The world of NFT memes came when the internet started becoming popular across the world. Towards the end of the 2010s, mobile internet picked steam since the cost of smartphones fell. As social media became common, every adult had a new communication medium to the world. The internet’s language began changing from text to image-laden text, audio, and videos. Memes with catchy images and memorable messages capture human sentiment as per circumstances.
Synopsis
Until recently, memes were considered social media tools, with immense capacity to go viral and entertain a diverse spectrum of people. Then came the NFT culture. It transformed memes from a mere mode of presenting humorous content and added to their gambit — monetary value.Today, you can indeed buy and sell memes and earn lucrative profits. According to recent market reports — the world-famous “Doge” meme NFT was sold for $4 million. Another example highlighting the amount of money one can make in such trades is the “Overly Attached Girlfriend”, which was bought for $411,000 in Ethereum.These numbers do sound exciting. Before getting started on how you can start making money using these, let’s understand the meaning of NFTs.The question that now arises is — how to create a meme NFT?If you have developed a meme, then turning it into an NFT is a hassle-free process. There are a large number of websites, apps, and startups that are providing a platform to digital creators, using which they can convert their files in a few simple steps. In most cases, you begin with selecting a file, then create an Ethereum wallet and add a sum to it. The wallet enables you to join an NFT marketplace, wherein you can list, promote and sell your NFT.Is it crucial to buy an NFT? While you can sell and purchase NFTs, there is also an option of renting them. A creator or potential investor can transfer or attain the ownership of digital assets for a fixed period in exchange for regular payment. Today, NFTs are gaining popularity across the globe. In the days to come, more and more people will be entering this sphere. The best part? You don’t have to be an artist or creator to start trading in meme NFTs. If you have a keen interest in memes? You can register on a marketplace and simply trade in these assets.(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this column are that of the writer. The facts and opinions expressed here do not reflect the views of www.economictimes.com.)
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Several online platforms now facilitate auctions of non-fungible tokens.
Digital art, videos that fetched big bucks as NFTs in 2021Digital art, videos that fetched big bucks as NFTs in 2021
Online sales of Nonfungible tokens, also known as NFTs, became a rage in 2021 with many selling and buying digital creations for big bucks. This happened as a result of a boom in the use of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoins.
Before we proceed, it is important to know the meaning of NFTs.
To provide a public certificate of authenticity or proof of ownership, NFTs use a digital ledger.
The NFT (Nonfungible tokens) digital art or meme market is currently on an all-time high. NFT sales exploded during the COVID-19 pandemic. It got popular as digital enthusiasts and investors made a beeline to spend huge sums of money on items that only exist digitally.
Collectible digital assets were like GIFs, songs, and videos were sold at high prices this year. But the biggest sales were seen for digital artworks.
Here’s a look back at the memes, GIFs, videos, and digital art that fetched millions in auctions this year:
Charlie Bit Me
The famous ‘Charlie Bit Me’ video, which garnered more than 880 million views since its release in 200 was sold as NFT for a whopping $7,60,999.
Harry Davies-Carr, who was aged three at that time, and Charlie David-Carr, who was aged one, were innocently sitting on a couch when their father thought it would be fun to film the kids.
Watch the video here:
Fourteen years since the famous video graced YouTube, it was sold as an NFT after a close bidding war between two anonymous bidders.
The Davis-Carr family had said in a statement that the auction winner will be the sole owner of the original video. The person will also be offered the chance to recreate the video with the two brothers.
‘Friendship ended with Mudasir’ meme
The viral was put up for auction in 2021 and it fetched $49,866.40 on the online platform Foundation, which facilitates auctions for non-fungible tokens.
Nyan cat meme’s rare GIF
A rare GIF of the famous Nyan Cat meme from 2011 was sold for $5,60,000 in an online crypto auction this year.
The Nyan cat meme started on YouTube almost a decade ago and turned into an internet sensation. The video showed an animated cat with a pop-tart torso flying through space, leaving a trail of rainbow colours.
‘Nyan Cat’ was created by Chris Torres, who made a remastered version of the original GIF for its 10-year-anniversary and offered it for sale on Foundation.
Whale emojis
A 12-year-old boy earned around £290,000 (Rs 2,93,38,798) by selling a collection of digital whale emojis as Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) this year.
