10 NFTs That Sold for the Highest Prices Ever

BYqe...FixS

19 Feb 2024

NFTs have grown exponentially in 2021, and tens of thousands of investors have sought to collect digital works of art in different forms. Some NFT sales have even reached record prices. So, what are NFTs and why do they have value?

What is NFT?

A unique token (NFT) is a token issued on the blockchain to represent a unique asset. This asset could be a document, a work of art, music, or even real estate. NFTs are unique because each of these tokens is a unique digital asset with a unique identifier.
Even if two NFTs are very similar in appearance, these NFTs are not interchangeable. While one bitcoin is equivalent to and can be used in place of another bitcoin, the same is not true for an NFT. This is why NFT technology is used to prove authenticity and ownership on the blockchain. NFTs can be purely digital assets, such as play-to-win gaming items and metaverse lands , or tokenized versions of real-world assets.

Where do NFTs get their value?

The value of an NFT is determined by supply and demand in the market. It is often easier to determine the value of an NFT created as a representation of a physical asset. But most NFTs exist only in the digital world, on-chain.
Each NFT collection has a different supply, and each NFT unit can be of a different rarity. However, there are a few other factors that can affect the value of an NFT. For example, limited edition NFTs with specific uses are often more valuable. Besides the artist and the community, the founding team can also influence the demand for NFTs.
In other words, the value of an NFT may depend on who created it, its value in play-to-win games, or the sentiment of the community and market. Although there are many successful NFT projects, many projects have also failed. Before buying NFTs or investing in these types of tokens, you should definitely do your own research (DYOR) and not invest an amount that you cannot afford to lose.

NFTs sold for the highest price to date

Let's take a look at some of the most expensive NFTs sold to date as of May 2022. The prices stated below reflect the price at the time of sale.

1. Everydays: The First 5000 Days - 69,3 milyon USD

Everydays: The First 5000 Days is a digital work by American graphic designer Mike Winkelmann , better known as Beeple. This NFT was purchased by NFT investor Metakovan for USD 69.3 million in an auction held at Christie's auction house in February 2021.
This NFT is a collage of 5,000 of Beeple's previous works. Beeple has uploaded a new image to his Instagram feed every day for 13 years since 2007. “Everydays” artworks often feature post-apocalyptic landscapes and are often related to current news or pop culture. This NFT collage can be considered representative of Beeple's evolution as a digital artist.

2. Clock - 52.7 million USD

Clock depicts a dynamic clock showing how many days WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been in prison . Assange was named as a defendant in a highly controversial case. He is being extradited from Britain to the US on multiple espionage charges and faces up to 175 years in prison.
The NFT is curated by digital artist Pak and Assange himself, who aims to cover his legal expenses. In an auction held in February 2022, the decentralized organization (DAO) established to raise funds from the community for the NFT sale was sold to AssangeDAO for 16,953 ETH. Apart from the ETHs it used to purchase Clock, AssangeDAO still holds the 17,422 ETHs collected for the purchase of the NFT.
Pak and Assange not only curated Clock , but also allowed everyone to create their own NFTs. It is possible to tokenize a censored message at any price they want or for free. The message becomes an image with words crossed out as if they are being censored. Proceeds from this NFT series will go to pro-freedom organizations of Assange and Pak's choosing.

3. HUMAN ONE - 28.9 million USD

Another record-breaking NFT from Beeple , HUMAN ONE , is the first physical work created by the artist. It was auctioned at Christie's auction house in November 2021 for 28.9 million USD.
HUMAN ONE is a three-dimensional and moving sculpture with 4 digital screens. It is an endless video showing an astronaut's journey through various locations at different times of the day. This hybrid artwork reflects Beeple's artistic goals beyond the digital world.

4. CryptoPunk #5822 - 23.7 million USD

CryptoPunks, one of the first famous NFT projects and consisting of pixels, still continue to constitute a large portion of the NFTs sold at the highest prices to date. CryptoPunk #5822 was sold to the CEO of a blockchain technology startup for 8,000 ETH in February 2022. This NFT comes from the rarest alien series. There are only 9 of these in the entire NFT collection. What makes him extremely special is that he is one of only 333 NFTs wearing a bandana.

