFYmAGg8CHI3CXE/HRQsfIVRFP/ZJhY3pBpDyGOFlp6engAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACH5BAAAAAAALAAAAAAYABgAAAR+UMlJq7046817R2AIegqSnOiJfGm7YomJFHGIIoAWFwDh+yFCLpMoKHq/pFAnQQYCvydguMAghYMfYDBVLL6Xq9JHBVcAB7FyqJmukeyqdaztqJPxjHjqZrfHAAZdfF0Wd0KCRwaLfhNXhFOCAAIGAo1NdRSBi5ZzZIZ8JBwRADs=
Hexadecimal

The decoded GIF bytes, 16 per row, 256 per page.

Hexadecimal bytes of the GIF payload, page 1 of 1
OffsetHexText
000047 49 46 38 39 61 18 00 18 00 f3 00 00 00 00 00GIF89a..........
001056 26 00 68 3c 08 72 37 09 71 3f 1d 14 2c 7c 85V&.h<.r7.q?..,|.
002051 14 ff d9 26 16 37 a4 1a 43 c8 63 85 96 9e 9eQ...&.7..C.c....
00309e 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 21 f9 04.............!..
004000 00 00 00 00 2c 00 00 00 00 18 00 18 00 00 04.....,..........
00507e 50 c9 49 ab bd 38 eb cd 7b 47 60 08 7a 0a 92~P.I..8..{G`.z..
00609c e8 89 7c 69 bb 62 89 89 14 71 88 22 80 16 17...|i.b...q."...
007000 e1 fb 21 42 2e 93 28 28 7a bf a4 50 27 41 06...!B..((z..P'A.
008002 bf 27 60 b8 c0 20 85 83 1f 60 30 55 2c be 97..'`.. ...`0U,..
0090ab d2 47 05 57 00 07 b1 72 a8 99 ae 91 ec aa 75..G.W...r......u
00a0ac ed a8 93 f1 8c 78 ea 66 b7 c7 00 06 5d 7c 5d......x.f....]|]
00b016 77 42 82 47 06 8b 7e 13 57 84 53 82 00 02 06.wB.G..~.W.S....
00c002 8d 4d 75 14 81 8b 96 73 64 86 7c 24 1c 11 00..Mu....sd.|$...
00d03b;

Page 1 of 1

Download punks1.solDownload GIF bytes

The Solidity download is the preserved file, unmodified. The GIF download is the Base64 payload extracted from the selected array entry.

NFT metadata

Source B is the NFT metadata JSON stored with this archive. It is a different document from punks1.sol. No token URI is recorded here, so this section does not read a contract or a remote metadata server.

