most expensive NFT

Ranked: These are the 13 most expensive NFT purchases of all time

They’re all above one million dollars, obviously


Yep, we’ve all heard of NFTs by now. Also yep, very few of us actually understand what they mean and why they get sold for millions of dollars. But alas here we are, and they’re currently all the rage, with some pieces like Beeple’s collage artwork going for more than a small country is probably worth. However, although they’re very much in right now, NFTs have actually been around for a while and there’s been plenty of sales that simply haven’t been as high profile.

So, although there is absolutely no value in the majority of the pieces themselves as artwork (as you can see by the fact that several of these are almost identical bits of art), here are the top 13 most expensive NFTs that have ever been sold anyway – note that some of the reported prices have fluctuated massively since purchase as they were bought with crypto.

13. Not Forgotten, But Gone – $1 Million

The solid gold skeleton of a gummy bear rotating in video form is clearly a valuable asset, because it netted artist WhIsBe one million dollars and is the 13th most expensive NFT purchase of all time. It’s cool, I’ll give him that.

12. Cryptopunk #6487 – $1.3 million

The first of many Cryptopunk pieces on this list, number 6487 (of 10,000 pieces) sold for 550 ETH in February. That now equates to over $1,300,000, meaning its value has risen by over $200k since being sold.

11. Cryptopunk #2890 – $1.4 million

If anything shows how crazy cryptocurrencies are right now, let it be this – Cryptopunk 2890 sold in January for 605ETH, which equated to $762k.

That same amount of Ethereum is now worth nearly $1.5 million.

10. Cryptopunk #4156 – $1.3 million

By now you’ll be wondering if all of the Cryptopunk pieces look the same – and the answer is yes, they all follow the same exact blueprint. Sold for the equivalent of $1.3 million earlier in the year, it’s now worth well over $1.5 million.

9. Auction Winner Picks Name – $1.33 Million

Someone got to choose a name for the first edition NFT that they’d be purchasing, as well as the following open editions. For the small price of $1.33 million. Lucky them.

8. Axie Infinity Virtual Game “Genesis” Estate – $1.5 million

If there is anything that is going to confuse people who don’t understand NFTs (hello!), this is likely it. A piece of digital land was sold from a game for $1.5 million. At the time. That land is now worth over two million.

7. Cryptopunk #6965 – $1.6 million

Okay seriously now who actually designed these? Is there one artist that is getting seriously minted? Are they all produced from thin air by some sophisticated AI? What is HAPPENING?

6. Rick and Morty “The Best I Could Do” – $1.65 million

Yes, everyone seems to be getting in on the NFT hype, including none other than Rick and Morty’s creator Justin Roiland. As you can see from above, he came out with a series of… strange drawings, that cumulatively netted him $1.65 million at the time.

5. Jack Dorsey tweet – $2.9 million

A literal tweet. Sold for nearly three million dollars. I’m done.

4. CROSSROAD – $6.66 MILLION

Beeple is a well-known artist who has made plenty of NFTs in his time, including the above piece which he originally sold for $66k. Then it resold for 100 times that amount, but as we’ve seen above, he’s likely made an impressive amount on top of the original purchase price still.

3. Cryptopunk #7804 – $7.6 million

Another day, another Cryptopunk. This one takes the third spot of most expensive NFT purchases at a touch below eight million dollars.

2. Cryptopunk #3100 – $8 million

The last of the Cryptopunk pieces on this list is number 3100, which sold for a ridiculous $8,000,000. You can’t deny they’re pretty cool though…

1. Everydays: The First 5000 Days – $69.3 million

Aaand at the number one spot for most expensive NFT purchases, it’s Beeple’s “Everydays – The First 5000 days” – obviously. This made major headlines when it was sold in March for $69 million as the first piece to go under the hammer at a major auction house like Christie’s.

I wonder how much it will sell for when it eventually goes up for sale again?

Related stories recommended by this writer:

• Nathan ‘Doggface’ Apodaca is selling his Fleetwood Mac skating video for $500,000

• NFT explained: What is this new digital art selling craze that’s all over TikTok?

• We spoke to the UCL student who made £30,000 through cryptocurrency investments