The Top 10 Most Expensive NFTs
Please note that we are not authorised to provide any investment advice. The content on this page is for information purposes only.
NFTs witnessed exponential growth in 2021, with billions of dollars changing hands across an unrepresented number of transactions.
In this guide, we explore the top 10 most expensive NFTs ever sold. We also provide a quick overview of the best NFTs to invest in right now and which marketplace you can use to make your first non-fungible token purchase.
Table of Contents
#1 Top Marketplace to Buy NFTs – Crypto.com
1
Mobile AppYes
The 10 Most Expensive NFTs Ever Sold
Here is a list of the 10 most expensive NFTs sold to date across both primary and secondary marketplaces:
- The Merge – Collage of NFTs Sold for $91.8 Million
- The First 5000 Days – NFT Auctioned for $69 Million Held by a Single Owner
- Clock – NFT Sold for $52.7 Million to Help Fund Julian Assange’s Legal Defense
- HUMAN ONE – Generative NFT Sculpture Sold for $29 Million
- CryptoPunk #5822 – Most Expensive CryptoPunk NFT Sold at $23 Million
- CryptoPunk #7523 – Auctioned for $11.75 Million by Sotheby’s
- CryptoPunk #4156 – Third Most Expensive CryptoPunk Sold for $10.2 Million
- CryptoPunk #5577 – CowBoy CryptoPunk Sold for $7.7 Million
- CryptoPunk #3100 – Most Minimalistic CryptoPunk Priced at $7.6 Million
- CryptoPunk #7804 – NFT Sale That Previously Set a New Record at $7.5 Million
As you can see, investing in NFTs can turn out to be lucrative, that is if you manage to spot one that has growth potential.
The top 10 most expensive NFTs on this list may surprise you, but keep reading to find out which of these coveted collectibles is considered by many experts as being among the rarest NFTs in existence today!
In the next section, we take a closer look at what is unique about the above NFTs and why they were able to attract such expensive price tags.
Examining the World’s Most Expensive NFT Art
Owning an NFT is somewhat similar to investing in an original painting. Sure, there might be millions of copies of the painting available on the internet, however, there is only one original artwork.
Similarly, when you are buying an NFT, you own the original of the digital piece, which proves your ownership of the item in question.
Prior to examining the most expensive NFTs in the world, it’s worthwhile to have NFTs explained.
Before you start investing in NFTs, it’s important to understand what they do and how the trading process works to make this process more manageable and less overwhelming!
If you are wondering how high the ceiling is for NFT projects, we suggest that you take a look at the most expensive collections sold so far.
When it comes to the most expensive NFTs sold, it’s hard to beat these jaw-dropping prices. Just look at some of these listings, and you’ll see what we mean!
Let’s take a closer look at each of the top 10 most expensive NFTs ever sold now, starting with the most expensive NFT ever.
1. The Merge – Collage of NFTs Sold for $91.8 Million
The most valuable NFT is a title that will only ever be held by one. The Merge was the most valuable NFT to ever be sold, so it’s only fitting that this highest selling NFT takes the crown.
Digital artist Pak’s latest creation, The Merge, sold for $91.8 million on the NFT marketplace Nifty Gateway. But that isn’t the only interesting thing about this NFT. This particular artwork is made of 312,686 units and was sold to 28,983 different collectors.
Those who already owned NFTs created by the artist Pak were offered early access to the drop and could purchase a token for just $299 each. For the public, the sale started at $400 per NFT, which increased by $25 every six hours. The last tokens were sold at a price of $575 each.
Moreover, depending on the size of the token, the artwork NFT will also change, featuring different attributes. The sale was held between December 2 and December 4 of 2021. The owner of the most mass was also awarded another work known as ‘Alpha Mass’.
However, as collectors of this NFT take to the secondary market, the person who holds the maximum number of mass units will also change. And as such, the ownership title of the ‘Alpha Mass’ will also be reassigned to a new owner.
Pak’s ‘The Merge’ is the most expensive NFT to ever hit the market. This famous NFT is a true work of art, and its price tag reflects that.
If you are interested in buying such exclusive NFTs, we suggest that you check out Crypto.com, which hosts some of the most exclusive projects and tokens.
Cryptoassets are a highly volatile unregulated investment product. No UK or EU investor protection.
