Since launching 12 years ago, Bankless Times has brought unbiased news and leading comparison in the crypto & financial markets. Our articles and guides are based on high quality, fact checked research with our readers best interests at heart, and we seek to apply our vigorous journalistic standards to all of our efforts.
BanklessTimes.com is dedicated to helping customers learn more about trading, investing and the future of finance. We accept commission from some of the providers on our site, and this may affect where they are positioned on our lists. This affiliate advertising model allows us to continue providing content to our readers for free. Our reviews are not influenced by this and are impartial. You can find out more about our business model here.
The 10 Most Expensive NFTs in 2023 (So Far)
It’s no secret just how controversial NFTs have been for the art world. For some, they represent a new avenue through which artists can reach a broader audience and make a decent living. For others, it’s a scam, a novelty more appreciated by tech bros than by “serious” art critics. Whatever the truth is, their high demand and infamy must be noted.
In this article, we will talk a bit about the ten most expensive NFTs to date, their sales, and (if publicly available) their owners.
Top Ten of the Most Expensive NFTs in 2023
1. The Merge
Price: $91.8 million
The first on our list is Pak’s The Merge, the most expensive NFT sold. Now, what makes this NFT so unique and controversial is that it’s actually owned by almost thirty thousand different people. The piece itself is made up of 312,686 “units of mass,” each of them an NFT.
In fact, it’s been hotly debated, due to its “units of mass” nature, whether The Merge is actually one piece or a series of individual artworks.
The fact that it cost almost a hundred million dollars is interesting as well, though when you consider the NFT market was valued at 15.7 billion way back in 2021, it shouldn’t be that much of a shock.
2. PAK’s Clock NFT
Price: $52.74 Million
Number two among the most expensive NFTs ever sold, this one is very simple but has a powerful statement. It tracks, in real-time, how many days Julian Assange, the infamous Wikileaks owner, has been imprisoned.
It was finally auctioned off to the AssangeDAO collective, and the proceeds from the sale will go directly toward Assange’s defense fund.
3. Beeple’s HUMAN ONE
Price: $28.9 million
HUMAN ONE is unique in that it is both physical and digital. It’s a human-sized rectangular object with four screens on each side. Each screen shows a human astronaut walking through different terrain.
The terrain, and the astronaut, will change over time. Beeple, the NFTs creator, has total control over the art piece and can change it at will at any time. His idea is to continually change it as the years go by, letting the art piece evolve.
4. CryptoPunk NFT #5217
Price: $5.45 Million
Next, we need to mention the most expensive NFT monkey. Well, ape.
Part of the 24 Ape punks series, it’s incredibly unique thanks to its gold chain and knitted cap. Originally, it was sold for $1,800 back in 2018, but in 2021 it reached its five million price tag.
Being one of the first projects of its kind, the CryptoPunk series is now almost synonymous with NFT artwork.
5. CryptoPunk NFT #7523
Price: $ 11.7 Million
And while we are on the topic of CryptoPunks, number 7523 was auctioned off for $11.7 million, more than twice what the above Crypto ape brought in.
While all top NFT Marketplaces deserve their own share of respect, this NFT was sold at a “regular” auction. Bought at the historic Sotheby’s, a place better known for selling the works of Rothko, Warhol, and Basquiat.
6. Right Click Save As Guy
Price: $ 7.1 Million
A common way many people deride NFTs is by pointing out you can easily copy these images once you find them online. This NFT owns this common criticism and turns it on its face.
Another interesting fact about one of the most popular NFTs is that its owner is none other than Snoop Dogg.
7. Ringers #879
Price: $5.8 million
Ringers #879 is part of Dimitri Cherniak’s Ringer’s collection, a series of popular NFTs algorithmically generated on the Art Blocks platform.
It was purchased by (who else) a crypto investment firm based in Singapore, Three Arrows Capital.
8. Ocean Front
Price: $6 million
Created by Beeple, this NFT looks like a typical painting. It presents a kind of makeshift home combining an RV, industrial towers, and a tree with mushrooms sprouting out of its roots. The entire structure overlooks an ocean.
Part of Beeple’s “Everydays” series, it is supposed to continue the conversation on climate change and the clash between industry and nature.
Proceeds from the sale will go to the Open Earth Foundation.
9. Edward Snowden’s Stay Free NFT
Price: $5.4 million
One of the top NFTs in terms of price and sales is rather political, made in honor of a famous whistleblower.
In 2013 Edward Snowden reported classified information on the mass surveillance done by the American government (and other governments, for that matter). Later that year, he fled to Russia to avoid criminal charges pressed against him in the US.
The Stay Free NFT is an image of Snowden’s face over pages of a US appeals court decision that states the US mass surveillance program violates US law.
The proceeds of the NFT’s sale went to the Freedom of the Press foundation.
10. This Changed Everything
Price: $5.4 million
The last on our list, This Changed Everything, is the highest-selling NFT presenting a piece of history. It’s an image showing a chunk of source code used for one of the earliest versions of the internet.
Fool’s Gold or a New Approach to Art?
As with many things, time will tell. What we can now say for certain is that the sale of NFTs has become a lucrative industry, with record-breaking prices for digital art, music, and even tweets.
No matter your thoughts on the validity of NFTs, they do provide artists with a unique opportunity for creators to monetize their work and for collectors to own a piece of history.
FAQ
Who made the most expensive NFT?
Pak, formerly known as Murat Pak, is behind the most expensive NFT ever, the infamous The Merge. Little is known of Pak, and there is even some speculation that “Pak” is actually a team of creators, coders, and mavericks.
Who owns the most expensive NFT?
It’s kind of hard to say. The Merge, which sold for $91.8 million, is actually owned by 28,983 collectors. Divided among these collectors are the 312,686 “units of mass,” which are all NFTs, making up The Merge.
Contributors
