IOI
A non-fungible token (NFT) based on Tim Berners-Lee’s source code to the World Wide Web is being offered for sale.
Almost 30 years after its creation, Sotheby’s in New York is selling the program that helped create what is known today as the internet.
From June 23 through Wednesday, there will be a sale. A bid of $2.8 million was placed on Friday.
A letter from Berners-Lee, as well as an animated version of the renowned computer scientist’s code, are included in this lot.
According to Cassandra Hatton, vice-president at Sotheby’s, “ten years ago, we couldn’t have done this,” given the recent boom in NFTs.
As a major part of the development of the World Wide Web, Hatton said this was a unique work.
“That changed your whole life,” Hatton said. Our lives have been affected by it, and our lives will continue to be affected by it. We don’t even fully comprehend the impact our lives have had on our lives.”
With a certificate of authenticity, a NFT can include anything from drawings, animations and pieces of music to photos and videos, and is available via blockchain technology, which is the technology behind cryptocurrencies. There is no possibility of forging or manipulating it.
Transactions generated by NFTs reach hundreds of millions of dollars each month.
Traditional auction houses are looking to capitalize on the phenomenon of NFT exchanges that take place via specialist websites. NFT exchanges are conducted in cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin.
The most expensive NFT ever was sold by Christie’s in March for $69.3 million.
