Top 15 Most Expensive NFTs That Shook the Digital World

In this article, we explore the top 15 most expensive NFTs that have left an indelible mark on the digital world.

The Rise of NFTs

NFTs, or Non-Fungible Tokens, are a new form of digital ownership stored on blockchain technology. Unlike regular cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, each NFT is unique, meaning they can’t be traded evenly. Essentially, they’re digital ownership certificates for things like art, music, or virtual property.

What makes NFTs valuable? Their uniqueness, backed by blockchain’s security, creates scarcity. Plus, they offer creators ongoing profit from resales, providing a new income source for artists.

NFTs have become a cultural trend, attracting celebrities like Elon Musk and big brands like Nike. With artists like Beeple making huge sales and organizations like the NBA joining in, NFTs are gaining widespread acceptance.

The Elite List – Most Expensive NFTs Ever Auctioned

The Merge – $91 800 000

The Merge is a dynamic NFT collection created by a digital artist called Murat Pak, who is known for their mysterious and minimalist style. The collection consists of 312,686 tokens, each representing a unit of mass. The tokens can merge with each other when they are held in the same wallet, creating a new token with the combined mass of the previous ones. 

The artwork changes over time according to the formulas embedded in the smart contract, making it a unique and evolving experience for the owners. The Merge was sold for $91.8 million on Nifty Gateway in December 2021, making it the most expensive NFT collection ever sold.

Beeple Collection _ Everydays: The First Five Thousand Days – $69 346 250

The First 5,000 Days is a digital collage of 5,000 images created by Mike Winkelmann, better known as Beeple, one of the world’s most influential and prolific digital artists. The collage showcases Beeple’s daily project of creating and posting a new artwork every day since May 1, 2007, without missing a single day.

The collage reflects Beeple’s artistic evolution and commentary on various topics such as politics, pop culture, technology, and society. Everyday: The First 5000 Days was sold for $69.3 million at Christie’s in March 2021, making it the most expensive non-fungible token ever sold at that time and positioning Beeple among the top three most valuable living artists.

Clock – $52 740 000

Clock is a kinetic video sculpture with a corresponding dynamic NFT that was created by Pak and Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks. The sculpture displays a timer that counts the number of days Assange has spent in prison since his arrest in April 2019. The NFT also changes over time based on the time of day and other factors and contains clues to unlock additional NFTs.

It is a symbolic and controversial artwork that aims to raise awareness and support for Assange’s case, which involves issues such as freedom of information, censorship, and human rights. It was sold for $52.7 million to AssangeDAO, an organization of over 10,000 Assange supporters who pooled their money to purchase the NFT and fund his legal defense.

Human One – $28 985 000

Human One is a hybrid digital and physical artwork by Beeple that combines a towering chromed-out monolith of slowly rotating LED screens with an ongoing NFT that changes based on the time of day and will continue to evolve over the course of the artist’s life. The artwork depicts the story of the first human born in the metaverse, a virtual reality where people can interact with each other and digital assets.

It features a lone astronaut who wanders through a dystopian world filled with oversized pop icons, decaying art history references, and surreal landscapes. Human One is designed to explore the themes of identity, technology, and culture in the digital age. Human One was sold for $28.9 million at Christie’s in November 2021, making it one of the most expensive hybrid NFT artworks ever sold.

CryptoPunk #5822 – $23 700 000

CryptoPunks are one of the earliest examples of non-fungible tokens on Ethereum and were the inspiration for the ERC-721 standard that powers most digital art and collectibles. The project was launched in June 2017 by Larva Labs, a two-person team consisting of Canadian software developers Matt Hall and John Watkinson.

The project consists of 10,000 uniquely generated pixelated characters, mostly humans but also some zombies, apes, and aliens. The characters have various attributes or accessories that make them more or less rare. CryptoPunks were originally released for free by anybody with an Ethereum wallet, but all 10,000 were quickly claimed. 

