Sotheby’s, the world’s oldest art and luxury auction house,announcedits collaboration with the public health care advocate and nonprofit organization Sostento to auction off its latest nonfungible token (NFT) collection via Sotheby’s Metaverse. The auction titled Gifted: The 140 Collection is considered to be Sotheby’s “biggest NFT charity auction ever,” with all of its proceeds going toward Sostento.
The NFTs were originallygiftedby Twitter as part of a giveaway of140 NFTs to 140 random followersin June of this year. Its recipients became known as “The Besties.” Now, seven of these Besties have elected to sell the full set of 7 NFTs and support Sostento frontline health care workers in their efforts against the COVID-19 pandemic and the opioid overdose crisis.
The NFT giveaway followedTwitter CEO Jack Dorsey’s $2.9 million saleof the first tweet ever as an NFT on the platform in March 2021. Proceeds from that particular sale aided the COVID-19 response in Africa.
In an announcement shared with Cointelegraph, Cassandra Hatton, Sotheby’s global head of Science and Popular Culture said:
“It is inspiring to work not only alongside an organization like Sostento, but also with the group of Besties who recognize the significance of their NFTs and are harnessing that power for a good cause.”
Among Sostento’s partners is the Giving Block, which provides a platform for mission-driven charities, organizations, universities and faith-based groups of all sizes to utilize cryptocurrency and accept crypto funding.
Proceeds raised from this sale will be processed by the Giving Block, before being “invested directly into fulfilling our mission to help frontline healthcare workers save lives,” according to Joe Agoada, Sostento CEO.
https://cointelegraph.com/news/sotheby-s-metaverse-announces-latest-and-largest-nft-charity-auction