Axiom Zen's launch announcement says CryptoKitties went public on Nov. 28, 2017. The game lets players collect and breed digital cats on the Ethereum network. No source confirms that the game is still running. The newest status items are dated: a 2023 explainer said Axiom Zen continued to maintain the app as of that date, and an April 2025 Decrypt report described Meowcoin launches that were only planned.
Key facts, as the sources state them
- Launch: Public release on Nov. 28, 2017.
- Payment: Ether (ETH), a digital currency, is used for all transactions in the game.
- Breeding: A kitten's look, biography and traits come from each parent's 256-bit genome, which leads to 4-billion possible genetic variations.
- Sales: Owners set a starting and a closing price for their cats at auctions.
- Latest status: Planned Meowcoin launches and an airdrop, per Decrypt's April 2025 report. No source confirms either.
What CryptoKitties was at launch
The release calls CryptoKitties the first game built on the Ethereum network. It also names Axiom Zen as the developer, an award-winning venture studio specializing in emerging technology. That first-game claim comes from the company itself, and no independent check appears in the sources.
How breeding works
The release says that when two cats breed, a kitten's look, biography and traits come from each parent's 256-bit genome. It puts the number of possible genetic variations at 4-billion. That count describes what the genome could produce, not how many cats exist. The company's own figure, and no source tests it.
How cats changed hands
CoinsPaid Media's 2023 explainer says owners can sell their cats at auctions. Owners specify a starting price and a closing price for each auction. The sources do not establish fee terms, so no fee is stated.
Who develops it
The 2017 release names Axiom Zen as the developer. CoinsPaid Media's 2023 explainer credits Axiom Zen, a Vancouver-based startup, with the launch. Decrypt's April 2025 report calls Dapper Labs the creator. None of the sources explains how Axiom Zen and Dapper Labs relate.
Meowcoins: the 2025 plan
Decrypt reported in April 2025 that Dapper Labs was set to launch six Meowcoins on Flow. Meowcoins is an umbrella term for three types of token on the Flow blockchain: Fancy Coins, Beancoins and Family Coins. It also said players of the two previous seasons of the Telegram game CryptoKitties: All The Zen would receive an airdrop of some of these tokens. Both were plans as of the report's date. No source confirms that the launch or the airdrop happened.
Is it still running?
The latest statement about upkeep comes from the 2023 CoinsPaid explainer. It says Axiom Zen continues to maintain and develop the app, as of that page's date. No other source describes upkeep. Nothing in the sources is dated after April 2025. The sources give different kinds of status, from a company's own statement to a planned launch.
Which sources say what about CryptoKitties
Read what each dated source states about the game, and whether it reports a finished step or a plan.
| Source | What the source states | Status it reports | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Axiom Zen press release | Public release on November 28th, where players collect and breed cats | Done at launch, according to the company | Source: CryptoKitties: The World's First Ethereum Game Launches Today (prnewswire.com), accessed Oct 19, 2026 |
| CoinsPaid Media explainer | Axiom Zen continues to maintain and develop the app | Reported as of the page date, not checked for later dates | Source: CryptoKitties Online Game: Crypto Cats Phenomenon | CoinsPaid Media (coinspaidmedia.com), accessed Oct 19, 2026 |
| Decrypt report | Dapper Labs set to launch six Meowcoins on Flow; airdrop for players of two previous seasons | Planned as of the report, not confirmed | Source: Decrypt, accessed Oct 19, 2026 |
Each status is only as current as its source date, and no source here shows the game's condition today.
Analysis: reading the dates
A 2023 note about upkeep is old evidence about the game now. A 2025 plan is evidence only of what was planned.
Editorial analysis: The 2025 plans also concern a Telegram game called CryptoKitties: All The Zen. The sources do not say whether that is the same product as the original Ethereum game. A starting and closing price on an auction shows what the owner set, not what a cat is worth now. Anyone who wants to play or check status should start with the live site and official announcements from Axiom Zen or Dapper Labs.
Next, watch whether Axiom Zen or Dapper Labs confirm that the April 2025 Meowcoin launch and airdrop happened. Also check whether the game's live site is running. The sources give no date for a next update. For a related gaming token, a separate explainer covers whether Enjin Coin is really the first gaming token.
Sources: CryptoKitties: The World's First Ethereum Game Launches Today (prnewswire.com), accessed Oct 19, 2026 · CryptoKitties Online Game: Crypto Cats Phenomenon | CoinsPaid Media (coinspaidmedia.com), accessed Oct 19, 2026 · Decrypt, accessed Oct 19, 2026
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