You know, I've been following the NFT market for a long time, and what's interesting is that most people think the most expensive NFT is some kind of unique pixel art, but in reality, it's much more complex and fascinating.

Let's start with what really matters to remember: The Merge by Pak. December 2021, $16k. But here's the catch — it's not one piece, but 312,686 editions purchased by 28,893 collectors. Each paid about $575, but together, it became the most expensive NFT at that time. Pak is an anonymous artist, very mysterious. Creator of Archillect, an AI-powered program for selecting beautiful images.

Then there's Beeple with his Everydays: The First 5000 Days. March 2021, Christie's, $69 million. Can you imagine? The starting bid was $100! It's a collage of 5,000 works he created daily over 5,000 days. It was bought by MetaKovan (Vignesh Sundaresan, a programmer from Singapore ), for 42,329 ETH. The story is simply epic.

Clock — another work by Pak, but in collaboration with Julian Assange. February 2022, $19283746565748392T. This is a dynamic piece of art, a timer that updates daily, counting down Assange's days in prison. It was purchased by AssangeDAO, a group of over 100,000 supporters. The proceeds went to his legal defense. Wow — art as a tool for activism.

Human One by Beeple is something else entirely. November 2021, Christie's, nearly $29 million. A kinetic sculpture standing 7 feet tall, dressed in silver with a space helmet. The background is a dystopian landscape on four walls that constantly changes. 16K resolution, aluminum body, redwood. And what's cool — Beeple can remotely update this piece, making it alive and constantly evolving.

Now, about CryptoPunks. This is a whole series that simply dominates the rankings. CryptoPunk #5822 — $23 million. An alien punk with blue skin, one of nine Alien Punks. Bought by Deepak.eth, CEO of Chain.

CryptoPunk #7523 — $11.75 million, Sotheby's, June 2021. The only alien punk with a medical mask, plus a rare knitted hat and earring. At that time, it set a record for the series.

CryptoPunk #4156 — a monkey, one of 24 such. December last year, $10.26 million. And 10 months earlier, this same piece sold for $1.25 million! Plus, a bandana ( is owned by 5% of punks ) and a rare trait ( in 2% of punks ). That’s volatility!

TPunk #3442 — this one is on the Tron blockchain. Justin Sun (CEO of Tron ) bought it for 120 million TRX, roughly $10.5 million in August 2021. It's called "Joker" because it resembles Batman's enemy.

CryptoPunk #5577 — monkey, February 2022, $19283746565748392T. Believed to be bought by Robert Leshner, founder of Compound. A rare piece with one attribute and a cowboy hat ( in 1% of punks ).

A few more CryptoPunks on the list: #3100 (7,67 млн, Alien Punk, первый раз на продажу с 2017 года), #7804 ($7.57 million, the only alien punk with a pipe ), #8857 ($6.63 million, one of 88 Zombie Punks with cool 3D glasses ).

Ringers #109 by Dmitry Chernyak — $6.93 million on Art Blocks. Generative art, threads and nails. Even the cheapest Ringers now costs around $88,000.

XCOPY with his Right-click and Save As Guy — $7 million. Bought by Kozomo de Medici, one of the most prestigious collectors. By the way, the title is a joke about people thinking NFTs can just be downloaded with a right-click. Created in December 2018, initially sold for 1 ETH (about $90 ).

Crossroads by Beeple — February 2021, $6.6 million on Nifty Gateway. A 10-second film responding to the 2020 elections. Two different endings depending on the result. On screen — a naked man lying on the street, with offensive inscriptions. Interestingly, the NFT was sold out before the elections.

In terms of sales volume, the leading collections are Axie Infinity ($4.27 billion ) and Bored Ape Yacht Club ($3.16 billion ). But when it comes to the most expensive NFT as a single piece, it's clearly The Merge.

What’s interesting — the market is very volatile. 95% of NFTs are practically worthless according to dappGambl. But at the same time, the total market capitalization of the NFT market as of January 2026 is estimated at around $2.6 billion.

Each of these works has its own story, creator, and meaning. These are not just digital images — they are milestones in the development of digital art and collecting. And I’m sure that in the coming months, new records will emerge that will surpass current prices.