Despite the common negative outlook on NFT technology, there have been several expensive NFT sales. So, what are the most expensive NFTs ever sold?
We’ve put together a comprehensive list of 27 of the most expensive NFTs ever sold using verified data from DappRadar. That said, there are a few NFTs on this list you won’t find on DappRadar’s report.
What Are the Most Expensive NFTs Ever Sold?
| Rank (by sale price) | NFT | Creator | Sale Price | Category/Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #27 | Dragon – Blue VOX #2054 | VOX Collectibles: Mirandus | $5.02 million (1,329 ETH) | Collectible |
| #26 | Save Thousands of Lives | Edith Elliot – Noora Health | $5.1 million (1,337 WETH) | Charity |
| #25 | CryptoPunk #6275 | Larva Labs | $5.11 million (1,319 ETH) | Collectible |
| #24 | Stay Free | Edward Snowden | $5.27 million (2,220 ETH) | Digital Art |
| #23 | CryptoPunk #7252 | Larva Labs | $5.33 million (1,600 ETH) | Collectible |
| #22 | CryptoPunk #5217 | Larva Labs | $5.44 million (2,500 ETH) | Collectible |
| #21 | Ringers #879 | Art Blocks | $5.68 million (1,800 ETH) | Generative Art |
| #20 | Mega Mutant Serum #69 | Yuga Labs | $5.79 million (1,540 ETH) | Collectible |
| #19 | Ocean Front | Beeple | $6 million (3,529 ETH) | Digital Art |
| #18 | A Coin for the Ferryman | XCOPY | $6.02 million (1,330 ETH) | Digital Art |
| #17 | All Time High in the City | XCOPY | $6.19 million (1630 ETH) | Digital Art |
| #16 | Genesis Collection – Perspective | Ross Ulbricht | $6.28 million (1,446 ETH) | Digital Art |
| #15 | Crossroads | Beeple | $6.6 million (4,400 ETH) | Digital Art |
| #14 | CryptoPunks #8857 | Larva Labs | $6.64 million (2,000 ETH) | Collectible |
| # 13 | Ringers #109 | Art Blocks | $6.93 million (2,100 ETH) | Generative Art |
| #12 | Right-click and Save as guy | XCOPY | 7.09 million (1,600 ETH) | Digital Art |
| #11 | CryptoPunk #3100 | Larva Labs | $7.51 million (4,200 ETH) | Collectible |
| #10 | CryptoPunk #7804 | Larva Labs | $7.56 million (4,200 ETH) | Collectible |
| #9 | CryptoPunk #5577 | Larva Labs | $7.82 million (2,500 ETH) | Collectible |
| #8 | CryptoPunk #4156 | Larva Labs | $10.35 million (2,500 ETH) | Collectible |
| #7 | CryptoPunk #7523 | Larva Labs | $11.75 million (4,520 ETH) | Collectible |
| #6 | CryptoPunk #5822 | Larva Labs | $23.58 million (8,000 ETH) | Collectible |
| #5 | Human ONE | Beeple | $28.9 million (4,700 ETH) | Digital Art / Sculpture |
| #4 | Clock | Julian Assange and Pak | $52.7 million (16,953 ETH) | Digital Art |
| #3 | Everydays: The First 5000 Days | Beeple | $69.3 million (38,525 ETH) | Digital Art |
| #2 | The Merge | Pak | $91.8 million | Digital Art |
| #1 | CryptoPunk #9998 | Larva Labs | $529.77 million (124,450 ETH) | Collectible |
27. VOX Collectibles, Dragon – Blue VOX #2054: $5.02 million (1,329 ETH)
Sale details:
The Blue Dragon Vox NFT was sold for over $5 million to a Vox collector on January 2, 2022.
Why it’s significant:
This rare Blue Dragon is part of the VOX Collectible: Mirandus series. Mirandus is a popular fantasy blockchain-based, massively multiplayer role-playing game (MMRPG) created by, Gala Labs.
Owning in-game assets such as this dragon is a central mechanic in the game.
Considering gaming is a multi-billion dollar industry and blockchain gaming is set to add even more revenue growth to this number in the coming years, the purchase of this rare blue dragon collectible makes sense.
26. Noora Health, Save Thousands of Lives: $5.1 million (1,337 WETH)
Sale details:
The Save Thousands of Lives NFT was bought by Paul Grahm, an American programmer, writer, and investor for $5.1 million on May 8, 2021, just 5 days after it was initially created and listed on the NFT marketplace, Opensea.
