Okay Bears is a collection of 10.000 Tokens non-fungibles released on the blockchain Solana on April 26 at a price of 1,5 SOL each (worth US$150 on the day of minting). In a convincingly compelling and enjoyable way, the project manifesto hints at the true intentions of the team behind the collection – namely, to create a relaxed, vibrant community where the focus is on progress, “good vibes” and acceptance.
What Okay Bears?
Okay Bears are algorithmically generated NFTs that were released in April 2022 on the Solana blockchain. With a total of 10.000 bears starting at 1,5 SOL each, the collection conquered the Solana NFT market with a compelling culture shift that focuses on good vibes.
Okay Bears tokens were created by a team of people who wanted to cultivate a vibrant and relaxed community. To achieve this, the community focused on acceptance, progress and good vibes. The Okay Bears characters were generated by an algorithm, and each comes with utility. Among other benefits, some of these utilities include merchandise launches, live events, and outdoor campaigns. The creators collaborated with global brands to offer the utilities. After the tokens sold out on the first day, the creators broke records and created the NFT story.
The purchase price of the Solana PFP NFT bears was equal to nearly $150 USD at the time of minting. At the end of May 2022, each of the bears was worth about 90 SOL, or $8.850. Two reasons why the Solana PFP NFT bears were so successful at the time of their release were the hype the creators created and the innovative design of the project project, which we will cover later in more detail.
Okay Bears are “fine” instead of being inferior or extraordinary. Anonymous co-founders who go by the names Kais and Suby provide a community where people can just get “good” together and support each other. Okay Bears’ record success has helped to reshape the way investors view Solana NFT projects. When Okay Bears hit $18 million in sales in one day, it also marked the first time that a Solana NFT project surpassed an individual Ethereum in daily trading volume.
Why are Okay Bears NFTs so popular?
What makes the Okay Bears Solana NFT project different from other NFT projects that are also popular? In addition to the intriguing stories of the bears and their benefits, there were several reasons why the Okay Bears quickly gained traction. Consider Bored Ape Yacht Club and Azuki. Both also have unique membership structures and benefits, and both are still popular. BAYC has monkey characters that may look similar in some ways to Okay Bears. The members gathering area allows people to express themselves with a painting wall. Azuki attracts more anime fans and has a strong community focus. While all three projects share some similarities, there are a few things that set Okay Bears apart, helping it build stronger hype initially and making people feel part of the project rather than simply members of the community.
BAYC and Azuki built hype. However, the Okay Bears NFT team took the hype to new levels by offering spots to random winners who followed instructions. Instructions included creating poems, sharing posts with hashtags, and changing a social media profile picture. By doing so, the creators reached more people to spark interest in their Solana PFP NFT project. The project’s Discord was closed, and the members still had to work to get on the whitelist after they joined the exclusive Discord. This exclusivity with a challenge made the hype even stronger.
The Okay Bears NFT project emphasizes accepting community members as they are and even creates its own culture of nonjudgmental kindness. In many ways, creators help members understand that they are a valuable part of the project. This idea is similar to the concept of corporate citizenship that companies use to retain workers and help them feel valued. The creators brilliantly aligned this concept with promoting the Okay Bears NFT project from the start, when they turned fans into brand ambassadors and showed them the value of working to become part of a community.
Ok Bears NFTs Blueprint
Instead of releasing a simple roadmap, the Okay Bears NFT team created a detailed plan for their community. Demonstrating the creators’ desire for members to know that they are vital to the success of the Solana NFT project, the project page reminds members that they are “building this together”. The interactive project outlines these two key areas and the plans for them.
The Park: Home to the Good Vibes of the Okay Bears
This area is in the center of the plant. At The Park, members have access to an exclusive Discord channel, free of OGs, peasants and kings. Everyone is equal and participants are encouraged to spread positivity. As per the description, there are conversations that span all hours of the day and all time zones in the world. The park has a relaxed vibe that makes it the ideal hangout or sanctuary for Okay Bears Solana PFP NFT members.
Bear Market: Unique Sales Channel Ecosystem
As a play on words, this area creates a more positive image of the term “bear market”. The components of the Web 2.0 marketplace, Web 3.0 and the real-life sales pipeline form a unique collaborative ecosystem for Okay Bears NFT holders. Bear Market was created through industry-leading brands in partnership with creators. The page lists some examples of these partnerships. One of the products, Bear Market X Magic Eden, is the result of a partnership with Magic Eden, which is a Solana marketplace. Token-Gated Ecommerce X Shopify is yet another partnership that integrates Shopify and web3 to give you exclusive access to merchandise. In addition, there are IRL Okay Bears pop-up stores offered through flash pop-up stores around the world. Finally, there are special technology or crypto events that Okay Bears NFT holders can access.
