Top 10 most expensive NFTs ever sold

Despite seeing a massive decline in recent months, some of the prices that NFTs (non-fungible tokens) have sold for over the years are truly eye-watering. Here are the most expensive NFTs ever.

After an explosion of popularity in 2021 and 2022, the art-focused NFTs concept has seen a serious slowdown in 2023. Major NFT sales from the past couple of years are now worth mere dollars, rather than millions. The sad state of affairs on the blockchain has seen things like the hardware required for it, finally, come back in stock at semi-normal prices.

We’ve also seen multiple scams surrounding NFT and cryptocurrency projects, with influencers like Logan Paul coming under scrutiny after a documentary by Coffeezilla.

However, we’ve seen collections like the Bored Ape Yacht Club and CryptoPunks become some of the most expensive pieces of art money could buy, with artists such as Beeple and Pak selling their pieces for tens of millions of dollars.

But which ones have been the most expensive NFTs ever? Let’s take a look.

10. Beeple’s Crossroad — $6.6m

CROSSROAD
By @beeple

The #1/1 from beeple's first NG drop has just resold on the secondary market for $6.6 million.

History has just been made.

Congrats to beeple and of course to @pablorfraile for the sale. pic.twitter.com/mTYG4VABSw

— Nifty Gateway 🌐 (@niftygateway) February 25, 2021

Beeple’s Crossroad is just a short, 10-second movie of sorts, depicting people walking past a large, fallen body with insults written all over it.

Beeple’s works are so highly respected because they offer something slightly different from the regular NFTs you see — and the price speaks for itself.

9. CryptoPunk #7804 — $7.6m

Yet another CryptoPunk on the list, but certainly not the last. #7804 is one of just nine ‘Alien’ CryptoPunks, with a cool cap, pipe, and shades to boot.

This is definitely one you’d be delighted to have minted when it first launched.

8. CryptoPunk #3100 — $7.67m

On March 11, 2021, just one day after #7804 sold, #3100 became even more expensive than its brethren.

Another Alien punk, but this time sporting just a headband, #3100 is the seventh most rare CryptoPunk out there.

7. CryptoPunk #4156 — $10.26m

In a list largely dominated by the ever-popular CryptoPunks, #4156 ranks as the third most expensive Punk of all time. It was bought on December 9, 2021, just 10 months after a $1.25m sale. That’s a pretty solid return on investment!

6. CryptoPunk #7523 — $11.75m

Blowing all of its CryptoPunk fellows out of the water, #7523 is the third rarest in the collection, and it’s got the price tag to match.

The question now becomes, with two more rare CryptoPunks than #7523, how much more can they really be sold for?

5. CryptoPunk #5822 — $23.7m

Continuing in the trend of super-expensive ‘alien’ style CryptoPunks, 5822 shattered all expectations when it sold for over $23m on February 12, 2022.

At double the cost of the next highest CryptoPunk, 5822 might have just sent the entire collection even further into the stratosphere.

4. Beeple’s HUMAN ONE — $28.985m

Beeple has sold some of the most expensive NFTs of all time, with three pieces in the top 10.

HUMAN ONE sold on November 9, 2021 for a fee just shy of $30m, closely linked to his previous piece ‘Everydays’ according to an interview with Christie’s.

3. Clock — $52.7m

‘Clock’ is a piece created by Pak and Julian Assange, and almost acts literally as a clock, counting the days that WikiLeaks founder Assange has been imprisoned.

The goal of the NFT was to raise funds for Assange’s legal defense and was ultimately purchased by AssangeDAO — a collection of over 10,000 people pooling their money to purchase the NFT and support Assange.

2. Everydays: the First 5000 Days — $69.3m

Another Beeple piece and the most expensive NFT ever sold to one sole owner — and there’s a good reason for it.

Beeple’s artwork is so high-tier and highly respected within the community, and this piece is essentially a collage of 5000 pieces of his work. Starting from 2007, he pledged to create one piece of art every day, and this is the result. Needless to say, it was worth the effort.

1. Pak’s ‘The Merge’ — $91.8m

Another Pak piece, The Merge officially became the most expensive NFT ever sold on December 2, 2021, with almost 30,000 collectors pitching together for a total cost of $91.8m.

This is the only NFT on this top 10 list to have multiple owners, besides Clock, and it shows in the crazy price tag on it.

There’s no doubt that NFTs have become far less popular now than they were at their peak, but that’s not to say they can’t blow up once again down the line.

If you mint into the right projects and show a bit of patience, you might be sitting on a nice little fortune down the line. On the other hand, you also risk losing it all.