By
Andy Watson
April 26th, 2024
Beeple went for one of the rarest punks in the collection.
Mike Winkelmann, popularly known as Beeple, has bought his first-ever profile-picture (PFP) non-fungible token (NFT). Beeple is well-known in the NFT community. That is particularly because of his reputation as the creator of the second most expensive NFT ever sold. However, he “never actually purchased a single PFP”, he says.
Now, however, he has bought CryptoPunk #4953 and had to pay 113.7 ETH for it, according to Etherscan data. That is approximately $208,000.
Beeple Opts for Rare CryptoPunk
Last week, Beeple took to Twitter to ask his followers for suggestions on the best punk to buy. And though he didn’t immediately confirm his choice, CryptoPunks Brand Lead Noah Davis was the first to hint that Beeple was taking it seriously. Davis shared a text conversation he had with Beeple concerning the NFT purchase.
Beeple first revealed that he had made the purchase, albeit in a subtle manner late Tuesday evening. That was when he shared an original digital artwork titled “A Punk Is Born”. The artwork featured him made up as his new punk, with CryptoPunk #4953 in the upper right side of the image and also on the tiny computer screen.
Beeple later confirmed the purchase on Wednesday, saying that it’s been a long time coming. And about his CryptoPunk choice, he says the project has always stood out from the rest since he started learning about NFTs.
Meanwhile, it might be worth mentioning that Beeple went for one of the rarer punks in the collection. The rarity traits of CryptoPunk #4953 include a mohawk, clown green eyes, and a clown red nose. And according to marketplace OpenSea, that ‘red nose’ is only present in 2% of CryptoPunks.
There is one other Punk with traits similar to the punk just purchased by Beeple. And according to data from the analytics tool Deep Value NFT, that one is currently listed at bout 91.7 ETH, or $169,800.
Beeple may be new to the NFT collector scene, but he’s arguably one of the bigwigs in the world of digital arts. In March, he opened a studio in South Carolina to host in-person experiences. He aims to use the studio to bring digital art creators and collectors together. That is not to mention his Human One sculpture which sold for $29 million in 2021.
CryptoSlam data suggests that Beeple’s newly-acquired punk is the most expensive NFT sold in the past 24 hours.