An Alien CryptoPunk sporting a blue bandana, this NFT is the most expensive CryptoPunk. Deepak Thapliyal, founder of chain.com, acquired this rare gem in February 2022, underscoring the lasting appeal of CryptoPunks.

CryptoPunk #7523 – $11 800 000

CryptoPunk #7523 boasts a medical mask attribute, a rarity in the CryptoPunks collection. Its uniqueness and the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 drove its high valuation. Sold for $11,754,000 in June 2021, it marked a significant milestone in NFT history.

CryptoPunk #4156 – $10 350 000

Part of the 24 Ape Punks, CryptoPunk #4156 dons a blue headgear, adding to its charm. Despite changing hands from “Punk4156” to an undisclosed buyer, its value remains high at $7,566,915.20 USD.

CryptoPunk #7804 – $7 560 000

CryptoPunk #7804, an Alien figure smoking a pipe with a grey hat and black sunglasses, showcases the diversity within the CryptoPunk collection. Dylan Field, Figma’s CEO, purchased it on March 10, 2021.

CryptoPunk #3100 – $7 510 000

CryptoPunk #3100 is a unique alien figure, distinguishable by its blue and white forehead band. Originating in 2017, it changed hands on March 11, 2021. Currently, the owner has listed it for sale at 3,000 ETH, which is equivalent to 63 million US dollars as of the blog’s publication date.

Right-click and Save As guy – $7 090 000

Right-click and Save As guy is an NFT artwork created by XCOPY, a London-based artist who uses warped visual loops to explore death, dystopia, and indifference. The artwork is a meme that mocks the people who do not believe in the value of crypto art by showing a man who tries to save an image by right-clicking on it. 

The artwork was sold for 1600 ETH, about $7.0 million, to Snoop Dogg, a famous rapper and an avid collector of NFTs. The artwork was sold on SuperRare, a marketplace that allows users to buy and sell NFTs.

Ringers #109 – $6 930 000

This NFT is a generative artwork created by Dmitri Cherniak, a Canadian artist who uses code and algorithms to produce abstract and geometric patterns. The artwork is part of the Ringers series, which consists of 1,000 unique pieces that vary in shape, color, and complexity. The NFT was sold for 2100 ETH, which is about $6.9 million, setting a record sale for an NFT from the Art Blocks Curated collection4. The NFT was sold on OpenSea, the largest NFT marketplace.

CryptoPunk #8857 – $6 630 000

CryptoPunk #8857 of the 10,000 collectible characters on the Ethereum blockchain, which Larva Labs, a pioneer in the NFT space6, created. The artwork is part of the CryptoPunks series, which are pixel art portraits of humans, aliens, zombies, and apes with different attributes and rarities7. 

The NFT depicts a zombie with wild hair and 3D glasses, making it one of the 88 zombie punks in the series. The NFT was sold for 1.3k ETH, about $6.6 million, to Cozomo de Medici, who is believed to be Snoop Dogg8.

Crossroad – $6 600 000

Crossroad is a video artwork that changes based on the outcome of the 2020 US presidential election. The artwork was created by Beeple, one of the world’s most famous and influential digital artists. 

The artwork shows two scenarios: one where Trump lies in a heap after losing the election, and another where Trump celebrates his victory in a fiery landscape10. The NFT was sold for 1.3k ETH, which is about $6.6 million, to an anonymous buyer on Nifty Gateway, a digital art platform and marketplace owned by Gemini.

All Time High in the City – $6 200 000

All Time High in the City is an illustration that depicts death as a ferryman who transports a trader to hell after he loses his money in the crypto market. The artwork was created by XCOPY, who also made the Right-click and Save As guy NFT. 

The artwork is a fusion of minimal colors and glitch elements, giving it a rough-edged and spooky look. The NFT was sold for 1.63k ETH, which is about $6.2 million, to rarecollector3000 on SuperRare.

FreeRoss – $6 120 000

This NFT is a portrait of Ross Ulbricht, the founder of Silk Road, an online black market that used Bitcoin as its currency. The artwork was created by Ross himself while serving a double life sentence in prison for his involvement in the Silk Road. 

