The 7 Most Expensive NFTs That Change the Way We Look at Digital Art

In recent years, Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) have revolutionized the world of digital art, collectibles, and even investments. These unique digital assets, built on blockchain technology, offer a new way for artists, creators, and collectors to engage with and trade digital works. What sets NFTs apart from other cryptocurrencies is their individuality—each one holds its own value, identity, and scarcity, making them incredibly appealing to both digital enthusiasts and investors alike.

This article explores some of the most notable and expensive NFTs in the world, shedding light on what makes them so valuable and why they have become such a significant part of the modern digital economy. From ground-breaking projects like “The Merge” by Pak to iconic pieces like Beeple’s “Everydays: The First 5000 Days,” we delve into the factors driving the popularity and pricing of these digital assets.

What is an NFT?

NFT, or Non-Fungible Token, is a unique digital asset that cannot be exchanged for another. Unlike cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin or Ethereum, which are fungible (can be exchanged for the same value), each NFT has its own identity and value. NFTs are usually built on blockchain technology, which guarantees their authenticity, ownership, and scarcity.

NFTs can represent various forms of digital assets, such as art, music, video, virtual collections, or even in-game items. This uniqueness of NFTs is what makes them very valuable, especially for collectors and fans of digital art.

Read more: NFT vs SFT: What Are They and What Are The Differences

What Makes NFTs Expensive?

NFTs can be very expensive due to several main factors. One of them is rarity and exclusivity. The rarer an NFT, the higher the price, such as CryptoPunk #5822 or #3100 which are part of the Alien Punks collection of only nine.

In addition, innovation in art also plays a big role. NFTs like The Merge and Beeple’s work offer dynamic elements that can change over time, making them more appealing to collectors.

Some NFTs also have historical value and cultural significance, for example, NFTs that display the number of days Julian Assange has been in prison or CryptoPunk #7523 which reflects the era of the COVID-19 pandemic with its medical mask attribute.

Not only that, there are also NFTs that incorporate real-world elements, such as Beeple’s constantly updated digital sculpture HUMAN ONE.

Finally, the community and social status factors also have an influence. Owning an NFT from a famous collection can be a symbol of exclusivity in the crypto world, similar to owning luxury artwork in the real world. It is the combination of these factors that can make NFTs so highly valued and in demand.

7 Most Expensive NFTs Ever Make

1. The Merge

The Merge is an NFT project by digital artist Pak (Murat Pak), whose identity is still a mystery. This NFT was sold for 48 hours in December 2021 with the concept that each buyer gets a small part called a “mass”. In total there were 29,983 buyers with a total number of units sold reaching 312,686.

What makes The Merge so special is its scarcity mechanism. Each “mass” that someone owns will automatically merge into a larger unit in their wallet and reduce the total number of tokens in circulation. The fewer tokens left, the higher the value. With this concept, The Merge is not only a rare NFT, but also one of the most expensive in the world!

2. Everydays: The First 5000 Days

Next up, the world’s most expensive NFT ever sold is Everydays: The First 5000 Days. This NFT is a digital work by the famous artist Beeple (Mike Winkelmann), consisting of 5,000 different images he has created throughout his career.

This work was auctioned at Christie’s auction house in 2021 and became one of the first NFTs to be sold by a renowned auction house that usually handles classical works of art such as paintings by Leonardo da Vinci.

The uniqueness of The First 5000 Days lies in its composition. Not all of the images were created using a computer, some of them are hand-drawn by Beeple himself. The collection also features various elements of pop culture, including Jeff Bezos, political figures such as Donald Trump, and controversial social references.

This NFT was purchased by Vignesh Sundaresan (Metakovan) for US$69.3 million and is now on display in the metaverse, making it one of the most valuable digital artworks in NFT history.

3. Clock

The Clock is an NFT that functions as a real-time timer, displaying the number of days that Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, has spent in prison. Assange was sentenced to 175 years in April 2019 for allegedly hacking into US government computer systems.

This NFT was created by Pak, the artist behind The Merge, and all proceeds from the sale were donated to the Wau Holland Foundation, an organization that supports Assange’s legal defense.

The clock was sold for 16,953 ETH to AssangeDAO, a community formed specifically to support Assange’s freedom. This work is not only a high-value NFT, but also a symbol of resistance to freedom of information and human rights.

4. HUMAN ONE

HUMAN ONE is a work by Beeple that has become one of the most expensive NFTs ever sold in the world. This work is considered unique because it combines digital and physical elements. This NFT features an astronaut in a visual display that continues to evolve over time.

Beeple has remote access to update and change the appearance of this NFT at any time, making HUMAN ONE a work that is always alive and dynamic.

HUMAN ONE was sold at Christie’s auction house on November 9, 2021, to Ryan Zurrer, a well-known figure in the Web3 world. It is this innovative combination of digital and physical art that makes it so special and valuable.

5. CryptoPunk #5822

CryptoPunk #5822 is one of the NFTs from the CryptoPunk project created by Larva Labs. This NFT holds the record for the most expensive CryptoPunk ever sold. The identity of the seller is unknown, but the buyer is Deepak Thapliyal, founder of Chain.com.

This NFT sold for 8,000 ETH on February 12, 2022. Interestingly, before being bought by Deepak, this NFT had changed hands five years earlier for only US$1,641. This surge in value shows how the CryptoPunk collection has become increasingly exclusive and in demand over time.

6. CryptoPunk #7523

CryptoPunk #7523 sold for $11,754,000 on June 10, 2021. Before CryptoPunk #5822 was resold, this NFT held the record as the most expensive CryptoPunk in the project.

The world’s most expensive NFT was sold by a user named SillyTuna through the renowned auction platform, Sotheby’s, to an unknown buyer.

Its rarity is what makes it special. CryptoPunk #7523 belongs to the Alien Punks category, which is already very rare, plus the medical mask attribute makes it truly unique. This makes it one of the most iconic NFTs in the CryptoPunk collection.

7. TPunk #3442

TPunk #3442 is arguably a “cousin” of CryptoPunk, as it has a similar pixel art style. This NFT features a Joker-like character from DC Comics, making it one of the most striking designs in the TPunk collection.

The TPunk project itself is the first collection to appear on the Tron blockchain. This NFT was purchased by Justin Sun, founder of Tron Blockchain, for 120 million TRX (Tronix), the original token of the blockchain. The uniqueness of the design and its status as part of the Tron ecosystem make it a very valuable NFT.