Decrypt Studios Announces Inaugural Cryptie Awards and the 2022 “Industry Achievement” Recipients

Decrypt Studios, the Web3 production studio, has launched The Crypties, the crypto industry’s premier international annual awards program honoring excellence across the crypto ecosystem. In true decentralized fashion, Cryptie winners will be voted on by token holders in the crypto community, allowing those invested in the evolution of the industry to decide who and what has earned their highest praise.

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Decrypt Studios honors Erick Calderon, Founder and CEO of Art Blocks, and filmmaker Caitlin Cronenberg (“The Death of David Cronenberg”, PFP NFT collection “Feet and Eyes Guys”), the recipients of its inaugural “Industry Achievement” Cryptie Awards, for their contributions to the Web3 community (Photo: Business Wire)

The voting token for the 2022 Crypties will be dropped as part of a larger offering this autumn, with the winners announced at an inaugural awards gala during Art Basel Miami in December 2022.

In addition to the categories voted upon later this year by token holders, The Crypties will honor community members who have transcended creative and technical boundaries to help bring the tenets of Web3 into the mainstream. Erick Calderon will receive the inaugural “Industry Achievement” Cryptie for his contributions to the community as the Founder and CEO of Art Blocks, while filmmaker Caitlin Cronenberg will receive the “New Artist” award for her short, “The Death of David Cronenberg” and PFP NFT collection “Feet and Eyes Guys.” Their accomplishments will be recognized and celebrated along with the other nominees and winners at the Crypties awards gala in Miami.

“The Crypties embody the culture and the spirit that propels the crypto industry forward,” said Alanna Roazzi-Laforet, founder of Decrypt Studios. “Celebrating our collective achievements strengthens the bonds of our community, creates cultural memories that inform the future, and honors the people and projects who inspire us all to seek excellence as we embrace the movement toward decentralization.”

2022 Cryptie Honorees Erick Calderon and Caitlin Cronenberg

Erick Calderon is an entrepreneur, artist, and technology enthusiast born in Mexico City and residing in Houston, TX. In 2020 he founded Art Blocks, a platform hosting on-demand generative art on the Ethereum blockchain, at the same time releasing his own artwork the Chromie Squiggle, an algorithmic edition of 10,000 as the first project on the platform. Erick is a tireless advocate of NFTs as a technology, concentrating on generative art itself as the medium of expression, and has dedicated himself to elevating the practice within the world of contemporary art.

"As a generative artist and entrepreneur, I have dedicated my career to elevating the medium of digital art through NFT technology and community,” said Erick. “That I’m given the privilege to share our medium with the wider art world is something I feel gratitude for every day. I'm humbled to accept this award on behalf of the digital and generative communities, and to help validate and rationalize a vision for NFT art today and in the future."

Caitlin Cronenberg is an award-winning photographer and director whose work has appeared in publications across the globe, such as Vogue, Vanity Fair, Interview, Marie Claire, W Magazine, The New York Times and many more. Caitlin has shot and directed campaigns for brands including Apple, Beats by Dre featuring Billie Eilish, and Jaeger-LeCoultre. In 2016 she shot the cover art for Drake’s four-time platinum record “Views” and subsequently won the Canadian Arts and Fashion Award for Image Maker of the Year.

Caitlin's book of photography, THE ENDINGS, garnered critical acclaim and landed a spot on the national best-seller list. Caitlin's first short film, inspired by the book, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. She will begin production on her first feature film, Humane, this fall.

“It is such an honor to be receiving this award from Decrypt Studios! When I entered the space, just over a year ago, I had no idea how important the NFT community would become to me,” Caitlin shared. “In a relatively short time I have found such support from other artists and friends in the space, and I know we are building something really special together. This is just the beginning, and I can't wait for everyone to see what I've got planned!”

The Crypties Partnership

For information on partnership or sponsoring The Crypties, please contact Decrypt Studios at [email protected].

Media Inquiries

To arrange a briefing, please contact Kristin Canders at [email protected].

About Decrypt Studios

Decrypt Studios is a new-breed production studio dedicated to bringing artists, designers, and thinkers to the Metaverse. We demystify digital assets and virtual worlds for clients, providing tools to help creatives reach audiences in completely new ways. With roots in Ethereum, access to the latest technologies through the Mesh venture group, Decrypt Studios is the premier Web3 studio creating unique projects and activations in the Metaverse and across all new technological platforms.

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