Pudgy Penguins @pudgypenguins ——— From Web3 Icon to Social Currency 1/5 🐧 Pudgy Penguins, initially a successful PFP NFT launch featuring adorable penguin figures, gained early traction but lost momentum following unmet community expectations. 2/5 In 2022, current CEO @LucaNetz acquired the project and transformed it into a successful IP business through omnichannel meme viral marketing, online experience building, and in-store toy sales. 3/5 OverpassIP, an NFT licensing platform built by the same team, enables NFT holders to earn royalties, converting Pudgy NFTs with purely speculative value into assets with fundamentals tied to the IP's commercial success. 4/5 The launch of the PENGU token in December 2024 marked a new phase in Pudgy Penguins' evolution into an ecosystem, positioning PENGU as a "social currency" intended to facilitate broader community engagement and potentially shift the project's operating model towards an app publisher supporting community-driven initiatives. 5/5 Institutional interest in #PENGU is on the rise, as a PENGU #ETF application—a hybrid product comprising 80–95% tokens and the remaining in NFTs—has progressed from the initial S-1 filing to SEC acknowledgment on July 9, 2025.