As technology advances, there has been a rapid change in cryptocurrency and Bitcoin technology. More digital assets are emerging, giving various options in blockchain trading. CryptoPunks are among the popular Non-Fungible Tokens (NFT) based on the Ethereum blockchain.
Investors and collectors have heavily invested in CryptoPunks in the recent past, boosting their popularity. CryptoPunks attract different prices depending on their historical significance, rarity, and status. In this guide, we will explore the most expensive CryptoPunks on the market.
What Is a CryptoPunk?
In the Ethereum blockchain, a CryptoPunk is a type of digital artwork. Each CryptoPunk is a one-of-a-kind 24×24 pixel, 8-bit-style character with distinguishing attributes like hairstyle, clothing, and accessories.
There are 10,000 CryptoPunks; each is unique and cannot be recreated or duplicated. Most avatars are in human form. However, there are a few exceptions, such as aliens and zombies, which are more expensive due to their scarcity.
Larva Labs, a software development firm, produced CryptoPunks in 2017. Hall and Watkinson, the developers, were eager to create software that could generate thousands of unique avatars.
CryptoPunks were among the first non-fungible tokens (NFTs), meaning digital assets that employ blockchain technology to guarantee ownership and authenticity. CryptoPunks have been around since their inception.
Why Are CryptoPunks Worth So Much?
By now, you’ve probably heard about NFT art pieces selling for astronomical prices at auction, such as Beeple’s NFT, which fetched over $60 million in 2021. Similarly, CryptoPunks, a type of NFT, have also been known to sell for millions of dollars. But what makes them so valuable?
Owning an NFT artwork means owning a unique digital asset with a complete record of previous owners stored on the blockchain. This exclusivity and trust in the NFT market make CryptoPunks an attractive investment for collectors and investors.
Generally, the value of an NFT increases with its popularity, but it can also decrease suddenly. However, the value of CryptoPunks has risen dramatically since their initial release in 2017, when they sold for as little as $1 to $34 each.
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Nowadays, the rarest CryptoPunks can fetch millions of dollars at auction. For instance, in June 2021, Shalom Mackenzie, an Israeli billionaire entrepreneur, purchased a CryptoPunk for a staggering $11.7 million. The CEO of Figma also bought one for $7.57 million.
The creators of CryptoPunks retained 1,000 of the avatars for themselves before releasing the remaining 9,000 for sale, making them instant millionaires. Currently, the total value of all CryptoPunk sales exceeds $250 million.
Owning a CryptoPunk has the potential for lucrative financial gains and grants the owner status and prestige. The rarer the CryptoPunk, the more valuable and desirable it becomes as a collector’s item. Here are the ten most expensive CryptoPunks.
10. CryptoPunk #2924 — $4.45M
CryptoPunk #2924 has only one attribute and is the only Ape with a hoodie. Only 24 ape punks are making it amongst the rarest punks. It has been sold several times, each time attracting a higher price than before.
In 2017, it traded for $953, which went to $1438 in a sale two days later. Seedphrase.eth, a popular buyer of punks with more attributes like CryptoPunk #8348, bought CryptoPunk #2924 for $71,403 in 2020.
Out of the 60 punks that Seedphrase bought, he only sold 24 and moved the rest into a different account, the hoodie ape being one of them. In 2022, this Punk was sold for $4.45M, making it the highest-selling CryptoPunk.
9. CryptoPunk #6275 — 5.12M
CryptoPunk #6275 is a Zombie Punk with two attributes: a dark mohawk and a shadow beard. This CryptoPunk has only been sold twice, with both sales happening on the same day at an incredible $1.23M profit.
This sale set a record for the most expensive CryptoPunk ever sold at that time. Pranksy, a popular NFT trader, bought the Punk from the original owner for $3.98M and sold it the same day for $5.12M.
Over the years, he has engaged in purchasing and selling numerous Punks. From this particular account, he has successfully sold 639 CryptoPunks.
8. CryptoPunk #7252 — 5.33M
CryptoPunk #7252 is another Zombie Punk with three attributes: earrings, a chinstrap, and crazy hair. In August 2021, Zombie was sold to Dragonfly, a VC company, for a staggering $5.33M, marking its most recent transaction.
