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Dapper Labs’ CryptoKitties are digital, collectible cats built on the Ethereum blockchain. They can be bought and sold using ether, the native cryptocurrency of Ethereum. You can breed your cats to create new cats with exciting traits and varying levels of cuteness.

At the launch in 2017, 50,000 Gen 0 cats, known as Clock Cats, were created with a smart contract on the Ethereum blockchain. (Gen 0 means that they were the first cats created.) Existing as programs stored on a blockchain, smart contracts have preset conditions and the terms of a contract between the buyer and seller written directly in the code. For more on smart contracts, see Chapter 9. Clock Cats were distributed automatically via smart contract at a rate of one cat every 15 minutes. Each cat was sold at auction.

A CryptoKitty is unique in appearance, with distinct features. Its phenotype is determined by its immutable genes (genotype) stored in the smart contract. In fact, all the fundamental game mechanics of CryptoKitties are tied to smart contracts. By gamifying blockchain technology, the CryptoKitties team normalized previously esoteric concepts and empowered users with essential fluency in blockchain technology. Now you get the chance to gain the same knowledge.

By giving you the ability to breed your very own cats, the kitties became more than just a digital collectible. They are personal. [See the later section “Collecting, Breeding, and Selling Your Very Own Non-Fungible (Crypto)Kitties,” to learn more about these fun digital felines.] The CryptoKitties team also creates a self-sustaining community where users can create new collectibles and trade them on the Ethereum blockchain.