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- đȘ Move over, NFTs
đȘ Move over, NFTs
The Labubu has stolen the collectibles spotlight
Sinister little monsters
NFTs, meet the Labubu â your worst enemy.
The possibility of crypto has long led artists to dream of creating characters that become universally beloved while also making a ton of money.
It's not an impossible fantasy. It's at the heart of pretty much all NFT collections, and no matter what the creators say about their mission to build community, money is the bottom line.
The blueprint for obsession already exists â look at PokĂ©mon, My Little Pony, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Beanie Babies. People have proven they are willing to spend probably too much money and too much time collecting many versions of cute little things. Thatâs a given.
And yet, essentially all NFT collections have failed at creating lasting public interest in their version of âcute little things,â perhaps with the exception of Pudgy Penguins and their Walmart plushies.
But theyâre clearly no Labubus.
Itâs so humbling to see a completely non-blockchain, non-NFT, non-crypto collectible do what NFT collections have been trying to do for years, essentially overnight.
Labubus, sinister yet cute tiny monsters, were created by Hong Kong-Belgian artist Kasing Lung back in 2015. They only became the phenomenon they are today after partnering with toymaker Pop Mart for mass distribution in 2019. BlackPinkâs Lisa (arguably one of the worldâs largest popstars) wearing a Labubu on her purse in April 2024 did not hurt.
Our biggest FAN.
#LISA #LABUBU
#BLACKPINK
$labubu
#labubuOnSolâ Labubu Fans (@labubufans)
8:06 AM âą May 31, 2025
What makes it such a laugh riot to me, an NFT skeptic, is that beloved worldwide phenomenon Labubus, physical plushies, can attribute their success to accidentally following the NFT âguide to successâ that has failed so miserably with âdigitalâ plushies.
Whatâs that guide? Rarity, exclusivity, community.
Labubus often come in âblind boxes,â meaning that itâs a crapshoot what your Labubu will look like. As Psychology Today writes,
âThis uncertainty is not unlike a slot machine, which taps into our brainâs reward circuits. A limited edition of âsecretâ Labubus can spark joy, and even an obsession. Then, collecting is more than acquisition; it becomes a ritual, a source of community, and possibly a point of pride.â
This sounds like the âAboutâ section on every failed NFT collectionâs website, right after they explain their rare attributes, surprise mint schedules, and link to their community Discord.
More celebrities besides Lisa have more recently been spotted with a Labubu accessory â Rihanna, Kim Kardashian and Dua Lipa, to name a few.
And while some of the more well-known NFT collections did have their celebrity followers too (most notably Justin Bieberâs Bored Ape and Jay-Zâs CryptoPunk), we now cringe when we look back on the celebrity-studded NFT craze. Nobody is cringing that hard at Labubus â yet.
Yes, Labubus are probably also over-hyped, and yes, it is funny to see Labubus at both the playground and the bar. But they mightâve unlocked the long-lasting charm that no NFT collectible has come close to achieving.
Why am I so certain that youâll never see a Pudgy Penguin bag charm on a Kardashian arm anytime soon?
Thereâs a whimsy to the Labubu that has always eluded NFT art. Maybe itâs the whiff of the cash grab that surrounds all NFT art, even when it comes to the coolest and cutest of the digital creatures. Maybe itâs that NFTs are inaccessible to anyone who isnât hip to the technology.
Thereâs no denying the fact that Labubus have made it where NFTs have so far failed.
Letâs just hope that Labubus donât come to the blockchain and prove me wrong.

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