The original owner kept this Punk in his wallet from 2017 until August 2021, selling it for $2.53M. Interestingly, the initial purchase of the aforementioned Punk had ties to Cozomo de’ Medici, a well-known figure in the NFT community.
It is worth mentioning that other Punks bought using the same account were later sent to a wallet holding Cozomo’s iconic PFP, CyberPunk #3831. The subsequent sale of Zombie occurred just 20 days after its initial purchase, fetching an impressive $5.33M. This particular account has also bought seven other Punks.
7. CryptoPunk #5217 — $5.45M
In July 2021, CryptoPunk #5217, featuring a knitted cap and a gold chain, was sold for a whopping $5.45 million, marking its most recent sale. This unique styling Ape CryptoPunk had only been sold once before, back in December 2017, when it was sold to Snofro for a mere $1884.
Although not much is known about the latest buyer, the CryptoPunk was transferred on the same day of purchase to a possible vault wallet. This wallet owns six other Punks; interestingly, two are up for sale.
The wallet is not limited to just holding Punks; it also contains millions of dollars worth of other NFTs, including Autoglyphs, Meebits, rare XCOPY’s, Fidenzas, and much more. The CryptoPunk collection, along with other NFTs, continues to increase in popularity and value, attracting more investors and collectors daily.
6. CryptoPunk #8857 — $6.63M
Zombie CryptoPunk #8857 includes two attributes: 3D glasses and wild hair. Ser Shokunin, the current owner of CryptoPunk #8857, purchased the digital artwork on September 11th, 2021, for $6.63 million. The artwork was only sold once before, on May 2nd, 2018, for $1,717.
After purchasing CryptoPunk #8857, Ser Shokunin transferred the digital artwork to another wallet that also contains several CrypToadz and Chain Runners. This wallet is unique because it has never bought or sold another CryptoPunk besides #8857, and no other Punks currently reside there.
Interestingly, the original seller of CryptoPunk #8857 had freely acquired 140 CryptoPunks in 2017. Unfortunately, he sold most of them before the major run-ups in price in 2021. This underscores the growing value and demand for NFTs in the art and collectibles market.
CryptoPunk #8857’s value is based on its unique design and attributes, as well as its rarity and authenticity. As the NFT market evolves, it will be fascinating to see how artworks like CryptoPunk #8857 continue to shape the future of digital art and collectibles.
5. CryptoPunk #7804 — $7.57M
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The highly coveted Alien CryptoPunk #7804, the first of its kind, has made its way onto the list of highly sought-after NFTs. This unique digital artwork displays three distinct attributes: a pipe, a forward cap, and small shades. These make it a true standout from the CryptoPunk collection.
Alien CryptoPunk #7804 was last sold in March of 2021 for an impressive $7.57 million, with only one other previous sale in January of 2018 for $14,988. The first buyer had purchased 12 Punks early on in 2018, including this Alien, for around $27,000.
Two of the Punks, including the Alien CryptoPunk and an Ape with a fedora, were later sold, while the remaining ten were transferred to Dylan Field, the CEO of Figma. Field has since purchased other Punks and currently holds 14 in his collection.
The newest buyer of Alien CryptoPunk #7804, Peruggia, still holds onto eight other Punks and has a total of 21 Punks bought and 12 sold in their portfolio. Interestingly, three of the Punks they currently hold, including the Alien CryptoPunk, are currently for sale, with the Alien being listed for an even higher price tag of $11.65 million.
As NFTs continue to gain mainstream popularity and influence in the art world, unique and rare pieces like Alien CryptoPunk #7804 are expected to maintain and even increase in value. It will be interesting to see where this one-of-a-kind digital artwork ends up in the future.
4. CryptoPunk #3100 — $7.58M
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Sporting a headband as its only attribute, the Alien CryptoPunk #3100 was last traded in March of 2021 for a whopping $7.58 million, after having been sold only once before, in July of 2017, for a mere $2127.
The first buyer, who went by the name “Moineau” on Opensea, remains elusive, with no social media accounts found. However, the buyer is known to have sold an incredible 213 other Punks, including a second Alien, while still holding onto 36 other Punks.
