10 Most Expensive NFTs as of 2024

In 2024, the non-fungible tokens (NFT) market experiences meaningful recovery, with Statista predicting that the market could make $2.37 billion this year and see an annual growth rate of 9.10%, potentially reaching $3.36 billion in the next four years.

Since the first NFT was ever minted in 2014, the market has seen a total market capitalization surpassing $6 billion and sales volumes (24h) exceeding $10 million, according to CoinMarketCap.

With prominent NFT collections such as Axie Infinity and Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) oftentimes making headlines, what were the most expensive NFTs ever sold, and where is the market headed next?

In this article, we highlight the most expensive NFT sales ever.

Key Takeaways

The NFT market has diversified since 2017, with its value expected to reach $2.37 billion in 2024.
Some of the most expensive NFTs ever sold share commonalities, which include renowned artists or unique features.
Experts predict that metaverse integration and enhanced interoperability are key future trends for NFTs.
As of April 2024, the most expensive NFT in the world is The Merge, the NFT collection created by digital artist PAK.
The most expensive NFT was sold for $91.8 million.
Most recently, the CryptoPunk #3100 NFT was sold for 4,500 Ether, worth over $16 million in March 2024.
The sales volume for non-fungible tokens (NFTs) dropped by 45% in the second quarter of 2024.

Table of Contents Table of Contents

Key Takeaways
The Diversity of the NFT Market
10 Most Expensive NFTs of All Time
What Goes Into Valuing NFTs?
The Future of NFTs: Metaverse Integration & Enhanced Interoperability
The Bottom Line
FAQs
References

Table of Contents

Key Takeaways
The Diversity of the NFT Market
10 Most Expensive NFTs of All Time

Show Full Guide

What Goes Into Valuing NFTs?
The Future of NFTs: Metaverse Integration & Enhanced Interoperability
The Bottom Line
FAQs
References

The Diversity of the NFT Market

The real boom of the NFT market emerged at the end of 2017 with the launch of Ethereum-based blockchain games such as CryptoKitties and, later on, Axie Infinity, which have acted as stepping stones for many new investors who could now step into a niche market for digital collectibles while also playing a fun game.

However, over the past seven years, the NFT space has seen a great deal of change with virtual real estate and the music industry also joining in on the hype.

10 Most Expensive NFTs of All Time

COZ’s Adams explained that the most valuable NFTs often “share several commonalities.” One such similarity is that they are created by prominent artists or involve famous brands, such as Beeple’s Everydays: The First 5000 Days, sold for over $69 million.

“These NFTs often hold unique or historic significance, marking key moments in digital or artistic history. They also tend to receive high media attention, which drives up demand and value. Moreover, many of these groundbreaking NFTs introduce innovative concepts or employ technology in novel ways, setting them apart from more conventional offerings,” Adams said.

1. The Merge – $91 Million

Digital artist Pak's work, The Merge — Source: Nifty Gateway

The most expensive NFT sold is The Merge, the NFT collection created by digital artist PAK that was sold for $91,806,516 within just 48 hours following its release on December 3, 2021, on the NFT marketplace Nifty Gateway.

While being the most expensive NFT art, The Merge had also managed to break several other milestones, including becoming the largest-ever art sale by a living artist, be it a digital or physical copy.

Congratulations to @muratpak, who just achieved the largest ever art sale by a living creator with 'The Merge.'

The entire team at NG is honored to have worked with you on this and incredibly proud of what you achieved!

— Nifty Gateway Studio 🌐 (@niftygateway) December 5, 2021

2. Everydays: The First 5000 Days – $69 Million

Beeple’s Everydays: The First 5000 Days — Source: Christie’s

Next on our list of most expensive NFTs sold is a digital artwork by Beeple, also known as Michael Winkelmann. Beeple’s Everydays: The First 5000 Days was actioned by Christie’s in March 2021 and was sold for $69,346,250.

The artwork was bought by Vignesh Sundaresan (Metakovan), a cryptocurrency investor and the founder of Metapurse.

3. Clock – $52 Million

lock NFT counting how many days the founder of WikiLeaks, Julian Assange, has spent in prison — Censored.art

Clock is a single NFT that counts how many days the founder of WikiLeaks, Julian Assange, has spent in prison.

The NFT is a collaboration between Assange and Pak and was sold for $52,740,000 on February 9, 2022. It was created to help fund Assange’s legal defense during court proceedings.

And @AssangeDAO acquires Clock for 16593 ETH.

100% will go to Wau Holland Foundation that supports Julian Assange's defence. pic.twitter.com/SBqGZQ3qiR

— Pak (@muratpak) February 9, 2022

4. Human One – $28 Million

Beeple's Human One: the artist’ first-ever dynamic physical artwork + video NFT — Source: Christie’s

Another NFT by Beeple, Human One, is a hybrid digital and physical artwork that was auctioned for $28,985,000 on November 9, 2021.

A seemingly unique artwork, Human One, is said to be “the story of the first human born in the metaverse.” The NFT will continue to evolve throughout Beeple’s life.

5. CryptoPunk #5822 – $23 Million

CryptoPunk 5822. One of 9 Alien Punks. — Source: Cryptopunks.app

CryptoPunks is a series of 10,000 unique pixel art characters created as NFTs on the Ethereum blockchain by Larva Labs. Each CryptoPunk NFT has a set of unique characteristics. Most CryptoPunks are human; however, some of the rarest pieces depict zombies, apes, and aliens.

CryptoPunk #5822 is one of nine alien punks in the collection, making it rare and valuable. The Chain CEO, Deepak Thapliyal, bought the NFT on February 13, 2022, for $23,700,000.

