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MakersPlace
MakersPlace was an early NFT marketplace and creator portal launched in 2018, enabling artists to mint and sell digital art. It gained prominence through innovations like fiat payments and a record-breaking $69.3M sale with artist Beeple. The company ceased operations in 2025 due to a market downturn.
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Description
MakersPlace was a pioneering NFT marketplace for digital art, founded in 2018 by Dannie Chu, Yash Nelapati, and Ryoma Ito. It enabled artists to mint and sell NFTs, launching its creator portal in April 2018 and the marketplace in August 2018. The platform was an early innovator, introducing features like fiat currency purchases and custodial wallets to make digital art more accessible. A major milestone was its partnership with artist Beeple and Christie's auction house in March 2021 for the sale of "EVERYDAYS: THE FIRST 5000 DAYS," which sold for $69.3 million. As the NFT market cooled down from late 2022, MakersPlace pivoted to a high-end "studio" model, curating premium exhibitions at international art fairs. Despite these efforts, due to challenging market conditions, the company ceased operations in 2025, ensuring all NFTs minted on its platform would be preserved.Grant Funding
VC Funding
None
2021
$0
$30M