Meebits

Overview

Meebits is a series of 20,000 voxel-based digital characters created by Larva Labs Larva LabsLarva Labs is the art and technology duo established by Matt Hall and John Watkinson in 2005. Its projects include CryptoPunks, Autoglyphs, Meebits and Quine. The pair uses code to explore digital identity, generative art and blockchain collecting. It sold the CryptoPunks and Meebits intellectual property in 2022 while remaining independent.Open the full entry, with ownership represented through Ethereum NFTs. The characters function as collectibles and materials for animation, games, virtual worlds or physical production. The original creators, project IP owner and individual token holders are distinct parties.⁠[1][2]

Contents14 sections

Key facts

2018Snoutz Prototype

Matt Hall and John Watkinson began exploring 3D avatars in 2018 with Snoutz, an early project composed entirely of pigs. The generator later incorporated clothing, tattoos and additional species, evolving into Meebits.⁠[3]

May 3, 2021Public Launch

Larva Labs launched 20,000 Meebits using the ERC-721 standard. Initial distribution combined community claims and public sales. During a seven-day window, CryptoPunks and Autoglyphs holders could claim one Meebit per eligible collectible, paying network fees. Public sales used a declining-price mechanism.⁠[4]

June 11, 20213D Printing Files

Larva Labs introduced .vox files adapted for 3D printing, adding bases, adjusted poses and support for narrow necks. Collectors could export files such as OBJ through MagicaVoxel and send them to a printing service. Assets initially described as forthcoming developed into practical production tools for holders.⁠[5][4]

October 13, 2021Research Examines Launch Vulnerability

Paradigm researchers Hasu and Anish Agnihotri examined Meebits in an article on NFT launch design. They described how prematurely exposed off-chain metadata let participants identify rare characters and discard unwanted mint outcomes, undermining random allocation. The date marks publication of the analysis, not the exploit itself.⁠[6]

March 11, 2022Yuga Labs Acquires Project IP

Larva Labs announced Yuga Labs’ acquisition of the CryptoPunks and Meebits intellectual property and most developer-held tokens. The creators explicitly stated that Larva Labs itself was not acquired. Meebits’ subsequent development therefore became separate from the duo’s other artistic projects.⁠[7]

February 14, 2025MeebCo Acquisition and Bits

The official Meebits account announced its acquisition by The Meebit Company, backed by 1confirmation. In an interview with Decrypt, Sergio “Sergito” Silva said Yuga Labs retained a stake in the new company; financial terms were undisclosed. The new team also announced Bits participation points and named OpenSea its official third-party marketplace.⁠[8][9]

November 2025229-Token OTC Purchase Reported

In an interview with collector Adam Weitsman, Decrypt reported an over-the-counter purchase of 229 Meebits, with the price undisclosed and Fountain Digital assisting the transaction. This was a transfer of collectibles, separate from an acquisition of project IP or its operating company.⁠[10]

December 3, 2025Holder Art License Updated

MeebCo’s art license permits lawful NFT holders to use their associated artwork personally and commercially, without transferring project branding or rights to other characters. Rights to use the original artwork end when the token is transferred. The license does not convey smart-contract software rights or guarantee continuing services.⁠[2]

October 2, 2026Larva Labs Catalog Integration

Larva Labs introduced a unified catalog with searches across traits, collectors and artwork files. Meebits received file support including VRM, extending the creators’ organization and preservation of original materials and derivatives.⁠[11]

October 7, 2026Nightshades Added to Collector Profiles

The official Meebits account announced that Nightshades could now be viewed in the Meebco Ecosystem tab of collector profiles, integrating another MeebCo project into the collector interface.⁠[12]

Character Types, Files, and Trading

Characters include humans, pigs, elephants, robots, skeletons, visitors and dissected figures. Voxel models are source materials, while rendered images, animations and printable versions are distinct outputs. Contract hashes correspond to IPFS data; this does not mean all artwork files reside directly on Ethereum.⁠[3]

The contract’s marketplace supports bundled swaps of characters and ETH without an operator fee, although on-chain execution still incurs network fees. Larva Labs later noted that larger NFT platforms’ network effects limited adoption of its built-in market.⁠[4][3]