Yuga Labs launches Mudwater trading cards on Solana for BAYC and MAYC holders

By Khal · · 2 min read

Editorial illustration: Two gold-edged trading cards depicting a brown ape and a green mutant ape stand beside foil packs and a glass display vault containing matching illuminated cards.
AI-generated editorial illustration · AI-generated editorial illustration · Published Oct 18, 2026, 3:53 a.m. (1 hour ago)

In brief

  • Mudwater, Yuga Labs' trading card collection, went live on Solana on October 17, 2026.
  • BAYC holders can claim 10 packs each and MAYC holders 2, with 10 cards per pack.
  • "Swamp Origins," the debut set, has 120 artworks across four card tiers.
  • A 2.5% reflection on Mudwater NFT trades buys ApeCoin for Mudwater NFT holders.
  • Pack claims stay open until January 19, 2027, according to Crypto Briefing.

How the claim works

Claims opened at roughly 23:30–23:35 UTC, right after the announcement, Crypto Briefing reported. The rollout lined up with ApeFest 2026 in Charleston, Yuga's yearly gathering for its community.

So what does a holder actually get? Packs don't land straight in a wallet. Holders receive Totems (ERC-6551 token-bound accounts), and those are used to receive and manage packs. BAYC holders can claim 10 packs each, MAYC holders can claim 2, and every pack contains 10 cards.

According to Yuga's announcement as described by Crypto Briefing, more than 140,000 packs are available to claim and the window stays open until January 19, 2027. Yuga plans for 10,000 boxes in total, each holding 24 packs.

What's in Swamp Origins

The debut set is called "Swamp Origins." It includes 120 distinct artworks built around Bored Ape imagery, and cards come in four tiers: standard, foil, serialized and a rare cracked-ice edition.

At the top sit 8 serialized cracked-ice 1/1 grails, the one-of-a-kind cards that collectors tend to chase hardest.

Trading happens on OpenSea, which carries separate listings for Totems, Packs and Cards. Secondary-market listings showed up on the platform soon after claims opened.

The cards aren't only meant to sit on a shelf. A demo of the card gameplay is available in Otherside, and Yuga has said further expansions inside the metaverse are possible. The company also plans to let collectors upgrade packs into boxes and cases, with upgradeable game elements on the roadmap.

The ApeCoin reflection

Yuga built a fee mechanic into secondary trading. Per Crypto Briefing's description of the design, a 2.5% reflection on Mudwater NFT trades automatically buys ApeCoin (APE), which then goes out to Mudwater NFT holders in proportion to their holdings.

Crypto Briefing noted that the scale of that APE buying depends entirely on how actively the cards trade.

That's the key variable here. The APE side of Mudwater only grows with trading volume, and the claim window has three months left to run.

Frequently asked questions

How many Mudwater packs can BAYC and MAYC holders claim?

BAYC holders can claim 10 packs each and MAYC holders can claim 2, according to Crypto Briefing. Every pack contains 10 cards. More than 140,000 packs are available in total, and the claim window stays open until January 19, 2027.

How does the Mudwater ApeCoin reflection work?

A 2.5% reflection on Mudwater NFT trades automatically buys ApeCoin (APE), which is distributed to Mudwater NFT holders in proportion to their holdings, as described by Crypto Briefing. The outlet said the scale of that buying depends on how actively the cards trade.

Are Mudwater cards physical or digital?

Both. Each Mudwater card links a physical collectible to a matching Solana NFT held in a vault. Trading takes place on OpenSea, which carries separate listings for Totems, Packs and Cards.

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