Behind the 339% rebound in Clone X price: Nike sells RTFKT, and the market is guessing who the new owner is?

【Crypto World】Clone X has been experiencing a rapid price surge lately. The floor price has already reached 0.38 ETH, the highest since April last year, with a 339.8% increase over the past week. Last weekend, it even touched 0.44 ETH, and trading volume has also become noticeably more active.

Why is it suddenly so hot? The main reason is the news of Nike selling RTFKT stirred up the market. According to leaks, Nike quietly sold RTFKT last December, but who the buyer is and the specific terms remain a mystery.

Many in the market are speculating that after RTFKT’s departure from Nike, it might follow the path of Pudgy Penguins and Moonbirds—being acquired by a new owner and turning things around through brand restructuring. However, Herman Narula, co-founder of Improbable, Yuga Labs (the parent company of Bored Ape Yacht Club), and collector Adam Weitsman have all denied involvement.

So, who actually bought it? The two most discussed possibilities in the community are LVMH and Pudgy Penguins. LVMH, the luxury giant and its founding family, are NFT enthusiasts, and the group has a long-standing collaboration history with RTFKT creator Takashi Murakami. From a brand perspective, it also makes sense. Another possibility is Pudgy Penguins—they have closer ties with RTFKT. Some crypto KOLs uncovered that RTFKT founder Zaptio met with Pudgy Penguins co-founders last year, and later posted “Clones are so back,” hinting at a project comeback. Additionally, Pudgy Penguins CEO Luca Netz has held Clone X NFTs for four years and successfully helped bring Pudgy Penguins back from a low point.

That said, these are all market speculations; nothing has been officially confirmed. Just take a look and don’t treat it as investment advice.