Why it’s significant:
The Save Thousands of Lives NFT was created by the co-founder and CEO of Nora Health, Edith Elliot, to raise money to help save lives and improve the lives others. Nora Health trains patients’ families to take care of them after leaving the hospital.
They primarily work with new mothers and their families in South Asia, operating programs in over 165 hospitals.
100% of the sales from this NFT were used to run the program. Although this NFT is not meant to be resold or thought of as a collectible, it was able to accomplish what Edith had in mind.
25. CryptoPunk #6275 $5.11 million (1,319 ETH)
Sale details:
CryptoPunk #6275 was previously owned by a prominent NFT collector known as Pranksy. He purchased it for $3.88 million (1,000 ETH) at 3:13 pm on September 4, 2021. Then, just 6 hours later at 9:39 pm, he sold it for $5.11 million (1,319 ETH), profiting over $1.23 million.
Why it’s significant:
CryptoPunk#6275 is one of the rarest NFTs in the entire Punk collection.
Being that it is a Zombie Punk, of which only 88 out of 10,000 have this trait, #6275 has a rarity rank of #189 out of all 10,000 Punks. Plus, its Shadow Beard and Mohawk traits make it a likable collectible.
24. Edward Snowden, Stay Free: $5.27 million (2,224 ETH)
Sale details:
Edward Snowden’s NFT, Stay Free, was purchased by PleasrDAO for $5.27 million on April 16, 2021, from the Foundation NFT marketplace. PleasrDAO is a collective of NFT collectors and digital artists who are known for acquiring culturally significant digital assets.
Why it’s significant:
Stay Free is Edward Snowden’s one and only NFT. The art itself displays Snowden’s face made from pages of a US appeals court decision that ruled the mass surveillance program Snowden exposed had violated US law.
The profits from this sale were intended to benefit the Freedom of the Press Foundation, where Snowden is the president.
“Emerging applications of cryptography can play an important role in supporting our rights,” said Snowden in a statement from the Freedom of the Press Foundation.
“This auction will drive the development of valuable and privacy-protecting uses of encryption, to safeguard press freedom and serve the public.”
23. CryptoPunk #7252: $5.33 million (1,600 ETH)
Sale details:
Punk #7252 was bought for $5.33 million on August 24, 2021. Just 20 days before this sale on August 4, it was purchased for 1,000 ($2.7 million). Undoubtedly, this was a quick flip and an extremely lucrative profit for the seller.
Why it’s significant:
Being that CryptoPunk #7252 is another rare Zombie Punk with three other attributes including a Chinstrap, Crazy Hair, and Earrings, it has a rarity ranking of #125, meaning it’s among the rarest of Punks.
22. CryptoPunk #5217: $5.44 million (2,250 ETH)
Sale details:
CryptoPunk #5217 was owned by the founder of Art Blocks, Erick “SnowFro“, before he sold it for a whopping $5.44 million on July 30, 2021.
Why it’s significant:
CryptoPunk #5217 is one of the rarest Punks in existence. Being that it is an Ape trait (there are only 24 Apes in the entire CryptoPunk collection), it has a rarity rank of #34, meaning it’s a top 50 collectible and one of the most sought-after in the industry.
21. Dmitri Cherniak, Art Blocks, Ringers #879: $5.68 million (1,800 ETH)
Sale details:
From Dmitri Cherniak’s generative project, Ringers #879 is a single NFT that was sold on August 27, 2021, for just under $6 million.
The purchaser was the Singapore-based cryptocurrency investment company Three Arrows Capital.
Why it’s significant:
Cherniak’s Ringers collection of 1,000 NFTs, one of the first projects to debut in 2021, has maintained its historical value thanks to favorable criticism and record sales.
Owning a Ringers NFT is seen as both a flex and a wager on the future of generative NFT art since it is one of the most adored collections to emerge from the popular generative art platform, Art Blocks.
20. Mega Mutant Serum #69: $5.79 million (1,540 ETH)
Sale details:
On January 2nd, 2022, Mega Mutant Serum #69 sold for an earth-shattering $5.79 million to Deepak Thapliyal (Deepak.eth). He purchased the Serum on OpenSea from Bored Ape Yacht Club holder Cryptobeaker.eth
Why it’s significant:
The Mega Mutant Serum is part of the Bored Ape Chemistry Club—a collection of 10,000 Mutant Serum NFTs that were airdropped to all Bored Ape Yacht Club holders.
The series is divided into three tiers; the M1 and M2 Mutant Serums alter the original Bored Apes appearances while retaining some of their original traits.
