Pudgy Penguins gets support as billionaire buys 117 NFTs

• Adam Weitsman said he bought 117 Pudgy Penguins NFTs over the weekend to support collectors.
• Weitsman described Pudgy Penguins as a favorite collection and expressed confidence in its existing community.
• Pudgy Penguins recorded $1.50 million in weekly NFT sales through October 10, CryptoSlam data showed.
• Weekly Pudgy Penguins sales rose 125.66%, with 196 recorded transactions and 94 buyer addresses overall.
• In August 2025, Weitsman announced buying more than 5,000 NFTs directly connected to Yuga Labs.

American billionaire and NFT collector Adam Weitsman has announced the purchase of 117 Pudgy Penguins NFTs over the October 10–11 weekend, saying the acquisition was intended to support the collection and restore confidence among its community during a difficult period.

According to Weitsman, who announced the purchases on X, the 117 digital collectibles were acquired through blockchain transactions as part of his continued support for established NFT projects. He described Pudgy Penguins as one of his favorite collections and expressed confidence in its community despite recent difficulties.

The announcement followed a week in which Pudgy Penguins recorded a 125.66% increase in NFT sales, according to CryptoSlam data collected through October 10. The timing places the reported acquisition alongside a recovery in the collection’s trading activity, although the available figures do not establish how much Weitsman’s purchases contributed to that performance.

Billionaire Adam Weitsman buys 117 Pudgy Penguins NFTs

Weitsman, an American businessman known for his metal recycling operations and digital collectibles, said he purchased 117 Pudgy Penguins NFTs to demonstrate support for a community he has followed for some time. The acquisition was announced on October 12, following a weekend of buying activity.

In his original statement, Weitsman explained that he wanted to support one of his favorite collections during a challenging period. He described the project as a long-established part of the NFT industry and credited it with bringing enjoyment to its supporters. The investor wrote: “This weekend I wanted to support one of my favorite collections during a difficult time.”

He added that the decision was intended to “spread confidence” among the project’s supporters. Referring to the Pudgy Penguins community, which commonly calls itself the Huddle, Weitsman said: “The Huddle will stay strong.” His message ended with the phrase “Return to Pudgy Penguins,” encouraging renewed attention toward the collection.

Weitsman did not disclose the total amount spent acquiring the 117 NFTs or provide a complete breakdown of individual purchase prices in the supplied announcement. The statement did not specify whether the purchases were completed through one marketplace or several trading venues.

Although he described the purchases as on-chain transactions, the original post did not include a complete list of transaction hashes that would allow every reported acquisition to be independently reconciled. The purchase count therefore remains attributed to his public statement. The investor did not announce a specific resale target, investment timeframe or additional commitment to purchase Pudgy Penguins assets.

Pudgy Penguins NFT sales jump 125% in one week

The acquisition came after a strong increase in reported trading activity for the Pudgy Penguins collection.

According to CryptoSlam figures examined on October 10, Pudgy Penguins generated approximately $1.50 million in NFT sales during the preceding seven days. The result represented an increase of 125.66% compared with the previous weekly period.

As covered in the latest NFT market sales report, Pudgy Penguins ranked third among NFT collections by weekly sales, behind Courtyard and CryptoPunks. The collection recorded 196 transactions, an increase of 151.28%, while buyer addresses rose 54.10% to 94.

Seller participation increased during the same period, with 123 seller addresses recorded, up 101.64% from the previous week.

The figures show that the collection experienced increased trading activity before Weitsman’s October 12 announcement. The publicly available weekly report does not establish a direct connection between his purchases and the recorded sales increase.

Across the NFT market, CryptoSlam recorded approximately $39.85 million in weekly sales, representing a 0.90% increase. Ethereum led blockchain networks with $17.60 million, followed by Polygon with $8.62 million and Bitcoin with $3.55 million.

