The 10 Most Expensive NFTs Ever Sold
NFTs are all the rage in today’s digital market. In case you haven’t already heard, they stand for non-fungible tokens, which are the original copy of the product and the only one of its kind. Most of them are sold on blockchains, mainly Ethereum and their value is tied to whatever token they represent. That also means their prices do fluctuate and could eventually change over time.
Unlike coins or trading cards where there are “editions” to each collection, regardless if they are “limited” or “first” editions, NFTs always stand alone. Anything can sell as an NFT, from something you made with Microsoft Paint on Windows 95 to the first-ever Twitter post. As long as it’s original and has some level of sentimental attachment, it will have non-fungible value.
NFTs come in all forms, but the current craze surrounds digital artwork. The sense of abstract expression has reached millions of enthusiasts and garnered even more in sales.
Below is the list of the ten most expensive NFTs ever sold on the market.
#10 Forever Rose by Kevin Abosch – $1 Million
This elegant red rose on a black background is one of Kevin Abosch’s most expensive masterpieces. He didn’t even draw the rose. He simply took a photo of it, and what makes it authentic is there was some dirt on it. When it was digitized, the artwork looked fresh and genuine.
Before this rose, Abosch sold a photo of a potato for one million dollars. This is the man who really knows how to monetize the things around him. Forever Rose was sold to 10 collectors, each with a ROSE token. The proceeds are said to be put towards a children’s programming foundation.
#9 Destination Hexagonia by Don Diablo – $1.2 Million
Don Diablo is a talented artist who makes not only incredible music but some pretty cool-looking animation to go with his songs. If you like going to concerts, then you’re in for a treat because Hexagonia brings the concert to you. It’s a one-hour show compressed into a hard drive that includes some of his latest hits.
The whole project took him a year to make, following his success with Genesis NFT. Hexagonia will go on SuperRare and its proceeds will go toward a platform that helps artists craft their own NFTs.
#8 The Switch by Pak – $1.4 Million
Pak is known for his many masterpieces like The Cube and Equilibrium, but The Switch is probably one of the most intriguing. It’s an animated piece of amalgamated cubes floating in motion. The selling point here is the object will change shape sometime in the future. Nobody, except for Pak, knows when that’s going to happen. He basically capitalized on the concept of anticipation.
Pak has a crypto art collection worth over $17 million.
#7 Quantum by Kevin McCoy – $1.6 Million
Quantum is special for not only its luminous patterns but because it’s the first NFT ever created. This pulsating hexagon represents technology and innovation in colorful layers. The story it represents and its background are what attracted bidders.
When Kevin McCoy decided to auction off Quantum he wanted the public to give digital artwork the attention it deserved. He never intended to start the NFT hype train, but considering its price tag, people realized they could do the same.
#6 The Replicator by Mad Dog Jones – $4 Million
The Replicator tells the story of a photocopy machine that works by itself through generations. There is a deep background to this animated crypto art – one that denotes how much could change through time.
Another special thing about this NFT is how it can generate new NFTs on its own. According to the creator, Micah Dowbak, the process will continue over the course of one year. We’re not too clear on the frequency of the token generation, but he intends for each to represent a change in the world.
#5 Save Thousands of Lives by Noora Health – $5 Million
This NFT is a project by the Noora Well Being organization. They mean to raise health awareness among people in Southeast Asia and surrounding regions. The work also involves training patients to take care of themselves and families. For every $1200 the organization believes they would save one life.
Save Thousands of Lives is a giant collage of photos and posters of helping hands all over the world.
#4 Stay Free by Edward Snowden – $5.4 Million
There’s a story behind every NFT and Stay Free proves anyone could make one. Consisting of court ruling documents on the issue of mass surveillance involving the NSA, Edward Snowden overlays his own face on the image to make a statement.
The creator is said to have forwarded the revenue from the NFT to the Freedom of the Press Foundation.
#3 Cryptopunk Collection – $5 – 12 Million
Cryptopunk is a vast collection of pixelated characters of various moods and attributes. Think Minecraft but with more personality. There are about 10,000 characters, each with a different price tag, ranging from $100,000 to as high as $12 million. There’s really no explanation for individual prices except every character is unique to the collection.
#2 Ocean Front by Beeple – $6 Million
Oceanfront is an inspiring piece of art representing the issue of climate change. Mike Winkelmann, also known as Beeple, has sold several NFTs at this price range, each with an exclusive message. The revenue for this piece is supposed to go to the Open Earth Foundation, an infrastructure management organization.
#1 Everydays: The First 5000 Days – $69 Million
Finally, the raid boss of the NFT dungeon. This collage of every art piece Beeple has ever done represents a journey and priceless sentiments. Well, 69 million dollars is certainly far from priceless, but you get the idea.
This NFT is the most expensive of its kind and will probably remain so for years to come.
Conclusion – Honorable Mention
We’d like to wrap things up with an honorable mention on this list – Axie infinity tokens and other play-to-earn properties. The NFT trend is headed in many directions and one of them is through the metaverse. In 2020, an ultra-rare Axie was sold for $120,000. Developers claim that it’s only the beginning of the revolution. One of the Axie creatures today is rumored to be worth over $2 million, but we have yet to see that happen.