Pixelmap & Pixeltile
Created in 2016, PixelMap is considered the second oldest NFT, the first “billboard-style” on Ethereum, and provides the ability to create, display, and immortalize artwork directly on the Blockchain.
PixelTile was created to present the most unique of 3970 tiles on PixelMap. Each tile has a story to tell and here you will find the most exciting, creative, meaningful and unique ones.
Additional information about special tiles as well as regular community votes will be communicated via my Twitter account.
THE PixelTile
THE PixelTile is Tile#1413 on the map and is the first tile which consists of 256 different colors. As all images are fully stored on-chain, having 256 different colors in one tile makes it the most complex and gas intense transaction.
The owner Pat chose the image as it is truly highlighting the spirit of the PixelMap concept. It is simple, unique and has a story to tell. At first he fully focused on finding a special pixelart, but while scrolling through PixelMap another idea was slowly growing.
The creation of THE PixelTile was the inspiration of launching PixelTile.io
Genesis Tile
The Genesis Tile is Tile#1984 on the map and is also known as Spider Tile. It is the first tile which ever had an image uploaded. The transaction goes back to November 17th 2016 and started the journey of PixelMap.
The PixelMap founder Ken Erwin is also the owner of the Genesis Tile. The first tile update was actually a test before launching to the public. The spider image does not have a special meaning – Ken actually hates spiders – but was the first google result for “16×16 pixelart”.
“Fun” Fact: although Ken is the owner of the tile and the linked wallet, he does not have access anymore as he forgot the password and recovery phrase.
Invisible Tile
The Invisible Tile is Tile#3969 on the map and is also known as Hidden or Secret Tile as it is not part of the regular PixelMap grid.
The PixelMap 49×81 grid consists of 3969 tiles. As the tile numbering starts from 0 the Invisible Tile #3969 should not exist. Still it is a fully functional tile, has an image uploaded and its tile house can also be visited. You can even find it on the map – you just need to look at the right spot!
I still wonder if the tile owner Daryl Morey – president of Philadelphia 76ers basketball – was aware of that when buying the tile.
If you want to learn all about the tile, I recommend reading the medium article of Adam McBride!
Tiles of the Month
Information
PixelMap (2016) is often considered an NFT “relic” or “antique”, due to being one of the oldest NFTs in existence. The original “billboard-style” NFT, PixelMap is also known for being one of the first to store image data directly on-chain, as well as the oldest (Ethereum) NFT tradeable on OpenSea. It provides the ability to create, display, and update artwork on a “pixel map” with all historical data immortalized on the Blockchain.
The creator Ken Erwin successfully went live with PixelMap on November 17, 2016, years before the Non-Fungible Token (NFT) Standard (EIP-721) would even be written.
You can find more information on https://pixelmap.io/about
The main purpose of PixelTile.io is to tell the story behind the most unique tiles which have ever been created on PixelMap. Out of the total 3970 tiles, the most unique ones are selected and presented on this website.
On PixelTile.io the focus is clearly set on the individual tiles as such and not on PixelMap holistically.
There are various criteria which can make a tile unique. One part is the history, such as the date when the tile has been minted, wrapped or an image has been uploaded. Other aspects are the type of pixelart which has been created or the location of the tile on PixelMap. But probably the most important aspect is the story behind the tile.
The easiest way is to reach out to me via Twitter. Make sure you have a short and crisp pitch for your tile, which not only has to convince me but the whole community.
You can drop me a message at https://twitter.com/CrazyPatX
Whereas the most unique tiles are permanently presented on PixelTile.io, the tile of the month is changing regularly.
Each month the PixelMap community can send in proposals for the tile of the month. The final candidates will be selected via a public poll on Twitter.
All tiles which are presented on PixelTile.io will also be announced on Twitter.
In addition, tiles which do not make it on the site but still have a great story to tell will be posted on Twitter to be shared with the community.
Yes – if a bundle of tiles has a unique story to tell, they can definitely qualify to get listed.
Even if tiles are sold or the image is being changed, the whole history of the tile is still stored on-chain. Therefore it is likely that the original reason why the tile was listed and the story behind the tile is still applicable.
The image of the tile which is shown on PixelTile.io might not be updated, though.
The rarity tool ranking is only based on facts & figures, such as the location of the tile on PixelMap.
The decision if a tile is listed on PixelTile.io is more unique, complex and mainly driven by the story the tile is telling.
