Crypto
14 Most Expensive NFT Artworks
Non-fungible tokens have become prestigious in the digital era and some are even sold for millions. What are the most popular NFTs? Here are the highest-selling NFT artworks so far.
Like museum collectibles or exclusive paintings and artworks, NFT’s are exclusive and highly-priced depending on their critical acclaim and popularity. Being digital assets, these are neither destructible nor can be recreated. Moreover, there are encryption codes involved in trading one NFT for another or owning an NFT collectively. Thus, it holds the value of authenticity.
The following are the highest-selling NFT artworks so far.
| # | NFTs | Price |
| 1 | “Everydays: The First 5,000 Days” by Beeple | USD 69 million |
| 2 | CryptoPunks #7804 and #3100 | USD 7.6 million each |
| 3 | Kevin McCoy – Quantum | USD 7 million |
| 4 | CROSSROAD by Beeple | USD 6.66 million |
| 5 | First Tweet by Jack Dorsey | USD 2.5 million or more |
| 6 | CryptoPunk #6965 | USD 1.54 million |
| 7 | Auction Winner Picks Name by SSX3LAU | USD 1.33 million |
| 8 | CryptoPunk #2140 | USD 1.18 million |
| 9 | Pak – Finite | USD 1.09 million |
| 10 | Not Forgotten, But Gone by WhIsBe | USD 1 million |
| 11 | Hairy by Steve Aoki | USD 888,888 |
| 12 | THE COMPLETE MF COLLECTION by Beeple | USD 777,777 |
| 13 | Hashmasks | USD 650,000 |
| 14 | Nyan Cat by Chris | USD 590,000 |
1. “Everydays: The First 5,000 Days” by Beeple
Image: Christie’s
In May 2007, the digital artist known as Beeple set out to create and post a new work of art online every day. He hasn’t missed a day since, creating a new digital picture every day for 5,000 days straight. Individually known as EVERYDAYS, collectively, the pieces form the core of EVERYDAYS: THE FIRST 5000 DAYS, one of the most unique bodies of work to emerge in the history of digital art.
In EVERYDAYS: THE FIRST 5000 DAYS, the artist has stitched together recurring themes and color schemes to create an aesthetic whole. Organized in loose chronological order, zooming in on individual pieces reveals abstract, fantastical, grotesque, and absurd pictures, alongside current events and deeply personal moments. Society’s obsession with and fear of technology; the desire for and resentment of wealth; and America’s recent political turbulence appear frequently throughout the work.
2. CryptoPunks #7804 and #3100 at Larva Labs
Punk 7804 bought for 4,200 ETH ($7,566,173.88 USD) by 0xf4b4a5 from 0x03911f. https://t.co/0aatHjfooI #cryptopunks #ethereum pic.twitter.com/TrMgPUK0Hn
— CryptoPunks Bot (@cryptopunksbot) March 11, 2021
Image: Twitter
In 2017, Matt Hall and John Watkinson, founders of New York-based software company Larva Labs, created a software program that would generate thousands of different, strange-looking characters.
At first, they thought they might have had the makings of a smartphone app or game. What they ended up with was a paradigm-altering model for the digital art market and a challenge to the concept of ‘ownership’ itself.
The CryptoPunks are a collection of 24×24, 8-bit-style pixel art images of misfits and eccentrics. There are exactly 10,000 of them, each with their own ostensible personality and unique combination of distinctive, randomly generated features.
On 11 March 2021, CryptoPunk 7804 was sold for the equivalent of $7.5 million — the highest amount ever paid for a Punk at the time. The record was beaten the next day.
3. Kevin McCoy – Quantum
Image: Sotheby’s
McCoy created Quantum on May 3, 2014, as part of a presentation at Rhizome’s Seven on Seven Conference. He and his collaborator Anil Dash were the first to conceive of putting unique digital works of art on the blockchain. At the time, they called the concept monetized graphics, or monegraphs.
Quantum is a generative piece, which means it automatically permeates into new forms that aren’t determined at the outset, and it is made entirely with code. “Visually, it suggests a new world coming into existence which I also really like,” McCoy added.
