Share of U.S. adults interested in buying or selling NFTs 2021, by collector type

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic made it significantly more difficult for consumers in the United States to spend disposable income on travel, dining out, and other in-person experiences. Subsequently, many consumers turned their attention to other hobbies to fill the entertainment void. In 2021, the degree to which U.S. consumers expressed interest in collecting non-fungible tokens (NFTs) as a hobby or investment varied by collector type. Esports fans were the most interested in collecting NFTs, with 35 and 23 percent of respondents, respectively, stating that they were either somewhat interested or very interested.

What are non-fungible tokens?

Non-fungible tokens are unique, non-transferable digital assets that are stored in a blockchain. They represent any type of digital format such as GIF, JPEG, and MP3 and can be bought with cryptocurrencies. They are not mutually interchangeable and cannot be reproduced. Once the media is uploaded on a blockchain in the form of a non-fungible token, it will become a unique asset and will always be possible to determine the original file even if its copies are shared indefinitely on the web.

What was the largest non-fungible token art sale?

On February 25, 2021, the British auction house Christie's launched a one-lot sale of the digital artwork "Everydays: The First 5000 Days" by American artist Mike Winkelmann, known as Beeple. In total, 33 active bidders took part in the Christie’s auction of “Everydays...”. About 55 percent of the potential buyers came from the Americas, while 18 percent came from Asia and 27 percent were from Europe. The piece eventually sold on March 11, 2021, for the price of 69.3 million U.S. dollars.