What is gone?
The independent KnownOrigin marketplace identity ended as a standalone company after the eBay acquisition.
KnownOrigin
AcquiredKnownOrigin is a UK-based Ethereum NFT art marketplace founded in 2018 and acquired by eBay in June 2022.
Source-reviewed draft. The eBay acquisition is supported by secondary reporting, database references, and an eBay/PR Newswire announcement. Current frontend status still needs review.
Art CuratedStandalone MarketplaceEthereum
Source-reviewed draft record. Sources have been added, but this record still needs final public-quality review.
Overview
Classification notes
KnownOrigin is a UK-based Ethereum NFT art marketplace founded in 2018 and acquired by eBay in June 2022.
The record below separates frontend state, contracts, assets, evidence, and archive links so uncertainty stays visible.
Core field-guide question
What is gone, what remains?
What remains?
Marketplace records, Ethereum NFTs, and artist/collector history may remain visible through the KnownOrigin domain, wallets, archives, or Ethereum-compatible marketplaces.
Where did users or assets go?
Users and assets remained tied to Ethereum wallets and the KnownOrigin/eBay ecosystem rather than a fully separate successor marketplace.
Timeline
Recorded events
KnownOrigin founded
2018 · Launched · confidence medium
KnownOrigin launched as an Ethereum art NFT marketplace in 2018.
KnownOrigin acquired by eBay
2022-06-22 · Acquired · confidence medium
eBay acquired KnownOrigin in June 2022, ending KnownOrigin's status as an independent marketplace company.
Evidence
Source notes
Source-reviewed draft sources are listed below. They support the current record, but final public-quality review may still require stronger official or archived sources.
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KnownOrigin company profile
Crunchbase · Database Reference · reliability medium · claim Launch Date
Published: unknown · Accessed: 2026-05-16 · Archive: Wayback search
Used as secondary/database support for KnownOrigin identity and founding year.
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eBay acquires NFT marketplace KnownOrigin
Vogue Business · News Article · reliability medium · claim Ownership
Published: 2022-06-22 · Accessed: 2026-05-16 · Archive: Wayback search
Used as secondary reporting for the eBay acquisition.
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KnownOrigin marketplace home
KnownOrigin · Marketplace Page · reliability medium · claim Status
Published: unknown · Accessed: 2026-05-16 · Archive: Wayback search
Used only to support current URL history/status review; not a full frontend audit.
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eBay Acquires Leading NFT Marketplace, KnownOrigin
eBay Inc. / PR Newswire · Official Statement · reliability high · claim Ownership
Published: 2022-06-22 · Accessed: 2026-05-16 · Archive: Wayback search
Primary company announcement used to support the KnownOrigin acquisition event.
URL & archive
Acquisition trail
Acquisition context
Ownership changed
This record is classified by an acquisition event rather than a simple marketplace shutdown.
Status: acquired
Use evidence notes for acquisition sources. The original URL and archive remain historical context.
Original / last known URL
Original / current URL
https://knownorigin.io/
Open original URL →URL status: live_unverified
Archive search
Archive history
https://web.archive.org/web/*/https://knownorigin.io/
Search Wayback history →Archive state: Wayback search available
Domain: knownorigin.io
This is a Wayback search entry, not a pinned exact historical capture.
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