CryptoPunks, the blue-chip nonfungible token (NFT) collection, achieved yet another record-breaking sale in March. A rare alien piece, known as CryptoPunk #7804, was sold for approximately $16 million in Ether (ETH).
The purchase of CryptoPunk #7804 took place on March 20, with the buyer acquiring it for 4,850 ETH, which was valued at around $16.4 million at the time of the sale. This NFT sale now holds the second-highest selling price ever for a CryptoPunk, following another notable NFT sale earlier in March.
On March 4, CryptoPunk #3100 was sold for 4,500 ETH, which was worth approximately $16 million at the time of the transaction. This sale became the third-largest CryptoPunk sale, following the recent sale of the #7804 punk.
CryptoPunk #7804 is just one of the 10,000 NFTs in the collection. However, its value lies in the rarity of its attributes. The character depicted in the NFT is wearing a forward-facing cap, a feature that only 254 CryptoPunks possess. It also has a pipe, a characteristic shared by only 317 NFTs, and small shades that are found on just 378 CryptoPunks. But what truly sets this digital asset apart is that it is one of only nine alien CryptoPunks.
The seller of the NFT, Peruggia, expressed their thoughts on the sale through a post on X. They described the sale as the “end of an era” and admitted to feeling like an imposter, acknowledging that they had not given the piece the recognition it deserves.
Peruggia originally acquired the CryptoPunk in March 2021 for 4,200 ETH, which was valued at $7.5 million at the time. Despite receiving offers of around $18 million in 2022, the NFT trader held onto the piece for over three years.
This recent transaction also held the record for the second-largest CryptoPunk sale until the two $16 million sales occurred this month.
Community members celebrated the sale and congratulated the seller for their achievement, expressing their appreciation for holding onto the valuable NFT asset.
The sale of CryptoPunk #7804 propelled the NFT collection’s sales volume ahead of other popular NFTs like NodeMonkeys and Mad Lads in terms of weekly sales. According to NFT data tracker CryptoSlam, CryptoPunks generated $21.5 million in sales over the past seven days.
The rise of high-profile NFT sales across various blockchain networks has led to a significant increase in transaction volume for NFTs. In the last 30 days alone, NFTs have accumulated $1.5 billion in sales volume across multiple blockchain networks.
In related news, the CEO of Trezor, a leading cryptocurrency hardware wallet provider, stated that Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have made Coinbase an attractive target for hackers and governments.