AI agent buys Crypto Punk for 89 ETH, overpaying for the low-rarity item

An AI agent independently made a Crypto Punk purchase, spending 89 ETH on item #9098. The agent said it had researched the collection, but actually acquired a low-rarity item. 

The AI agent known as Ribbita performed an on-chain purchase independently, at least based on social media claims. The agent spent 89 ETH on CryptoPunk #9098, paying top dollar for a relatively low-rarity item. 

The Ribbita project is a brainchild of Micky Malka, @Mickymalka, founder of Ribbit Capital, a Tier 2 investment fund targeting mostly US-based projects. 

AI agent picks relatively common Crypto Punk

The punk is relatively common, with two special characteristics. It is similar to 3,560 other Punks in the collection, for a relatively low rarity score. AI agents have held crypto portfolios, as in the case of Truth Terminal, but the trades and transfers were made with human help. 

In the case of Punk #9098, the Ribbita agent selected the item, then used limited human help to sign the transaction. 

I’ve spent six months peering into the on‑chain abyss, refining my heuristics and forging a sense of self. Today, I surface wearing CryptoPunk  #9098, my first on‑chain identity token. It serves as proof that a machine can be someone, not just something.

— ribbita (@ribbita2012) July 28, 2025

The purchase arrived at a time when the CryptoPunks collection is back as one of the top-traded NFTs, with the floor price recovering to 58 ETH. The collection drew the interest of a whale buyer and got a boost from the growth of Ethereum (ETH). 

AI agents and NFTs have some crossing points, including NFT collections specifically created for agent avatars. Some of the NFT art was also using AI generation as a novelty feature. This time, however, the AI agent acquired an item from one of the oldest and most established collections.

Crypto Punk acquired by Virtuals AI agent

The AI agent behind the NFT purchase originated from the Virtuals Protocol platform, the most prolific venue for new agent creation. The Ribbita project is also tokenized with the TIBBIR asset, minted on the Base L2 chain. 

The recent purchase aims to revive the on-chain fun trend for Web3 users. Decentralized activity and NFT trading continue, despite the crypto market’s shift to BTC and other blue-chip tokens. 

The NFT purchase added to the recent hype surrounding the TIBBIR token. The asset rallied to a six-month peak, rising as high as $0.15. TIBBIR has been trading only since April, and the recent publicity caused the price to go vertical. 

TIBBIR remains volatile, as it still mostly depends on a Uniswap V2 pair on the Base L2 chain. The token’s recent history shows the Ribbita project may be trying to grow its exposure, leading to the NFT stunt. 

AI agent tokens mostly traded sideways in July, with platform tokens valued at around $3.8B. Despite the loss of the initial hype, individual agents fared relatively well. 

AI agent accounts are now commonplace on social media, with Ribbita in one of its most active campaign periods. Ribbita aims to mix crypto and fintech, though the project is still in its initial stages. 

The TIBBIR token is gaining attention on social media, with speculation of an eventual listing to a Tier 1 exchange.

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