# Cryptoart (est. 2013) The original [Cryptoart](https://cryptoart.com) project and the first tokenized art print collection.\ \ A single, evolving collection that uses pairing mechanics to make physical art legible and liquid without breaking scarcity. ### History
In 2013 we started to recruit and collaborate with a small group of highly skilled digital artists to meme complex imagery intended to inspire and educate. We used those images to publish and sell limited edition physical art pieces that merged crypto cold storage with fine art. We also worked with early crypto projects like Bitcoin Magazine (cover art #21), ChangeTip, The Texas Bitcoin Conference, and the Satoshi Roundtable.
{% hint style="info" %} From 2013 to 2020, we created a total of [6564](https://app.cryptoart.com/supply) physical art pieces (with 2,431 remaining unissued) and sold them through cryptoart.com, at live events and conferences. These early pieces are referred to as **Legacy Physicals**. {% endhint %} ### Tokenizing a Physical Art Collection In late 2025, we [tokenized](/cryptoart/the-project/tl-dr.md) our collection to make physical art as portable as an NFT without sacrificing scarcity. Until now, NFTs have largely fallen into three categories: purely digital works, one-time redeemables for physical art, or tools for provenance. None solved the problem of *physical movement* between collectors. NFTs are a game changer for digital portability of ownership, but once tied to a physical artwork, that portability disappears. The NFT must trade with the object, constraining its purpose. We approached this differently. We use NFTs as [pairables](/cryptoart/the-project/pairable-nfts.md). NFTs can be continuously paired and unpaired with a physical artwork. A collector can redeem a pairable NFT to claim a physical piece, and later unredeem it by destroying that physical, ensuring no duplicates ever exist. The NFT’s [current state](/cryptoart/the-art/supply-state.md) is transparently [reflected on-chain](https://app.cryptoart.com/supply). {% hint style="info" %} Physical shipment occurs between the collector and the issuer (Cryptoart.com), not between collectors or through intermediaries. Collectors remain free to trade Cryptoart manually. {% endhint %} This model preserves scarcity and enables true portability of provenance without reintroducing the friction, risk, and complexity of traditional secondary market sales. [Give us feedback](https://cryptoart.com/pages/contact). {% hint style="info" %} #### We are in the "soft" reboot phase of tokenizing the original physical collection. Existing collectors can claim an NFT for their physical by [submitting this form](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScIAU_v50fHmSdZNazQSF1BMHDblZIGQ0KT0VIkST9FMkDofg/viewform?usp=dialoghttps://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScIAU_v50fHmSdZNazQSF1BMHDblZIGQ0KT0VIkST9FMkDofg/viewform?usp=dialog). Soon we will begin introducing new art into the collection. {% endhint %} --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://cryptoart.gitbook.io/cryptoart/about-cryptoart.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.