Audit log

Every state-changing event for Claynosaurz: moderation decisions on community submissions, plus corrections and updates from the news pipeline. URL-based decisions carry three independent witnesses — the original source, an Internet Archive snapshot taken at submission time, and a Solana memo signed by our publicly-disclosed publisher key.

1. #1publishby system:backfill

   2026-05-31 21:15:13Z
   Score: ? → ? (no score change)
   anchoranchored

   chain

   ●mainnet-betaslot 423,453,963

   sig

   5vhXCzqiDekE…znqt5HUYcopyexplorer ↗

   hash

   EgCLJuMAJ9hT…5fT4Ps4qcopysha256 → base58

   verifying row…full verify ↗

   canonical bytes (22501 B) ▸

   {"actor":"system:backfill","investigation_id":"71f4a813-ae56-4025-9112-c24ae9781c5e","kind":"publish","page_slug":"claynosaurz","published_at":"2026-05-31T21:15:13.605Z","sequence_num":1,"snapshot":{"content_type":"investigation","entity_name":"Claynosaurz","sections":[{"content":"Claynosaurz launched its genesis collection on November 26, 2022 on the Solana blockchain. The collection sold out its 10,000 genesis NFTs within approximately three minutes of the mint going live. The collection features six dinosaur species — Rex, Trice, Stego, Ankylo, Bronto, and Raptor — rendered as 3D animated characters in a clay-model aesthetic. The project is operated by a Montreal, Canada-based studio that describes itself as 'a 3D production studio focused on developing quality entertainment IP in Web3.' The genesis collection has since been supplemented by several linked NFT collections including Sardinhas, Claymaker, Clay, Croissants, Tacos, Pizzas, and Artifacts, each carrying distinct utility within the Claynosaurz ecosystem.","heading":"Project Overview","severity":"low","sources":[{"credibility":2,"name":"Claynosaurz: An Exclusive Look at the Rising Solana Community — NFT Now","type":"news_article","url":"https://nftnow.com/guides/claynosaurz-an-exclusive-look-at-the-rising-solana-community/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Claynosaurz — IQ.wiki","type":"research","url":"https://iq.wiki/wiki/claynosaurz"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Claynosaurz on Solana — Solana Compass","type":"research","url":"https://solanacompass.com/projects/claynosaurz"}]},{"content":"Claynosaurz was co-founded in late 2021 by Nicholas Cabana (CCO) and Danial Cabral, both described as animation industry professionals with credits at major studios. Nicholas Cabana previously worked at Sony Animation and Imageworks, MPC, Image Engine, Rodeo FX, and Framestore, accumulating credits on productions including Jurassic World, Paddington 2, Fantastic Beasts, and X-Men: Days of Future Past. He received an Annie Award nomination for work on The Suicide Squad (2021). Phil Cabana, Nicholas's brother, is credited with suggesting the web3 pivot. Andrew Pelekis, a CFA Charterholder and former finance professional at Innovatus Capital Partners and Nord45 Partners, initially served as an advisor and later became CEO. Sasha Papich joined as COO and co-founder. The team page lists over 20 named employees across executive, creative, marketing, and product functions, including a Chief Product Officer (Jacques Letesson), Chief Marketing Officer (Blake Schaffeld), and Head of Finance (Chantale Haddo). The broader production roster includes artists with credits from Disney, DreamWorks, Warner Bros, Ubisoft, Netflix, Marvel, and Industrial Light and Magic. All key team members are publicly named and verifiable, which reduces anonymity risk.","heading":"Founding Team and Key Personnel","severity":"low","sources":[{"credibility":2,"name":"Meet the Minds Behind Claynotopia — Claynosaurz Official Team Page","type":"official","url":"https://claynosaurz.com/team"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Claynosaurz Co-Founder Nicholas Cabana — LinkedIn","type":"other","url":"https://ca.linkedin.com/in/nicholascabana"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Andrew Pelekis, CEO — Claynosaurz | The Org","type":"other","url":"https://theorg.com/org/claynosaurz/org-chart/andrew-pelekis"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Claynosaurz: An Overnight Success, 20 Years In The Making — Mad Lads Newsletter","type":"news_article","url":"https://news.madlads.com/p/the-claynosaurz-interview"}]},{"content":"Claynosaurz has not disclosed institutional funding rounds with publicly verified terms. One source (Tracxn) identifies 'Shake and Bake Productions' as a single institutional investor, though the investment amount is unverified. The primary revenue mechanism has been NFT primary sales and secondary market royalties. Secondary trading volume reportedly reached 131,000 SOL within weeks of launch, and sources indicate the project has generated over $30 million in cumulative ecosystem value. The