The value of the World Wide Web code NFT auction has soared to $2.8million. The non-fungible token contains original source code by Tim Berners-Lee, AKA “the father of the Internet”. Bidding opened at just £1,000 and will close at 6PM BST on Wednesday 30th June.
What’s inside the ‘World Wide Web Code’ NFT?
It should go without saying the idea of turning computer code into a non-fungible collectible is peak meta. But the ‘World Wide Web Code’ NFT is actually a work of art, or several rather works of art. Much like the code itself then.
Inside the token, the buyer will find timestamped files containing the source code, animated visualisation and a digital poster of the code. All the content has been produced by Berners-Lee, who included a note.
“‘It has been fun to go back and look over the code. It is amazing to see the things that those relatively few lines of code, with a help of an amazing growing gang of collaborators across the planet, stayed enough on track to become what the web is now. I have never once felt I could relax and sit back – as the web was and is constantly changing. It is not yet the best it can be: there is always work to be done!’
Who is TimBL
The ‘World Wide Web Code’ NFT celebrates one of the most significant advancements in human communication, ever.
London-born computer scientist Berners-Lee, sometimes known as TimBL, created the code in 1989. This was the first successful communication between an HTTP client and a server. Since then, the internet has transformed every aspect of our personal and professional lives, including the launch of NFTEvening. Despite this, it wasn’t until 2004 that he received money from the invention — $1.2million through the first-ever Millennium Technology Prize.
Berners-Lee is now director of the World Wide Web Consortium, the leading international standards agency for the World Wide Web. The organisation focuses on education, outreach, and net neutrality. It also produces software and acts as an open forum for debates and discussions on the future of the Internet. It has 443 member groups providing full-time staff.
Sotheby’s and the ‘World Wide Web Code’ NFT
Depending on which way you look at it, this auction is either the most universally relevant or specialised Sotheby’s has hosted so far. The World Wide Web itself is familiar and essential to everyone, but coding remains a largely niche pursuit in terms of mainstream popularity. This goes for digital artwork based on coding, too.
Sotheby’s other auctions include the sale of the first-ever NFT minted, 2014’s ‘Quantum’ by Kevin McCoy as part of the ‘Natively Digital‘ collection. The auction house has previously partnered with Samsung on a non-fungible sale, and alongside Christie’s recently announced it would accept crypto payments for upcoming physical sales.
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