Leading auction house Sotheby’s is set to auction 104 CryptoPunk NFTs in a single lot during its inaugural live evening for NFTs.
Taking place on February 23 in New York, the dedicated live evening auction will feature a single-lot sale of 104 CryptoPunks and will combine the “physical and digital in an unprecedented showcase for NFTs and digital art” via a ‘VIP Punk dinner’ and an appearance from a DJ named ‘Seedphrase’.
The 104-strong collection of CryptoPunks, dubbed ‘Punk It!‘ by Sotheby’s, was acquired through a partnership with Punks collector ‘0x650d‘ – the current owner of the Punks.
The format of the auction now gives Sotheby’s a chance to “showcase CryptoPunks on the same level as some of the most significant and high-profile sales of Contemporary and Modern Art in history” according to the collector.
CryptoPunks get the Sotheby's treatment. Our next #SothebysMetaverse sale 'Punk It! 104 CryptoPunks. 1 Lot.' will be a landmark LIVE Evening Auction on February 23. A truly historic sale for an undeniably historic NFT project. pic.twitter.com/LAu6j8Atu3
— Sotheby's (@Sothebys) February 8, 2022
Following the unveiling of the auction, buyers flocked to snap up Punks from secondary markets, including one collector – founder of DeFi platform Compound, Robert Leshner – who splashed out $7.7m on an ‘ape’ Punk.
The auction is the latest from Sotheby’s ‘metaverse‘ offerings, which includes digital art and collectables such as NFTs. The first ‘metaverse‘ auction saw a Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT sell for $3.4m alongside a ‘RAREPEPE‘ NFT also sell for an extraordinary $3.6m.
Sotheby’s has also hosted other NFT-related sales, including the auction for a collection of 101 BAYC NFTs in September and an auction for two iconic Banksy pieces that were sold in Ethereum.
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