company is headquartered in Montreal, Canada, and operates as a self-sustaining studio. No venture capital backing, token sale proceeds, or formal fundraising round has been publicly disclosed at the time of this investigation.","heading":"Funding and Revenue","severity":"medium","sources":[{"credibility":2,"name":"Claynosaurz — Tracxn Company Profile","type":"research","url":"https://tracxn.com/d/companies/claynosaurz/__qhF_8BQPxS0LEUiman4kUw60oHZrObczTW1BVU71OlA"},{"credibility":3,"name":"How Claynosaurz Became The Biggest Project on Solana — Medium / Mellow Morning","type":"community_report","url":"https://medium.com/mellow-morning/how-claynosaurz-became-the-biggest-project-on-solana-21ac2a2dd50d"}]},{"content":"Claynosaurz has delivered several announced milestones since its November 2022 genesis mint. The Claymaker crafting system — allowing holders to combine NFT components to create or upgrade assets — was deployed post-launch and remains operational. In early 2023, Claynosaurz partnered with Solana Mobile to produce 'The Call of Saga,' an exclusive NFT collection of 2,000 pieces airdropped to Saga phone purchasers; these NFTs reached secondary prices above 16 SOL. Physical merchandise, including limited-edition plushies manufactured by the same factory used by Gund for Paw Patrol toys, launched in late 2023 and expanded in early 2024 with an online shop offering OG and Saga holder discounts. In September 2024, a collaboration with Gameloft — a major mobile game publisher — was announced to develop a mobile game combining location-based mechanics with creature-collecting gameplay, targeting iOS and Android release in 2025. In 2025, the project announced expansion to the Sui blockchain with a new 25,000-piece 'Popkins' collection and an achievements system that enables soft staking across Solana and Sui assets. The project's team acknowledged internally that 2023 involved significant non-public background work (legal, HR, payments infrastructure) without highly visible community-facing output, which created some community friction around perceived slow delivery.","heading":"Roadmap Delivery and Milestones","severity":"low","sources":[{"credibility":2,"name":"Gameloft Partners with Claynosaurz — Gameloft Official","type":"official","url":"https://www.gameloft.com/for-brands/news/gameloft-partners-with-claynosaurz-to-bring-award-winning-dinosaurs-to-mobile-gaming"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Gameloft Reveals Claynosaurz Mobile Game Based on Solana NFTs — Decrypt","type":"news_article","url":"https://decrypt.co/249031/gameloft-claynosaurz-mobile-game-solana-nfts"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Claynosaurz Expands From Solana to Sui With New NFTs, Upcoming Game — Decrypt","type":"news_article","url":"https://decrypt.co/317496/claynosaurz-solana-sui-nfts-game"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Exclusive: Claynosaurz Launch Plushies in Bid to Disrupt Collectibles — NFT Now","type":"news_article","url":"https://nftnow.com/news/exclusive-claynosaurz-launch-plushies-in-bid-to-disrupt-collectibles/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Solana Saga Owners Got a Free NFT — Now Selling for Over $1,000 — Decrypt","type":"news_article","url":"https://decrypt.co/212323/solana-saga-owners-free-nft-now-theyre-selling-over-1000"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Claynosaurz: An Overnight Success, 20 Years In The Making — Mad Lads Newsletter","type":"news_article","url":"https://news.madlads.com/p/the-claynosaurz-interview"}]},{"content":"Claynosaurz has secured several notable third-party partnerships and validations. Gameloft, one of the world's largest mobile game publishers, announced a collaboration in September 2024 — described as Gameloft's first Web3 IP collaboration. Koto Studio, a branding firm serving Spotify, Netflix, and Uber, partnered on the project's visual identity. Solana Mobile selected Claynosaurz for an exclusive NFT drop tied to the Saga phone, providing significant ecosystem exposure. In 2025, the Sui Foundation featured the Popkins launch at Sui's Token2049 Basecamp event. Additionally, judges from Walt Disney Animation Studios, Ubisoft, and The Pokemon Company presided over the Collision Awards in which Claynosaurz won 13 awards in 2024. The Collision Awards are a relatively newly-established niche animation-focused competition; the fact that Claynosaurz beat nominally larger studios is notable but should be weighed against the awards' recency.","heading":"Partnerships and Institutional Validation","severity":"low","sources":[{"credibility":2,"name":"Gameloft Partners with Claynosaurz — Gameloft Official","type":"official","url":"https://www.gameloft.com/for-brands/news/gameloft-partners-with-claynosaurz-to-bring-award-winning-dinosaurs-to-mobile-gaming"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Claynosaurz