5. CryptoPunk #7523 - 11.75 million USD

The next most valuable NFT also comes from the CryptoPunk family. Prior to the sale of #5822 , the most expensive CryptoPunk ever sold was #7523 .
CryptoPunk #7523 was sold for 11.75 million USD at Sotheby's auction house in June 2021 during the COVID pandemic. This NFT is not only in the extremely rare alien series, but it is also the only alien wearing a mask. What the buyer particularly likes about this CryptoPunk is this mask.

6. TPunk #3442 - 10.5 million USD

Some people consider TPunks to be the Tron version of CrytoPunks due to their familiar pixelated faces with different rarities and characteristics. One of the rarest of these is TPunk #3442 with the joker face . It was sold to Tron CEO Justin Sun for 120 million TRX in August 2021. TPunk #3442 is the most expensive NFT ever sold on the Tron blockchain. However, Sun did not keep this TPunk himself, but donated it to APENFT immediately after purchasing it.

7. CryptoPunk #4156 - 10.26 million USD

Yes, there is another CryptoPunk among the most expensive NFTs. CryptoPunk #4156 is a monkey with a blue bandana. The previous owner of the NFT is also a person using the pseudonym “Punk 4156” and purchased the NFT in February 2021 for 1.25 million USD. However, in December of the same year, he sold the NFT for 10.26 million USD.

8. CryptoPunk #5577 - 7.7 million USD

At #8 is another monkey-like CryptoPunk, and this time the monkey is wearing a cowboy hat. CryptoPunk #5577 was sold for 2,501 ETH in February 2022. Although unconfirmed, many believe the buyer is Compound Finance CEO Robert Leshner, who tweeted " Yeehaw" after the purchase went through.

9. CryptoPunk #3100 - 7.58 million USD

CryptoPunk #3100, which sold for $7.58 million USD in March 2021, is also one of the rare nine alien punks and wears a headband. As of May 2022, this Punk is listed for 35,000 ETH. If sold, it would be the largest NFT sale in CryptoPunk history.

10. CryptoPunk #7804 - 7.57 million USD

CryptoPunk #7804 is the sixth CryptoPunk on our list. He is an alien who wears a cool hat and sunglasses and smokes a pipe. While #7804 is in the hands of the CEO of design software company Figma, the owner proudly referred to this NFT as the “digital Mona Lisa.” The NFT sold for $7.57 million USD in March 2021.

Where can I buy NFTs?

You can purchase your first NFT from various NFT marketplaces. You will need a compatible wallet connected to the blockchain network and one of the supported cryptocurrencies for the purchase. For example, NFT prices on the BNB Smart Chain (BSC) are almost always in BNB or BUSD. NFTs on the Ethereum blockchain often use ether (ETH).
You can purchase the necessary cryptocurrencies from the Binance exchange and transfer them to a wallet that you can connect to the NFT Market.
If you are purchasing NFTs from the Binance NFT Marketplace , simply transfer your funds to your Funding Wallet. After selecting the NFT you want, you can choose either [Buy Now] or [Make an Offer]. You can find more information in our NFT Market guide .

If you want to buy NFTs from other marketplaces, browser extension wallets like Binance Chain Wallet and MetaMask are good options. Once you transfer your funds from Binance to your wallet, you need to connect your wallet to the NFT marketplace to begin purchasing. At this stage, remember to check the URL to make sure you are on the official website. If you link your wallet to fake or suspicious websites, your funds may be stolen.

There is no doubt that NFTs are growing in popularity and are constantly seeing new record sales. While most NFTs are simply collectible works of art, there are a growing number of NFTs with a variety of uses . As NFTs mature, we are likely to see sales at even higher prices, with more uses and adoption that go beyond just digital collectibles.