Claynosaurz

Claynosaurz is an entertainment IP and NFT ecosystem on Solana built around a cast of 3D clay-animated dinosaur characters, designed from the outset to grow beyond collectibles into animation, gaming, and merchandise.

Origins and Team

The project was conceptualized in late 2021 by Nicholas Cabana and Daniel Cabral, both professional animators with backgrounds in VFX studios. Nicholas's brother Phil Cabana suggested launching the IP as a Web3 NFT project, and Daniel Cabral led render management alongside his brother Alexandre Cabral, a technical director specializing in rigging and scripting. Daniel Jervis co-founded the project alongside the Cabana and Cabral families. Shortly after launch, Pelekis officially joined the team as CEO. In July 2025, David Horvath -- co-founder of the UglyDoll toy franchise -- joined to lead brand management and Asian market expansion. The studio has expanded to include 3D production experts, creative designers, brand strategists, and finance professionals, supported by an advisory committee.

The team began publicly teasing the project in March 2022 with a shadowy dinosaur image, revealed its full 3D clay animation style the following month, and launched the genesis NFT collection in November 2022.

Genesis Collection

The Claynosaurz genesis collection launched on November 22, 2022, comprising 10,222 unique 3D animated NFTs on Solana. The collection features six dinosaur species -- Rex, Trice, Stego, Ankylo, Bronto, and Raptor -- each rendered in a distinctive clay texture style. The release generated over $130,000 in trading volume within the first few hours and surpassed $600,000 within two weeks of launch. As of available data, the collection has approximately 3,164 unique holders and is actively traded on Magic Eden and Tensor.

Call of Saga

In May 2023, Claynosaurz released Call of Saga, a companion collection of 2,000 NFTs developed in partnership with Solana Mobile. The collection introduced two new species -- Para and Spino -- which exist within the broader Claynosaurz universe but occupy their own distinct collection. The partnership gave Solana Mobile hardware buyers a claimable NFT tied to the Claynosaurz ecosystem.

Popkins and Sui Expansion

In May 2025, Claynosaurz expanded to the Sui blockchain with Popkins Unleashed, a collection of 25,000 NFTs featuring a new class of creatures within the Claynosaurz universe. The mint used an interactive booster-pack format with leaderboard competitions and soulbound digital rewards. The team framed the Sui move as an expansion rather than a migration: the Solana-based Genesis and Call of Saga collections were not replaced or bridged, and Solana remains the home chain for the original collectibles.

Claymaker Crafting System

The Claymaker is an on-chain crafting mechanic that allows NFT holders to customize their Clayno through transmutation. Three tiers of Claymakers exist: First (single-use), Deluxe (five uses), and Limited (unlimited uses). The system functions as a customization layer on top of the existing NFT collection, giving holders the ability to differentiate their assets beyond the original mint traits.

Animation

Claynosaurz has produced short-form animated content distributed across YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and X. In 2026, Season 1 of the Claynosaurz animated miniseries debuted on Amazon Prime Video, making Claynosaurz one of the first Web3-native NFT franchises to reach a major streaming platform. The series follows four dinosaur characters -- Flea, Bex, Trix, and Milo -- through everyday adventures in Claynotopia, an imaginary world built from clay and childhood creativity.

Gaming

In September 2024, Claynosaurz announced a mobile game partnership with Gameloft, a major mobile game publisher. The game is designed to blend choose-your-own-adventure mechanics with location-based gameplay inspired by Pokemon Go, and will be available on both Android and iOS. Players can earn digital collectibles through quests and crafting. Gameloft cited this as its first collaboration with a Web3 IP. A specific release date has not been announced.

Recognition and Reach

Claynosaurz has accumulated over 350,000 followers across social media platforms. The project won 31 Collision Awards in 2025, including 13 Gold, 15 Silver, and 3 audience-choice awards, and was honored with a Webby People's Voice Award in 2025 -- described as the first Web3-native brand to receive the award in the trailer category. The project was also showcased at MIPJunior 2025, an international children's entertainment market.

Audit Status

No smart contract audit information is documented in publicly available sources.

Solana Ecosystem Fit

Claynosaurz is one of Solana's most recognized NFT brands, built natively on the chain since launch. The project has been an active participant in the Solana Mobile ecosystem, collaborated with Solana-native trading platforms including Tensor and Magic Eden, and has contributed to Solana's reputation for hosting entertainment-oriented NFT projects. The brand's multi-chain expansion to Sui in 2025 was positioned as additive rather than a departure from Solana, with the genesis collection remaining on-chain as the anchor of the ecosystem.