While the rarer M3 Serum such as #69, produce a completely unexpected result, making any Bored Ape that consumes it even more desirable.
19. Beeple, Ocean Front: $6 million (3,529 ETH)
Sale details:
Beeple’s Ocean Front NFT was purchased on March 23, 2021, for $6 million by Justin Sun, a cryptocurrency entrepreneur and the founder of the TRON blockchain.
All proceeds from this sale were donated to the Open Earth Foundation.
Why it’s significant:
Ocean Front portrays significant receptacles, a caravan, and a tree that stands tall in the center of the ocean.
The Ocean Front is actually an art piece from Beeple’s “Everydays” series (day #4344 to be exact) and was a part of The Carbon Drop collection launched by Nifty Gateway in collaboration with the Open Earth Foundation.
All of the proceeds were donated to help solve the climate change crisis in the real world as well as help offset the impact that NFTs have on the environment.
Hence the artist’s notes: “together we can solve this”.
18. XCOPY, A Coin for the Ferryman: $6.02 million (1,330 ETH)
Sale details:
XCOPY minted A Coin for Ferryman NFT on April 8, 2018, before selling it to the first buyer, 0xclipse, for a measly $139 (0.5 ETH) on August 27, 2018.
Then on October 17, 2019, 0xclipse transferred the NFT to neonmonk, who sold it for the current high of $6.02 million (1,330 ETH) on November 4, 2021.
Why it’s significant:
A Coin for the Ferryman is one of XCOPY’s earliest art pieces. Considering XCOPY is one of the most prominent crypto artists, it comes as no surprise that this piece was sold for such a price.
This sale contributed to the ignition of the initial NFT craze experienced in 2021.
17. XCOPY, All Time High in the City: $6.19 million (1,630 ETH)
Sale details:
All Time High in the City was minted on April 8, 2018. On November 16, 2018, XCOPY accepted an offer of $88 (0.5 ETH) from hex6c.
Then on December 10, 2019, hex6c sold it to moderatsart for $1,400 (10 ETH).
The piece saw its first big sale on September 21, 2021, when superrare88 bought it from moderatsart for $2.9 million (1000 ETH), before selling it to rarecollector3000 for its record sale of $6.19 million.
Why it’s significant:
Yet, another early masterpiece from the London-based artist, XCOPY’s All Time High in the City appears to portray a staredown between death and a businessman.
Utilizing the GIF motion, the scene gives off a chaotic and dark vibe, something that XCOPY has been known for. Since this is one of his first pieces, it remains highly coveted, hence the $6 million sale.
16. Ross Ulbricht, Genesis Collection – Perspective: $6.28 million (1,446 ETH)
Sale details:
Starting December 2, 2021, Free Ross, Ross Ulbricht’s very first NFT, was auctioned off and sold after 6 days of bidding on December 9, for a staggering $6.12 million.
Why it’s significant:
Ulbricht is infamously known for creating the illicit dark web marketplace Silk Road.
In 2013, the FBI shut down the market and arrested Ross, and sentenced him to two life terms, plus 40 years, with no chance of parole.
Ulbricht was able to establish his identity on the blockchain by presenting his genesis collection via the FreeRossDAO (who were also the NFT’s purchasers), as he continues to serve his sentence in jail.
Art4Giving was established with the money from the sale of this piece, which was made available as a part of the Ross Ulbricht Genesis NFT Collection.
The fund’s goal is to lessen the pain of those who are imprisoned as well as their families.
15. Beeple, Crossroads: $6.6 million (4,400 ETH)
Sale details:
Beeeple’s Crossroad originally sold for a respectable $66,666, on October 31st, 2020.
The original owner of the piece posted it for sale numerous times, continually increasing the price before selling it for $6.6 million on February 24th, 2021 on the secondary market.
Why it’s significant:
This artwork was made in reference to the United States presidential election. The work depicts what seems to be a bloated, graffitied Donald Trump corpse lying in a field by the side of the road.
This piece is considered to be politically controversial and gives credit to Beeple as the wonderfully-talented artist he’s known as today.
Many people love Beeple’s artwork because he offers something different compared to the typical NFT art we often see.
14. CryptoPunks #8857: $6.64 million (2,000 ETH)
Sale details:
Punk #8857 was purchased on September 11, 2021, for over $6.6 million.
Why it’s significant:
Zombie Punks are of the most desired CryptoPunks in the Punks collection. That said, Zombies saw their height around the time of this sale, considering collectors were flipping them for a one million dollar profit in less than 24 hours.
