NFTs are unique digital assets recorded on the blockchain, meaning they cannot be exchanged one-for-one like Bitcoin. They are used to verify ownership of digital art, music, videos, and collectibles.
NFTs have a major advantage: they confirm the authenticity and ownership of creations. If you create a piece of digital artwork and publish it online, anyone can copy it. But if you turn it into an NFT, you obtain a digital certificate proving that you are the rightful owner. For collectors, this guarantees that they are purchasing an original piece rather than a copy.
The 10 Most Expensive NFTs in History (2025 Update)
Now that you understand what NFTs are, let’s take a look at which ones have reached the highest prices. Ready? You might want to sit down for this!
1. “The Merge” – $91.8M (December 2021)
Artist: Pak
The most expensive NFT ever sold! This digital artwork consists of spherical masses that grew as more people purchased units of the NFT.
2. “Everydays: The First 5000 Days” – $69.3M (March 2021)
Artist: Beeple
Beeple created one image per day for 5000 days and then compiled them into a single monumental piece.
3. “Clock” – $52.7M
Artist: Pak
An NFT displaying a counter tracking the number of days since Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, was imprisoned. The sale helped fund his legal defense.
4. “HUMAN ONE” – $28.9M (November 2021)
Artist: Beeple
A hybrid of a physical sculpture and digital animation, depicting an astronaut walking through an ever-changing futuristic landscape.
5. CryptoPunk #5822 – $23.7M (February 2022)
One of the rare “alien” CryptoPunks, wearing a blue bandana.
6. “Fidenza #723” – $12.5M (February 2025)
Artist: Tyler Hobbs
A generative NFT artwork from the “Fidenza” collection, breaking its previous sales record and solidifying the artist’s position in the world of digital art.
7. CryptoPunk #7523 – $11.75M (June 2021)
Nicknamed the “Covid Punk” because it features a medical mask, adding to its uniqueness.
8. “XCOPY – Traitors” – $10.1M (January 2025)
Another piece by the well-known NFT artist XCOPY, specializing in glitch art and cyberpunk animations.
9. “Right-click and Save As Guy” – $7.08M
Artist: XCOPY
An NFT satirizing people who fail to appreciate the value of digital art and believe they can simply “right-click and save as.”
10. CryptoPunk #7804 – $7.57M
A rare “alien” CryptoPunk wearing a pipe, sunglasses, and a cap. One of the highest-selling artworks in this collection.
Are NFTs Still Profitable?
While the overall NFT market has cooled, select collections and artists continue to break records. It’s worth keeping an eye on the development of new technologies and NFT applications in gaming, the metaverse, and digital ownership rights.
