When people think of NFTs, they often picture colorful art, big names, and eye-watering price tags. But DeGods is more than just another trendy profile picture project. It’s a story of failure, comeback, and innovation—with a dedicated community at its core. In this lesson, you’ll explore what DeGods is all about, how it started, and why it still turns heads in the ever-evolving Web3 world.
What Is DeGods, Exactly?
DeGods is a collection of digital profile pictures (PFPs) that portray godlike characters styled in streetwear fashion. Think ancient mythology meets hypebeast culture.
Launched in 2021 on the Solana blockchain, DeGods was created by Dust Labs, a Web3 studio led by the pseudonymous FrankDeGods. The full collection includes 10,000 unique NFTs—with most now living on Ethereum, and a smaller batch even existing on Bitcoin.
Why Did DeGods Make Headlines?
DeGods had a rocky start. When the collection first minted in 2021, it cost just 3 SOL (about $130 at the time). But technical hiccups, bot attacks, and community criticism nearly buried the project. The team was close to walking away.
Then came a bold move: the now-infamous Paper Hands Bitch Tax. This 33.3% penalty was applied to anyone who sold their NFT below the floor price. The proceeds? Used to “burn” (permanently remove) cheap NFTs from circulation—reducing supply and increasing rarity.
It didn’t last long, but it sent a clear message: DeGods was willing to break the rules to stand out.
The Big Move: From Solana to Ethereum
In 2023, DeGods made a major shift. The team officially moved the collection from Solana to Ethereum, citing scalability and long-term potential. Since then, DeGods has consistently ranked among the top 10 NFT collections by trading volume on Ethereum.
Enter DeadGods: The Premium Version
In March 2022, Dust Labs released DeadGods—a visual upgrade to the original DeGods NFTs. These aren’t separate NFTs. They’re unlocked by burning a DeGod and paying a small fee.
Why go DeadGod? You’ll get:
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Sharper visuals
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Higher staking rewards
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Access to exclusive community benefits
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Voting rights in community governance
In short, it’s the VIP pass of the DeGods ecosystem.
How Staking Works – And Why It Matters
Since April 2023, holders of DeGods and DeadGods can stake their NFTs. This means locking them in a smart contract to earn rewards like:
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DUST tokens (more on that soon)
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DePoints, which can be redeemed for exclusive drops, physical goods, or brand activations
The best part? Your NFT stays in your wallet and earns 1 DePoint every minute it’s staked. The longer you stake, the more you earn—and the more involved you become in the community.
Meet DeDAO: The Brains Behind the Project
DeGods isn’t just a product—it’s a decentralized community. Through DeDAO, NFT holders can shape the project’s future and vote on key decisions.
The DAO is structured into three main teams:
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DAO Leads – project founders and coordinators
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Alpha Team – market analysts and strategists
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Divine Council – elected community members who contribute ideas and oversee initiatives
Funds are managed in a shared treasury, making DeDAO one of the most active community-led structures in the NFT space.
Yes, There Are DeGods on Bitcoin
Here’s where it gets wild: in March 2023, the team inscribed 535 DeGods NFTs onto Bitcoin using a new protocol called Ordinals, which lets users embed data directly into satoshis (the smallest units of BTC).
500 NFTs were minted in a public “first-come, first-served” event, while 35 were auctioned in DUST. Proceeds went back into the DustDAO treasury. It was one of the first high-profile NFT launches on Bitcoin—marking a bold expansion for the project.
So, What’s the Deal With DUST?
DUST is the utility token that powers the DeGods ecosystem. Originally launched on Solana, DUST has a fixed supply of 33,300,000 tokens. You can earn it by staking DeGods or DeadGods, and use it to:
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Join DeDAO
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Vote on community decisions
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Participate in auctions and project perks
As of April 2025, DUST is still actively traded on decentralized exchanges like Raydium, and remains central to the project’s economy.
Summary
DeGods isn’t just an NFT project—it’s a case study in Web3 evolution. From its humble beginnings to its status today as a cross-chain powerhouse, it’s shown the power of innovation, risk-taking, and community leadership.
Whether it’s the Ethereum migration, the rise of DeadGods, staking incentives, or the historic Bitcoin mint—DeGods continues to push boundaries.
For newcomers, it’s a window into how NFT ecosystems function. For collectors, it’s a symbol of staying power in a fast-moving space.