Workshop: Brand growth activities
Once again emphasizing that community members are part of the popular Solana PFP NFT project, the creators have made this area a workspace for public awareness projects and grassroots community engagement. Projects include corporate social responsibility collaborations with global brands, social media outreach, real-world advertising and more. Here are some more details on the three main categories listed in this section of the blueprint:
- Online community activations focus on culture change and include branding campaigns for the Okay Bears NFT project on social media platforms.
- Unique CSR auctions are initiatives that foster innovation and thought leadership in Solana’s key communities.
- Real-world outdoor marketing campaigns are opportunities for members to increase the value of the Okay Bears brand through placement of advertisements on buses, subways and billboards, in commercials and elsewhere.
In this area of the Okay Bears NFT community, the creators highlighted the brand by innovating a spinoff of a popular acronym in the cryptocurrency world. The popular acronym is WAGMI, which means “We will all make it”. The acronym for Okay Bears is WAGBO – short for “We’re all going to be ok”.
The Studio: Emphasis on Community Art and Music
The Studio is where the Okay Bears NFT community promotes and encourages creativity. Holders have priority access to this area and its exclusive content. The following points highlight some of what The Studio offers:
- Access to any possible future NFT drop.
- Access to community lo-fi mixtapes of good vibes and relaxing beats, which include a collection of curated albums from community members that are published on Spotify.
- Access to folktales about the Okay Bears and concept wallpapers.
Boutique: Members-only merchandise
In this section of the project, members have access to exclusive merchandise that is tangible, including special Okay Bears prints, goodies, and collectibles. All new members are eligible for a free welcome pack in the token-enclosed store. While some general items are publicly available at the boutique, there are several limited-edition collectibles that only Okay Bears NFT holders can purchase. There are 3D crafts, concept art prints, and more. Giving members a chance to stand out in this coveted Solana NFT project, the boutique also features exclusive fashion items from Okay Bears that collaborate with lifestyle, fashion and sports brands.
Gallery: Fan Art Display and IRL Popups
As members are highly valued, the creators created this space to showcase Okay Bears NFT holders and their talents. Additionally, the gallery may feature fan art from non-members. The Okay Bears Gallery is a place where people can see all 10.000 bears in the collection. In the Display of curated fan art section, the main fan art is displayed along with information about the artists or communities behind it. In addition, the section includes information on IRL pop-up exhibits, which can be found in various cities around the world. Focusing on global causes and other important topics, the art brings together NFT communities and unique NFT artists.
The Platform: Meetups and Honeypot
The Platform is a place that includes information on a range of initiatives that highlight and promote innovation and thought leadership across Solana communities. In this section, members can learn more about talks, meetings and conferences. The events featured on the Platform are those that bring together traditional leaders and thought leaders from Solana PFP NFT. Some of the meetings and events are exclusive to Okay Bears NFT holders or members of partner collections. Members can also learn about copyright licensing and community grants through the Platform. Some startup concepts may qualify for licensing or granting through the Okay Bears initiative called The Honeypot, which exists to help the Okay Bears brand grow.
Where to buy Okay Bears NFTs?
People looking to invest in the popular Solana PFP NFT project can do so with a Solana-based portfolio. The most popular Solana wallet is the Phantom Wallet. At the moment,
OpenSea and Magic Eden are two of the main markets to buy an Okay Bears NFT. People who are new to buying NFTs should first spend some time learning about the process. Once a Solana-based wallet is connected, the next step is to find the Okay Bears Solana NFT project. The project with the title and a blue checkmark is the correct one. Buyers can click on it, browse the current selection of Okay Bears and choose one to buy.
Are Ok Bears NFTs a good investment?
Price trends and trading volume so far look favorable. In the Okay Bears blueprint, the creators indicate that there will be no new bears released for the collection. The 10.000 that have been released appear to be the only ones that will remain in circulation, which helps the bears remain valuable for now. With so many Solana NFT projects existing or in the planning stages, it’s hard to say whether another project will emerge that threatens the Okay Bears’ popularity over the next few months. Needless to say, Okay Bears has gained considerable value compared to the original price of 1,5 SOL at the mint.
Bottom Line
So far, the Okay Bears NFT project has been the most successful Solana PFP NFT project to date, significantly increasing Solana’s turnover. The community structure, project design, and utilities make it attractive to buyers — and especially to NFT fans, who enjoy the unique characters with positive vibes. Now that investors know the potential of Solana’s NFTs, it’s also a good time to start researching and looking at other potential projects.