Despite the modest rise in total sales value, the number of participating NFT buyer addresses fell sharply during the reporting period. CryptoSlam recorded 30,332 buyers across tracked networks, down 85.33%, while total NFT transactions declined 6.92% to 778,055.

For Pudgy Penguins specifically, the collection’s higher sales volume accompanied increases in transactions, buyers and sellers, according to the October 10 figures.

No independently verified purchase total or transaction-by-transaction valuation for Weitsman’s latest acquisition was established in the reviewed primary material.

Weitsman previously acquired over 5,000 Yuga Labs NFTs

The purchase follows another large NFT acquisition by Weitsman in August 2025, when he announced buying more than 5,000 digital collectibles associated with Yuga Labs.

The earlier transaction involved assets from the Otherside ecosystem, including Otherdeeds, Mega Kodas and Weapon Kodas. The collectibles were acquired directly from Yuga Labs as part of his stated intention to support the company’s metaverse project.

Weitsman described the August transaction as a long-term investment and expressed interest in further purchases through the secondary NFT market. The acquisition expanded his collection of blockchain-based assets connected to virtual land, characters and digital gaming experiences.

Otherside is a metaverse project developed by Yuga Labs, the company associated with the Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT collection. Its ecosystem includes Otherdeeds, which represent digital land within the project, and Koda characters connected to its virtual world.

The August transaction did not involve Pudgy Penguins, which operates as a separate NFT brand. However, both purchases were accompanied by public statements in which Weitsman expressed support for the projects and their communities.

His latest announcement did not specify whether the 117 Pudgy Penguins NFTs were intended for permanent holding, future trading or participation in any particular project activity.

The collection’s established history includes its original launch in July 2021, when 8,888 penguin-themed NFTs were introduced on Ethereum. Following a change in leadership in 2022, the project expanded into physical merchandise, gaming and licensing.

As previously documented in the history of Pudgy Penguins, entrepreneur Luca Netz acquired control of the brand in 2022, after the original leadership faced criticism from holders over its development progress.

Pudgy Penguins continues expanding beyond NFT trading

While its original Ethereum collection remains a central part of the brand, Pudgy Penguins has expanded into consumer products and entertainment. The company introduced physical toys, collectible figures, trading cards and digital experiences designed around its penguin characters.

In June 2026, Pudgy Penguins brought its Vibes trading card products to Target stores across the United States. The cards feature characters associated with Pudgy Penguins and related collections, with gameplay built around collecting and trading.

The Target trading card rollout followed earlier efforts to make the project’s characters available to customers outside cryptocurrency marketplaces.

An official July business update described further retail activity involving plush toys, collectibles and licensing partnerships. Pudgy Penguins said its products were available through Target stores and reported launches tied to San Diego Comic-Con and a collaboration with collectible card company KAKAWOW.

The company identified its Little Treats Blind Boxes as a leading seller during Comic-Con and said it was preparing further retail distribution before 2027. The update described plans to expand the availability of its physical products, including additional collectible releases.

At the same time, the wider Pudgy Penguins ecosystem has faced operational challenges. Abstract, the consumer blockchain associated with Pudgy Penguins, announced plans to discontinue its network on December 15, 2026, after its operator reported that maintaining the platform was financially unsustainable.

The network’s shutdown plan was examined in an October report on the financial pressures facing Ethereum layer-2 blockchains, which identified Abstract and Blast as projects preparing to close operations.

The reported shutdown concerns Abstract’s blockchain operations and does not establish that the original Pudgy Penguins NFT collection is being discontinued.

In its April 2026 business update, Pudgy Penguins described the launch of Pudgy World, a browser-based multiplayer experience connected to the brand’s physical toys. Customers can use QR codes included with certain toys to access associated digital features.

The company said the platform was designed to connect its merchandise with interactive experiences and reported continued development of retail products, entertainment content and community activities.

Its official October product catalog continues to list plush toys, card games, character accessories and collectible merchandise, including items associated with Pengu, Pax and Polly.