Benyamin Ahmed crafted a series of pixelated artwork called Weird Whales.
Ahmed has decided to keep his earnings in the form of Ethereum, the cryptocurrency in which his collection of 3,350 whales was sold.
Bad Luck Brian
Disaster Girl NFT meme
Who doesn’t remember a small girl smiling in front of a burning building? Likewise, with onlookers and firefighters watching? Yes, we all do. The girl’s name is Zoe Roth and her father took this classic picture in 2005. A routine fire drill was being conducted on a house. She was four years old then. Her picture started going viral from 2008 onwards. People used it to depict being someone being happy when the world was in chaos.
Well, Zoe is 21 years old now. In April, 2021, her classic NFT meme sold for 180 ETH, or $557,629.20..
Success Kid NFT meme
Everyone has seen a kid who punches his fist towards himself.
Likewise, here’s the story behind that. In 2007, August, Laney Griner from Jacksonville, Florida took her then 11-month son, Sam, to the beach. Lying south of their home, Ponte Vedra Beach is perfect for fun summer photos. But Sam was more interested in the sand. No matter how many times Laney tried to capture a smiling picture, she was unsuccessful.
Finally, in her last attempt, she got a picture of Sam that became the ‘Success Kid’ we all know today.
This classic NFT meme sold 15.00 ETH $46,486.35.
Bad Luck Brian NFT meme
This classic meme shows an event where someone is unlucky in certain situations.
Ian and Kyle minted the original classic NFT meme as an NFT. It sold for 20.00 ETH or $62,943 in March 2021.
Doge NFT meme
In the summer of 2005, an episode called ‘Boz Cas Fri 1’ was airing as animated comedy web series, ‘Homestar Runner’. The character Homestar named show character, Strong Bad, his ‘Doge’, meaning to say it like a real dog. Homestar’s intent was to distract Strong Bad from his work. This was the very first instance of the term used, before getting attached to Shibas in real life.
Around 5 years later, in the early 2010s, Japanese Kindergarten teacher, Atsuko got a dog.. The dog named Kabosu (of the Shiba Inu breed) who also liked to pose for the camera. One fine day, she uploaded Kabosu’s photos on her personal blog. As mobile internet gew in sales across the world in the early 2010s, it reached sites like Tumblr and Reddit. Doge has had an eventful history.
Likewise, in late 2013, it became best known as the front of mind face of the cryptocurrency Dogecoin. It represents this classic Shiba meme. Kabosu’s face was the centrepiece of the world. It was the time when Bitcoin began its first major bull run.
This class NFT meme sold for $4 million dollars to PleasrDAO. The community placed a bid of 1,696.9 ETH, according to the NFT auction site Zora.
Overly Attached Girlfriend NFT meme
“The creepy face was definitely a last minute decision,”said ex-YouTuber, Laina Morris to Buzzfeed in 2020.After the auction, her tweet said “You’re really gonna make me emotional over a creepy face I made 9 years ago?!,”. “Truly, you have no idea how this is going to change my life. I mean it. I am so incredibly thankful and also still just BLOWN AWAY. So weird. So cool. Wtf. Thank you, internet.”
The overly attached girlfriend NFT meme sold as an NFT for 200.00 ETH which is $629,658.
Scumbag Steve NFT meme
It got dubbed a ‘legendary class internet meme’ by NFT marketplace Foundation. The auction for Scumbag Steve’s classic meme as an NFT took place in 2021. It became popular on the social media site MySpace in 2006.
This classic NFT meme sold for 30.2008 ETH or $94,925.34
Nyan Cat NFT meme
In April of 2011, a 25 year old uploaded a video on his website. It was a pixelated animation of a cat. And the cat had the body shape of a pop-tart and who left behind a rainbow trail as an imaginary exhaust discharge. The cat is flying through space like a stretch of infinity across the sky.
The artist, Chris Torres has since then helped many other artists into the NFT space. Torres sold the Nyan Cat NFT meme as an NFT for 300.00 ETH $940,908.00. Later, he told Decrypt, a Web 3.0 media portal “It’s just really recognizable” and “That’s what created the value.”
NFT Memes are here to stay
NFTically is a venture that helps brands, creators and artists to setup and launch their .