Here are the 10 Most Expensive NFTs

The non-fungible token (NFT) market is one of the fastest-growing segments of the blockchain industry. The most expensive NFTs are set at $91.8m, while the platform’s volume exceeded $40 billion in 2021.

In 2021, NFTs experienced exponential growth as the blockchain changed the digital environment. As a result, they allowed any digital art to be tokenized and turned into an NFT. 

NFTs continue to increase in popularity in 2022, with millions of dollars in art collections being sold as digital JPEGs. And some of the world’s greatest influencers and celebrities are becoming involved with their own initiatives, such as NELK’s Full Send Metacard.

We have seen the most expensive NFTs collections like the Bored Ape Yacht Club and CryptoPunks become some of the most valuable art pieces. Artists like Beeple and Pak have sold their pieces for tens of millions of dollars.  

Here are the 10 most expensive NFTs.

RELATED: World’s Largest NFT Marketplace Records $2 Billion in Trading Volume 

1. A Coin for the Ferryman

Sold For: $6 million

An artist identified online as XCopy created an NFT, A Coin for the Ferryman.

The piece was made in 2018 and sold in November 2021 for roughly $6 million in Ethereum. A social media user known as jPeggyGiffenheim currently owns the NFT. The artwork was formerly owned by 0xclipse, who purchased it in 2018 for about $139. 

2. Crossroads

Sold For: $6.6 million

Mike Winkelmann, also known as Beeple, is an American digital artist who designed the NFT, Crossroads. 

In February 2021, the NFT was sold on the online cryptocurrency marketplace Nifty Gateway for roughly $6.6 million. 

Beeple is a well-known digital artist in all over the world. Crossroads is a video that illustrates a reaction to the 2020 US Presidential election. It’s only about ten seconds long.

3. CryptoPunk #7804

Sold For: $7.6 million

CryptoPunk #7804 is an NFT owned by peruggia-v.eth, a social media user. Dylan Field, the CEO of the software company Figma, previously owned the NFT. 

For 4,200 Ethereum, the NFT was sold. On multiple occasions, Field has compared the work to the Mona Lisa, even referring to it as a “digital” replica of the famous painting. A blue alien wearing a hat and puffing on a pipe appears in CryptoPunk #7804.

4. CryptoPunk #3100

Sold For: $7.67 million

A social media user simply known as 7B8961 owns CryptoPunk #3100, another “blue alien” NFT. 

It’s one of 10,000 randomly produced characters that aren’t the same as each other. 

On the blockchain, a single person can own all of these characters. CryptoPunk #3100 was sold just one day after CryptoPunk #7804 was sold. In CryptoPunk #3100, a blue extraterrestrial wears a colourful headband.

5. CryptoPunk #7523

Sold For: $11.75 million

CryptoPunk #7523 is the CryptoPunk series’ third-rarest character, being sold for just under $12 million in June 2021. 

Larva Labs created the CryptoPunk series in 2017. The prestigious auction house Sotheby’s sold CryptoPunk #7523. 

It was sold for a record $171 million during a special online auction that included work from 27 artists worldwide.

6. CryptoPunk #5822

Sold For: $23 million 

The most expensive CryptoPunk character sold to date is #5822. Deepak Thapliyal, the CEO of Chain, purchased it in February 2022 for roughly 8000 Ethereum. 

Since their inception, CryptoPunk has had a trading volume of more than $9 billion, making them the most expensive NFTs.

A blue alien wearing a bandana appears in CryptoPunk #5822. The artwork’s original owner had spent less than one Ethereum for it. According to reports, Thapliyal utilized his Compound Finance to make the transaction.

7. HUMAN ONE

Sold For: $28.9 million

HUMAN ONE is another record-breaking artwork sold by Beeple. In November 2021, it was sold for close to $30 million. 

Christie’s auction house’s 21st Century Evening Sale resulted in the sale of the artwork. The item is defined as a “generative work of art that the artist plans to add to and grow creatively over the course of his lifetime,” according to the auction house.

8. Clock

Sold For: $52.7 million 

Pak and Julian Assange collaborated on Clock, an NFT. The New York Times is counting down the days since Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks, was arrested. 

Pak established the NFT to help Assange’s legal defense. AssangeDAO, a group of people who pooled their money to buy the NFT and finance Assange’s legal bills, purchased the NFT.

9. The First 5000 Days

Sold For: $69.3 million 

Another Beeple NFT is The First 5000 Days. It is the most valuable NFT with only one owner. 

Beeple has been working on the NFT since 2007. It is a composite of his works of art. 

Beeple had made a promise to himself that year to work on one piece of art every day. His efforts totalled roughly 5,000 days, according to the NFT.

10. The Merge

Sold For: $91.8 million 

CryptoPunk #7523 is the CryptoPunk series’ third-rarest character, being sold for just under $12 million in June 2021. 

Larva Labs created the CryptoPunk series in 2017. The prestigious auction house Sotheby’s sold CryptoPunk #7523 for a record $171 million during a special online auction that included work from 27 artists worldwide.

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