## Executive Summary
Sotheby's and Christie's, two of the world's most prestigious auction houses, have pioneered the integration of Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) into the fine art market since 2020–2021. This shift has democratized access to digital art, attracting a younger, tech-savvy clientele while generating hundreds of millions in sales. Christie's marked its entry with the first purely digital NFT sale in October 2020, followed by the landmark $69.3 million Beeple auction in March 2021. Sotheby's launched its NFT program in April 2021 with a $16.8 million Pak collection sale. By the end of 2021, Christie's had surpassed $150 million in NFT sales, while Sotheby's reached $100 million. The process for sellers involves valuation, consignment, blockchain-verified auctions, and post-sale settlement, often conducted online via platforms like Christie's 3.0 or Sotheby's Metaverse. Key contacts include specialized email addresses and online forms. Notable past sales feature high-profile artists like Beeple, Pak, and Mad Dog Jones, with sellers typically being the artists or anonymous collectors. This report details the full process, timelines, and sales history as of October 2025.
## Years Started and Historical Overview
- **Christie's**: Began accepting NFTs in October 2020 with the sale of Robert Alice's *Block 21 from Portraits of a Mind*, which included a physical painting component. The house fully embraced purely digital NFTs in March 2021 with Beeple's record-breaking sale, establishing it as the first major auction house to sell intangible digital art. By September 2021, Christie's had exceeded $100 million in NFT sales globally. In September 2022, it launched Christie's 3.0, a fully on-chain auction platform for digital art.
- **Sotheby's**: Entered the NFT space in April 2021 with its "Natively Digital" sale featuring Pak's *The Fungible* collection. The house launched Sotheby's Metaverse in October 2021 as a dedicated NFT marketplace. By December 2021, Sotheby's had sold $100 million in NFTs, contributing to its record $7.3 billion total auction sales that year. Curated "Natively Digital" sales occur three times annually.
These milestones reflect a broader evolution: from experimental hybrid sales to fully blockchain-native auctions, blending traditional expertise with Web3 technology.
## Previous Sales: Notable NFTs Sold
Below are curated lists of exact NFTs sold, including artists/sellers (where available; many are anonymous or artist-direct), prices (with buyer's premium), and dates. Sellers are often the creators or collectors; data draws from auction records up to 2025. Totals reflect cumulative impact.
### Sotheby's Notable NFT Sales
| NFT/Work | Artist/Creator | Seller (if known) | Sale Price | Date | Notes |
|----------|----------------|-------------------|------------|------|-------|
| *The Fungible* (collection of 9 editions) | Pak (anonymous) | Artist | $16.8M | April 2021 | First Sotheby's NFT sale; three-day online event. |
| CryptoPunk #7523 (alien variety) | Larva Labs | Anonymous collector | $11.75M | June 2021 | Rarest CryptoPunk; part of "Natively Digital 1.2." |
| World Wide Web Source Code NFT | Tim Berners-Lee | Artist | $5.4M | June 2021 | Original HTML code as NFT; bought by anonymous bidder. |
| Bored Ape Yacht Club #8817 | Yuga Labs | Anonymous | $3.4M | October 2021 | Record for single BAYC at auction. |
| *Ape In!* (107 BAYC + 101 Bored Ape Kennel Club) | Yuga Labs | Anonymous | $26.2M ($24.4M for apes) | September 2021 | Largest single-lot NFT sale; paid in ETH/BTC. |
| *Fade* | Pak | Anonymous | $528K | June 2021 | Follow-up to *The Fungible*. |
| *Visor* | Mad Dog Jones | Artist | $201.6K | June 2021 | Part of "Natively Digital"; artist became Canada's top living artist post-sale. |
| Three Arrows Capital Collection (7 lots) | Various (e.g., Dmitri Cherniak) | Three Arrows Capital (bankrupt estate) | Exceeded estimates (total ~$1M+) | May 2023 | Post-FTX liquidation sale. |
**2021 Total**: $100M across 100+ lots; 70% new buyers.
### Christie's Notable NFT Sales
| NFT/Work | Artist/Creator | Seller (if known) | Sale Price | Date | Notes |
|----------|----------------|-------------------|------------|------|-------|
| *Everydays: The First 5000 Days* | Beeple (Mike Winkelmann) | Artist | $69.3M | March 2021 | Record for digital art; 180+ bids; bought by Vignesh Sundaresan (Metapurse). |
| *Block 21 from Portraits of a Mind* | Robert Alice | Artist | Not specified (hybrid sale) | October 2020 | First Christie's NFT; included physical painting. |
| *Crossroad* | Beeple | Pablo Rodriguez-Fraile (collector) | $6.6M (resale) | October 2020 (initial); flipped later | Election-themed animation; initial sale $66K. |
| CryptoPunk #7804 | Larva Labs | Anonymous | $7.6M | March 2021 | Early CryptoPunk; part of post-Beeple wave. |
| *SOURCE [ON NFTs]* (125 generative works) | Robert Alice | Artist | Not specified (multi-lot) | March 2024 | First on-chain generative collection; estimates 1–5 ETH per. |
| *Checks Elements* (Jack Butcher collection) | Jack Butcher | Artist | Exceeded estimates (~$1M total) | May 2023 | 152-piece hybrid digital/physical; 100% sell-through. |
| *Cartography of the Soul* (30+ works) | Various (e.g., Mad Dog Jones, Sam Spratt) | Various artists/charities | $1.6M total | June 2023 | Charity for MAPS; highlights: Spratt's *VII. Wormfood* ($252K). |
| *Next Wave: The Miami Edit* | Various (e.g., Defaced, Osinachi) | Artists | Starting 4–6 ETH (~$10K–15K) | December 2023 | Art Basel tie-in; 100% sold. |
| Beeple *Everydays* (mushroom scene) | Beeple | Artist | $252K | June 2022 | Post-crash sale; beat estimate. |
**2021 Total**: $150M; overall exceeded $100M by September 2021. Recent auctions (2023–2024) focus on generative and charitable works, with totals ~$4.6M in 2022.
Conclusion and Recommendations
Selling via Sotheby's or Christie's elevates NFT provenance, reaching ultra-high-net-worth collectors. Success favors blue-chip or innovative works; expect competitive fees but global exposure. For personalized advice, contact specialists promptly—market volatility persists, but institutional adoption signals long-term growth. This report is based on public records as of October 2025;
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