Bored Ape Yacht Club launches ApeCoin, or $APE, with 1B in total supply, and forms the ApeCoin DAO, whose council members include Alexis Ohanian and Amy Wu
Even among the fastest-growing crypto startups, Yuga Labs has had a particularly explosive year. — The startup is behind …
The rollout quickly exposed the tension in its governance design: launch partners received 14% of the 1 billion airdropped ApeCoins, while subsequent coverage characterized Yuga Labs as retaining the economic benefits of centralization alongside DAO messaging.
First-order effects
Bored Ape Yacht Club holders and other ApeCoin recipients gain a tradable token and a formal DAO structure, with Alexis Ohanian and Amy Wu joining the council.
Yuga Labs can use ApeCoin as a common economic layer across owner-led licensing and future brand projects, rather than relying solely on separate ape NFTs.
The allocation to launch partners gives a16z, Animoca Brands, and other recipients a meaningful stake in DAO outcomes, concentrating influence among early ecosystem backers.
Third-order effects
The ApeCoin DAO illustrates a recurring crypto governance model in which a branded company adds tokenholder participation without necessarily relinquishing economic control, a tension later highlighted in coverage of Yuga Labs' decentralization claims.
If NFT brands continue to pair commercial IP rights with governance tokens, their value proposition shifts from collectible ownership toward managing a tokenized media and licensing ecosystem.
The trend: NFT brands are extending beyond collectible ownership by combining member commercialization rights, tradable tokens, and DAO governance—while testing how decentralized that structure is in practice.
We're beyond excited to be a contributor to @apecoin , the official token of @BoredApeYC! Starting tomorrow, the BAYC community can use $APE to buy NFTs to activate play-to-earn for @BenjiBananas. Learn more: https://twitter.com/...
Despite how bored my ape looks 😁 I'm excited to share that ApeCoin DAO is adopting ApeCoin, and that I'm serving on the special council that will oversee the decisions of the community. https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Imagine plopping an illegal security for JPEGs on the market at the start of WW3 & being proud of it 🙈 It's too bad these folks don't try to build useful things instead of contributing to bubble nonsense. We need global p2p cash, not more bullshit for rich ppl to gamble on 😤 http…
We're excited to announce we're adopting ApeCoin as the primary token for the Bored Ape Yacht Club ecosystem as well as future Yuga products and services. https://twitter.com/...
This provides an insight into how ApeCoin could potentially function. “Primary token for BAYC and future Yuga products” - My interpretation - everything Yuga Labs builds from here on could have ApeCoin as the native token (and not just for BAYC ecosystem) - as always DYOR https:/…
The regulatory evasion going on here is pretty clear. Yuga Labs still controls this whole process, no matter how many ostensibly decentralized orgs sit between it and the ICO. https://techcrunch.com/... https://twitter.com/...