2. The First 5000 Days – NFT Auctioned for $69 Million Held by a Single Owner
In March 2021, artist Michael Winkelmann, better known as Beeple, made history by selling one of his art NFTs for a whopping $69 million. This NFT represented a collage made of 5,000 images stitched together based on recurring themes and color schemes. The sketches displayed were accumulated over a span of 13-and-a-half years.
If you take a closer look at the image below, you can see the digital shapes and scenery evolving over time, changing from rough sketches to crude illustrations. This monumental digital collage was featured at Christie’s Auction House and was sold at a precise price of $69,346,250.
The sale of The First 5000 Days marked two firsts in the history of NFT auctions. Christie’s became the first major auction house to offer a purely digital work with a unique NFT. Second, the auction house also set waves by accepting cryptocurrency as payment for a singular lot.
Evidently, Beeple NFTs are among the most popular NFTs and highly sought-after.
The person who purchased this second most expensive NFT gave themselves the best possible foundation for a bright future.
Cryptoassets are a highly volatile unregulated investment product. No UK or EU investor protection.
3. Clock – NFT Sold for $52.7 Million to Help Fund Julian Assange’s Legal Defense
This NFT sets itself apart by its unique design and is the third most expensive NFT ever sold. Titled Clock, this NFT depicts a timer that counts the number of days Julian Assange has spent at the Belmarsh Prison in London. For those unaware, Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, is facing legal action in three countries – the UK, Sweden, and the US.
He is also the latest figure to benefit from a DAO set up to support his cause. The Clock NFT, created by Assange and Paks, was sold for 16,953 ETH, which was equivalent to $52.7 million at the time of the sale. It ranks as the third-largest NFT sale to date, behind Beeple’s ‘The First 5000 Days’.
The bid was won by AssangeDao, an organization dedicated to fighting for the freedom of the WikiLeaks founder. The platform has over 10,000 Assange supporters who pooled their money in order to fund the purchase of the NFT. You can view the Clock NFT and track the time via the AssangeDao website.
Cryptoassets are a highly volatile unregulated investment product. No UK or EU investor protection.
4. HUMAN ONE – Generative NFT Sculpture Sold for $29 Million
HUMAN ONE is another artwork designed by Beeple that makes our list of the most expensive NFTs. This is a physical video sculpture that comes with a corresponding dynamic NFT. As with other NFTs created by Beeple, this work was also sold at Christie’s Auction House.
The subject of the HUMAN ONE NFT is a lone astronaut, who seems to be striding through different landscapes indefinitely. However, these terrains seem unreal and vaguely familiar at the same time.
According to Beeple, the inspiration for the sculpture came from combining TV screens to create different shapes and patterns.
Moreover, the environment through which the astronaut walks can also change from time to time. Beeple said that he would keep updating the NFT so that the art never remains static. The NFT is meant to be a lifelong project, and new releases are expected to happen on a regular basis.
With its sleek, minimalist style, Human ONE is considered to be one of the most expensive NFTs of all time.
Cryptoassets are a highly volatile unregulated investment product. No UK or EU investor protection.
5. CryptoPunk #5822 – Most Expensive CryptoPunk NFT Priced at $23 million
Developed in 2017, CryptoPunks are considered to be among the most popular collectibles in the NFT space. This collection comprises 10,000 unique tokens and was created by Larva Labs. Each NFT represents a character, with a plain background that indicates the status of its sale.
#5822 is the most expensive NFT in this collection. In February 2022, the CEO of Chain – Deepak Thapliyal, made a bid of $23.1 million to buy the #5822 NFT. Whereas, the most expensive Bored Ape NFT sold at a price tag of $2.3 million dollars, which shows the difference in the prices of these distinct NFTs.
The #5822 CryptoPunk belongs to the Alien collection, which has a total of nine NFTs in total. The character sports a blue bandana, and a blue background, which indicates that the item is not for sale and has no current bids.
Cryptoassets are a highly volatile unregulated investment product. No UK or EU investor protection.
6. CryptoPunk #7523 – Auctioned for $11.75 Million by Sotheby’s
CryptoPunk #7523 is another of the nine Alien punks available in this collection. This particular NFT is popularly known as the ‘COVID Alien’ due to its medical mask accessory. The punk also has two other attributes, an earring, and a knitted cap – making it a rare token within the collection.
The sale was carried out as a part of Sotheby’s Native Digital Auction in June 2021. The item was listed by SillyTuna and was bought by entrepreneur Shalom McKenzie, the largest shareholder of online betting operator DraftKings. The famous NFT was sold several times before this and has collected over $17 million so far.
