The earliest NFT collections on Ethereum form a small, exclusive group. Launched between 2017 and 2019, these projects predate the NFT boom, predate OpenSea, and in several cases predate the very standards that define what an NFT is. They are the archaeological layer of the NFT world — the artifacts from before the infrastructure existed.
Five collections stand out as the foundational layer: Curio Cards, CryptoPunks, MoonCats, EtherRocks, and Autoglyphs. Each tells a different story about what early blockchain creativity looked like.
Curio Cards (May 2017)
The first art NFT collection on Ethereum. Thirty unique artworks by seven artists, totaling 29,700 editions. Deployed before the ERC-721 standard existed. The collection represents the earliest attempt to use Ethereum as a medium for distributing original digital art.
What makes it unique: genuine artistic diversity (seven distinct creative voices), comprehensive ecosystem infrastructure (seven tools at 1n2.org), and the purest claim to "first art NFTs on Ethereum."
Floor: ~0.058 ETH. The most accessible entry point to NFT history by a significant margin.
CryptoPunks (June 2017)
The most recognizable NFT collection in existence. 10,000 algorithmically generated 24x24 pixel characters, initially available for free to anyone with an Ethereum wallet. Now stewarded by the Infinite Node Foundation as cultural artifacts.
What makes it unique: cultural penetration beyond the crypto world, the strongest brand recognition of any NFT project, and the largest collector base among historical collections.
Floor: ~42 ETH. The benchmark against which all other NFT collections are measured.
MoonCats (August 2017)
A pixel-art cat rescue game where users "rescued" procedurally generated cats from the Ethereum blockchain. The project was essentially forgotten for years before being rediscovered during the 2021 NFT boom, creating one of the most dramatic rediscovery narratives in NFT history.
What makes it unique: the rediscovery story, the game mechanic (rescue, not purchase), and the charm of its pixel-art aesthetic.
Floor: ~0.15 ETH. A historical project with a devoted but smaller community.
EtherRocks (December 2017)
One hundred unique rock images, each a recolored version of a clipart rock. The simplicity is the point — EtherRocks demonstrates that scarcity and provenance can create value independent of artistic complexity.
What makes it unique: radical simplicity, extreme scarcity (100 total), and the philosophical implications of value creation through pure blockchain provenance.
Floor: ~18 ETH. Expensive relative to its visual simplicity, reflecting pure scarcity value.
Autoglyphs (April 2019)
Larva Labs' generative art project — 512 unique artworks created entirely by an on-chain algorithm. The first "on-chain generative art" on Ethereum, predating Art Blocks by two years. Now in the permanent collections of the Centre Pompidou and the Whitney Museum.
What makes it unique: fully on-chain generation (the algorithm that creates the art lives on Ethereum), institutional museum recognition, and the most sophisticated artistic concept among early NFT projects.
Floor: ~95 ETH. Museum-grade pricing for museum-grade art.
What Connects Them
Despite their differences, the OG Five share several important characteristics.
All were created before the NFT market existed in any meaningful sense. None were launched to capitalize on a trend. All have fixed, immutable supply. All survived the 2022-2024 bear market. And all are increasingly recognized as historically significant by the broader art world and institutional collectors.
These shared characteristics create a natural affinity group — a tier of NFT collections that stands apart from everything that came later. Collectors who hold pieces from multiple OG projects often describe themselves as custodians of NFT history rather than traders in digital assets.
Where Curio Cards Fits
In the OG Five landscape, Curio Cards occupies a distinctive position. It's the earliest. It's the most artistically diverse (seven artists vs. one algorithm or one generator). It has the most comprehensive ecosystem infrastructure. And it's by far the most accessible in terms of price.
This combination of historical priority, artistic diversity, infrastructure depth, and price accessibility creates a unique value proposition. Curio Cards isn't competing with CryptoPunks on brand recognition or with Autoglyphs on institutional placement. It's offering something neither can: the first art NFTs on Ethereum, at a price anyone can afford, supported by tools that no other project has built.
The OG Five will always be connected by their shared history. But within that group, Curio Cards' specific combination of firsts makes it irreplaceable.