ver the last decade, memes have spread across nearly every aspect of our culture. They dictate the latest dance moves, allow us to share complex thoughts and emotions quickly, and even launch careers. In this respect, memes have become a foundational part of our lives. Many are adapted and remixed over the course of years, gaining special meaning in various subcultures. Other memes remain essentially unchanged over time and achieve legendary status, like “Charlie Bit My Finger,” which is recognized by individuals across virtually all backgrounds and age groups. And now we have meme NFTs.
Thanks to non-fungible tokens (NFTs), memes have recently turned into something no one ever really expected: assets that anyone can own.
Since NFTs can be nearly anything — a piece of digital art, a song, a poem, a baseball card, or even a digital deed to a house — it’s not surprising that memes inevitably found their way onto the blockchain as NFTs. It’s also not surprising that so many meme creators have opted to sell their work as NFTs, as doing so allows them to be compensated for their work.
So, let’s take a moment to pay homage to the creators of iconic memes who jumped full throttle into the new creative economy by minting and selling their original IP — and also part of our childhood — as NFTs. Here, we’ve created a chronological list of all the major NFT meme sales to date. Be sure to let us know if we missed any, and check back often. This article will be updated as new meme auctions are launched and closed.
1. Nyan Cat NFT
Date: February 19, 2021
Price: 300 ETH ($587,241)
In February of 2021, Chris Torres kicked off the avalanche of meme NFTs. He is the creator of the Nyan Cat character, and he was the first meme creator to sell his work as an NFT. On a cold winter day, he auctioned off his rainbow pop-tart cat for close to $600,000 and made history.
Torres correctly predicted that this was just the first of many major meme NFTs. At the time of the sale, he stated on Twitter that the event had “opened up the flood gates to the future of meme economy in the Crypto universe.” Torres also praised NFTs, claiming that they made it possible for artists like himself to finally get proper recognition for their work.
2. Trollface NFT
Date: March 5, 2021
Price: 42 ETH ($69,362)
Trollface was one of the earliest images to be widely accepted, understood, and disseminated as a meme in the early 2000s. Carlos Ramirez drew the image in Microsoft Paint on September 19, 2008. The now-iconic picture first gained traction on 4chan and other forum sites, as this was before the advent of social media.
It seemed as though it was to ride the internet waves in virtual freedom for all time. However, Ramirez kept his claim to the original IP (intellectual property). As a result, he was able to profit off of it by way of NFTs. Of course, the image can still be found across the internet, but a new owner now has rights to the IP.
3. Bad Luck Brian NFT
Date: March 8, 2021
Price: 20 ETH ($37,442)
In the wake of the Nyan Cat excitement, Ian Davies and Kyle Craven decided to try their hand at NFTs and minted Bad Luck Brian. The image is a favorite from the “top text, bottom text” meme era and is an actual school photo of Craven’s. To date, it has been passed down through internet culture for over a decade.
4. Grumpy Cat NFT
Date: March 13, 2021
Price: 44.2 ETH ($78,135)
Grumpy Cat is probably the most adorable meme on this list. In real life, the kitty’s name was Tardar Sauce, and she lived with her owner, Tabatha Bundesen, in Arizona. The cat secured widespread popularity after Bundesen posted an image to Reddit on September 23, 2012. The image said simply, “Meet Grumpy Cat.” And it not only withstood the test of time but also became a complete brand.
The cat eventually became the official “spokescat” of Friskies, featured in a Lifetime Christmas movie called “Grumpy Cat’s Worst Christmas Ever,” and her book hit No. 7 on The New York Times’ bestseller list. With that wonderfully sour face, it’s no wonder Grumpy Cat is still being shared far and wide years after the image was initially posted to Reddit. Sadly, Grumpy Cat passed away in May of 2019. However, in some small way, she continues her life on t
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