Nonetheless, #8857 has a rarity rank of #148 with its green skin, 3D Glasses, and Crazy Hair traits, meaning it will forever be a sought-after Punk in the collection.
13. Dmitri Cherniak, Art Blocks, Ringers #109: $6.93 million (2,100 ETH)
Sale details:
Ringers #109 sold for $6.93 million on October 2, 2021, breaking the record sale of #879 we previously mentioned.
Why it’s significant:
Being that Ringers is one of the most popular NFT collections to come from Art Blocks, Dimitri and his collection was under some heat from the community, who rumored that the idea for his collection may have been stolen.
Although this was never confirmed, it did spark the much-needed conversation around plagiarized NFTs in the space.
12. XCOPY, Right-click and Save as guy: $7.09 million (1,600 ETH)
Sale details:
Right-click and Save as guy is another early digital art piece that was created by XCOPY on December 6, 2018.
After just a few days of being on the market, XCOPY accepted an offer of $90 (1 ETH) from “artonymousartifakt” on December 10.
Then on February 16, 2021, the new owner sold it to a collector named “yeahyeah” for $176,500 (99 ETH).
Come December 8, 2021, “Cozomo de Medici” (Snoop Dogg’s alter-ego, NFT colletor name) purchased this piece for $7.09 million.
Why it’s significant:
Giving homage to the common misconception that you can right-click save an NFT, Right click and Save as guy was featured on BBC World News, making it one of XCOPY’s most famous pieces of work.
As a result, this NFT will go down in history as one of the first digital assets to gain the mass media’s attention.
Also, the fact that Snoop Dogg was willing to drop $7 million on this piece makes it even more desirable to collectors.
11. CryptoPunk #3100: $7.51 million (4,200 ETH)
Sale details:
CryptoPunk #3100 sold for $7.51 million on March 11, 2021.
Why it’s significant:
This Alien Punk wears a blue-and-white headband which only 406 of the 10,000 Punks possess.
Punk #3100, like #7523 (featured further down the list), is among the nine Alien Punks featuring the bluish-green skin tone.
This Punk ranks #7 in rarity out of the whole collection, which means it’s of the top 10 rarest Punk collectibles.
10. CryptoPunk #7804: $7.56 million (4,200 ETH)
Sale details:
On March 10, 2021, CryptoPunk #7804 made the headlines when it sold for $7.57 million to Figma CEO, Dylan Field, who fittingly gave it the name “Digital Mona Lisa.”
Why it’s significant:
CryptoPunk #7804 constitutes one of only nine Alien CryptoPunks complete with a Forward-Facing Cap, a Pipe, and a pair of Shades.
Also, the pipe-smoking Punk is one of only 254 Punks with their cap forward and sporting small sunglasses.
9. CryptoPunk #5577: $7.82 million (2,500 ETH)
Sale details:
Yeehaw! Punk #5577 was sold on February 9, 2022, for $7.82 million. It’s rumored to have been purchased by Robert Leshner, CEO of Compound Finance, who Tweeted “Yeehaw” after the sale.
Why it’s significant:
This Punk is one of 24 Ape Punks and only one of 142 to wear the Cowboy Hat trait, making it the 33rd most rare Punk in the collection.
Considering who purchased it as well as its aesthetics, Punk #5577 has the potential to be the face of a prominent brand in the future.
8. CryptoPunk #4156: $10.35 million (2,500 ETH)
Sale details:
CryptoPunk #4156 sold for $10.35 million on December 9, 2021.
Why it’s significant:
Popular NFT influencer and builder Punk4156‘s identity had come to be associated with this Bandana Ape.
As a result, when the sale took place, it didn’t go unnoticed. In fact, the sale signaled an important turning point for the CryptoPunk community.
Both this significant trade and the decline in Punk prices towards the end of 2021 were caused by concerns over Larva Labs’ copyright policies, to which Punk4156 has taken strong exception.
7. CryptoPunk #7523: $11.75 million (4,520 ETH)
Sale details:
CryptoPunk #7523 sold for $11.75 million at a Sotheby’s auction on June 10, 2021.
This particular Punk was purchased by Israeli entrepreneur, Shalom Mckenzie, who also happens to be the largest shareholder of the digital sports-betting company, DraftKings.
Why it’s significant:
Punk #7523 isn’t only one of nine Alien Punks in existence, it’s also culturally relevant for its time as it’s commonly referred to as the “Covid Alien”, due to its Facemask trait.