The current owner of the Alien CryptoPunk #3100 is also anonymous and has no other Punks in their possession. This Punk is currently up for sale for an astonishing 35,000 ETH, or $45.8 million.
The value of CryptoPunk #3100 lies in its uniqueness and rarity, as well as its historical significance as an early NFT. As the market for NFTs grows, we can expect to see more rare and valuable digital artworks like CryptoPunk #3100 commanding staggering prices.
3. CryptoPunk #5577 — $7.7M
Ape CryptoPunk #5577 features a cowboy hat as its sole attribute. In February 2022, it was sold for a staggering $7.7 million, making it one of the top 3 highest sales despite its relatively low initial purchase price of 2.5k ETH. This is particularly impressive given that the value of ETH was still over $3,000 at the time of the sale.
Previously owned by straybits.eth, a CryptoPunk “OG” who minted numerous Punks for free in 2017, this particular Punk had never been sold and was only transferred between wallets until the record-breaking sale.
While Straybits still owns two Punks, they have sold numerous others, including multiple rare Alien Punks. Unfortunately, many of these sales took place in 2017, before the recent surge in demand for NFTs, resulting in lower sale prices.
Straybits had, at some point, possessed seven out of the nine Alien Punks in existence, making them a significant figure in the CryptoPunk world. The new owner of Ape Punk #5577 currently holds eight other Punks, six of which are now for sale, including the Ape listed at 4k ETH (equivalent to $5.24 million).
The current owner has other NFT collections, including 92 Otherside land deeds and a Bored Ape. The constantly evolving NFT market makes it difficult to predict the future value of these digital assets, but it is clear that Ape CryptoPunk #5577 is a highly sought-after and valuable addition to any collector’s portfolio.
2. CryptoPunk #4156 — $10.26M
Ape CryptoPunk #4156, with its distinctive bandana attribute, has changed hands many times over the years. Initially claimed for free in June of 2017, it was first sold in August of that year for a pennyworth of ETH. Since then, it has been bought and sold several times, each reflecting the NFT market’s changing value.
In February 2021, during the height of the bull market, Ape CryptoPunk #4156 was sold for an impressive $1.25 million. But by December of that same year, the value of ETH had soared, and the Ape Punk was sold again for a staggering $10.26 million.
In July 2022, the Ape Punk was transferred to another wallet and sold for 2.69k ETH, or $3.31 million. While this was less than the previous record sale, it still represented a gain in ETH value.
Further investigation revealed that the Ape Punk wallet also held a vast collection of other NFTs, including Chromie Squiggles, Autoglyphs, ultra-rare Meebits, and many others. The total inventory value was estimated to be over $8 million.
Notably, no social media account is associated with this account, which goes by the name Zoomc on Opensea. That this individual has been able to amass such an impressive collection of rare and valuable NFTs underscores the growing interest and demand for these digital assets.
1. CryptoPunk #5822 — $23.7M
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Topping the list as the most expensive CryptoPunk NFT ever sold is the iconic Alien Punk #5822. This Punk, featuring only one attribute, a bandana, was sold in February 2022 for a staggering $23.7 million, making it the largest sale in terms of both ETH spent and USD value.
The Alien Punk was originally minted for free by Straybits in June 2017 before being sold to an unknown buyer in July of the same year for 8 ETH, or $1646. The Punk changed hands several times before ending up in the possession of Chain CEO Deepak Thapliyal, who bought it in February 2022.
Interestingly, the original buyer of the Alien Punk still holds 61 Punks, with 8 for sale and 42 Punks sold. In 2021, the Alien Punk was transferred to a second wallet containing another Alien Punk #5905, purchased six days earlier from Straybits for 10 ETH, or $2690.
While Deepak has no other Punks in his wallet, he is a collector of other NFT projects, such as Drifter Shoots and Bored Apes.
Final Thoughts
CryptoPunks sales are rapidly skyrocketing, with collective sales reaching hundreds of millions. At that rate, future sales may soon overshadow the current most expensive CryptoPunk NFT.
Every sign indicates the potential for these non-fungible tokens to surge in value in the future. As more high-profile investors are drawn in by their popularity and rarity, the most expensive CryptoPunk NFTs are expected to remain highly coveted prizes in the emerging metaverse.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©mundissima/Shutterstock.com.
