KnownOrigin
KnownOrigin was an Ethereum-based NFT art marketplace founded in Manchester in 2018, serving digital artists and collectors with proprietary KODA smart contracts. The platform generated over $30M in GMV across 5,000+ creators before eBay acquired it in June 2022; the marketplace shut down in 2023.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersManchester, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What KnownOrigin does
KnownOrigin was an Ethereum-based NFT art marketplace founded in Manchester in 2018 and operated until its 2023 shutdown. The platform served a two-sided market of digital artists minting crypto-art and collectors purchasing authenticated digital works, growing from a 2018 basement pop-up with 10 artists to a community of over 5,000 creators and over $30 million in cumulative gross sales by early 2022. The technical stack centered on four versions of proprietary KODA smart contracts (V1–V4) supporting both non-custodial shared contracts and self-custodial Creator Contracts owned by individual artists; V2 introduced lazy minting where tokens only existed post-purchase.
The business model was marketplace commissions on primary and secondary NFT sales, supplemented by royalty mechanisms for creators. GTM was community-led: KnownOrigin built its base through crypto-art community engagement, featured artist spotlights, and early access sales rather than paid marketing. Notable creators included XCOPY, Stina Jones, Kjetil Golid, FoodMasku, Dead Seagull, and Sabet, several of whom became recognized figures in crypto-art history.
Following a £3.5 million Series A in February 2022 co-led by GBV and Sanctor Capital, eBay acquired KnownOrigin in June 2022 to anchor its Web3 strategy. The marketplace was shut down in 2023 amid unsustainable unit economics and shifting Web3 market dynamics, and eBay laid off the remaining Manchester team in 2026 as part of a full retreat from its NFT initiative. All tokens remain on-chain and continue to trade on third-party marketplaces (OpenSea, Rarible, Foundation, Magic Eden), but KnownOrigin no longer receives royalties from any sales.
KnownOrigin firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- KnownOrigin
- Legal name
- KnownOrigin
- Website
- https://knownorigin.io
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Closed
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- KnownOrigin was an Ethereum-based NFT art marketplace founded in Manchester in 2018, serving digital artists and collectors with proprietary KODA smart contracts. The platform generated over $30M in GMV across 5,000+ creators before eBay acquired it in June 2022; the marketplace shut down in 2023.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
KnownOrigin industry classification
Industry- Product category
- NFT Art Marketplace
- NAICS
- Securities and Commodity Exchanges (5232), Commodity Contracts Intermediation (52316)
- SIC
- Security & Commodity Brokers, Dealers, Exchanges & Services (6200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Art & 1/1 Digital Art NFT Marketplaces (FSADANAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- NFT Marketplaces & Aggregators (primary/secondary, discovery, cross-market routing) (FSAPAFAB)
Keywords
Where KnownOrigin is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Manchester
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
KnownOrigin business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- NFT Transaction Fees: KnownOrigin operated as a marketplace for NFT art, earning revenue from transaction fees on primary and secondary sales of NFTs minted on the platform. The platform closed in 2023 and no longer receives royalties from sales on third-party marketplaces.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels3 records
KnownOrigin product offering
Product offeringCore offering
KnownOrigin operated an Ethereum-based NFT art marketplace that enabled digital artists to mint, list, and sell digital artworks as non-fungible tokens, while allowing collectors to discover and purchase crypto-art. The platform offered proprietary KODA smart contracts (V1-V4) with shared non-custodial contracts and self-custodial Creator Contracts, plus features such as early access sales and embedded NFTs. The marketplace was shut down in 2023 with all minted tokens remaining on-chain and viewable on third-party marketplaces.
Product overview
KnownOrigin was an NFT art marketplace platform operating on the Ethereum blockchain, consisting of the core marketplace (now shut down), KODA smart contracts (V1-V4) for shared NFT minting, and Creator Contracts for individual artist self-custodial minting. The platform democratized the art world by enabling digital artists to monetize their work globally, generating over $30 million in sales with 5,000+ creators. While the marketplace closed in 2023, all NFTs remain on-chain and are viewable through third-party marketplaces including OpenSea, Rarible, Foundation, and Magic Eden.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- KnownOrigin NFT Marketplace Ethereum-based NFT art marketplace that enabled creators to mint and sell digital artwork as non-fungible tokens and collectors to discover and purchase crypto-art. The marketplace supported early access sales, embedded NFTs, and creator contracts. The marketplace was shut down in 2023, with all minted tokens remaining on-chain and viewable via third-party marketplaces.
