Impossible tokens (NFTs) formed a recognition of both physical and digital art landscapes and ownership of assets. They changed the economy of creators and the way artists monetize masterpieces.
Between 2021 and 2023, NFT space has transformed into a multi-billion dollar market, with celebrities and entrepreneurs taking the most expensive collections and fighting forever to slaughter names on the blockchain as their original owners. During this period, various NFT collections were auctioned for millions of dollars.
However, the digital collection market has been crashing since its heyday, and most of these elite acquisitions are only a small part of their original value. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the most expensive NFTs ever sold, as well as how much they’re worth today.
The most expensive NFT ever sold
| NFT Artwork | Artist/Creator | Selling price (USD) | Year sold | Floor Price / Current Value (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| merge | pack | $91.8 million | 2021 | $129.78 |
| Everyday: First 5000 days | Beeple | $69.3 million | 2021 | $29,263 |
| clock | Pak x Julian Assange | $52.7 million | 2022 | $954.23 |
| human | Beeple | $28.9 million | 2021 | not available |
| Cryptopunk #5822 | Larva Lab | $23.7 million | 2022 | Unknown (collecting floor: ~$76,000) |
| Cryptopunk #7523 | Larva Lab | $11.7 million | 2021 | Unknown (collecting floor: ~$76,000) |
| Cryptopunk #3100 | Larva Lab | $16 million | 2023 | Re-sold for $9 million in 2025 |
| intersection | Beeple | $6.6 million | 2021 | not available |
| perspective | Ross Ulbricht Collection | $6.12 million | 2021 | not available |
| I’ll stay freely | Edward Snowden | $5.4 million | 2021 | not available |
1. merge
“The Merge” is a digital art collection created by the pseudonym artist “Pak.” It is the most expensive NFT ever, winning a total of $91.8 million in December 2021. Unlike traditional NFTs, this work is not a single image, but a collection of digital artwork called “The Mass” sold separately through a unique mechanism. The larger the number of masses the buyer acquires, the larger the merge piece. The NFT Marketplace Nifty Gateway hosted a sale and saw more than 28,000 collectors purchase part of their collection.
The inclusion of merges into this list can be confusing, but as it is not a single artwork compared to the rest, it helped drive NFT into the stratosphere by breaking the record of the most expensive artwork ever sold. As of today, the floor price for the Merge is $129.78.
2. Everyday: First 5000 days
“Everyday: First 5,000 Days” is a digital artwork created by Mike’s “Beeple” Winkleman, represented by a collage of 5,000 images showing his evolution as an artist and the cultural and global moments he captured over the years.
In 2021, the NFT was sold by Christie’s for $69.3 million, and first sold when purely digital artwork was sold at auction houses. This was a major milestone in NFTs and established them firmly in the mainstream. As of today, the floor price for The Everydays: first 5,000 days collection is $29,263.
3. clock
“Clock” is digital artwork created by Pak in collaboration with Wikileaks founder Julian Assange as part of its “censored” collection. Counting the days Assange has spent in prison, he counts a timer that exposes many war crimes from the US government and its western allies, and raises awareness of his efforts to raise funds for legal defense.
The NFT will be sold at 16,593 ETH and is worth around $52.7 million at the time of sale in 2022. As of today, the floor price for the watch is $954.23. Julian Assange was released from prison in 2023.
4. human
Human One by By Byeple is a unique NFT collection that is a hybrid between physical and digital elements. It features a 3D digital light box consisting of four LED screens designed to evolve over time, providing continuous viewing of visuals created by well-known artists who maintain remote access and creative control over their content.
This innovative artwork was sold in 2021 at Christie’s auction for $28.9 million. There is no information regarding current NFT prices.
5. Cryptopunk #5822
Cryptopunk #5822 is one of the rarest NFTs in the Blue-chip Cryptopunks collection. It features the unique features of alien punk wearing a bandana. The NFT originally sold for 8,000 ETH, and in 2022 it was the most expensive Cryptopunk ever, worth around $23.7 million. It was then resold in August 2024 due to unpublished totals.
However, the overall recession in the NFT market has significantly reduced the value of the crypto plant. The current value of Cryptopunks #5822 is uncertain, but the floor price of the collection has dropped to around $76,000.
6. Cryptopunk #7523
Cryptopunk #7523 became the second most expensive Cryptopunk when it was sold for $11.7 million in June 2021 during an auction at Sotheby’s. This particular NFT is worth noting for its unique features, including its medical masks that have become a symbol of the Covid-19 pandemic and being part of the unusual alien category.
7. Cryptopunk #3100
Cryptopunk #3100 is one of nine alien punks and is the only punk in the headband. This unique piece from the 10,000-piece Cryptopunk collection sold in 2023 for 4,500 ETH, worth around $16 million. However, by the time it was resold in April 2025, the alien punk had lost a great deal of value, resulting in a loss of $7 million to the seller.
8. intersection
Beeple By Byeple is a politically themed NFT released after the 2020 US presidential election. The results of the election were created in such a way that the outcome of the image was determined. When Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump in a White House race, the NFT showed controversial imagery of beaten Trump, stripping naked, falling to the ground, with a faint message all over his body.
The owner of the NFT, which bought it for $6.6 million at the time, had no idea what it would look like in the end. This one-off artwork remains in the owner’s collection and does not specify current prices.
9. perspective
“Perspective” is a work from the Ross Ulbrihct Genesis NFT collection. The artwork commemorates Ross Ulbriccht, founder of the now-deprecated Dark Web Marketplace Silk Road. He was sentenced to life in prison for running a platform plagued by criminal activity, and the collection was made to generate awareness about how he was unfairly treated by the legal system and raising funds for his defense.
This particular portion was sold for $6.12 million in 2021, but there is no data on current market prices. The perspective remains in the buyer’s collection, and Ulbricht was forgiven by President Donald Trump in January 2025 after serving in prison for 13 years.
10. Stay free
Stay Free is a digital artwork created by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, and features a portrait of himself, created from pages of a US court of appeals decision that found the US government’s mass surveillance program unconstitutional. It was sold in 2021 at 2,224 ETH. This was valued at about $5.4 million at the time, and revenues were free from the Press Foundation.
Although current stay prices are not available, their value can fluctuate significantly due to their fixed ether (ETH).
Final thoughts
It may seem like NFTs have been in their prime as they have lost significant value from the peaks they saw in 2021-early 2023.
However, inappropriate token technology doesn’t go anywhere and stays here. Its use cases go beyond digital art and are used in a variety of fields, including gaming, supply chain, entertainment, and real-world asset tokenization. NFTs could become the standard for digital ownership and transform the way they interact with physical assets.
As of 2025, the NFT art market was in a shady state, and it is unclear whether it will recover or not will be remembered as a mere stage. However, technology is alive and worth the time to investigate.
