Sothebyâs first non-fungible token (NFT) sale of works by pseudonymous artist Pak fetched $16.8 million over a three-day drop.
Sothebyâs, established in 1744 in London, sold âThe Fungibleâ collection by Pak on Nifty Gateway between April 12â14, allowing collectors to bid for limited-edition NFTs minted on the Ethereum blockchain.
The lofty $16.8 million sum is a far cry from the stunning $69.3 million that Beeple fetched at a Christieâs auction on March 11. Still, the Pak sale shows there appears to be some appetite left at the high end of the NFT market.
Notable pieces in the Pak collection included âThe Pixel,â an NFT consisting of a single pixel that sold for $1.36 million
Another piece, dubbed âThe Switch,â is scheduled to change form at a specific point in time only known to the artist. The piece sold for $1.44 million.
Sothebyâs reports there were 3,080 buyers of nearly 24,000 âOpen Editionâ cube units, raising $14 million.
âI believe we have placed a huge milestone for digital creatives,â Pak said in an emailed statement. âThis drop validates many things. And finally, a single pixel that will hopefully have a charming page in futureâs history.â
NFTs have become a craze, with millions of dollars being spent on anything from digital basketball cards to rare or desirable digital artworks.Â
Law firm Seward & Kissel advised Sothebyâs on the sale of Pakâs artwork, managing agreements with the artist and Nifty Gateway.