NFT technology has been around for a few years but has become incredibly popular since 2021. An important role in this was played by multimillion-dollar sales of digital works of art, which hit the headlines in the media. It is a kind of revolution where artists and designers play a key role: experimenting with new technologies, they have formed an entire art industry on the blockchain.
Today we will list the most expensive NFT arts ever sold. Let’s get started!
Features of NFT Art
It is impossible to imagine the world without paintings and sculptures. But as technology evolves, there are ways to create and perceive artworks. Many artists today have switched to the digital sector, which gives them several advantages:
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- Democratic auctions on a decentralized basis, without high commissions of auction houses.
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- Lifetime royalties from each art resale on the secondary market.
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- Inalienable authorship and ownership, which are enshrined in a smart contract on the blockchain and cannot be challenged.
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- It is easier to declare oneself and achieve fame here than in the traditional art sector.
Even the top auction houses, such as Sotheby’s and Christie’s, have appreciated the merits of crypto art, as a result of which they have already held some large auctions with NFTs. The former even launched Sotheby’s Metaverse, a curated metaverse designed for collectors.
What Are 10 Most Expensive NFT Arts?
#1 Beeple – Everydays: The First 5000 Days
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- Sold for $69,346,250
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- Platform: Christie’s Auction House
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- Date: March 11, 2021
Mike Winkelmann (Beeple) has been painting a small painting every day since May 2007. When there were 5,000 of them, he compiled an NFT, eventually making the entire industry mainstream. The artist continues to draw pictures daily and shares them on his Instagram.
#2 Beeple – Human One
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- Sold for $28,985,000
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- Platform: Christie’s Auction House
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- Date: November 10, 2021
It’s a generative sculpture that combines physical and digital art. It is an astronaut suit that continuously goes forward in different weather conditions. Beeple plans to work on the content of this artwork for the rest of his life.
#3 Beeple – Crossroad
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- Sold for $6,600,000
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- Platform: Nifty Gateway
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- Date: February 25, 2021
In this picture, Beeple has moved away from his style a bit. This artwork is a cycle of ten seconds, where people walk by without noticing a figure lying on the ground. The painting was created before the 2020 US presidential election, so the buyer purchased it without knowing the result. The man lying in the background turned out to be Donald Trump, who lost the election.
#4 Edward Snowden – Stay Free
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- Sold for $6,040,050
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- Platform: Foundation
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- Date: April 16, 2021
It’s an NFT created by famous whistleblower Edward Snowden. The art includes a court ruling against National Security Agency surveillance practices that violate existing security laws and a photo of Snowden by British portrait photographer Plato.
#5 Beeple – Ocean Front
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- Sold for $6,000,000
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- Platform: Nifty Giveaway
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- Date: March 20, 2021
It’s a painting on the theme of climate change. Trailers and vans are shown balancing on scaffolding with a tree on top. The point is that the nature of our society is very unstable right now.
#6 XCopy – All Time High in the City
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- Sold for $4,426,835
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- Platform: SuperRare
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- Date: January 2, 2022
The art was created in 2018. The animation depicts an underworld ferryman (probably Charon) ferrying a man in a suit across a river. London-based artist XCopy is known for almost always addressing the theme of death.
#7 XCopy – Right-click and Save As guy
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- Sold for $4,345,360
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- Platform: SuperRare
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- Date: December 9, 2021
In this artwork, XCopy went over a topic discussed by many people — why buy an NFT when you can just right-click and save the picture. A flashing animated image in dark colors is accompanied by the description: ‘Why buy when I can right-click and save?’ It’s funny since the painting was bought for more than $4 million.
#8 MadDogJones – Replicator
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- Sold for $4,144,000
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- Platform: Phillips Auction House
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- Date: April 23, 2021
Digital artist MadDogJones combines dystopian and cyberpunk themes in his artworks. In the 50-second video, a large copier turns on, prints, and turns off. The metaphor symbolizes the development of technology — for example, the copier seems already outdated against the background of modern technology.
#9 FreeRoss – Ross Ulbricht Genesis Collection
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- Sold for $3,927,119
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- Platform: SuperRare
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- Date: April 23, 2021
Ross Ulbricht is the creator of the Silk Road drug and other ban sites. Currently serving a life sentence, but does not lose hope of getting out. He has a fairly large community. Behind bars, he decided to turn his drawings into NFTs. The proceeds from the sale are donated to help prisoners and their families and fight for the release of Ulbricht himself.
#10 XCopy – A Coin for the Ferryman
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- Sold for $3,612,080
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- Platform: SuperRare
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- Date: November 4, 2021
The animated picture shows a man in a suit and tie, and the background flashes with all the colors of the rainbow. The artist managed to create a rather sinister NFT, which corresponds to his usual style.
Conclusion
Selling NFT paintings has great potential to transform the entire creative industry. Thus, young artists join the sector every day, intending to sell their artworks. Many really succeed, and their name becomes known to the whole world.
Who is your favorite NFT artist? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below!
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