The most expensive NFT art has already broken all records. Some NFTs have already gone down in history for being among the most expensive art pieces ever.
The world of art has been revolutionized by the emergence of non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, which have allowed digital artists to sell authenticated versions of their work for record-breaking prices. From digital paintings to animated gifs, NFT art has been making waves in the art world with some pieces selling for millions of dollars.
In this article, we take a closer look at the most expensive NFT art pieces ever sold, and explore how the rise of NFTs has created a new market for digital art.
Most expensive NFTs ever: the ranking
Below you will find the ranking of the most expensive NFTs in history. They have been sold at very high prices, which are often not reached even by traditional works of art.
Explaining why some NFTs are so expensive is not straightforward. The certain thing is that someone buys them!
1 – The Merge – $91.8 million
In 2021, Beeple’s “Every day” was the most expensive NFT art sold until Pak surpassed it. “The Merge,” an NFT artwork, was sold for an incredible $91.8 million through Nifty Gateway.
What makes this sale unique is that it was not purchased by a single individual but rather by 29,983 people. As a result, “The Merge” was split into 312,686 coins that were distributed among the buyers.
2 – Every day: The First Five Thousand Days – $69 million
Until the end of 2021, “Everyday” by Beeple was the most expensive NFT art sold.
This NFT artwork is a painting that features all 5,000 images Beeple drew over the course of 5,000 consecutive days.
The famous auction house Christie’s sold this unique piece for a staggering $69 million. It was purchased by Vignesh Sundaresan, who outbid Tron founder Justin Sun.
3 – Clock – $52.74 million
The founder of Wikileaks, Assange, created this expensive art piece for a social cause.
The NFT, called “Clock,” represents a digital counter of the days Julian Assange spent in Belmarsh prison in London while awaiting extradition to the United States on espionage charges. The purpose of “Clock” was to raise funds to support Assange, and it was auctioned for over $52 million.
Similar to “The Merge,” 10,000 members of the AssangeDAO owned a share of this NFT. The proceeds from the auction were donated to the Holland Foundation, which supports Assange’s defense. This NFT initiative is similar to Edward Snowden’s initiative in support of freedom of speech.
4 – Human One – $29.985 million
Beeple’s “Human One” is the second most expensive artwork by the artist. Beeple ranks second among artists with the highest NFT sales volume.
This life-size 3D NFT was auctioned for $28.98 million through Christie’s. It features an individual in a spacesuit that can change color according to the artist’s preferences, either bronze or silver. Beeple has stated that he will update this artwork over time to keep it dynamic and relevant. This approach ensures that the piece will continue to evolve and remain relevant, even as time passes.
5 – CryptoPunk #5822 – $23.7 million
This NFT is the most expensive in the entire CryptoPunks collection.
The popularity of CryptoPunks stems from their ability to evoke nostalgia from the 80s, pop culture, punk music, and pixelated video games.
Generally, CryptoPunks are humanoid in form, with the rarest pieces being zombies, monkeys, and aliens. In this case, the aliens are the most expensive since only nine exist in the entire collection.
The CryptoPunk #5822 is one of the nine aliens and is identifiable by its blue bandana. Its high value is due to the fact that it is one of the rare alien CryptoPunks.
Knowing how to early find NFT projects like the CryptoPunks can make you rich!
6 – CryptoPunk #7523 – $11.8 million
Before its sale, the highest-priced piece in the CryptoPunks collection was CryptoPunk #7523.
This particular CryptoPunk derives its value from its incredibly rare characteristics. It is the only one that wears a surgical mask, which is a reference to the pandemic, and it is also one of the nine super rare aliens.
7 – CryptoPunk #4156 – $10.35 million
This particular CryptoPunk is noteworthy because it is part of an exclusive group – it is one of the 24 CryptoPunks monkeys.
This NFT features a blue bandana and has an estimated worth of $10.35 million. Interestingly, its value skyrocketed in less than a month, increasing from $1.17 million to $10.35 million.
8 – CryptoPunk #7804 – $7.56 million
This particular CryptoPunk is the third most expensive NFT from Larva Labs when valued in Ether tokens.
As one of the nine alien punks, it is an incredibly rare and valuable piece. Additionally, it features other unique characteristics, such as smoking a pipe, wearing a beret, and sporting sunglasses, which adds to its overall value. In the collection of 10,000 CryptoPunks, only 378 feature pipe smokers, 317 have shade variations, and 254 wear forward caps.
