On September 9th, 2016, at 01:46:42 GMT in Bitcoin Block #428,919 a token named “RAREPEPE” was issued on the Counterparty protocol by an artist known only as “Mike.” For the cost of 0.5 XCP (about $0.35 at the time) the RAREPEPE token and the image associated with it forever changed what the meaning of art on the blockchain meant. By associating an image with a token and recording it on the Bitcoin blockchain, it became possible to prove ownership and total supply of that image. Other artists quickly joined in and started calling their work “rare pepes.” The project would ultimately grow to 1,774 images created by artists from all over the world. Each image was submitted to a volunteer group known as “Rare Pepe Scientists” who would determine if it was rare enough and dank enough to be included in the project. Each set of 50 cards was called a “Series” and there are 36 series’ in total. Only one Series had less than 50 cards – the last one, which contains 24 cards. When I asked why it wasn’t an even 50, Bench (one of the Rare Pepe Scientists) said, “we hung up the lab coats, it was time…”
