Beeple NFT auction closes at record-setting $69.3M

Digital artist Mike Winkelmann, also known as Beeple, has once again made NFT history after his latest piece, “Everydays: The First 5000 Days,” raised over $69 million on Christie’s auction house. 

“Everydays” was minted on Feb. 16 and put up for auction on Feb. 25 at a starting price of $100. The auction closed on Thursday.

The final price tag puts Beeple in elite company as far as living artists go. Only two other living artists, Jeff Koons and David Hockney, have created more expensive works.

As Cointelegraph previously reported, “Everydays” is comprised of 5,000 unique images produced each day for almost 14 years. The themes cover society’s obsession with and fear of technology, the desire for and resentment of wealth, and the United States' rocky political history.

Interestingly, Beeple’s “Everydays” was the first digital art piece to be featured on Christie’s. The piece was minted exclusively for the auction house, highlighting once again the growing popularity of NFTs. In October 2020, Christie’s also sold a Bitcoin-themed art piece and NFT for $131,250.

Noah Davis, an expert in post-war and contemporary art at Christie’s, said at the time:

“Acquiring Beeple’s work is a unique opportunity to own an entry in the blockchain itself created by one of the world’s leading digital artists.”

The NFT market has exploded in popularity over the past 12 months. In the process, it has disrupted traditional art, sports and music industries. The sports industry has been one of the biggest early adopters of NFTs, as evidenced by the surging popularity of NBA Top Shot.