Generative Art Timeline · Chapter 9: AI Era (2010s)

2017

ERC20 Launches

Invention

ERC-20’s title, authors and creation date, followed by its summary, abstract, motivation and opening token methods.
Fabian Vogelsteller and Vitalik Buterin, ERC-20: Token Standard, created 19 November 2015. Opening excerpt of the current specification, rendered from its published HTML. Fabian Vogelsteller and Vitalik Buterin / Ethereum Improvement Proposals. CC0. Current document rendering; typography reflowed for display. Image source.

ERC-20 was the standard that governed how Ethereum tokens could be issued via smart contract. Originally released in November 2015, the ERC20 token standard would serve as the home for some of Ethereum’s first NFTs-proper, as well as ICOs launched on Ethereum.

Text by Peter Bauman. Generative Art Timeline, Le Random, fact-checked September 2026.

Sources

Movements

Ethereum Art, NFT Art

Filed under

Ideas
Ethereum Art, NFT Art
Technologies
blockchain, ERC-20, Ethereum, initial coin offering (ICO), NFTs, smart contracts
Works
CryptoPunks

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