- Elon Musk changed his Twitter Avi to an NFT collage featuring Bored Apes
- The centerpiece of the collage shows a rare golden BAYC piece
- Musk allegedly acquired a similar Ape back in February 2022 according to Chain CEO Deepak Thapliyal
- Deepak hinted that Musk bought the NFT through MoonPay
- Following the move, ApeCoin pumped over 15%
Tesla boss and Twitter’s new owner Elon Musk changed his account’s Avi to a mashup of photos featuring NFTs from the Bored Apes Yacht Club collection on Wednesday.
Indeed, the main photo in the collage shows a rare Ape with solid golden fur. Interestingly Deepak Thapliyal, the CEO of blockchain company Chain claimed that Musk purchased BAYC #1837 through MoonPay back in February 2022. The rare Bored Ape also features golden fur, much like the most prominent NFT on Elon’s latest Twitter Avi.
At the time, BAYC #1837 was purchased for a massive 569 ETH. The hefty price tag amounts to an estimated $1.6 million at current market prices.
Data from leading marketplace OpenSea also shows that the Bored Ape in question is currently owned by MoonPayHQ. Also, the price of ApeCoin (APE) jumped almost 20% following the news, per data from TradingView.
Elon Musk And Other Mainstream Figures Leverage MoonPay For NFT Acquisitions
Although no official confirmation was released by either party, the rumors were further fueled after a photo showing the Telsa CEO with MoonPay team member resurfaced. Musk allegedly met with the company’s representatives days before the record BAYC sale happened.
In the usual cryptic fashion, Twitter’s new owner released a tweet that has so far triggered speculations across the social network.
In the event that Elon Musk confirms the news, the billionaire will join a growing list of BAYC holders who have purchased their NFTs through MoonPay.
The startup has supposedly emerged as the preferred channel for crypto and blockchain-powered digital collectible purchases in recent months. A plethora of celebrities like Jimmy Fallon and Post Malone have also leveraged MoonPay’s services for similar NFT and cryptocurrency-related transactions.
In a bid to match growing demand, MoonPay also launched a ‘Concierge service’ to cater to high-profile individuals.
