There are many types of NFT art. The most expensive single piece was Everyday – The First 5000 Days by artist Beeple, which started the NFT boom and catapulted the artist to the big time. The artwork even collaborated with celebrities such as Katy Perry and Nike. Swiss entrepreneur Ryan Zurrer bought the second-most expensive piece sold at Christie’s. It’s an exciting piece to consider, combining physical and digital art.
Stay Free By Edward Snowden
In November 2021, Stay Free by Edward Snowden was the most expensive NFT in the world. This work by the London-based artist XCopy, created before NFTs were popularized, sold for $6.03 million on the SuperRare marketplace. Initially purchased for $140, the artwork was sold for over three-and-a-half times its original price, a 3,500% increase in value.
The artwork represents the earth’s current challenge, which is exacerbated by human activity such as global warming and terrorism. Other works of art by Snowden depict trees, trailers, and shipping containers. In addition, this NFT has no digital connection to the digital file or piece of art. Instead, the money spent on the project belongs to Paul Graham, who knows that it saved lives and is paying for it.
The artwork features court documents ruling the National Security Agency’s mass surveillance of citizens is illegal. It also includes a portrait of Snowden. The piece is now in private hands and is the world’s most expensive NFT art. It will raise funds for the Freedom of the Press Foundation, founded by Snowden. It is the only NFT to depict Snowden’s natural face.
In addition, to Stay Free by Edward Snowden, the most expensive NFT in the world is Beeple’s Everyday: The First 5000 Days. This collage of different works of art is unique, rare, and costly.
Other pieces by Snowden include “Ocean Front” by Beeple. The piece is a digital and physical hybrid sculpture. The piece’s creator will maintain remote access to the work and creative control. It is the most expensive NFT art in the world and will remain so for years to come. This piece also addresses climate change and is known as Ocean Front. Beeple has been creating artwork daily for about seven years in the Everyday series.
Beeple’s “Human One”
This hybrid piece of art is a combination of both physical and digital art. It does not physically exist, yet it has sold for more than $28 million in the last two years. It features a seven-foot-tall futuristic human sculpture that displays a three-dimensional animation on four 16K resolution video screens. Because it is a hybrid, Beeple maintains creative control and can change the elements of the artwork at will.
NFTs are becoming increasingly popular in the art market, with more artists creating and selling them. The first NFT to sell at auction for $69 million was a collection of 5000 original Beeple works. It was considered a forerunner of modern art, but only recently did a single piece from Beeple’s Everyday Series reach the highest price ever.
The price was so high because the winning bidder did not pay the total amount until 30 minutes before the auction’s end. Beeple sold “5,000 Days” for USD 69 million at Christie’s, a record for an NFT piece. Its price shatters the previous record for Beeple works, which was $6.6 million for a 10-second video.
The artwork was created about the 2016 presidential election. It depicts a bloated Donald Trump corpse. Although politically controversial, Beeple’s work is unique and valuable. Among his earliest creations, “A Coin for the Ferryman” was sold for USD 6 million. Justin Sun, the founder of the Tron Foundation, was the buyer.
In addition to Beeple’s Human One, several other NFTs are considered to be among the most expensive in the world. The Merge, a fragmented work by Pak, sold for $90 (1 ETH), breaking the previous record for NFT art by Damien Hirst. Its high price reflects that the market for NFTs is still relatively young and untapped.
Read More: What Are Some of the Rarest NFTs?
CryptoPunk 7523
The most expensive NFT artwork is CryptoPunk 7523 by Matt Hall and John Watkinson, an artistic duo with digital innovation skills. This piece depicts a man with a surgical mask, whose price tag is over 11 billion dollars. The work was purchased by an Israeli entrepreneur named Shalom Mackenzie. Another piece from the same collection, CryptoPunk 7804, was sold for $7.56 million at auction to Dylan Field.
CryptoPunk 7804 is another highly rare NFT that sold for record-breaking prices. This artwork depicts a group of people walking past a large body, with insults scrawled on its surface. It was sold for US$ 7.57 million in 2018 but will likely fetch even higher prices. It is one of the rarest NFTs sold and is worth over US$ 7 million.
Beeple continues to rule the NFT world, claiming three of the top 10 positions in the list of most expensive NFTs. It maintained that position for several months, but the Nifty Gateway-designed Merge is now taking Beeple’s place, grabbing the top 5 slots. Currently, The Merge is the most expensive NFT in the world. At USD 91 million, it is the most costly NFT in history.
Beeple’s “Ocean Front” NFT sold for $6 million in March 2021. It was part of a series of works called Everyday. Beeple’s 5000-day series features various images, including abstract pictures, current events, and personal moments. Beeple’s “A Coin for the Ferryman” piece, one of his earliest creations, sold for $6.6 million.
In the world, the third most expensive NFT has an unconventional origin. It was created to raise funds for Julian Assange’s defense. The WikiLeaks founder is imprisoned on espionage charges, and the funds raised by auction helped fund his defense. The third most expensive NFT art in the world is a clock.
Beeple’s “Everydays”
The sale of the 5,000-day-collage of digital images created by Beeple at Christie’s auction house sparked a debate over the value of NFTs and the art market. Beeple’s piece is now among the world’s most expensive works of art. The result was created over thirteen years, one image a day. It was purchased for $69.3 million by crypto investor Vignesh Sundaresan.
The artist, known professionally as Beeple, is an American digital artist. His “Everydays” series of art are collages of more than 5,000 earlier works. The images often depict post-apocalyptic landscapes based on current events and news. Beeple’s “Everydays” collection represents the artist’s progression as a digital artist.
The price of Beeple’s “Everydays” was $69 million. The artist is a mysterious figure who has remained anonymous for many years, but the auction house’s sale has catapulted his work into mainstream attention. The sale of “The Merge” and Beeple’s “Everydays” is one of the most expensive NFT auctions ever conducted.
The artworks in Beeple’s collection of software-drawn images set records in the fine arts world. His work depicts controversial figures and pop-culture icons. One of his most famous images is Kim Jong-un, a North Korean dictator. His art has become a worldwide phenomenon, and his artworks are now among the most expensive.
Another piece from the “Everydays” series sold for a record-breaking $150,000 at Christie’s. This NFT was meant to warn about climate change, and the sale proceeds were donated to the Open Earth Foundation. In addition to the “Ocean Front,” the XCopy’s “A Coin for the Ferryman” was sold for $6 million.
In addition, Beeple has created art for companies like Nike, Louis Vuitton, and Katy Perry. The market for NFTs is multiplying, and some names are already considered legendary.
