This Week in Web3 and NFTs: Art Basel Miami, Pudgy Penguins, Uniswap, & more web3 news
Beeple’s Mechanical Beasts Dominate the Digital Art Scene
This week at Art Basel Miami, Beeple unveiled a provocative new installation titled “Regular Animals.” The piece features a group of semi-autonomous robotic humanoids, each wearing hyper-realistic silicone masks of cultural and tech icons—Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg.
But these robots do far more than roam the fair. They actively photograph visitors, process those images, and then print small artworks from their rear ends, each styled after the figure represented by the mask they wear. Many of these prints come paired with NFTs, giving collectors the option to own authenticated digital counterparts to the physical pieces.
As highlighted by Whitewall, “Regular Animals” challenges viewers to reconsider the evolving boundaries between technology, identity, authorship, and memory. By granting these robotic figures a form of “agency,” Beeple asks a timely question: Who — or what — is shaping the images and narratives we consume today?
From Ice to Icons: Pudgy Penguins Announce NHL Toy Line Partnership
Pudgy Penguins, the NFT-native penguin franchise, is continuing its push into mainstream retail with an expanded lineup of physical toys. The brand has announced a new partnership with Schleich, the iconic maker of hand-painted animal figurines, to create a fresh toy line set to debut at Spielwarenmesse on January 27, according to The Toy Book.
CEO Luca Netz noted that fans familiar with Pudgy Penguins’ digital characters will soon be able to collect high-quality physical figurines, marking another major step in the brand’s global retail strategy.
At Art Basel Miami, Pudgy Penguins also revealed a flurry of new collaborations, including Be@rBrick designer toys, PEZ dispensers, Care Bears vinyl figures, Shashibo magnetic puzzle cubes, and an apparel capsule with Miami artist OMI.
The brand’s presence extended even further with an Its Sugar store takeover and a newly announced partnership with the National Hockey League (NHL). The collaboration will spotlight Pudgy Penguins during the 2026 NHL Winter Classic, presented by Discover — a major milestone as the brand continues bridging digital culture with mainstream entertainment.
Uniswap links Revolut to make paying for crypto more direct
Uniswap Labs has announced a new integration that lets users purchase crypto directly through Revolut, the Europe-based finance app with millions of customers. The update connects Revolut to both the Uniswap web app and Uniswap wallet, enabling people across 28 countries to buy tokens using their Revolut balance or debit card—no need to shuffle funds between multiple services.
Revolut, often used as a mobile checking account, supports more than a dozen national currencies. Through the integration, users can now seamlessly buy assets like ETH, USDC, and POL—the core tokens used for trading and gas fees on networks such as Ethereum and Polygon.
According to Uniswap, the process is straightforward: tap “Buy”, choose the token, enter the amount, and select Revolut. Revolut then handles the payment and delivers the crypto to the user’s wallet with zero added fees.