Most Expensive NFT Ever Sold
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So, what is the most expensive NFT ever sold? Well, to cut it short, it depends on how one interprets it.
What Is an NFT?
An NFT stands for a non-fungible token that can be found on a blockchain. A non-fungible token can’t be swapped with any other asset, such as Bitcoin or USDT. An NFT is one-of-a-kind, even if it resembles another NFT.
NFTs can represent various digital assets, such as:
• Digital art pieces (1/1 or limited edition)
• Collectibles and profile picture projects
• Music and media rights
• In-game items and collectibles
• Access passes to events and communities
NFTs can be verified on a blockchain even if the owner remains anonymous.
What Does "Most Expensive NFT Ever Sold" Mean?
Most Expensive NFT Ever Sold can sometimes sound confusing at first, and it’s actually being used in two different ways.
First meaning: a single NFT being sold to one buyer.
This is the cleanest explanation. A single buyer spends a single amount on a single NFT in a single sale.
Second definition: the maximum amount of value created by a single NFT art piece or drop.
Some NFTs have multiple "units" sold to multiple collectors, and the total value of the project is the main headline. This is still factual and verifiable, but not the same as a single buyer spending the entire amount on a single NFT.
This is why you might find different lists giving different answers to the question of what is the most expensive NFT? and both answers being technically correct.
Why Do People Spend Millions on NFTs?
A multi-million-dollar NFT might look ridiculous on its face, but the reality is that people spend millions on these pieces of art for a variety of reasons.
Some of the most common reasons people buy NFTs include:
• Ownership history is publicly verifiable
• Some pieces are scarce, truly 1/1
• Artist is well-known and respected
• Cultural significance
• Auction fever
• Narrative value
None of these guarantees future value, but they explain why the most expensive NFT sold is exactly that: a sale that could happen.
The Most Expensive NFT Ever Sold (No.1 Pick)
The most expensive NFT sold, in terms of sale value, is the one created by Pak and titled "The Merge." It is reported that this NFT created a total of $91.8 million in a drop on the Nifty Gateway in December 2021.
This is why it is called the most expensive NFT ever sold. However, there is one thing that needs to be noted: it was not sold to one buyer. There were thousands of buyers, and this is the combined result.
If your criteria are "one buyer pays one price for one piece of art," then the top spot is occupied by Beeple.
Top 10 Most Expensive NFTs Ever Sold
The top 10 most expensive NFTs vary depending on sources and criteria. However, when one searches online for the most expensive NFT art, some names keep popping up. Here is a list that is based on actual sales:
- Pak – The Merge (~$91.8M, total sale value)
- Beeple – Everydays: The First 5000 Days ($69,346,250)
- Pak + Julian Assange – Clock (~$52.7M, often reported)
- Beeple – HUMAN ONE (~$28.9M, commonly reported)
- CryptoPunk #5822 (8,000 ETH, about $23.7M at the time)
- CryptoPunk #7523 (~$11.75M)
- TPunk #3442 (~$10.5M, commonly listed)
- CryptoPunk #4156 (~$10.2M, commonly listed)
- CryptoPunk #5577 (~$7.7M, commonly listed)
- CryptoPunk #3100 (~$7.5M, commonly listed)
It is noticeable that most of the most expensive NFT sold stories belong to only a handful of creators.
Beeple NFTs: What Made Them So Expensive
Beeple is the first NFT artist to be recognized by the traditional art world. The first NFT to be recognized was "Everydays: The First 5000 Days," which sold at Christie’s for $69,346,250 in March 2021.
That sale, however, was significant not just for the price. It was one of the first instances of an auction house treating NFT art as a legitimate fine art event, bringing NFTs into the mainstream news cycle. Beeple’s subsequent work, "HUMAN ONE," also gained significant attention for bringing together a physical installation and an emerging concept for an evolving digital art piece.
CryptoPunks: The "Blue-Chip" NFT Status
CryptoPunks is one of the first sets of NFTs, created back in 2017. They gained "blue-chip" status due to their cultural significance, their limited edition of 10,000, and their popularity during the best times for NFTs. One of the most famous sales of an NFT is that of CryptoPunk #5822, which sold for 8,000 ETH, or about $23.7 million at the time of sale. For collectors, these rare punks are more than just an image. They represent status and prestige due to their status as some of the first NFTs, and thus they frequently appear in the "most expensive NFT art" lists.