6. CryptoPunk #3100 – $16 Million

The second on our biggest NFTs list among the CryptoPunks series is CryptoPunk #3100, sold for 4,500 Ether, worth over $16 million in March 2024.

Previously, a headband-wearing alien punk was sold on March 11, 2021, for $7.58 million.

Some crypto X users reacted to the purchase of CryptoPunk 3100 as a sign that the NFTs’ bull market has returned.

Punk 3100 bought for 4,500 ETH ($16,032,959.47 USD) by 0x705876 from 0x7b8961. https://t.co/YMzLi5i8se #cryptopunks #ethereum pic.twitter.com/FcdGF83uNc

— CryptoPunks Bot (@cryptopunksbot) March 4, 2024

7. CryptoPunk #7523 – $11 Million

CryptoPunk 7523. One of 9 Alien Punks. — Source: Cryptopunks.app

The CryptoPunks collections have seen some of the most major NFT sales on the market, with CryptoPunk #7523 scoring number seven on our most expensive NFTs list.

This is the only punk in the collection that wears a surgical mask and is another one of nine aliens. It was sold for $11,800,000 and is currently owned by Sillytuna, according to its listing on Sotheby’s.

8. TPunk #3442 – $10 Million

Inspired by the CryptoPunks collection, TPunk #3442 was bought for $10,500,000 on August 31, 2021, by Justin Sun, the CEO of Tron.

I just bought Tpunk #3442 for 120 million #TRX equivalent to $10.5 million and donated it to @apenftorg as a collection. Excited for my new punk avatar and #TRON #NFT community strength! https://t.co/FrcqcLX4Lu

— H.E. Justin Sun🌞(hiring) (@justinsuntron) August 31, 2021

9. CryptoPunk #4156 – $10 Million

CryptoPunk #4156 is one of 24 apes in the CryptoPunk collection and was sold for $10,350,000.

This Punk is currently owned by address 0x67954a. The owner hasn’t listed it for sale.

10. CryptoPunk # 5577 – $7 Million

Another one of 24 apes from the CryptoPunks collection, CryptoPunk #5577, was bought for $7,700,000 by Compound Finance CEO Robert Leshner.

Leshner believes in CryptoPunks practical use cases for their owners. He said:

“The best NFT is better, if you ask me.”

CryptoPunks have been strictly upgraded; they are more useful, and now have an opening for their owners to integrate them into the off chain world more easily.

Your punk could be licensed to Hollywood to appear in a film. Or it could be sold on t-shirts. It’s up to you.

— Robert Leshner (@rleshner) March 12, 2022

This piece, featuring the “Cowboy Hat” attribute, closes the list of the world’s most expensive NFTs as of April 2024.

What Goes Into Valuing NFTs?

Adams explained that valuing an NFT’s price can be a subjective, as well as objective case. While an artist’s reputation may come in handy (as seen with NFTs created by Beeple), other factors may also come into play when identifying the most expensive NFT ever sold.

“Much like commercial goods, scarcity and uniqueness are also crucial; limited edition NFTs or those with unique features often have higher values. The provenance or ownership history can add to an NFT’s allure, especially if previously owned by a celebrity or a notable figure in the tech world,” he said.

Lian added that an NFT’s supply and demand could also affect its future price and utility. Moreover, celebrity endorsements can also be crucial in establishing an NFT’s value.

“Celebrities can use their large and loyal fan bases to promote NFTs to a wider and more diverse audience. This can increase the awareness and interest in the project, as well as the potential buyers and collectors. Celebrities can also lend their reputation and influence to NFTs, making them more appealing and trustworthy to investors,” Lian said.

The Future of NFTs: Metaverse Integration & Enhanced Interoperability

Lian explained that metaverse integration is one trend that could drive the future of NFTs, enabling cross-platform interoperability, accessibility, and immersion. In addition, decentralized finance (DeFi) collaborations can further enhance the value of NFTs by providing new means of financing, investing, and trading them, further driving adoption.

Adams added that enhanced interoperability across blockchain platforms could further increase the utility and appeal of NFTs in the near future. He said:

“As regulatory frameworks around NFTs develop, the market might see increased stability and trust, attracting more institutional investors. Technological advancements, such as Layer 2 solutions, could lower transaction costs and improve sustainability, making NFTs more accessible and appealing. The integration of NFTs with AI, AR, and VR technologies is also anticipated, potentially leading to new forms of interactive digital art.”

However, according to CryptoSlam’s data, the sales volume for non-fungible tokens dropped by 45% quarter-on-quarter in 2024.

NFT Global Sales Volume. Source: CryptoSlam

Despite experiencing an upward trend in Q1, when NFT sales reached $4.1 billion, digital collectibles volumes significantly declined in the second quarter of 2024 with a volume of $2.24 billion, marking the lowest quarter since Q3 2023. The downward momentum comes amid negative outlooks for Bitcoin (BTC).

Meanwhile, the total NFT lending volume reached a quarterly high of $2.13 billion in Q1 2024, representing a 43.6% QoQ growth. NFT lending platforms let users lock up their NFTs and get a loan in return, which is another real-world NFT use case.

The Bottom Line

As the NFT marketplace anticipates robust growth in 2024, the value of the most expensive NFTs ever sold remains subjective, influenced by factors like scarcity, uniqueness, provenance, and celebrity endorsements.

With Pak’s The Merge taking the first place as the most valuable NFT at $91 million, other unique projects have also come forth, including a number of CryptoPunk pieces and Beeple’s works.

In the future, the NFT market is expected to embrace metaverse integration and enhanced interoperability, with the future of NFTs holding high promises.