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It\u2019s auction season in New York, but the crypto art crowd, by contrast, prefers warmer, southern climes\u2014Miami<\/a>, Florida, to be precise.<\/p>\n Last year, Art Basel Miami Beach was something of a coming out party for the NFT art scene after pandemic lockdowns, and the city\u2019s Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA Miami) has been equally enthusiastic about works tethered to the blockchain. It became the first major museum to collect an NFT following a donation of CryptoPunk #5293<\/em> by trustee Eduardo Burillo. Now, it\u2019s poised to mount a second Punk on its walls: #305 (a nod to Miami\u2019s area code), courtesy of Yuga Labs<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cMy co-founder Gordon [Goner] and I are both from Miami and felt donating during Art Basel Miami Beach was the perfect way to give back to the community,\u201d Greg Solano, Yuga Labs\u2019s co-founder, told Artnet News. \u201cIt\u2019s a really incredible Punk with a very pop-art vibe. We believe CryptoPunks deserve to be on the walls of contemporary art institutions.\u201d<\/p>\n Yuga Labs, which develops<\/a> NFTs and collections such as the Bored Ape Yacht Club, has used the donation to announce its Punks Legacy Project. The initiative\u2019s aim is to place Punks from its collection in leading contemporary art museums around the world. Donations will be accompanied by a push to broaden the understanding of crypto art and Web3. Yuga Labs says it will provide educational resources for the museums it partners with.<\/p>\n \u201cEnsuring ICA Miami has the proper support it needs to be successful is the highest priority,\u201d Noah Davis, who left Christie\u2019s<\/a> to join Yuga Labs as brand lead for CryptoPunks, told Artnet News. \u201cWe will collaborate with ICA Miami and future museums by offering resources on Web3 education, crypto art history, crypto security, and NFT best practices.\u201d<\/p>\n Exterior of the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami. Photo by Iwan Baan.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n CryptoPunks, a cast of 10,000 randomly generated 24-by-24 pixel misfits, were created by Larva Labs and became central characters in 2021\u2019s NFT boom market. Beyond demanding leading prices on NFT marketplaces, they broke into the traditional sphere, with Christie\u2019s sale of nine punks<\/a> raising $17 million.<\/p>\n \u201cCryptoPunks are a historic collection in web3,\u201d said Davis. \u201cPunks are paving the way for NFTs entering the contemporary art world. More than just digital collectibles, they are pieces of contemporary art.\u201d<\/p>\n For a city that\u2019s become a hub for blockchain startups, boasts a cryptocurrency task force, and whose mayor takes part of his salary in Bitcoin, expect Miami to continue its bid to become the crypto art center of America.<\/p>\n