It is part of the Ross Ulbricht Genesis NFT Collection, which aims to raise funds for his legal defense and support his cause for freedom. The NFT was sold for 1.49k ETH, which is about $6.1 million, to FreeRoss DAO, a decentralized autonomous organization that controls the treasury and governance of the collection.

How Is The Price Of An NFT Decided?

The price of an NFT is decided by various factors, such as rarity, functionality, demand, and market conditions. There is no fixed formula or rule to determine the value of an NFT. Rather, it depends on the buyers’ and sellers’ perceptions and preferences. Here are some points to consider when pricing an NFT:

• Rarity: A rare NFT is worth more than a common one because an asset’s supply and type determine if it is rare or not. For instance, a limited edition NFT may be priced higher than one with multiple copies.
• Functionality: An NFT with some utility or interactivity may be more valuable than one purely aesthetic or symbolic. For example, an NFT that represents a video game character or a virtual world object may have more use cases and appeal than an NFT that is just a digital image or a certificate.
• Demand: An NFT with a high demand or popularity may be more expensive than one with a low demand or popularity. This may depend on the reputation and influence of the creator, the quality and originality of the work, the cultural and social relevance of the theme, and the preferences and trends of the buyers.
• Market conditions: An NFT sold in a favorable market may fetch a higher price than one sold in an unfavorable market. This may depend on the availability and competition of similar or alternative NFTs, the liquidity and volatility of the cryptocurrency used for payment, the fees and commissions charged by the platform or marketplace, and the overall sentiment and confidence of the NFT community.

The floor price is a starting point when estimating an NFT’s value, representing the lowest price in a collection, and it’s constantly changing. While the NFT’s creator initially sets this during minting, it can be adjusted by holders when they resell on secondary markets. But remember, this isn’t always the final selling price. Buyers can offer more or less based on their valuation. So, determining an NFT’s true value involves research, analysis, and some gut feeling from both the buyer and seller.

Where Can You Buy NFTs?

Several NFT marketplaces, like OpenSea, Rarible, and SuperRare, offer NFTs. However, purchasing NFTs requires a cryptocurrency wallet and some knowledge of blockchain technology.

Future Predictions

The meteoric rise of NFTs has left many wondering whether the current high valuations are a sustainable boom or a speculative bubble. While it’s challenging to predict the future with absolute certainty, several factors suggest that NFTs might have staying power:

• Diverse Use Cases: NFTs are no longer limited to digital art; they are expanding into gaming, music, virtual real estate, and more. This diversification of use cases could mitigate the risk of a bubble burst as NFTs continue to find utility beyond collectibles.
• Institutional Interest: Institutional investors and major companies are increasingly entering the NFT space, adding legitimacy and stability to the market. Their involvement suggests a long-term commitment rather than a short-lived trend.
• Blockchain Technology: The underlying blockchain technology ensures the authenticity and provenance of NFTs. This technology’s continued development and adoption across industries may contribute to NFTs’ enduring appeal.
• Community and Engagement: NFT communities are active and engaged. As long as there is enthusiasm and interest from creators, collectors, and fans, the NFT market is likely to remain vibrant.

Be careful. Markets can shift, and NFT values may change. It’s essential to see NFTs as more than just a trend and work towards making them lasting digital assets.

Expect the NFT world to evolve. We’ll likely see regulatory changes, greener blockchains, tie-ins with physical assets, and greater influence from decentralized organizations.

The NFT space is buzzing with creativity. Look out for trends and key players, including rising artists, digital fashion designers, metaverse builders, and advances in blockchain, NFT gaming, and AI-driven art, as these will steer the direction of NFT creativity and innovation.

Bottom Line

NFTs have transformed how we perceive and trade digital assets. The top 15 most expensive NFTs exemplify the growing significance of this digital phenomenon, offering unique opportunities for creators and collectors alike.

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