A new technology called a Non-Fungible Token or an NFT is allowing people to buy and sell internet history like artwork.
In basic terms, NFTs are like a digital ledger that certifies a piece of data to be unique and that it cannot be duplicated. This allows people to buy and sell things like viral videos and memes as originals, increasing their value tremendously. Anyone can re-paint the Mona Lisa, but only the original is worth millions of dollars.
So far, a few pieces of internet history have already sold for some pretty insane prices. 'Disaster Girl', a picture of a smiling girl in front of a fire, has sold for $473,000, and the absolute internet classic that is 'Nyan Cat' sold for $580,000.
The most recent NFT to go on sale and subsequently sell for $761,000 was the iconic 'Charlie Bit My Finger' clip, which has amassed over 880 million views on YouTube.
The Davies-Carr family has chosen to remove the clip from YouTube after selling it, but it's important to note that this is by no means the normal move. NFTs do not entitle the buyer to the copyright of said content, only that they own the original version of it, so the creators of the content are still free to use and share it as they see fit.
Whether you think buying an internet meme is a waste of money or not, it must be nice for the Davies-Carr family to finally earn a nice paycheck from their internet fame.