Brings Home 13 Collision Awards, Beating Out Pixar, Disney, Sony — Solana Floor","type":"news_article","url":"https://solanafloor.com/news/claynosaurz-brings-home-13-collision-awards-beating-out-pixar-disney-sony"},{"credibility":2,"name":"2024 Collision Award Winner — Claynosaurz — Collision Awards Official","type":"official","url":"https://collisionawards.com/winners/2024/marketing-communications/craft/best-3d-cg-animation/claynosaurz/520962/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"How Sui Tech Made Claynosaurz's Popkins NFT Launch a Resounding Success — Sui Blog","type":"news_article","url":"https://blog.sui.io/claynosaurz-popkins-nft-technical-launch/"}]},{"content":"The genesis Claynosaurz collection peaked at approximately 94 SOL per NFT in early 2023 and subsequently declined to the 15–25 SOL range by late 2024, tracking the broader Solana NFT market contraction. The collection is traded primarily on Magic Eden and Tensor. The project operates a complex multi-collection ecosystem with numerous linked NFT series (Sardinhas, Claymaker, Clay, Croissants, Tacos, Pizzas, Artifacts, Call of Saga, and the new Popkins on Sui), each with distinct utility. This complexity increases the risk that holders of secondary or companion NFTs may experience significantly worse liquidity outcomes than genesis holders. The floor price decline following the 2024 Collision Award victories — a modest 4% increase reported despite 13 award wins — illustrates the diminishing correlation between project quality signals and NFT market pricing in the current environment. The project has explicitly acknowledged that Solana's NFT market has 'taken a back seat to the network's thriving meme coin economy,' reflecting macro headwinds for the collection category.","heading":"Market Performance and NFT Ecosystem Risk","severity":"medium","sources":[{"credibility":2,"name":"Claynosaurz — NFT Price Floor Chart","type":"on_chain","url":"https://nftpricefloor.com/claynosaurz"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Claynosaurz Brings Home 13 Collision Awards — Solana Floor","type":"news_article","url":"https://solanafloor.com/news/claynosaurz-brings-home-13-collision-awards-beating-out-pixar-disney-sony"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Claynosaurz NFT Tracker — CryptoSlam","type":"on_chain","url":"https://www.cryptoslam.io/claynosaurz"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Magic Eden — Claynosaurz Marketplace","type":"on_chain","url":"https://magiceden.us/marketplace/claynosaurz"}]},{"content":"No evidence of fraud, rug pull, exit scam, or regulatory enforcement action (including by the SEC, CFTC, or DOJ) has been identified in connection with Claynosaurz or its named leadership. The team is publicly identified, the studio maintains an active website and social media presence, and continued product delivery has occurred across multiple years. A Medium analysis from 2022–2023 noted that early community FUD in December 2022 — driven by perceived communication gaps — briefly caused NFT price drops, and mentions of scam activity targeting Claynosaurz holders (phishing and fake tokens) were noted as third-party actions rather than project-initiated misconduct. No Tier 1 or Tier 2 source has reported any misconduct by the Claynosaurz founding team.","heading":"Fraud, Rug Pull, and Regulatory Risk","severity":"low","sources":[{"credibility":3,"name":"How Claynosaurz Became The Biggest Project on Solana — Medium / Mellow Morning","type":"community_report","url":"https://medium.com/mellow-morning/how-claynosaurz-became-the-biggest-project-on-solana-21ac2a2dd50d"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Claynosaurz Security Report — NotCommon","type":"research","url":"https://notcommon.com/collections/claynosaurz"}]},{"content":"The most significant risk factors for Claynosaurz are execution-related rather than fraud-related. The project is attempting to build a transmedia entertainment IP — spanning animated shorts, physical merchandise, mobile games, and a multi-chain NFT ecosystem — a complex and capital-intensive undertaking. The Gameloft mobile game had not yet launched as of mid-2025, and game development delays in the web3 space are common. The team has explicitly identified tension between Web3 community expectations (rapid monetization, floor price focus) and the multi-year timeline required to build sustainable entertainment IP, describing community pressure toward 'unsustainable moves that typically destroy a company.' The expansion to Sui represents both an opportunity to reach new audiences and a risk that existing Solana-native holders may feel diluted. No token sale or fungible token has been launched (the project uses NFTs as its primary asset class), reducing