Universal Music’s Web3 Label Acquires Bored Ape NFT for $360,000

The purchased ape — named “Manager Noët All” — will lead the company’s virtual NFT band Kingship

article-image

Bored Ape Manager Noët All | Source: Universal Music Group

share

key takeaways

  • The ape-led music group, according to Universal Music, will eventually produce music and perform virtual concerts
  • “NFTs are going to have many use cases that go beyond [just] art,” a Bored Ape collector told Blockworks

Universal Music Group has piled on to the laundry-list of brands and large companies capitalizing on blue-chip NFT collection Bored Ape Yacht Club.

The company’s Web3 label 10:22PM has acquired Bored Ape #5537 for $360,817, roughly 125 ether, according to a Friday announcement. 

Per a press release, the Bored Ape character named “Manager Noët All” will lead 10:22PM’s virtual NFT (non-fungible token) band — called Kingship — as its manager.

Kingship consists of four digital characters — one mutant ape and three bored ape NFTs — all from collector Jimmy McNelis’ personal holdings. And the band, which was announced in November, is now joined by its new manager.

Celine Joshua, 10:22PM founder and former Sony exec, said she started the Universal Music Group subsidiary “to push the boundaries of innovation in the music industry.”

“Just as we would with any artist or creator, my team and I will work with Kingship to sharpen their vision and develop their unique sound,” Joshua said in a statement.

“Each member of the group has their own story and personality that influences and contributes to Kingship’s overall narrative.”

The ape-led music group will eventually produce music and perform virtual concerts in the metaverse, according to the company.

“NFTs are going to have many use cases that go beyond [just] art,” McNelis told Blockworks.

McNelis and all Bored Ape collectors became eligible to claim 10,000 ApeCoins (APE) on Thursday, in connection with the ApeDAO. APE is trading up 4.92% on the hour at $14.4 per token.


Get the news in your inbox. Explore Blockworks newsletters:

Tags

Decoding crypto and the markets. Daily, with Byron Gilliam.

Upcoming Events

Old Billingsgate

Mon - Wed, October 13 - 15, 2025

Blockworks’ Digital Asset Summit (DAS) will feature conversations between the builders, allocators, and legislators who will shape the trajectory of the digital asset ecosystem in the US and abroad.

Industry City | Brooklyn, NY

TUES - THURS, JUNE 24 - 26, 2025

Permissionless IV serves as the definitive gathering for crypto’s technical founders, developers, and builders to come together and create the future.If you’re ready to shape the future of crypto, Permissionless IV is where it happens.

Brooklyn, NY

SUN - MON, JUN. 22 - 23, 2025

Blockworks and Cracked Labs are teaming up for the third installment of the Permissionless Hackathon, happening June 22–23, 2025 in Brooklyn, NY. This is a 36-hour IRL builder sprint where developers, designers, and creatives ship real projects solving real problems across […]

recent research

Research Report Templates.png

Research

Maple Finance has successfully navigated significant market challenges through its strategic pivot to secured lending (Maple v2) and the launch of its Syrup product. Syrup has become a primary growth driver, delivering sustainable, outperforming stablecoin yields and rapidly increasing TVL. The upcoming custody-first Bitcoin staking product (istBTC) presents another significant avenue for expansion. Crucially, Maple has achieved operational profitability, a key inflection point that, combined with a fully vested token and active buyback mechanism, strengthens its investment case. While valuation metrics suggest potential undervaluation relative to peers and growth, the primary forward-looking risk identified is the long-term sustainability of its current high-take-rate collateral staking revenue model.

article-image

In 2014, Microsoft virus scanners were detecting viruses in Bitcoin software

article-image

Ledn’s Mauricio Di Bartolomeo explained how this cycle’s been different for the lender

article-image

The shorts looking for funding range from charming animated series to gritty live-action dramas

article-image

Money, it turns out, is emergent, like consciousness

article-image

Bridge flows churn in both directions as risk appetite returns

article-image

Even with an uncertain outlook thanks to tariffs, Big Tech executives are still ramping up their AI investments