The DJ who told CoinDesk in 2021 that NFTs would be “part of culture” within five years is quietly exiting crypto.
What to know:
- Nearly five years after predicting NFTs would become part of mainstream culture, DJ and producer Steve Aoki is liquidating most of his crypto holdings and moving funds to Gemini.
- Aoki’s remaining seven Bored Ape Yacht Club NFTs, purchased for more than $800,000 during the 2021 boom, are now worth about $97,000 in total, reflecting an 88% decline in value.
- His NFT-backed TV project “Dominion X” briefly sold out but failed to reach broadcast, mirroring a broader NFT market slump in which Bored Ape prices have collapsed and recent crypto bull markets have largely bypassed NFTs.
Steve Aoki told CoinDesk in August 2021 that NFTs would be “part of culture” within five years. Almost exactly five years later, he is liquidating what’s left of his crypto portfolio.
Arkham Intelligence data shows Aoki’s wallet sold 1.785 billion SHIB for roughly $10,300 and swapped 7.25 ETH for approximately $15,900 on Monday, routing $29,650 in USDT to Gemini. Two weeks earlier, the same wallet sold 4.155 billion PEPE through 1inch for $14,700. Smaller stablecoin movements of $600 to $1,700 through MetaMask filled in the gaps between the larger exits.
These sales are pocket change but the losses are not.
Aoki paid over $800,000 for seven Bored Ape Yacht Club NFTs during the 2021 boom when he was one of the most visible celebrity advocates for the space.
Those seven Apes are now worth approximately $13,800 each, or roughly $97,000 total, an 88% decline from his purchase price. He has not sold them, but at current floor prices there is little left to recover.
At the peak of the NFT mania, Aoki secured financing for “Dominion X,” an NFT TV show produced in collaboration with Seth Green’s Stoopid Buddy Stoodios.
The show sold 500 NFTs in 30 seconds on Nifty Gateway. His manager told CoinDesk the sale “barely covered” production costs but demonstrated a market for “original IP on the blockchain.”
The show never reached broadcast.
The broader NFT market confirms the pattern. Bored Ape floor prices have fallen from over $400,000 in early 2022 to under $14,000 today. The 2023–2025 bull market, which lifted Bitcoin to all-time highs above $126,000, largely bypassed NFTs entirely. Unlike previous cycles, capital has increasingly favored projects demonstrating clear utility and portfolio value over purely narrative-driven or speculative assets.
Aoki still holds the seven Apes. Everything else is going to Gemini.
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