From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
A non-fungible token (NFT) of a digital artwork called a "CryptoPunk" sold for US$11.8 million last week, auction house Sotheby's said.
CryptoPunks are a set of 10,000 pixel-art characters made by Larva Labs in 2017. The one sold by Sotheby's -- "CryptoPunk #7523" -- is of the sought-after Alien variety with blue-green skin, and wearing a medical mask.
The work is in the form of an NFT - meaning it is authenticated by blockchain, which certifies its originality and ownership. The NFT is sent to the buyer's cryptocurrency wallet; no physical artwork changes hands.
"CryptoPunk #7523" was sold for US$11,754,000 as part of the Sotheby's online auction "Natively Digital: A Curated NFT Sale," which fetched a total of $17.1 million across works by 27 digital artists.
It was bought by the Israeli entrepreneur Shalom Meckenzie, who is the largest shareholder of digital sports company DraftKings, Sotheby's said.
Michael Bouhanna, Contemporary Art Specialist at Sotheby's said the sale demonstrated continued strong demand for NFTs.
"We are excited to continue to explore new and interesting ways in presenting these cutting-edge works."
Anyone can view the artworks the NFTs represent, but only the buyer has the official status of being the owner.
SOTHEBY'S IN THE METAVERSE
Although the sale was on online auction, the works were displayed on screens in Sotheby's exhibitions in New York, London and Hong Kong.
Sotheby's also opened its first ever virtual gallery: a replica of its real-world building on New Bond Street in London, in the online virtual world Decentraland.
Decentraland is a blockchain-based virtual world, in which users can walk around with friends, visit buildings, go to events and display their NFT artwork collections.
"To those who say, "yeah but you can't hang 'em on your wall," this is where virtual social worlds like Decentraland come in," said Dave Carr, a spokesman for the Decentraland Foundation.
"Virtual worlds are the natural home of digital art NFTs."
NFTs exploded in popularity in February and March. An NFT artwork fetched US$69.3 million at Christie’s, in the first sale by a major auction house of an artwork with no physical form.
Sotheby's first NFT auction was in April, with digital works by the artist known as "Pak" fetching US$16.8 million.
"Quantum" by Kevin McCoy, a simple geometric animation also featured in Thursday's auction, sold for US$1.47 million. Sotheby's said it was the first NFT ever made, having been "minted" in 2014. A work by Pak was also sold for $528,200.
Reporting by Elizabeth Howcroft; additional reporting by Aleksandra Michalska; editing by Philippa Fletcher.
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
Another suspect is in custody in connection with the gold heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport last year, police say.
Hailey and Justin Bieber are going to be parents. The couple announced the news on Thursday on Instagram, both sharing a video that showcases Hailey Bieber's growing belly.
High levels of lead detected in authenticated locks of Ludwig van Beethoven's hair suggest that the composer had lead poisoning, which may have contributed to ailments he endured over the course of his life, including deafness, according to new research.
A Conservative government led by Pierre Poilievre would not legislate on, nor use the notwithstanding clause, on abortion, his office says, as anti-abortion protesters gather on Parliament Hill.
A B.C. man has been convicted of assault with a weapon after using a skid-steer Bobcat to chase two homeless people from his lawn, injuring one of them in the process.
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.
Miss Teen USA resigned Wednesday, sending further shock waves through the pageant community just days after Miss USA said she would relinquish her crown.
A Listowel, Ont. man, drafted by the Hamilton Tigercats last week, is also getting looks from the NFL, despite only playing 27 games of football in his life.
A small Ajax dessert shop that recently received a glowing review from celebrity food critic Keith Lee is being forced to move after a zoning complaint was made following the social media influencer’s visit last month.
The Canada Science and Technology Museum is inviting visitors to explore their poop. A new exhibition opens at the Ottawa museum on Friday called, 'Oh Crap! Rethinking human waste.'
The Regina Police Service says it is the first in Saskatchewan and possibly Canada to implement new technology in its detention facility that will offer real-time monitoring of detainees’ vital health metrics.
The stakes have been set for a bet between Vancouver and Edmonton's mayors on who will win Round 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
A grieving mother is hosting a helmet drive in the hopes of protecting children on Manitoba First Nations from a similar tragedy that killed her daughter.
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
A P.E.I. lighthouse and a New Brunswick river are being honoured in a Canada Post series.
An Ontario man says he paid more than $7,700 for a luxury villa he found on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.