The most expensive NFT ever sold is Everydays: The First 5000 Days, by digital artist Mike Winkelmann, aka Beeple. This unique digital work reached a record number of 69.3 million at a historic Christie's auction March 11th 2021. This sale not only made Beeple one of the most sought-after living artists, but also launched NFTs to global stardom.
What is Everydays: The First 5000 Days?
Everydays: The First 5000 Days is a digital collage made up of 5,000 individual images, created by Beeple over the course of more than 13 years. Beginning on May 1, 2007, the artist set himself the task of creating a work a day, a personal challenge he called “Everydays.” Ranging from surreal illustrations to satirical commentary on pop culture and politics, these pieces reflect his artistic evolution and capture key moments in recent history. The end result is a massive 21,069 x 21,069 pixel image, which can be explored in detail by enlarging it.
Visually, the collage is an explosion of colors, shapes and themes. It includes everything from grotesque, futuristic figures to depictions of iconic characters such as Donald Trump and Buzz Lightyear, all wrapped up in Beeple’s signature dystopian style. The work does not have a linear narrative; rather, it is a chaotic mosaic that invites personal interpretation, which adds to its value as a unique piece.
The impact of the sale
The acquisition was made by Vignesh Sundaresan, known as “MetaKovan,” an Indian-born cryptocurrency investor and entrepreneur, who outbid Tron founder Justin Sun for $60.2 million in the final seconds of the auction. MetaKovan justified his purchase as a symbol of empowerment for communities in the global south, highlighting the democratizing potential of blockchain technology.
The record-breaking price of $69.3 million not only broke barriers in the art market, but also sparked a debate about the value of digital assets. Unlike a physical painting, this NFT exists solely on the Ethereum blockchain, and its owner receives a digital file authenticated by a unique token. For many, this raises questions about financial speculation, while others see it as the future of collecting.
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What does it look like?
If you’re looking for a graphic representation, imagine a dense, vibrant digital tapestry, filled with details ranging from the absurd to the provocative. You can find low-resolution versions online, but the full experience requires access to the original file, which only the owner and those they authorize can enjoy in full quality. The work is a testament to the power of technology to transform art, and its sale for $69 million remains an unbeatable benchmark in NFT history, despite the overall market decline in subsequent years.
Although other sales, such as The Merge of Pak (91.8 million in 2021), have exceeded this total amount, that work was divided among almost 29,000 buyers, making everydays remains the most expensive individual NFT ever sold to a single owner. Its legacy lives on as an icon of the digital revolution.