but not eliminating regulatory exposure. Institutional funding details remain opaque, meaning the project's runway is not independently verifiable.","heading":"Execution and Business Risk","severity":"medium","sources":[{"credibility":2,"name":"Claynosaurz: An Overnight Success, 20 Years In The Making — Mad Lads Newsletter","type":"news_article","url":"https://news.madlads.com/p/the-claynosaurz-interview"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Claynosaurz Expands From Solana to Sui — Decrypt","type":"news_article","url":"https://decrypt.co/317496/claynosaurz-solana-sui-nfts-game"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Claynosaurz and Gameloft Partner on Mobile Game — GamesBeat","type":"news_article","url":"https://gamesbeat.com/claynosaurz-and-gameloft-partner-on-mobile-game-starring-titular-dinos/"}]}],"sources_used":[{"credibility":2,"name":"Claynosaurz Official Website","type":"official","url":"https://claynosaurz.com/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Meet the Minds Behind Claynotopia — Claynosaurz Team Page","type":"official","url":"https://claynosaurz.com/team"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Claynosaurz: An Exclusive Look at the Rising Solana Community — NFT Now","type":"news_article","url":"https://nftnow.com/guides/claynosaurz-an-exclusive-look-at-the-rising-solana-community/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Claynosaurz — IQ.wiki","type":"research","url":"https://iq.wiki/wiki/claynosaurz"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Claynosaurz on Solana — Solana Compass","type":"research","url":"https://solanacompass.com/projects/claynosaurz"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Gameloft Reveals Claynosaurz Mobile Game Based on Solana NFTs — Decrypt","type":"news_article","url":"https://decrypt.co/249031/gameloft-claynosaurz-mobile-game-solana-nfts"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Claynosaurz Expands From Solana to Sui With New NFTs, Upcoming Game — Decrypt","type":"news_article","url":"https://decrypt.co/317496/claynosaurz-solana-sui-nfts-game"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Gameloft Partners with Claynosaurz — Gameloft Official","type":"official","url":"https://www.gameloft.com/for-brands/news/gameloft-partners-with-claynosaurz-to-bring-award-winning-dinosaurs-to-mobile-gaming"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Claynosaurz Brings Home 13 Collision Awards — Solana Floor","type":"news_article","url":"https://solanafloor.com/news/claynosaurz-brings-home-13-collision-awards-beating-out-pixar-disney-sony"},{"credibility":2,"name":"2024 Collision Award Winner — Claynosaurz — Collision Awards Official","type":"official","url":"https://collisionawards.com/winners/2024/marketing-communications/craft/best-3d-cg-animation/claynosaurz/520962/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Exclusive: Claynosaurz Launch Plushies — NFT Now","type":"news_article","url":"https://nftnow.com/news/exclusive-claynosaurz-launch-plushies-in-bid-to-disrupt-collectibles/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Solana Saga Owners Got a Free NFT — Decrypt","type":"news_article","url":"https://decrypt.co/212323/solana-saga-owners-free-nft-now-theyre-selling-over-1000"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Claynosaurz: An Overnight Success, 20 Years In The Making — Mad Lads Newsletter","type":"news_article","url":"https://news.madlads.com/p/the-claynosaurz-interview"},{"credibility":3,"name":"How Claynosaurz Became The Biggest Project on Solana — Medium / Mellow Morning","type":"community_report","url":"https://medium.com/mellow-morning/how-claynosaurz-became-the-biggest-project-on-solana-21ac2a2dd50d"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Claynosaurz — Tracxn Company Profile","type":"research","url":"https://tracxn.com/d/companies/claynosaurz/__qhF_8BQPxS0LEUiman4kUw60oHZrObczTW1BVU71OlA"},{"credibility":2,"name":"How Sui Tech Made Claynosaurz's Popkins NFT Launch a Resounding Success — Sui Blog","type":"news_article","url":"https://blog.sui.io/claynosaurz-popkins-nft-technical-launch/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Claynosaurz NFT Tracker — CryptoSlam","type":"on_chain","url":"https://www.cryptoslam.io/claynosaurz"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Claynosaurz — NFT Price Floor Chart","type":"on_chain","url":"https://nftpricefloor.com/claynosaurz"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Claynosaurz Security Report — NotCommon","type":"research","url":"https://notcommon.com/collections/claynosaurz"},{"credibility":2,"name":"How animated dino NFTs are rendered in the cloud — Befores & Afters","type":"news_article","url":"https://beforesandafters.com/2023/06/02/how-these-animated-dino-nfts-are-rendered-in-the-cloud-with-conductor/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Nicholas