Bored Ape Yacht Club’s 5th Anniversary: Celebrity Support Fades as NFT Hype Cools

Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) celebrates its fifth anniversary today, but the milestone arrives with little fanfare. Once a cultural phenomenon backed by A-list celebrities, the NFT project now faces a stark decline in both interest and support.

From Celebrity Backing to Near Silence

The project’s early success was fueled by high-profile endorsements from figures like Paris Hilton, Mark Cuban, and Jimmy Fallon. However, their enthusiasm has significantly waned over the past two years.

Google Trends data reveals that searches for “Bored Ape Yacht Club” are now 97 times lower than during the NFT frenzy of 2022. The decline is stark when compared to the project’s peak, when celebrities like Snoop Dogg and Eminem actively promoted BAYC and the short-lived metaverse trend.

Celebrities Who Once Championed BAYC Now Silent

Eminem famously spent approximately $462,000 on a Bored Ape in 2021. Today, the top offer for the same NFT stands at just 8.83 ETH—roughly $20,000. Since 2022, Eminem has posted nothing about NFTs or BAYC on his X account.

Snoop Dogg also invested heavily, paying $366,000 for four Apes in 2021. The top offers for these NFTs now total just under $28,000. While Snoop has occasionally mentioned BAYC, his recent posts suggest the project is now used more as a promotional tool for other ventures, such as his family’s ice cream brand, Dr Bombay—named after his Ape. Despite attending a 4/20 event organized by BAYC, Snoop’s social media activity has included little BAYC-themed content beyond a single repost of an old image and a poorly received AI-generated video.

Other High-Profile Supporters Follow Suit

Justin Bieber spent roughly $1.3 million on a Bored Ape in 2021. Its current top offer is around $19,000, and Bieber has posted nothing about BAYC or NFTs since 2022.

Neymar Jr. purchased two Apes for over $1.1 million in 2022, but their value has since dropped to approximately $57,000. The Brazilian footballer has not mentioned NFTs or BAYC on social media since 2022.

Jimmy Fallon bought an Ape for $224,000 in 2021, but its value has since fallen to $19,000. He has not referenced it on X since.

Other celebrities, including DJ Khaled, Paris Hilton, Mark Cuban, and Serena Williams, have also stopped discussing BAYC publicly.

What’s Next for Bored Ape Yacht Club?

With celebrity endorsements fading and NFT interest at historic lows, BAYC’s future remains uncertain. The project, once a symbol of the NFT boom, now faces the challenge of rebuilding relevance in a market that has largely moved on.