In this week’s newsletter, read about how the fourth most expensive non-fungible token (NFT) ever was quietly sold without much fanfare, find out how much former United States President Donald Trump earned from his NFT collections, and check out what former pro basketball player Shaquille O’Neal needs to do in a lawsuit involving an NFT project he allegedly sold. In other news, a CryptoPunk didn’t attract much attention in a Sotheby’s auction. 

CryptoPunk NFT sold quietly as market interest fades

The most expensive CryptoPunk ever, which was sold for $23.7 million in 2022, was transferred for an undisclosed amount on Aug. 19. Its former owner, Deepak Thapliyal, posted a farewell message on X, as the NFT was sent to a new unlabeled address. 

While Thapliyal did not disclose the amount the NFT was sold for, community members speculated that the NFT was sold at a loss. With only one alien CryptoPunk available at $13.36 million in the market, a community member believes that the previously most expensive NFT was sold for about the same price. 

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Trump raked in over $7 million from NFTs, new disclosure shows

Former US President Donald Trump disclosed that he earned over $7 million from his NFT collections and owns up to $5 million in crypto. In a personal financial disclosure obtained by Citizens for Ethics, Trump declared Ethereum-based crypto asset holdings of between $1 million and $5 million.

Trump also added that he earned over $7.15 million from his NFT collections, which include his “Mugshot” NFTs and two other trading card collections. 

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O’Neal may still be in hot water over Astral NFTs, says judge

Former pro basketball player and sports commentator Shaquille O’Neal may still need to defend himself against the Astral NFT project lawsuit. In an Aug. 16 order, a judge said that the plaintiffs properly alleged that the former NBA superstar was a “seller” of the NFT project. 

This means that O’Neal will need to answer for these allegations. However, the judge also knocked back a claim that the former basketball player had control over the project. 

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Sotheby’s sell CryptoPunk and Beeple NFTs at digital auction

Fine arts auction house Sotheby’s held a digital auction featuring Beeple and CryptoPunk NFTs. The online event started on Aug. 15 and will end on Aug. 22. The auction aimed to bring together blue-chip quality works and cater to different collectors. 

However, the CryptoPunk in the auction did not get the desired results. While the fine arts broker valued the piece between $70,000 and $100,000, by the time of writing, it had only attracted two bids below $50,000.

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Thanks for reading this digest of the week’s most notable developments in the NFT space. Come again next Wednesday for more reports and insights into this actively evolving space.