The most expensive NFTs ever sold: Here is the top 10 list
The most expensive NFTs ever sold: NFT projects like CryptoKitties, Bored Ape Yacht Club and CryptoPunks took the crypto market by storm in 2021, and people bought them like hotcakes for millions of dollars. These projects have made major creative and financial contributions to the NFT ecosystem.
But how high can the price of NFTs rise? It is difficult to answer this question because the ecosystem is constantly evolving. As it progresses, groundbreaking projects will be launched. While we can’t predict how high the numbers will rise, we can guide you through the ten most expensive NFTs ever sold in history (according to the selling price in USD).
1. The merger – $91.8 million
The Merge, created by an unknown artist nicknamed Pak, is the most expensive NFT ever sold, with a hefty price tag of $91 million.
Despite the fact that the artist has never revealed his true name, he/she/they have a significant presence in the digital art field.
The amalgamation is not a static work of art. It is made up of three large white masses with a dark background. It was split into 312,686 parts and distributed to 28,983 investors. As the number of investors grew, the mass of dots in the artwork grew accordingly.
2. The first 5,000 days – $69.3 million
The First 5000 Days is the collection of all the artworks that Michael Winkelmann, also known as Beeple, drew during the first 5000 days of his journey as an artist.
Since Beeple was popular among cryptocurrency users, the bidding price for this artwork skyrocketed. MetaKovan, founder and CEO of Metapurse, an NFT investment fund, paid $69 million for this piece.
3. Watch – $52.7 million
This NFT was created by PAK to raise funds for Julian Assange’s defense, following his controversial imprisonment in 2019. Assange is currently imprisoned on espionage charges against the US government, primarily for his involvement with the website he created, Wikileaks.
The NFT is actually a clock that shows the number of days Assange has been imprisoned. The proceeds from this were donated to pro-liberty groups chosen by the creators.
4. HUMAN – $28.9 million
HUMAN ONE is Beeple’s first physical artwork and another record-breaking NFT.
It is a three-dimensional moving sculpture with four digital screens. It is worth noting that this piece changes with time. It shows an endless video of an astronaut traveling through different locations at different times of the day. This hybrid artwork shows that Beeple’s artistic goals extend beyond the digital sphere.
5. CryptoPunk #5822 – $23.7 million
The most expensive CryptoPunk NFT ever sold is #5822. It is one of the collection’s rarest punks. It has only one property. Only 2% of the collection has only one trait, making it extremely rare. Furthermore, there is a bandana that makes up just under 5% of the collection. Additionally, #5822 is part of the Alien skin, which is the rarest skin to have (0.09% chance). The high amount of unique features prompted Chain CEO, Deepak Thapliyal to purchase it in February 2022 for 8,000 ETH, or $23.7 million.
6. CryptoPunk #7523 – $11.75 million
The second most expensive CryptoPunk NFT ever sold is #7523. It has many unique properties. First, it belongs to the Alien subset, with only 0.09% of other CryptoPunks having this trait. Moreover, it is also the only mask-wearing alien, which the buyer appreciated. Shalom Meckenzie, DraftKing’s largest shareholder, bought it for a whopping $11.8 million.
7. TPunk #3442 – $10.5 million
Tron is one of the blockchains that has its own version of CryptoPunks, with their familiar pixelated faces and varying rarity and attributes. This joker-face TPunk #3442 is one of the rarest.
Justin Sun, the co-founder of Tron, paid $10.5 million for TPunk #3442 in August 2021. It was the most expensive NFT ever sold on the Tron blockchain. However, Sun did not retain the TPunk. He donated it to APENFT, a Tron-based project dedicated to blockchain-based artwork tokenization.
8. CryptoPunk #4156 – $10.26 million
CryptoPunk #4156 is a blue bandana wearing monkey. Unlike the other two CryptoPunks listed above, #4156 has been sold multiple times. The previous owner was someone who went by the alias “Punk 4156”, who paid $1.25 million for NFT in February 2021. However, in December of that year, he sold NFT for $10.26 million for a nearly tenfold profit.
9. CryptoPunk #5577 – $7.7 million
This unique cryptopunk NFT wears a cowboy hat. Robert Leshner, the founder of Compound Finance, bought CryptoPunk #5577, for $7.7 million. After the purchase, Robert tweeted “Yeehaw”, which is the sound of a horse.
10. CryptoPunk #3100 – $7.57 million
#3100 is one of nine ‘Alien’ CryptoPunks in the entire CryptoPunks collection, making it the collection’s rarest punk type. It also has unique elements such as a white and blue headband, which only 450 punks out of 10,000 have, justifying its high value.
Also Read: Bitcoin Logo: Who Designed the BTC Logo? Its history and origin story
