Sotheby’s Initiates Bidding for Curated Bitcoin Ordinals Auction

Sotheby’s, the renowned art auction house, has commenced the bidding process for its carefully curated collection of Bitcoin Ordinals. This distinctive collection comprises 19 pieces, featuring rare Satoshis, artwork from the early Bitcoin Ordinals adopter known as Shroomtoshi, generative art, and an item linked to the Bitcoin Ordinals brand Taproot Wizards. The auction is set to conclude on January 22 at 2:00 p.m. ET.

Sotheby’s has named this auction “Natively Digital: An Ordinals Curated Sale.” The Bitcoin Ordinals ecosystem has witnessed remarkable growth over the past year, and this sale aims to showcase the vast creative diversity within the Bitcoin community.

This initiative follows Sotheby’s successful first auction of Bitcoin Ordinals on December 13, where three pieces from the BitcoinShrooms collection were offered. BitcoinShrooms is considered one of the earliest Bitcoin Ordinals projects, created by the artist Shroomtoshi. The auction exceeded expectations by fetching $450,850, which was five times higher than the combined estimated value of the three pieces. This achievement marked a significant milestone for Sotheby’s and highlighted the burgeoning interest in Ordinals as a new avenue for artists and creators to expand the reach of digital art and collectibles while leaving a lasting mark on the Bitcoin blockchain.

Michael Bouhanna, Sotheby’s Head of Digital Art, commented on the success of the previous sale, stating, “Last month’s sale of three BitcoinShrooms was a test case to introduce Ordinals to the auction market. The resounding success of that sale was proof of the explosive growth of Ordinals as a new arena for artists and creators to expand the reach of digital art and collectibles and make a lasting imprint on the Bitcoin blockchain. As Ordinals continue to attract attention from collectors, this new avenue will expand the boundaries of how we conceptualize digital collectibles, as well as place a spotlight on the unique convergence of digital art and crypto culture.”

The “Natively Digital: An Ordinals Curated Sale” by Sotheby’s serves as a testament to the evolving landscape of digital art, collectibles, and blockchain technology, underlining their growing significance in the world of art and culture.