Prohibition: VenturePunk’s New Arbitrum-Based Generative Art Platform Empowering Artists

Prohibition: VenturePunk’s New Arbitrum-Based Generative Art Platform Empowering Artists

VenturePunk, a leading Web3 innovation studio, has introduced Prohibition, an innovative generative art platform and marketplace built on Arbitrum, an Ethereum layer 2 blockchain. Prohibition offers artists the opportunity to create captivating generative art directly on the blockchain using the Art Blocks Engine.

The platform’s debut collection, “Monospatial,” comes from the talented generative artist Emily Edelman. It comprises a series of unique non-fungible token (NFT) lettered designs. The collection is set to go on sale on a Tuesday afternoon, featuring 100 tokens available for minting at a price of 0.05 ETH, which equates to approximately $95 at the current time.

The Prohibition platform is backed by notable investors, including Erick Calderon (also known as Snowfro), the CEO of Art Blocks, and Devin Finzer, the CEO of OpenSea. What sets Prohibition apart is its inclusive approach, allowing any artist to create, mint, and sell their own generative art collection.

Artists can leverage the Art Blocks Engine, a powerful tool developed by Art Blocks to facilitate generative art on-chain. By coding their designs on Prohibition, artists can easily mint their collections on Arbitrum. Furthermore, buyers have access to an internal secondary marketplace where they can explore and purchase other intriguing generative art collections.

Jordan Lyall, the visionary founder and CEO of VenturePunk and former DeFi Product Lead at ConsenSys, shared insights on the rapidly growing popularity of generative art and the increasing barriers to entry it faces. He highlighted the scarcity of code-savvy artists who can achieve the prominence of creators like Tyler Hobbs and Dmitri Cherniak. Additionally, getting selected to mint art on existing platforms can be challenging, with Art Blocks accepting only 2% of artists who apply to create a collection.

To address these challenges and revitalize the early days of generative art on Ethereum, Prohibition aims to break down barriers and democratize the art creation process. Regardless of an artist’s background, knowledge, or geographical location, Prohibition provides accessible tools for creating generative art. Lyall compared Prohibition to YouTube, making it a platform where anyone can freely showcase their creations, unlike exclusive platforms like HBO, which Art Blocks is often compared to.

Selecting Arbitrum as their network of choice was a strategic decision, as it offers considerable cost savings, reducing gas fees by 90-95% compared to Ethereum. This cost-effectiveness enables creators to deploy entire collections on-chain without incurring exorbitant expenses.

Incorporating the Art Blocks Engine into Prohibition significantly streamlines the minting process and enhances accessibility for artists. Previously utilized by renowned companies like 9dcc and Bright Moments, the Art Blocks Engine allows artists to bring their generative art to life with ease. Prohibition is the first platform to make these Art Block Engine protocols accessible to all artists, while also reimagining the artist experience.

Emily Edelman, whose work has previously been featured on Art Blocks, expressed enthusiasm for Prohibition’s mission to level the playing field for creators and collectors in the burgeoning generative art ecosystem. She praised the platform’s accessibility, ease of use, and potential for experimentation and innovation.

Looking ahead, Prohibition’s founder, Jordan Lyall, plans to introduce additional features that will further streamline the minting process. These features include a match-making service, connecting developers with artists to produce collections collaboratively, and a no-code solution, allowing artists to materialize their visions without extensive coding knowledge.

To fund the development of Prohibition, VenturePunk secured $1.5 million in pre-seed funding in November. The platform received financial backing from key investors like Bain Capital Crypto, Polygon Ventures (the venture wing of Ethereum sidechain Polygon), as well as industry leaders Erick Calderon and Devin Finzer.

Implementation of the Art Blocks Engine reflects a broader trend, as even the prestigious 279-year-old auction house Sotheby’s revealed plans to utilize the engine to power their own generative art program in June.

In conclusion, Prohibition represents a groundbreaking platform that empowers artists to create and showcase their generative art on the blockchain without restrictive barriers. By combining the innovative capabilities of the Art Blocks Engine with the efficiency of Arbitrum, Prohibition opens new horizons for the rapidly evolving world of generative art. With its focus on accessibility, creativity, and inclusivity, Prohibition is set to revolutionize the way artists and collectors engage with the growing generative art ecosystem.