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Steve Aoki exits crypto by selling SHIB and ETH worth $30K, moving funds to Gemini while retaining BAYC NFTs amid NFT market slump.
Author: Kritika Gupta
High attention and emotional sentiment detected.
15th April 2026– Steve Aoki exits crypto as the celebrity DJ and longtime NFT advocate sharply cuts his liquid digital-asset exposure. On-chain data tracked by Arkham Intelligence shows that Aoki recently sold roughly 1.785 billion SHIB worth about $10,300 and 7.25 ETH worth nearly $15,900, with the proceeds moved to Gemini, the regulated U.S.-based exchange.
In addition, this was not an isolated move. About two weeks earlier, the same wallet also liquidated 4.155 billion PEPE worth around $14,700, suggesting a broader reduction in exposure to speculative crypto assets rather than a one-off rebalance.
High Signal Summary For A Quick Glance
Jeremy
@Jeremybtc
The man who said NFTs would be part of culture within five years just quit crypto. > In August 2021, Steve Aoki told CoinDesk that NFTs would be "part of culture" within five years. > Almost exactly five years later, he sold what was left and moved the money to Gemini. > In https://t.co/MjLgUbr17g
07:32 PM·Apr 14, 2026
Xeer
@Xeer
Steve Aoki sold all his crypto at the bottom and reinvested it in this $100k Magic the Gathering Chocobo set. https://t.co/lP0sGn5vT4
01:41 PM·Apr 14, 2026
Goku 🗞
@Crypto__Goku
👀 Steve Aoki sort progressivement du marché crypto. Le DJ et ancien influenceur NFT vient de vendre pour 30 000 $ de SHIB et d’ETH, en transférant les fonds vers Gemini. Il détient encore 7 NFT Bored Ape qu’il avait achetés pour plus de 800 000 $ en 2021, mais ils ne valent https://t.co/ESk6GRjU5o
11:06 AM·Apr 13, 2026
The timing of this move reflects the long and painful unwind of the NFT cycle that defined 2021 and early 2022. Back in 2021, Aoki was one of the most visible celebrity advocates of NFTs and digital collectibles. At the time, he publicly stated that NFTs would become a core part of culture within five years. That five-year window has now effectively closed, and the market outcome has been far weaker than many early advocates expected.
Meanwhile, although Bitcoin and Ethereum have recovered significantly in recent bull-market phases, the NFT sector has largely failed to participate in that rebound. Blue-chip collections, especially Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC), have seen severe valuation compression.
Aoki still holds seven BAYC NFTs, originally purchased during the peak of the 2021 mania for more than $800,000 in total. Today, each NFT is worth roughly $13,800, implying an 88%+ drawdown on paper from peak levels.
This sharp decline also mirrors the broader NFT market collapse. BAYC floor prices, which once exceeded $400,000 equivalent per NFT, have now fallen below $14,000, highlighting how the digital collectibles sector has dramatically underperformed major crypto assets.
Moreover, Aoki’s earlier NFT ventures followed a similar trajectory. His NFT drops generated strong early demand and sold out rapidly during the boom period. However, like much of the celebrity NFT ecosystem, sustained utility and long-term demand failed to materialize.
From a market structure perspective, the sale size itself is too small to move SHIB, ETH, or even meme-coin sentiment in any meaningful way. A $30,000 transaction is negligible relative to daily liquidity in these markets.
However, the symbolic importance is much larger. Aoki was one of the most recognizable celebrity faces of the 2021 NFT and meme-asset cycle. Therefore, his exit reinforces a broader narrative that speculative, hype-driven sectors such as meme coins and NFTs continue to struggle for sustained capital flows.
Importantly, prices in SHIB, ETH, and BAYC showed no visible reaction, which aligns with previous celebrity wallet liquidations during the 2022–2023 downturn. Broader macro drivers, Bitcoin dominance, ETF flows, and market liquidity continue to matter far more than individual celebrity wallets.
Still, for retail participants, this update may slightly weaken sentiment around meme coins and legacy NFT collections, especially among newer entrants who still associate celebrity ownership with conviction.
Despite selling most of his liquid crypto positions, Aoki has not exited his BAYC exposure. That is particularly notable because these NFTs once represented the cultural center of Web3 identity, celebrity access, and digital status. Today, they sit at only a fraction of their original value.
Whether this remaining position reflects long-term conviction, low liquidity, tax considerations, or emotional attachment remains unclear. Nevertheless, his current portfolio tells a clear story: liquid tokens have been reduced, while illiquid legacy NFT exposure remains. As a result, Aoki’s journey now stands as a clear representation of the 2021 crypto boom-to-bust cycle, from celebrity-driven hype and million-dollar NFT buys to partial exits and deep mark-to-market losses.
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