Bored Ape Yacht Club: Hype, Utility, and Celebrity Effect
Bored Ape Yacht Club is an example of how NFTs evolved beyond their status as art pieces. During the height of the NFT craze, Bored Ape Yacht Club brought together recognizable aesthetics and a strong sense of membership, along with a significant amount of visibility due to social media influencers and celebrities. Even if Bored Ape Yacht Club is not always the first answer to "what is the most expensive NFT," they represent an example of how some of these collections reached their high price points. People were not simply buying an image; they were buying into a sense of community and internet identity.
Art Blocks & Generative NFTs: How Algorithmic Art Reached Millions
Generative NFT art is created through code. Rather than drawing every detail, an artist creates a system that will generate unique results.
Collectors were attracted to generative art because each piece will have a one-of-one result, and the rarity comes from the algorithm itself. In the best time for NFT sales, some generative art pieces sold for extremely high prices.
1/1 NFT vs. Collections: What Sells for More?
Both 1/1 NFT and collections have sold for impressive prices, but each has done so in different ways.
1/1 NFTs tend to win when it comes to prestige. It’s similar to buying art. You’re buying one piece of art, and one piece of art will have one owner. This is why Beeple’s sale still leads the conversation about the most expensive NFT sold as a single piece.
Collections, on the other hand, win when it comes to sheer size. While the most expensive single piece may not have sold for as much, the entire collection could have grown to massive proportions.
A simple observation: 1/1 NFTs are typically priced like art. Collections are typically priced like culture.
What Makes an NFT Expensive: Key Factors
If an NFT sold as the most expensive NFT ever sold, it’s not because of one single reason. It’s because of all the reasons combined and the timing.
The most important factors are:
• Artist credibility (the artist’s reputation)
• Scarcity (the piece’s uniqueness)
• Provenance (the piece’s ownership)
• Cultural significance (the piece’s representation)
• Market timing • Auction dynamics
It’s also the reason why the same NFT could sell for vastly different prices depending on market timing.
Where Expensive NFTs Are Usually Sold (Top Marketplaces)
The largest and most expensive NFT sales usually make the headlines on various platforms.
Traditional auction houses were one of the first places that helped popularize NFTs among the masses.
Among them, Christie’s auction house deserves special mention because it facilitated the record-breaking Beeple sale.
Nifty Gateway and other curated marketplaces were popular among collectors and artists.
Pak’s "The Merge" was one of the first NFTs that gained significant popularity due to the way it was curated and sold on Nifty Gateway.
Other marketplaces are also popular, especially when record-breaking sales are made.
How to Verify an NFT Sale (Avoid Fake Records)
It is essential to understand that not all news regarding the most expensive NFT sales are true.
There have been many cases of wash trading and fake sales on various NFT marketplaces.
To verify any NFT sale, follow these steps:
- Identify the contract and token id
- Identify the transaction hash (TXID)
- Verify the sender and receiver
- Verify the amount transferred
This can also be achieved with the Freewallet Web3 Wallet.
Are Expensive NFTs Still a Thing Today?
Expensive NFTs are still trending today, albeit with some modifications.
In 2021, the NFT market was at its peak, and the price was increasing exponentially.
Over time, the market cooled down, and many NFTs were forgotten.
Today, large sales are still happening, and people are looking for stronger evidence and cultural value.
So, to answer your question of "are expensive NFTs still a thing today?" well, let’s just say that while it is harder to reach those historic highs again, yes, they are still around.
FAQs About the Most Expensive NFT Ever Sold
What is the most expensive NFT ever sold?
If you consider total drop revenue, then according to most sources, it is Pak’s "The Merge," which came in at about $91.8 million.
What is the most expensive NFT sold as one single artwork?
Beeple’s "Everydays: The First 5000 Days" came in at $69,346,250 at Christie’s.
Why do "most expensive NFT ever sold" rankings differ?
Well, it is due to the fact that some rankings consider total multi-buyer revenue, while others consider single purchases. It is also due to the fact that crypto to USD conversion rates change depending on when the sale happened.
Can NFT sales be manipulated?
Some can. Wash trading and self-dealing have existed. That is why it is always best to check on-chain data to ensure accuracy.
Conclusion
While the concept of the most expensive NFT ever sold is real, it all depends on how you define it.
• Total sale value-wise, Pak’s "The Merge" comes in at around $91.8 million. • As far as purchasing a single iconic artwork, Beeple’s "Everydays" is one of the most important moments in NFT history, selling at Christie’s for $69,346,250.
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