Christie's Makes History: Beeple's 'First 5000 Days' NFT Sells for $69.3M
Christie's, the renowned auction house established in 1766, made history on March 11, 2021, by selling 'First 5000 Days', a purely digital NFT-based artwork by Beeple. The artwork, a digital collage of 5,000 unique artworks created over 13-and-a-half years, fetched a staggering $69.3 million, becoming the most expensive NFT ever sold and ranking third amongst the most valuable artworks by a living artist.
The artwork, offered for the first time by a major auction house, attracted over 22 million viewers who tuned in to Christies.com for the final moments of bidding. This marked a significant milestone for the digital art world, as Christie's accepted cryptocurrency for the purchase, further legitimising the use of blockchain technology in the art market.
Metakovan, the founder of Metapurse, successfully placed the winning bid of $69,346,250 (42329.453 ETH). Metapurse, the largest NFT fund in the world market, now owns this iconic digital artwork, adding it to its collection of unique NFTs and virtual estates. The artwork's creator, Beeple, has since joined the ranks of the top three most valuable living artists.
The sale of 'First 5000 Days' signals a new era in the world news of art, where digital art and NFTs are increasingly recognised and valued. Christie's, with its rich history and reputation, has played a pivotal role in bringing this new form of art to the mainstream. As for Metapurse, its acquisition of this groundbreaking artwork further cements its status as the leading NFT fund in the world.