Cryptoassets are a highly volatile unregulated investment product. No UK or EU investor protection.
7. CryptoPunk #4156 – Third Most Expensive CryptoPunk Sold for $10.26 Million
Although #4156 was not the most expensive sale made by the CryptoPunks collection, it was indeed famous for several reasons. Like the previous CryptoPunks token, #4156 was on sale several times previously albeit at much lower prices. The initial sale of this punk in 2017 was only for 3.29 ETH.
By the end of 2021, the #4156 punk token was sold for 2,500 ETH, equating to $10.35 million at the time. As an ape with a bandana, this gives the NFT the second rarest skin attribute, just after the alien. While it is not as rare as its alien counterparts, the NFT has still attracted investors for its unique look.
Cryptoassets are a highly volatile unregulated investment product. No UK or EU investor protection.
8. CryptoPunk #5577 – CowBoy CryptoPunk Sold for $7.7 Million
The eighth most expensive NFT ever sold in the history of CruptoPunk was for token #5577. It was sold for 2,501 ETH, which is slightly more than what #4156 collected. However, due to the volatility of Ethereum tokens, this sale translated to $7.7 million at the time of the transaction.
CryptoPunk #5577 depicts one of the 24 ape punks available in the collection. It has only one attribute, a cowboy hat, and as such, is indeed not the rarest ape NFT you will find. It is assumed that the NFT was purchased by the founder of Compound DeFi protocol, Robert Leshner.
Cryptoassets are a highly volatile unregulated investment product. No UK or EU investor protection.
9. CryptoPunk #3100 – Minimalistic CryptoPunk Priced at $7.6 Million
CryptoPunk #3100 broke the previous record for the most expensive NFT sold in the collection when it sold for 4200 ETH, which was worth $7.67 million at the moment. Indeed, this massive purchase was the first time that #3100 had been sold in the 5 years after it was minted.
The majority of CryptoPunks that make our list of the most expensive NFTs have some kind of attribute that truly distinguishes them. However, the #3100 edition is very minimalistic, and sports just a blue and white headband. It is also one of the nine aliens that we discussed earlier.
CryptoPunk #3100 was previously bought for just $2,127 in July 2017 before being sold for $7.67 million in early March 2021. The sale was particularly noticeable because it occurred during a drop in the crypto market.
Unsurprisingly, CryptoPunk #3100 surpassed the previous collection’s highest sold NFT. However, this sale also indicated that the NFT industry is gaining more popularity, encouraging investors and collectors.
Cryptoassets are a highly volatile unregulated investment product. No UK or EU investor protection.
10. CryptoPunk #7804 – First NFT Sale to Set a Record at $7.5 Million
The CryptoPunk collection also features the tenth most expensive NFT ever sold. The sale of CryptoPunk #7804 in March 2021 was the first one that caught the attention of the industry. With a $7.56 million price tag, it smashed the highest price tag previously set by other NFTs. For these reasons, commentators of the NFT world often refer to this punk as the “digital Mona Lisa.”
Once again, this rare NFT is a part of the alien collection. It also features three attributes – a forward-facing cap, small shades, and a smoking pipe. CryptoPunk #7804 was initially purchased four years ago, in January of 2018, for 12 ETH coins – which equated to around $15,000 at that time.
When looking for an investment that will last forever, one could consider this to be the most expensive NFT to buy in their price range.
Cryptoassets are a highly volatile unregulated investment product. No UK or EU investor protection.
Which is the Best NFT to Buy Right Now?
You might have noticed that the most expensive NFTs belong to the art category. These are purchased by collectors and art enthusiasts who are willing to speculate on the growth of NFTs.
That said, not every NFT investor will be looking to splurge millions of dollars on a single token.
Not only that, but there are several small NFT projects out there that have the potential to yield huge growth in the future.
If you are looking for the best NFTs to buy right now, we have picked out a project for you – Lucky Block.
Lucky Block – Best NFT Project to Invest in Right Now
Launched in early 2022, Lucky Block is a decentralized crypto lottery project. It integrates blockchain technology into its games, ensuring that results are random, fair, and transparent. The platform has its own native token, LBLOCK – which you can use to enter the lottery or take part in the daily draw.
On top of its crypto token, Lucky Block has also launched a collection of 10,000 unique NFTs. These are titled the Platinum Rollers Club NFTs and give its holders access to exclusive lottery prize draws. The NFTs are in the format of Mp4 files that display a unique bonus number.
