Luxury auction house Christie’s is launching a platform for the sale of digital art. The world’s first auction house in history to carry out fully on-chain sales.
The new platform is called Christie’s 3.0. It was created in partnership with blockchain data firm Chainalysis, mint platform NFT Manifold, and the creator of the Spatial metaverse. The entire auction process, including all operations before and after the sale, will be carried out on the Ethereum blockchain.
The first auction will take place today, September 28. They will feature nine NFTs by artist Diana Sinclair from a ” Phases collection.”
The online auction will run concurrently with a solo exhibition at Christie’s New York.
“We introduce young emerging artists to the digitally driven international market,” Christie’s said in a statement.
Christie’s also noted the importance of the auction house’s transition to the digital space:
“By incorporating regulatory tools such as anti-money laundering and sales tax, we have created an inclusive solution where veterans and new NFT collectors alike can feel confident trading with Christie’s 3.0.”
Christie’s has supported NFT sales since the industry boomed in 2021, when digital artist Beeple’s sold a token from the “EVERYDAYS: THE FIRST 5000 DAYS” collection through the auction house for $69.3 million.
Other auction houses, including Sotheby’s, have also recently stepped into the NFT space and have helped bridge the gap between the fine and digital art worlds. In October, Sotheby’s created its NFT platform called Sotheby’s Metaverse and has released six collections of NFTs since its initial launch.
