Hey there, meme coin enthusiasts and blockchain explorers! If you’ve been around the crypto scene for a while, you might remember the wild days of 2021 when trait swapping NFTs took the world by storm. A recent tweet from sile.sol (@cryptosile) brought back some hilarious memories, poking fun at the frenzy around "derugging frogs" and those infamous whitelist (WL) tokens. Let’s dive into this nostalgic trip and unpack what it all means!

The Rise of Trait Swapping NFTs

Back in 2021, the NFT space was buzzing with innovation. Trait swapping—where you could mix and match digital traits (like accessories or colors) to customize your NFTs—became a hot trend. Projects like Trait Swap popped up, offering a marketplace to mint, swap, and personalize profile picture (PFP) avatars using branded traits. It was a fun, creative twist on the usual static NFTs, and it caught the eye of collectors and speculators alike.

The tweet from sile.sol jokingly references "derugging frogs," likely a nod to frog-themed NFTs that gained traction during this period. These projects often involved quirky characters or memes, and people went crazy buying WL tokens for thousands, hoping to flip them for a profit. The hype was real, and some NFTs soared to ridiculous valuations—think millions for a single digital frog!

What Were Blueships?

One intriguing mention in the tweet is "blueships." This could be a playful jab at projects like BLUE ALACHAR, which tokenized ships as NFTs. These weren’t your typical meme coins or PFPs but rather a bold experiment in asset-backed NFTs. The idea was to use blockchain to finance real-world assets like vessels, making them tradable as digital tokens. However, as sile.sol hints with a cheeky "where are those blueships now? ... nvm ... 😅," many of these ambitious projects faded into obscurity as the market shifted.

The Hype and the Crash

The 2021 crypto boom saw NFT sales skyrocket. According to influencermarketinghub.com, artworks like Beeple’s Everydays: The First 5000 Days sold for $69.3 million, and even frog-themed projects got in on the action. But as with any hype cycle, the bubble eventually burst. Many trait-swapped NFTs and frog-related tokens lost value, leaving early investors with "garbage to valhalla" (as sile.sol puts it). The tweet’s tone is lighthearted, but it reflects a broader truth: the market moved on.

Frog Mania Lives On

Fast forward to 2025, and frog-themed projects are making a comeback! Crypto.news highlights the rise of tokens like Pepe Unchained and Wall Street Pepe, fueled by community hype and even Elon Musk’s frog-themed X profile pic. This resurgence shows that meme culture in crypto is far from dead—it just evolves. Could trait swapping make a return with this new wave? Only time will tell!

Reflections from the Community

The thread following sile.sol’s tweet is gold. Zach (@TheZachFrancis) admits to regretting not buying more frogs, a sentiment many can relate to. Sile.sol fires back with a sarcastic "NFTs are dead, frogs to zero right? 🍻 just buidl," accompanied by a hilarious StarTalk GIF of someone saying, "I remember the whole thing." This banter captures the community’s mix of nostalgia and resilience—building (buidl) despite the ups and downs.

What’s Next for Trait Swapping?

While the original trait-swapping hype may have cooled, the concept isn’t gone. Platforms like Trait Swap continue to evolve, offering dynamic NFTs that adapt to new trends. For blockchain practitioners, this is a reminder to stay adaptable—yesterday’s "garbage" could be tomorrow’s gold. Keep an eye on meme coins and NFT innovations, as the crypto space loves a good comeback story!

So, what do you think? Did you ride the 2021 frog wave, or are you betting on the next big meme token? Drop your thoughts in the comments, and stay tuned to meme-insider.com for the latest updates on this wild world of crypto memes!