I just found out that Pak's The Merge remains the most expensive NFT ever sold. 91.8 million dollars in December 2021. But the crazy part is it wasn't a single piece, but nearly 29,000 collectors buying different parts. Each part cost $575. It's a bit strange that it's the most expensive if it's divided among so many people, right?

Beeple really dominated the NFT market in the early years. His "Everydays: The First 5000 Days" sold for $69 million a few years ago. It started as simple digital art (initially $100) and ended up being the second most expensive NFT in history. He drew a piece every day for 5000 days. That’s dedication.

There’s something fascinating about Pak and Julian Assange’s Clock. A clock that counts the days of Assange’s imprisonment, updating automatically. It sold for $52.7 million in 2022. More than just an NFT, it was a political act. AssangeDAO gathered 10,000 supporters to buy it.

CryptoPunks really marked the beginning of all this. There are about 5-6 of them on the list of the most expensive. #5822 (a blue alien) reached $23 million. Ironically, years ago, these punk images were given away for free to anyone with an Ethereum wallet. Now some are worth tens of millions.

Beeple’s Human One is another thing. A 2-meter sculpture that functions 24/7, with a 16K screen. The content changes depending on the time of day. Beeple can update it remotely. It sold for nearly $29 million. It’s like art that evolves in real time.

Honestly, looking at all this, the NFT market is extremely volatile. 95% of NFTs practically have no value. But those that manage to connect with strong communities or have cultural significance (like CryptoPunks or Bored Ape Yacht Club) can reach astronomical prices. The most expensive NFT depends a lot on who is buying and when.

What intrigues me most is how Pak decided to make The Merge as a collective work instead of selling it as a single piece. It was innovative but also sparked debate about whether it’s really "the most expensive" or just the sum of several parts. Either way, 91.8 million is 91.8 million.