Name
Untitled Punk
Description
A fragment of CryptoPunks history, preserved on-chain. The image data comes directly from the Larva Labs CryptoPunks repository, where it appears in punks1.sol, an early test contract committed on June 2, 2017 — six days before the V1 CryptoPunks contract was deployed. Historical source-code research suggests the image was generated using the same program as the original CryptoPunks, with a combination of visual traits not found in the official collection.
image
Image referenced by the NFT metadata image field.data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhGAAYAPMAAAAAAFYmAGg8CHI3CXE/HRQsfIVRFP/ZJhY3pBpDyGOFlp6engAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACH5BAAAAAAALAAAAAAYABgAAAR+UMlJq7046817R2AIegqSnOiJfGm7YomJFHGIIoAWFwDh+yFCLpMoKHq/pFAnQQYCvydguMAghYMfYDBVLL6Xq9JHBVcAB7FyqJmukeyqdaztqJPxjHjqZrfHAAZdfF0Wd0KCRwaLfhNXhFOCAAIGAo1NdRSBi5ZzZIZ8JBwRADs=
image_data
Not present in the metadata.
Attributes
  • Type · Male
  • Attribute · Bandana
  • Attribute · Earring
  • Attribute · Pipe
Provenance
  • sourceRepository · https://github.com/larvalabs/cryptopunks
  • sourcePath · punks1.sol
  • sourceCommit · 539ba5c4382a7353a3930da1da23e0937b326867
  • sourceFileSha256 · 0x9576465f2b073bbc75f1d5a0f295b3eff8c24dafb839f8935605737a56415982
  • sourceFileByteLength · 3415
  • imageSha256 · 0x1923d240e3f3619fe7f26ff361dfb60838459bf55a349e154d609121dd466d2a
  • imageKeccak256 · 0xb6f13f80d7524c47e7f0d713514a466a6b0a0e5e81695256b2a05f18f5de511f
  • imageByteLength · 209
  • sourceCommitDate · 1496436794
Token ID
PUNK1
Contract address
0xe705b1f79750DD0453DD68D8ddE96b8be291d03a
NFT Standard
ERC721
Raw metadata JSON
{
  "name": "Untitled Punk",
  "description": "A fragment of CryptoPunks history, preserved on-chain.\n\nThe image data comes directly from the Larva Labs CryptoPunks repository, where it appears in punks1.sol, an early test contract committed on June 2, 2017 — six days before the V1 CryptoPunks contract was deployed.\n\nHistorical source-code research suggests the image was generated using the same program as the original CryptoPunks, with a combination of visual traits not found in the official collection.",
  "image": "data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhGAAYAPMAAAAAAFYmAGg8CHI3CXE/HRQsfIVRFP/ZJhY3pBpDyGOFlp6engAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACH5BAAAAAAALAAAAAAYABgAAAR+UMlJq7046817R2AIegqSnOiJfGm7YomJFHGIIoAWFwDh+yFCLpMoKHq/pFAnQQYCvydguMAghYMfYDBVLL6Xq9JHBVcAB7FyqJmukeyqdaztqJPxjHjqZrfHAAZdfF0Wd0KCRwaLfhNXhFOCAAIGAo1NdRSBi5ZzZIZ8JBwRADs=",
  "attributes": [
    {
      "trait_type": "Type",
      "value": "Male"
    },
    {
      "trait_type": "Attribute",
      "value": "Bandana"
    },
    {
      "trait_type": "Attribute",
      "value": "Earring"
    },
    {
      "trait_type": "Attribute",
      "value": "Pipe"
    }
  ],
  "provenance": {
    "sourceRepository": "https://github.com/larvalabs/cryptopunks",
    "sourcePath": "punks1.sol",
    "sourceCommit": "539ba5c4382a7353a3930da1da23e0937b326867",
    "sourceFileSha256": "0x9576465f2b073bbc75f1d5a0f295b3eff8c24dafb839f8935605737a56415982",
    "sourceFileByteLength": 3415,
    "imageSha256": "0x1923d240e3f3619fe7f26ff361dfb60838459bf55a349e154d609121dd466d2a",
    "imageKeccak256": "0xb6f13f80d7524c47e7f0d713514a466a6b0a0e5e81695256b2a05f18f5de511f",
    "imageByteLength": 209,
    "sourceCommitDate": 1496436794
  }
}

Timeline

  1. 2 June 2017

    Initial commit with previous contract versions

    GIF extracted from punks1.sol in the 2 June 2017 commit.

    539ba5c4382a7353a3930da1da23e0937b326867

    An early Larva Labs CryptoPunks repository commit contains punks1.sol, an undeployed test contract with the encoded GIF artwork.

  2. 9 June 2017

    CryptoPunks V1 deployed

    A grid of CryptoPunks from the V1 contract.

    0x6Ba6f2207e343923BA692e5Cae646Fb0F566DB8D

    The original CryptoPunks contract was deployed on Ethereum.

  3. 22 June 2017

    CryptoPunks V2 deployed

    A grid of CryptoPunks from the V2 contract.

    0xb47e3cd837dDF8e4c57F05d70Ab865de6e193BBB

    A replacement contract established the foundation of the familiar CryptoPunks collection.

  4. 25 March 2021

    V1 wrapper introduced

    0xf4a4644e818c2843ba0aabea93af6c80b5984114

    An ERC-721 wrapper enabled CryptoPunks V1 to be represented in a format compatible with modern NFT marketplaces.

  5. 12 October 2026, 10:56:11 AEDT

    Minted 11 October 2026, 23:56:11 UTC.

    Untitled Test Punk inscribed

    Artwork of the inscribed Untitled Punk NFT.

    0xe705b1f79750DD0453DD68D8ddE96b8be291d03a

    The original image data was inscribed as a one-of-one ERC-721 NFT, preserving the encoded artwork and linking the inscription to its source in the repository's history.