If DeFi was the keyword in 2020, NFTs would have taken center stage this year. Everyone wants to be a part of the next digital fad, from celebrities to worldwide corporations. NFTs have won over even the harshest detractors. NFT was duly named the “Word of the Year” by Collins Dictionary. Much of the blame must be attributed to the exorbitantly priced NFT sales that halted blockchains.
Let’s take a look at the top ten NFT sales that made headlines in 2021 and why they’re so valuable.
The Merge – $91.8 Million
On December 4, 2021, the anonymous digital artist Pak’s NFT artwork was auctioned on Nifty Gateway for $91.8 million. Surprisingly, 266434 buyers banded together to acquire the rare collection.
Hello Merge!#community #mass #adoption pic.twitter.com/D5IsTSsn2q
— Pak (@muratpak) December 4, 2021
While Merge is not a one-piece NFT, it is worth mentioning for its unusual sales process. During the 48-hour sales period, consumers were permitted to purchase as many ‘mass’ units as they wanted. The visual size of the NFT grows in proportion to the number of ‘mass’ obtained.
PAK is also known as ‘Archillect’ on Twitter, where he has a large following. PAK has sold 66,319 artworks, according to cryptoart.io. They are worth a total of $292,078,297.76 (78,523.059 ETH).
The First 5000 Days – $69,000,000
Beeple’s The First 5000 Days is without a doubt the most talked-about NFT artwork of 2021. It has a story as well-known as the absurdly pricey NFT sale. The digital artist made a pledge in May 2007 to create a piece of art every day and broadcast it on social media. And he did it every time.
Christie's is proud to offer "Everydays – The First 5000 Days" by @beeple as the first purely digital work of art ever offered by a major auction house. Bidding will be open from Feb 25-Mar 11.
Learn more here https://t.co/srx95HCE0o | NFT issued in partnership w/ @makersplaceco pic.twitter.com/zymq2DSjy7
— Christie's (@ChristiesInc) February 16, 2021
So far in the series, he has made 5358 artworks. The First 5000 Days, as the title suggests, is a collection of artworks from the first 5000 days. In its first-ever digital art sale, Christie’s auction house sold the item on March 11, 2021, bringing attention to NFTs around the world. It is the most expensive NFT sale to date.
Beeple is an experienced digital artist whose style and skill have grown through time to produce some prolific masterpieces.
Human One – $28.9 million
Mike Winkelmann, better known as Beeple, has created another masterpiece. Human One is a hybrid digital and physical artwork auctioned off on November 9 at Christie’s 21st Century Evening Sale.
The human-sized sculpture is comprised of polished aluminum, mahogany wood, and four television screens with a total resolution of 16K. Winkelmann claims he was inspired to make the sculpture during the summer after combining many TV screens on wheels into various forms and patterns.
There’s more to it. As long as the artist is alive, the dynamic, generative piece of art will continue to change.
CryptoPunk #7523 – $11.7 Million
Alien Punks are exceedingly rare, with only nine in existence. So it’s no surprise that this CryptoPunk, complete with a red beanie, gold earrings, and a face mask, got more than ten million dollars.
The most recognizable NFT collection of all time is CryptoPunks. The 10,000 individual digital avatars have a variety of fascinating and unusual characteristics. CryptoPunks will always hold a special place in history as one of the first NFT projects. They were coined even before ERC-721 NFTs were created!
It is correct to state that they paved the way for the new-age digital art revolution.
CryptoPunk #4156 — $11,000,000
While not as rare as Alien Punks, Ape Punks are highly sought for. There are 24 of them out there, all waiting for large sums of money. The Punk in question is wearing a bandana.
CryptoPunk #3100 — $7.58M
Just a heads-up. More CryptoPunks are on their way. This Alien Punk is dressed in a headband and nothing else. One of its most distinguishing features has to be its lack of features. Do you need a lot when you have such gorgeous blue-greenish skin? No, not at all.
CryptoPunk #7804 — $7.57M
This Punk, on the other hand, desires to look fashionable. It has a pipe, a hat forward, and little sunglasses.
Right-click and Save Image As Guy — $7 Million
XCOPY is an unknown digital artist living in London whose experimental artworks are seen as a mark of status and taste. He is a forefather of NFT art. XCOPY entered the world of NFTs when few people were interested in what was going on. Although his paintings were initially sold for a few hundred dollars, they are now worth a fortune.
“Right-click and Save As guy” makes fun of those who haven’t figured out what the problem is with NFTs and digital art in general. Cozomo de’ Medici, Snoop Dogg’s alter ego, purchased it. Through distorted visual loops, XCOPY addresses themes of death, dystopia, and apathy in his artworks.
Ringers No. 109 — $6.9 Million
Ringers is one of the most popular generative arts ever made. Dmitri Cherniak created the 1,000 generative art NFTs comprised of autonomously generated “strings and pegs.” They are featured on Art Blocks and exhibit Dmitri’s trademark style, a combination of geometric or minimalist art with portraiture.
Crossroads – $6.6 million
Beeple is the NFT equivalent of Larva Labs. Alternatively, the opposite way around. The artist has sold 1,351 artworks totaling $174,568,167.45. (46,443.515 ETH). Because of his high-priced NFT sales, he has a big internet following. However, much of it can be credited to his crude political cartoons, which border between dystopia and humor.
Despite the fact that he has shown several politicians in his artworks, this one has to be the most well-known. And the cause is not obscure. While Donald Trump is likely the most despised president in American history, he is also the most talked about. Crossroads shares Trump’s spotlight with a huge baby who looks strangely like him.
You would have laughed a year ago if you were told that someone would pay the price of a beach house for a JPEG that you could right-click-save on your computer. You would have labeled them insane otherwise. The year that is coming to an end reminded us that there are plenty of crazy affluent individuals in the world.
However, NFTs are more than just their exorbitant prices. The technology, like the fad, is here to stay.
Here’s to another year filled with game-changing artworks, artists, and collections.