There are also 25 rare NFTs in this collection, which gives additional benefits to its holders. However, you won’t know whether you have bought a rare NFT until you complete the purchase. With Lucky Block, the more tokens you hold, the more chance you have of winning the lottery.
Lucky Block is already touted as one of the best new NFT projects of this year. Moreover, within four weeks of launching its LBLOCK presale campaign, the project raised over $5 million. Ultimately, by investing in the Lucky Block NFT, you will get lifetime access to its daily lottery draw.
Cryptoassets are a highly volatile unregulated investment product. No UK or EU investor protection.
How to Buy Lucky Block NFTs
If you think that Lucky Block has the potential for growth, you might want to consider adding this non-fungible token to your NFT wallet.
If so, we will now give you a breakdown of how you can buy Lucky Block NFTs via the popular marketplace NFT LaunchPad.
Step 1: Set up MetaMask Wallet
NFT LaunchPad is a newly founded marketplace that gives you access to exclusive non-fungible tokens. In order to buy NFTs via this platform, you will need to connect your MetaMask wallet.
For those unaware, MetaMask is one of the best crypto wallets in the markets and it supports thousands of tokens. You can set up your MetaMask wallet by downloading the mobile app or by adding the Chrome extension.
To get started with your account, you will need to choose a password. Next, you will be given a 12-word seed phrase that functions as your private key.
You will need to have this written down to protect your wallet. This private key is also necessary to gain access to your digital assets in case you forget your password.
Step 2: Add Binance Smart Chain to MetaMask
Lucky Block NFTs run on the Binance Smart Chain. Therefore, you need to have Wrapped BNB (WBNB) tokens in order to make a purchase.
MetaMask does not give direct access to the Binance Smart Chain by default. In other words, to add WBNB coins to this wallet, you will have to manually connect to the Binance Smart Chain.
Step 3: Transfer WBNB to MetaMask
With Binance Smart Chain added to your MetaMask wallet, you can now transfer your WBNB coins.
You can do this as follows:
- Copy the unique wallet address for WBNB from your MetaMask wallet.
- Open the crypto wallet or exchange account where you are holding your WBNB coins.
- Choose to send WBNB coins over to your MetaMask wallet address.
If you do not already hold WBNB, you can purchase this digital coin from popular cryptocurrency exchanges.
Step 4: Connect MetaWallet to NFT LaunchPad
Now that you have your WBNB tokens ready in your MetaMask wallet, you can connect it to NFT LaunchPad. As soon as you navigate to this marketplace, you will see the ‘Connect Wallet’ option at the top right corner.
Choose MetaMask and then authorize NFT LaunchPad to access your wallet.
Step 5: Buy Lucky Block NFT
You can now look for the Lucky Block NFT you want to buy. As we noted, each NFT is unique and is denoted by a number.
Once you know which NFT you want to purchase, use the ‘Buy Now’ button to proceed.
Then, a pop-up box will come up, asking you to confirm the purchase using your MetaMask wallet. After finalizing the order, the purchase will be completed in a few seconds.
The Lucky NFT you bought will then be released to you.
Cryptoassets are a highly volatile unregulated investment product. No UK or EU investor protection.
The Most Expensive NFT – Conclusion
In this guide, we have discussed the most expensive NFT sales of all time. This list includes some of the most hyped NFT projects in the market, including CryptoPunks.
The market for the rarest NFTs is growing exponentially, and there are many collectors who want to invest in this cultural phenomenon and buy the most expensive NFT currently available.
If you’re looking for the best experience when it comes to shopping for rare NFTs, then you need to check out the best NFT marketplaces. Only on these platforms will you find the highest NFT sales and most popular NFTs available to buy.
A number of prominent NFT artists are featured, such as Beeple and Paks. That said, in order to benefit from the NFT industry, it is not necessary that one should collect artworks.
Instead, you can also invest in an NFT project that demonstrates attractive growth prospects. One such NFT is Lucky Block – a lottery game based on blockchain technology.
You can purchase this non-fungible token via the marketplace NFT LaunchPad. If you are interested in knowing more about this project, we encourage you to visit the Lucky Block NFT website now.
Cryptoassets are a highly volatile unregulated investment product. No UK or EU investor protection.
Frequently Asked Questions on Most Expensive NFTs
What is the most expensive NFT ever sold?
Which is the most popular NFT that sells the most?
Which is the best NFT to buy right now?
Which NFTs are the most expensive to sell?
How can I buy NFTs?