Cabana — LinkedIn","type":"other","url":"https://ca.linkedin.com/in/nicholascabana"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Andrew Pelekis CEO — ZoomInfo","type":"other","url":"https://www.zoominfo.com/p/Andrew-Pelekis/1967820490"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Claynosaurz Expands with Popkins and a 2025 Mobile Game — ChainPlay","type":"news_article","url":"https://chainplay.gg/blog/claynosaurz-expands-to-sui-with-popkins/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Claynosaurz and Gameloft Partner on Mobile Game — GamesBeat","type":"news_article","url":"https://gamesbeat.com/claynosaurz-and-gameloft-partner-on-mobile-game-starring-titular-dinos/"}],"summary":"Claynosaurz is a Solana-native NFT collection and web3 animation studio launched in November 2022, comprising 10,222 animated 3D dinosaur characters. Founded by Montreal-based animation professionals with verifiable film industry credits, the project has delivered multiple product milestones including physical merchandise, a Solana Phone exclusive NFT drop, cross-chain expansion to Sui, and a forthcoming Gameloft mobile game. No fraud, rug pull, or regulatory actions have been identified; the primary risk factors relate to NFT market depreciation, complex multi-token ecosystem mechanics, and the inherent execution risk of an early-stage gaming and entertainment IP.","timeline":[{"date":"2021-11-01","event":"Nicholas Cabana and Danial Cabral conceive the Claynosaurz concept; Phil Cabana suggests pivoting to Web3 NFTs","source":"NFT Now — Claynosaurz exclusive profile","source_url":"https://nftnow.com/guides/claynosaurz-an-exclusive-look-at-the-rising-solana-community/"},{"date":"2022-11-26","event":"Genesis collection of 10,000 animated 3D dinosaur NFTs mints on Solana, selling out in approximately three minutes; 131,000 SOL in secondary trading volume within weeks","source":"Medium / Mellow Morning — How Claynosaurz Became The Biggest Project on Solana","source_url":"https://medium.com/mellow-morning/how-claynosaurz-became-the-biggest-project-on-solana-21ac2a2dd50d"},{"date":"2023-01-01","event":"Solana Mobile partners with Claynosaurz on 'The Call of Saga' exclusive NFT collection for Saga phone purchasers; 2,000 NFTs airdropped, later trading above 16 SOL","source":"Decrypt — Solana Saga Owners Got a Free NFT","source_url":"https://decrypt.co/212323/solana-saga-owners-free-nft-now-theyre-selling-over-1000"},{"date":"2023-06-02","event":"Technical profile published detailing Claynosaurz's cloud rendering pipeline with Conductor; confirms animation production infrastructure","source":"Befores & Afters — How these animated dino NFTs are rendered in the cloud with Conductor","source_url":"https://beforesandafters.com/2023/06/02/how-these-animated-dino-nfts-are-rendered-in-the-cloud-with-conductor/"},{"date":"2023-11-01","event":"First limited-edition Claynosaurz plushies launch; manufactured by same factory as Gund / Paw Patrol toys","source":"NFT Now — Exclusive: Claynosaurz Launch Plushies","source_url":"https://nftnow.com/news/exclusive-claynosaurz-launch-plushies-in-bid-to-disrupt-collectibles/"},{"date":"2024-09-12","event":"Gameloft collaboration announced to develop Claynosaurz-branded mobile game combining location-based and creature-collecting mechanics; target release iOS/Android 2025","source":"Decrypt — Gameloft Reveals Claynosaurz Mobile Game Based on Solana NFTs","source_url":"https://decrypt.co/249031/gameloft-claynosaurz-mobile-game-solana-nfts"},{"date":"2024-10-01","event":"Claynosaurz wins 13 awards at the 2024 Collision Awards for animation excellence, defeating nominated works from Pixar, Disney, and Sony; judges from Walt Disney Animation Studios, Ubisoft, and The Pokemon Company","source":"Solana Floor — Claynosaurz Brings Home 13 Collision Awards","source_url":"https://solanafloor.com/news/claynosaurz-brings-home-13-collision-awards-beating-out-pixar-disney-sony"},{"date":"2025-04-01","event":"Claynosaurz announces expansion to Sui blockchain at Token2049 Sui Basecamp; unveils Popkins collection (25,000 NFTs) and cross-chain achievements/soft staking system","source":"Decrypt — Claynosaurz Expands From Solana to Sui With New NFTs, Upcoming Game","source_url":"https://decrypt.co/317496/claynosaurz-solana-sui-nfts-game"},{"date":"2025-05-01","event":"Popkins NFT launch on Sui described as technically successful; Sui Foundation publishes post-mortem on infrastructure performance","source":"Sui Blog — How Sui Tech Made Claynosaurz's Popkins NFT Launch a Resounding Success","source_url":"https://blog.sui.io/claynosaurz-popkins-nft-technical-launch/"}]},"v":1}

   Verify offline (run on your own machine)

   python -m src.verify_decision 62a6b3e7-12bb-4224-80fd-773864a71912copy