There is no contest when it comes to The Bored Ape Yacht Club’s popularity among NFT projects. Yuga Labs and its extensive BAYC ecosystem have maintained their hold on Web3 even when announcements and project updates were scarce, having acquired near supremacy over the PFP NFT industry.
But now that BAYC’s second chapter has begun, the NFT community is in a frenzy. The Trial of Jimmy the Monkey, a short film that served as the launchpad for the upcoming chapter of BAYC’s lore, has generated interest, skepticism, and intrigue. In order to clarify up any confusion before Yuga’s upcoming mint event, we’ve put together this brief guide with all the information you need to know about this BAYC world expansion.
The trial of Jimmy the monkey
The new BAYC short film The Trial of Jimmy the Monkey serves as the catalyst for everything. The animated short, which clocks in at about two minutes, revolves on Jimmy, a character that serves as the foundation for a new Bored Apes chapter. The action-packed comedy, which is somewhat lowbrow but who could blame them, centers on a gang of partying BAYC members who receive a mystery box and key from a time-traveling toilet knight.
The obvious significance of this box is parodied throughout the movie, led by BAYC mascot Curtis, and finally the key winds up in Jimmy’s stomach, with disgruntled BAYC members eager to get it back at any cost. However, the NFT community, particularly Twitter user Ryder333, has already started deconstructing the video to expose its hidden significance beyond the ridiculousness and feces jokes. Given that even the official BAYC Twitter account advised community members to “pay attention to the signs” and warned that some facts may be crucial in the future, this is understandable.
Beyond the understanding of time travel and its potential impact on BAYC mythology, however, collectors and aficionados may gain more from MDvMM.xyz, a new website created by Yuga to track the Apes’ continual expansion. Because even though a Yuga news release claims that “all queries will be answered in time,” the aforementioned website outlines what can be anticipated in clear language.
The upcoming chapters of BAYC
The current BAYC lore extension will consist of six chapters in all, with “The Trial of Jimmy the Monkey” serving as a prologue, according to the MDvMM website. The following stop on the itinerary is “Mysteries Revealed” on December 28. Could it be a different short movie? Maybe a blog entry? It’s anyone’s guess right now. However, we may infer that things will start to heat up significantly in the coming year.
On January 11, information on the upcoming BAYC mint will be made public. On this day, Yuga will publish a manual that members of the BAYC community can use to “strategize” for the approaching mint. The multi-week interactive mint event then starts on January 18 and introduces a variety of distinctive mechanisms. To learn more about important dates, see the graph below.
Chapters of BAYC 2023
However, via MDvMM, “the story continues” from chapter six and onward, so the excitement doesn’t end there. According to BAYC’s Twitter, “the trial [of Jimmy] is the prologue to a series of activations coming over the course of next year,” which gave some additional context for what this would involve. It wouldn’t be a stretch to argue that BAYC members should expect more than six chapters in this expanding ecosystem, given the tenacious nature of Yuga Labs.
Getting ready for the mint
Whatever happens in 2023, it’s certain that the interactive mint event on January 18 will be when things truly get started. Although specifics have not yet been disclosed, Yuga provided collectors with a hint via Twitter by publishing a tiered chart showing the various degrees of BAYC ownership that should be taken into account prior to the mint. In order to avoid giving anything away, Yuga wrote in a blog post, “Apes (BAYC or MAYC) who also own BAKC will be in tiers of their own when it comes to the mint. For individuals who want to improve their minting experience, a $APE spend mechanic will also be available as an option.
After learning about the potential advantages of NFT pairing heading into the mint, those planning to sell their BAYC, MAYC, or Kennel Club Dogs may change their minds. The same holds true for people wishing to exchange their $APE, especially in light of Yuga’s comment regarding an optional token spend method. The BAYC and Otherside game ecosystems will probably receive a significant boost in the future, though, as Activision Blizzard President and COO Daniel Alegre has been onboarded to Yuga Labs as the company’s new CEO. As if the chart wasn’t enough already.
It should be highlighted that anyone wishing to take part in the next drop should use caution when locating information regarding the activation. Reiterating a tweet from BAYC, Yuga’s news site should always be regarded as the major source of information, in addition to the official BAYC Discord and Twitter accounts.