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People Have Spent Over $1M Buying Virtual Cats on the Ethereum Blockchain (techcrunch.com)

Launched a few days ago, CryptoKitties is essentially like an digital version of Pokemon cards but based on the Ethereum blockchain. And like most viral sensations that catch on in the tech world, it's blowing up fast. From a report, shared by an anonymous reader: Built by Vancouver and San Francisco-based design studio AxiomZen, the game is the latest fad in the world of cryptocurrency and probably soon tech in general. People are spending a crazy amount of real money on the game. So far about $1.3M has been transacted, with multiple kittens selling for ~50 ETH (around $23,000) and the "genesis" kitten being sold for a record ~246 ETH (around $113,000). This third party site tracks the largest purchases made to date on the game. And like any good viral sensation prices are rising and fluctuating fast. Right now it will cost you about .03 ETH, or $12 to buy the least expensive kitten in the game. So now we have people using Ether, an asset with arguably little tangible utility -- to purchase an asset with unarguably zero tangible utility. Welcome to the internet in 2017.

2 of 128 comments (clear)

  1. As the sayings go... by CodeHog · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "A fool and their money" "One born every minute"

    --
    Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son.
  2. Re:Next Up by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Please. Cats can be perfectly affectionate (and dogs can be unaffectionate). Cats commonly bond with their owners. If you want to talk about integral part of the family, you should see my cats interact with my kids (age 4 and 7).

    Yes, there are some crazy cat people (the term crazy-cat-lady exists for a reason), but I think crazy dog people are a lot more common. For every 1 crazy cat lady, there's 10 people who can't go to the store without taking there dog in the car every time (including morons who let their dog climb on their lap while they're trying to drive), take their dog to the groomers to get stupid looking haircuts, bows, and painted nails, and can't take them outside in the cold without putting their stupid looking dog in equally stupid looking clothing.

    Nope...cat people certainly do not have exclusive domain over the moronic-pet-lover market.