4. CROSSROAD by Beeple
CROSSROAD
— Nifty Gateway (@niftygateway) February 25, 2021
By @beeple
The #1/1 from beeple's first NG drop has just resold on the secondary market for $6.6 million.
History has just been made.
Congrats to beeple and of course to @pablorfraile for the sale. pic.twitter.com/mTYG4VABSw
5. First Tweet by Jack Dorsey
just setting up my twttr
— jack (@jack) March 21, 2006
Image: Twitter
The tweet, posted by the founder of twitter Jack Dorsey, was published 15 years ago on March 21, 2006, and simply said: “just setting up my twttr”.
It has now been sold for charity and was bought by Malaysian-businessman Sina Estavi, who compared the purchase to buying the famous Mona Lisa painting.
Although the tweet is not as nice to look at, it is seen as valuable because of its cultural and historical significance.
6. CryptoPunk #6965
Punk 6965 bought for 800 ETH ($1,540,063.96 USD) by 0x99b57c from 0x03911f. https://t.co/HbYoxRlnta #cryptopunks #ethereum pic.twitter.com/FtBfxQDvHj
— CryptoPunks Bot (@cryptopunksbot) February 19, 2021
7. Auction Winner Picks Name by SSX3LAU
More info about the auction!
— slimesunday (@grimemonday) March 12, 2021
Auction winner chooses song name and receives full music video. The auction winner will receive edition #1 of the 9999$ open editions. After the auction has ended, the titles for both the 1/1 and and the OE will change to the title of your choosing. pic.twitter.com/CBBTyqG1Cy
10. Not Forgotten, But Gone by WhIsBe
Monumental achievement for @WhIsBe reach $1M for his piece “Not forgotten,but gone”. Very well deserved. Congratulations pic.twitter.com/YzSbdWtVjz
— IV Gallery LA (@ivgalleryla) March 17, 2021
11. Hairy by Steve Aoki
?? Things are getting "Hairy" with @steveaoki x @antonitudisco!
— Nifty Gateway (@niftygateway) March 7, 2021
View the full collection here:https://t.co/G7sWtj8Zkvhttps://t.co/bwHgm8jp5nhttps://t.co/Mz0IryIJrx
The "Dream Catcher" collection drops today at 2 PM EST! pic.twitter.com/3a4wgp78CP
12. THE COMPLETE MF COLLECTION by Beeple
THE COMPLETE MF COLLECTION
— Nifty Gateway (@niftygateway) December 13, 2020
By @beeple
THIS IS IT! The last auction of the day, which includes each of the 20 auction pieces in it. Ends at 6 pm ET.
Current Bid:
$130,000
Follow Live:https://t.co/l3FDkQS4a5 pic.twitter.com/I9h5arYEHl
13. Hashmasks
I've decided to one-up myself and purchased this mystical halo demon 420 $ETH! @TheHashmasks #NFTs pic.twitter.com/H7a9OStPiT
— DANNY (@seedphrase) February 2, 2021
Announced on January 27, The Hashmasks managed to grab the attention of the specialized media. In large part, because of the publicity that some buyers made of the high prices paid on their own social networks. As the Twitter @seedphrase user, he announced the purchase of an NTF of The Hashmsks for 420 ETH, about $650,000 USD at the time of purchase.
Behind the Hashmasks project is Suum Cuique Labs, a company based in the Swiss town of Zug, founded in 2020. The two people linked to the company are Hansen Wang, who appears as partner and manager, and Gautham Nekkanti, partner.
14. Nyan Cat by Chris
Just opened up the flood gates to the future of meme economy in the Crypto universe, no big deal~
— ?Chris? (@PRguitarman) February 19, 2021
But seriously, thanks for believing in Nyan Cat all these years. I hope this inspires future artists to get into #NFT universe so they can get proper recognition for their work! pic.twitter.com/JX7UU9VSPb
Mat is the founder of cashtipsandtricks and has been working in the financial sector in Luxembourg for the past 10 years. He brings his insights as blogger, investor and entrepreneur.
