16/02/2022 A rare CryptoPunks alien avatar NFT sells for an all-time high of almost $24 million, double the previous Punks record

CryptoPunks
CryptoPunksRokas Tenys
  • CryptoPunks NFT 5822, one of only nine alien Punks, sold for 8,000 ether worth $23.7 million on Saturday.
  • It set a new sales record at double the $11.8 million price for a CryptoPunks NFT last June.
  • The growth in NFT sales shows no signs of flagging in 2022, having booked a record January.

A rare CryptoPunks NFT sold for an all-time high of almost $24 million at the weekend, double the price of the previous record-holder, as the digital assets continue to pull in buyers.

CryptoPunks NFT 5822, one of only nine alien Punks, sold for 8,000 ether worth $23.7 million on Saturday, according todata from Larva Labs. The last time it changed hands was in July 2017, when it went for $1,646.

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CryptoPunks NFTs — or non-fungible tokens — have been around since 2017, meaning they predate most other NFT collections. Many of the Larva Labs-developed pixelated avatars have sold formillions of dollarsover the last few years.

The previous record for a CryptoPunks NFT was set at a Sotheby's auction last June, when DraftKings investor Shalom Meckenziepurchased the "Covid Alien" Punk 7523 for $11.8 million. However, the biggest on-chain sale was for Punk 4156 in December, which went for $10.26 million on theLarva Labs marketplace.

Deepak Thapliyal, CEO of blockchain tech company Chain.com,revealed on Twitterthat he was the most recent buyer. He said he had used DeFi financing through Compound Finance for the purchase — a sign he was long ether and still able to hold the cryptocurrency, he said.

Last year, some NFT owners began usingethereum-based "flash" loans to borrow cryptoto make a purchase, paying themselves back immediately in the same transaction. One CryptoPunks NFT purchased this way went for more than $532 million, prompting Larva Labs to say it would filter out alerts for such transactions in the future.

The most expensive legitimate sale of an NFT came in 2021, when Sotheby's auctioned a Beeple piece for$69 million, kicking off the NFT craze in the mainstream.

NFT sales surged throughout 2021 after that sale in March. In August,NFT sales volumereached $3 billion for the month. At the time, analysts saw this as evidence of speculative retail investors shifting out of bitcoin and meme stocks into the digital assets.

However, January saw a resurgence. NFT sales reached a new all-time high of $7 billion for the month, even though cryptocurrency prices slumped in January.

Arts

https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/currencies/cryptopunks-alien-nft-goes-for-almost-24-million-smashing-sales-record-2022-2

Interesting NFTs
Bush warbler and roses
Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) Bush warbler and roses 1834 - Japan
Genesis
José Delbo sent me his striking pencil sketch and powerful inked work, which I then interpreted in oil on canvas. I wanted to create a very painterly piece with obvious brush marks etc, but I was also aiming for a nostalgic feel, a kind of 1980’s superhero comic book look, the kind I grew up with. My goal with this animation was to try to recreate, in part, the creative process that both artists went through with the visual information I had. I was able to showcase my painting process more accurately as I could take photographs of my progress throughout. Consecutive images could then be layered like brush strokes over José’s drawing to create the impression that this was one continuous artwork from pencil, to ink, to completed painting. The representation of the line sketch at the beginning, then pencil/ink and lastly the paint layers being applied demonstrate both artists’ struggle for the right lines, tone, form, and colour until the work is finally completed. As the oil was still wet with each photograph the glare of my studio lights can be seen in the brush strokes. Eventually, the figure emerges and as it does, our hero comes to life, looking directly at the viewer -- but is he grimacing in approval or disgust? We will never know for sure as just before he can say anything, white paint is brushed across the canvas entirely and the process begins again. Only the bat is quick enough to escape.
Cosmic Chess
Cosmic Chess is a playable artwork that will evolve in time as the game progresses. This piece utilizes a special Layer Changer tool that lets owners move their pieces just like they would a regular chess game! To see the current state of the board you can view the tool here: https://asyncchess.herokuapp.com/1148
Luminarch Robe
A glamorous robe worn by high officials of the clergy. It is quite resistant, despite its ceremonial look.
Hell Riders
A still image NFT. Exclusive to makersplace. February 2020.