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What was the First Meme that was Sold as an NFT?

By Wayne Ingram
Jul 7, 2025
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This article is about what was the first meme that was sold as an NFT. NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, are digital assets that can be bought and sold on blockchain platforms. They are unique and indivisible, meaning that they cannot be copied or divided into smaller units. NFTs can represent anything from art and music to sports memorabilia and virtual land.

What was the First Meme that was Sold as an NFT?

One of the most popular categories of NFTs is memes, the humorous images or videos that spread online and often reflect the culture and mood of the internet. Memes have been around for decades, but they have never been monetized or owned by their creators until now.

The first meme that was sold as an NFT was "Bad Luck Brian", a photo of a teenage boy with braces and a plaid sweater vest, accompanied by captions describing various unfortunate scenarios. The meme was created in 2012 by Kyle Craven, who uploaded his yearbook photo to Reddit and asked his friend to add some funny text.

The meme went viral and spawned thousands of variations, making Craven an internet celebrity. However, he did not receive any compensation for his image, which was used by various companies and media outlets without his permission.

In March 2021. Craven decided to sell the original photo as an NFT on the Foundation platform, a marketplace for digital art. He set the starting price at 0.1 ether (about $180 at the time) and waited for the bids to come in.

To his surprise, the auction attracted a lot of attention and ended with a final bid of 20 ether (about $36.000 at the time) from an anonymous buyer. Craven said he was happy with the outcome and planned to use the money to renovate his house and donate some to charity.

He also said he hoped that selling his meme as an NFT would inspire other meme creators to do the same and claim ownership of their work. He said he believed that memes are a form of art and culture that deserve recognition and respect.

Craven's sale marked a milestone in the history of memes and NFTs, as it showed that there is a market and a value for these digital creations. It also opened the door for other iconic memes to be sold as NFTs, such as "Nyan Cat", "Grumpy Cat", "Doge", and "Keyboard Cat".

Bottom Line

In this article, we have discussed what was the first meme that was sold as an NFT. NFTs have given memes a new life and a new meaning, as they are no longer just ephemeral jokes that disappear in the internet's abyss, but rather lasting assets that can be collected and appreciated by their fans.

Disclaimer: The information on this page may have been obtained from third parties and does not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of BitKan. This content is provided for general informational purposes only, without any representation or warranty of any kind, nor shall it be construed as financial or investment advice. BitKan shall not be liable for any errors or omissions, or for any outcomes resulting from the use of this information. Investments in digital assets can be risky. Please carefully evaluate the risks of a product and your risk tolerance based on your own financial circumstances. Products mentioned in this article may not be available in your region.

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