Professional tennis player Andy Murray has sold a non-fungible token (NFT) that records his victory at Wimbledon in 2013.
Wimbledon Clip Sells for Nearly $178,000
Murray’s NFT sold for $177,777 today.
“The Wimbledon Final in 2013 was such a big moment in my life. I decided to work with WENEW and Wimbledon to turn this moment into an NFT,” Murray is quoted as saying in a Reuters report.
The video recording of the event is encoded on a blockchain. This means that, although anyone can view those files, only the individual who bought the NFT has verifiable ownership of it.
Though the NFT is digital, the buyer also received a physical device that allows them to play back the video. The buyer also received two tickets to the 2022 men’s Wimbledon finals, a chance to play tennis with Murray, and signed souvenirs.
In addition to the NFT that records Murray’s victory, several lesser NFTs were also sold at values between $49 and $4,999.
Beeple’s Startup Handled the Auction
Murray sold the NFT through WENEW, an NFT auction platform launched by the digital artist Beeple. Beeple himself sold the world’s most expensive NFT through Sotheby’s in March for $69 million.
Beeple noted: “Giving people the chance to collect these things is a different experience than just viewing them on YouTube.”
This is not the only time that NFTs have been used to capture landmark sports events. The NBA’s TopShots series of NFTs captures historical basketball moments combined with physical collectibles.
Disclaimer: At the time of writing this author held less than $75 of Bitcoin, Ethereum, and altcoins.