- KODA Smart Contracts (V1-V4) Non-custodial smart contracts (V1, V2, V3, V4) owned by KnownOrigin for minting NFTs on the Ethereum blockchain. V2 contracts use lazy minting where tokens only exist once purchased or traded. All tokens minted remain accessible on-chain and via third-party marketplaces.
- Creator Contracts Self-custodial smart contracts owned by individual creators, enabling them to mint and manage their own NFT editions independently. Creators retain full control of their contracts and can interact with them via Etherscan.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over $30 million in total sales generated on the platform
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use KnownOrigin
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
KnownOrigin technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration6 records
Feature4 records
KnownOrigin partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights2 records
KnownOrigin competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- OpenSea: OpenSea is the largest Ethereum NFT marketplace and served as the primary aggregator/distribution venue for KnownOrigin tokens after the marketplace closed. It directly competes in the same NFT marketplace category and integrated seamlessly with KnownOrigin's KODA contracts.
- Rarible: Rarible is a community-governed multi-chain NFT marketplace that hosted KnownOrigin tokens post-closure. It is a direct competitor in the same NFT art marketplace category with overlapping creator/collector audiences.
- Foundation: Foundation is a curated Ethereum NFT art marketplace that competed directly with KnownOrigin for high-end crypto-art creators. KnownOrigin tokens are still viewable on Foundation post-shutdown.
- Magic Eden: Magic Eden is a multi-chain NFT marketplace that expanded into Ethereum and currently aggregates KnownOrigin tokens. It serves the same core buyer persona (NFT collectors) with overlapping marketplace mechanics.
- SuperRare: SuperRare is a curated 1/1 digital art NFT marketplace operating on Ethereum with a similar artist-curation model to KnownOrigin. Directly comparable target market (digital artists and high-end collectors) and product (single-edition crypto-art).
- MakersPlace: MakersPlace is an Ethereum-based NFT art marketplace focused on authenticated digital art. It shared the same early-mover position as KnownOrigin and targeted the same digital-artist/collector segments.
- Nifty Gateway: Nifty Gateway is a curated NFT art marketplace (acquired by Gemini) that operated as a direct competitor to KnownOrigin in the digital-art niche, focusing on high-profile artist drops and primary sales.
- Zora: Zora is an Ethereum NFT marketplace protocol that enables creators to mint and sell NFTs through shared and self-custodial contracts — structurally similar to KnownOrigin's KODA + Creator Contract architecture.
Emerging players
- Async Art: Async Art is a programmable/art-focused NFT marketplace that overlapped with KnownOrigin's creative-experimentation positioning (embedded NFTs, layered art). It targets a narrower programmable-art segment.
- Art Blocks: Art Blocks is a generative-art NFT marketplace on Ethereum. While narrower in focus (generative only), it competed with KnownOrigin for crypto-art collectors and rose in parallel during the 2021 boom.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
KnownOrigin social profiles
Digital presenceKnownOrigin financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
KnownOrigin leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
KnownOrigin funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors9 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
KnownOrigin M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about KnownOrigin
What does KnownOrigin do?
KnownOrigin operated an Ethereum-based NFT art marketplace that enabled digital artists to mint, list, and sell digital artworks as non-fungible tokens, while allowing collectors to discover and purchase crypto-art. The platform offered proprietary KODA smart contracts (V1-V4) with shared non-custodial contracts and self-custodial Creator Contracts, plus features such as early access sales and embedded NFTs. The marketplace was shut down in 2023 with all minted tokens remaining on-chain and viewable on third-party marketplaces.
Is KnownOrigin a public or private company?
KnownOrigin is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently closed.
When was KnownOrigin founded?
KnownOrigin was founded in 2018. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is KnownOrigin based?
KnownOrigin is headquartered in Manchester, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does KnownOrigin make money?
One revenue line is on record: NFT Transaction Fees.
Who are KnownOrigin's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are OpenSea, Rarible, Foundation, Magic Eden, SuperRare, MakersPlace, Nifty Gateway and Zora. Emerging players are Async Art and Art Blocks.
Does KnownOrigin have an API?
No public API is recorded for KnownOrigin.
What industry is KnownOrigin in?
KnownOrigin's product category is NFT Art Marketplace. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSADANAB, Art & 1/1 Digital Art NFT Marketplaces, with a secondary code of FSAPAFAB, NFT Marketplaces & Aggregators (primary/secondary, discovery, cross-market routing). Its NAICS code is 5232 and its SIC code is 6200.