The buyer of this auctioned work is Dylan Field, the CEO of Figma, a software company.
9 – CryptoPunk #3100 – $7.51 million
The reason for CryptoPunk #3100’s high value is due to the fact that it is the only punk in the collection that wears a blindfold. This unique characteristic made it sell for a whopping $7.51 million.
Now, the buyer put it up for sale for an astounding $90.5 million, equivalent to 35,000 Ether. If purchased, this CryptoPunk would become the most expensive piece of digital art ever sold. If he manages to sell it, we’ll ask him how to make money with NFTs!
10 – Right-click and Save As Guy – $7.09 million
London-based artist XCopy’s creations employ a decomposed aesthetic that is similar to the works of the painter Basquiat, albeit in digital form.
In his artworks, XCopy incorporates various forms of distortion and noise, which give the impression of bugs or computer malfunctions. These NFTs are highly regarded and typically sell for millions of dollars. One such artwork was sold via SuperRare some time ago for 1,600 Ether, which is equivalent to $7.09 million.
The buyer was none other than Snoop Dogg’s NFT alias “Cozomo de Medici”.
11 – Ringers #109 – $6.93 million
Sold for 2,100 Ether or $6.93 million, this artwork is part of the Art Blocks collection, which comprises a total of 99,000 NFTs.
Art Blocks NFTs are in high demand due to their generative-styled collectibles, which offer on-demand art.
12 – CryptoPunk #8857 – $6.63 million
This particular CryptoPunk is one of the rarest pieces in the collection, as it is a zombie, and zombies are nearly as scarce as aliens and monkeys in the Larva Labs CryptoPunks collection.
However, there is currently no information available regarding either the buyer or seller of this NFT. It is worth noting that the seller of an NFT is not always the artist, as it could be a previous buyer who is now selling it.
13 – Crossroad – $6.6 million
Beeple’s “Crossroad” NFT is the artist’s third most expensive artwork.
This cartoonish piece depicts Donald Trump and conveys a series of messages that are hostile towards him. The artwork was designed to be dynamic, changing depending on the outcome of the US presidential election. Had the outgoing president won the election, the final aspect of the artwork would have depicted Donald Trump wearing a crown and passing through flames.
Overall, this unique and original NFT is a remarkable piece of digital art.
14 – Ocean Front – $6 million
This Beeple creation is highly symbolic and carries a significant message, as it aims to depict the challenges posed by climate change.
The tilted tree and mushrooms standing atop containers in the midst of an oily-looking ocean, reminiscent of oil spills, have a powerful meaning in a time when the world is grappling with the effects of climate change.
The buyer of this symbolic artwork, which was purchased for the tidy sum of 6 million dollars, is none other than Justin Sun, the founder of the Tron Foundation. The profits from the sale were donated to a non-profit organization called the Open Earth Foundation. They fight against global warming and climate change.
This piece of art is proof that even NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) can do good things in the real world.
15 – CryptoPunk #5217 – $5.44 million
This particular CryptoPunk is one of the 24 monkeys in the collection. It stands out from the rest due to its unique features – a red cap and a golden necklace. The details are what set it apart from other CryptoPunks.
This NFT was sold for the sum of $5.44 million.
16 – World Wide Web Source Code – $5.43 million
In 1990, the World Wide Web (WWW) was created as an information-sharing platform that could facilitate communication and provide quick access to information, regardless of a user’s location.
Recently, the creator of WWW, Tim Berners-Lee, put the source code of his platform up for sale in the form of an NFT. While this move raised questions from many people, the artwork, called “This Changes Everything”, ultimately sold for $5.43 million. It primarily features an artistic reproduction of the actual source code, complete with errors, and is not technically the same source code.
Most expensive NFT art: conclusion
The world of NFT art has seen an explosion in popularity in recent years, with some artworks selling for astronomical sums of money. From Beeple’s “Everydays” to the Art Blocks collection, the value of these digital art pieces is determined by a combination of their uniqueness, artistic merit, and popularity. Additionally, the use of NFTs has allowed for the creation of on-demand art, as well as the ability to support social and political causes.
While some have questioned the validity of owning digital art, the market for NFTs continues to grow and evolve, with no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
It will be fascinating to see what new developments will arise in this exciting and rapidly evolving space in the coming years.