Moreover, both Straybits (the original minter) and Sillytuna (the person who helped both Straybits and Mckenzie during the sale process) are active participants in the NFT movement.
6. CryptoPunk #5822: $23.58 million (8,000 ETH)
Sale details:
Punk #5822 tops all the CryptoPunk sales having sold for $23.58 million on February 12, 2022, to Deepak Thapliyal, the CEO of Chain.
Why it’s significant:
Only nine Aliens Punks exist out of 10,000 total Punks, and #5822 is one of them.
According to DappRadar, CryptoPunk #5822 was last sold for 8 ETH (approx $1,646 at the time) in July 2017 before its record-breaking $23.58 million sale.
Considering how culturally significant CryptoPunk NFTs are and will remain, it’s understandable why this 8th-rarest Punk sold for such a high price.
5. Beeple, Human ONE: $28.9 million (4,700 ETH)
Sale details:
Beeple’s Human One was sold to Swiss entrepreneur and venture capitalist, Ryan Zurrer, for $28.9 million on November 8, 2021, at Christie’s Auction House.
Why it’s significant:
Human One consists of a seven-foot-tall futuristic human-like sculpture that appears to be perpetually walking across ever-changing landscapes.
The 3D movement is displayed on four 16K resolution video screens that are joined to form a 44-foot box.
The work is especially notable in that Beeple continues to have remote access and creative control over the piece of art.
That means he can change the creative elements, such as the landscape, whenever he feels like it.
4. Julian Assange and Pak, Clock: $52.7 million (16,953 ETH)
Sale details:
Julian Assange and Pak’s NFT, Clock, sold for $52.7 million on February 9, 2022.
Why it’s significant:
Clock was created by the prominent digital artist, Pak, who is known for turning computer code into astonishing pieces of art.
Clock counts the number of days that WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, has been imprisoned, and was created as a way to raise funds for Assange’s legal defense.
As a result, more than 10,000 people joined together as part of the AssangeDAO to purchase the NFT to further support Assange.
100% of the proceeds went to the Wau Holland Foundation which supports Julian Assange’s defense.
3. Beeple, Everydays: The First 5000 Days: $69.3 million (38,525 ETH)
Sale details:
Beeple’s Everydays: The First 5000 Days’ sold for $69.3 million at Christie’s Auction online on March 11, 2021, making it the most expensive “single” NFT ever sold. It was bought by the crypto-billionaire, Vignesh Sundaresan (aka Metakoven).
Why it’s significant:
Everydays is significant being that it’s a collage of Beeple’s 5,000 individual art pieces, which he had been creating every day for the past 13 years leading up to the sale.
Many people consider Beeple’s ‘Everydays sale to have been a turning point in the NFT and web3 space. The sale brought a ton of mainstream attention to NFTs.
Christies site alone had over 22 million people tuning in for the final minutes of the auction on that day.
Beeple’s Everydays NFT will go down in history as one of the most memorable NFT sales to ever occur, not only because of the price, but also because of the time period and the effect it had on the entire NFT evolution.
2. Pak, The Merge: $91.8 million
Sale details:
The Merge is the most expensive NFT collection ever sold, having sold for $91.8 million. It was originally sold on the NFT market Nifty Gateway starting December 2, 2021, using an increased dutch auction style.
That means the price of each NFT increased an additional $25 every six hours until all the sales concluded on December 4th.
Why it’s significant
The Merge is an NFT collection held by over 28,000 people. The artwork was sold in mass units (28,983 “M” tokens, and 266,434 “Mass” tokens).
So, once the sale ended on December 4th, collectors purchased a total of 295,428 NFTs. Each NFT has a built-in scarcity mechanism to ensure token supply decreases over time.
Every merge token transfer merges it with the token in the recipient’s wallet, which adds up the Mass value and ultimately results in one Mass NFT.
The Merge remains the most innovative NFT collection of its time.
1. CryptoPunk #9998: $529.77 million (124,450 ETH)
Sale details:
CryptoPunk #9998 was bought for a mind-blowing $529.77 million on October 28, 2021. However, there is one caveat to this sale. It was a flash loan (the seller bought it from themself).
Why it’s significant:
Although this remains the largest sale in NFT history, it’s not completely accurate. The sale is the result of a flash loan.
Basically, the person who owns this Punk bought it from themself with borrowed money which they instantly repaid in the same transaction.
This means that the ETH was offered and removed in one transaction. While technically valid, the bid was never actually accepted.
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