Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) have burst onto the main stage of the global financial system with their million dollar sales. Some NFT projects became successful because of well-known artists and the promises of metaverses. When NFT Projects like Bored Ape Yacht Club, and CryptoPunks took the crypto market by storm in 2021, people bought them like hotcakes for millions of dollars.

A small number of projects have captured the majority of the market and grown to be extremely valuable. Here’s the most expensive NFTs list ranked by their sale price.

Here are the Most Expensive NFTs Ever Sold

1. The Merge – $91.8 Million

The Merge, created by an unknown artist nicknamed Pak, is the most expensive ever sold, with a hefty price tag of $91 million. Despite the fact that the artist has never revealed their true name, they have a significant presence in the digital art field.

The Merge isn’t a static piece of art. It is made up of three large white masses with a dark background. It was broken into 312,686 pieces and distributed to 28,983 investors. However, the Merge is regarded as a single piece, and it has an in-built scarcity mechanism which makes the supply decrease over time.

2. The First 5000 Days – $69.3 Million

The First 5000 Days is the collection of all the artworks that Michael Winkelmann, also known as Beeple, created in the first 5000 days of his journey as an artist. Since Beeple was popular among the community, its bid price skyrocketed. MetaKovan, the founder and CEO of Metapurse, an NFT investment fund, paid $69 million for this piece. This NFT is also considered one of the most expensive NFTs ever sold.

3. Clock – $52.7 Million

Clock NFT was created by Pak to raise funds for Julian Assange’s defense, following his controversial 2019 imprisonment. Assange is currently incarcerated on espionage accusations against the US government, primarily for his involvement with the Website he created, WikiLeaks.

The NFT is essentially a clock that displays the number of days Assange has been imprisoned. The proceeds from this were donated to pro-freedom groups chosen by the creators. This shows the potential social impact of an NFT and is more than just a work of digital art.

4. HUMAN ONE – $28.9 Million

HUMAN ONE is Beeple’s first physical artwork and another record-breaking NFT. It is a three-dimensional moving sculpture with four digital screens. It’s worth noting that this piece changes with time. It shows an endless video of an astronaut traveling through different locations at different times of the day. This hybrid artwork demonstrates that Beeple’s artistic goals extend beyond the digital sphere.

5. CryptoPunk #5822 – $23.7 Million

The most expensive CryptoPunk NFT ever sold is #5822. It became the rarest punk with only one attribute. Only 2% of the collection has one attribute, making it extremely rare. Furthermore, it is a bandana that accounts for barely 5% of the collection.

Additionally, #5822 is a part of the Alien skin, the rarest skin to have (0.09% chance). The high amount of unique features drove Chain CEO, Deepak Thapliyal to buy it in February 2022 for 8,000 ETH, or $23.7 million. Yuga Labs has since purchased the intellectual property rights from the CryptoPunks project.

6. Alien CryptoPunk #7523 – $11.75 million

The second most expensive CryptoPunk NFT ever sold is Alien CryptoPunk #7523. It possesses a lot of unique characteristics. For starters, it belongs to the Alien sub-collection, with only 0.09% of other CryptoPunks having this trait. Moreover, it’s also the sole mask-wearing alien, which the buyer appreciated. Shalom Mackenzie, DraftKings’ largest shareholder, bought it for $11.8 million.

7. TPunk #3442 – $10.5 Million

Tron is one of the blockchains that has its own version of CryptoPunks, with their familiar pixelated faces and varying rarity and attributes. This joker-face TPunk #3442 is one among the rarest. When Justin Sun, the co-founder of Tron, paid $10.5 million for TPunk #3442, it became the most expensive NFT ever sold on the Tron blockchain. Sun, however, did not keep the TPunk. He donated it to APENFT, a Tron-based project dedicated to blockchain-based artwork tokenization.

Conclusion

These million dollar sales increased the hype around NFTs. The most expensive NFTs listed in this article raised the overall standard of the industry. they also introduced NFTs to many people and increased awareness. Lately, NFTs are also finding applications in virtual world games instead of just being idle artworks.

FAQs

Why are NFTs expensive? 

NFTs are expensive because of their rare and unique characteristics. If they also have utility in virtual projects, they will be furthermore expensive.

Is it illegal to screenshot an NFT?

No, it is not illegal to screenshot an NFT. But, it is illegal to claim the ownership of NFT without buying it.

What is the most expensive NFT? 

The most expensive NFT ever sold is The Merge being worth $91.8 million.