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MoonCats
MoonCats are procedurally generated pixel cats which are deterministically generated based on blockchain data.[1][2]
How this works
Rescuing Cats
After you have found a MoonCat, you will be prompted to decide whether to rescue it or leave it on the moon. If you choose to rescue it, you will become its new owner and give it a home on the blockchain. You can choose to put your MoonCat up for adoption or give it to someone else. You can also choose to name your MoonCat if you please. MoonCats can only be named once though, so think carefully about names! Once you choose one, it will be permanent, even if it is adopted by someone else.
Offering Requesting, & Adopting Cats
If you do not want to search for a MoonCat, then you can go straight to the Adoption Center. In the Adoption Center you can view all of the rescued MoonCats and Genesis MoonCats. You can also adopt cats that are up for adoption, request a MoonCat from someone else, or give away MoonCats. All transactions are handled on the Ethereum blockchain in Ether, the currency of the moon.
Mining off the Chain
An off chain algorithm, the MD5 checksum of which is stored in the contract, parses the catId into its unique corresponding MoonCat image. This allows you to verify that your catId corresponds to your MoonCat image.
Additionally, the search seed is not known before the contract is activated. The search seed is generated based on the hash of the most recently mined block when a special activate function is called. This prevents the contract owners from using a known search seed to premine all of the MoonCats, and guarantees that the contract owners do not have a mining advantage over the rest of the community. Once the contract has been activated, it cannot be deactivated.
Procedural Generation
There are over 4 billion unique MoonCats possible. However, only 25,600 MoonCats can be added to the contract. This combination of mining with procedural generation allows for a unique experience that cannot be predicted before the contract is launched. Rescuers have the power to choose whether they want specific MoonCats to become part of the contract or not.
Irrevocable Naming
MoonCats can be named, but they can only be named once. Owners have to decide whether they want to name their MoonCat or keep it unnamed. We think that this creates an interesting dynamic. Owners can leave their mark by being the first and only person to name a MoonCat. However, it is our guess that unnamed MoonCats will fetch a premium in the Adoption Center.
Notable Sales
MoonCats
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