• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechNFTs

Beeple’s record-breaking $69 million NFT makes its public debut at NYC’s Dreamverse event

By Kylie Logan
November 5, 2021, 8:15 PM ET

Last night, DJ Alesso headlined the first NFT festival Dreamverse and announced that he’ll be sending two collectors of his first NFT collection “Cosmic Genesis” to space. Yep, you read that right.

Dreamverse kicked off this week with a gallery and packed party in New York City that used augmented and virtual reality to showcase digital art of 150 artists in a real-world event space. Among the artists were Hackatao, Sparrow, Drue Kataoka, and 17 year-old Diana Sinclair.

But the real star of the festival was Beeple—otherwise known as Mike Winkelmann—who was No. 1 on Fortune‘s recent NFTy 50 list and the artist behind the top-selling NFT of all time, Everydays – The First 5000 Days, which sold for $69 million in March. The NFT, which was on display at the event, was purchased by DreamVerse creators MetaKovan (whose real name is Vignesh Sundaresan) and Twobadour (also known as Anand Venkateswaran).

Dreamverse
The Dreamverse gallery of NFT art.
Courtesy of Dreamverse

MetaKovan and Twobadour, who are also the founders of Metapurse, an NFT production studio and crypto fund, say Dreamverse was designed to be a reunion of the metaverse and the physical world. “The NFT cultural explosion happened,” Twobadour told Fortune, “because we were all driven inwards because of COVID.”

NFTs are an art form that can break down cultural barriers, the founders said. “When the native Spanish speaking person in the hinterlands of Latin America creates a work of art, he doesn’t have to translate it, he doesn’t have to do anything else, and it is still valid. It is still relevant to the rest of the world. That’s the model of the NFT space,” Twobadour said, describing the world of NFTs as “pro-culture.” Dreamverse was intended to foster and strengthen the bonds between this international community that’s been built online through interests rather than proximity, the founders said.

NFT art on display at Dreamverse in New York City.
NFT art on display at Dreamverse in New York City.
Courtesy of Dreamverse

NFTs have been criticized for their environmental impact as well as their air of exclusivity. Exclusivity is “not the ethos” of this community, countered MetaKovan, stating that he’s “particularly against anything that makes something exclusive…and all these communities were meant to be inclusive.” Tickets to the gallery portion of the Dreamverse festival were $30, while the party used a three-tiered ticketing system with tickets that went for $175 to $2,500 for a VIP NFT ticket.

Although more and more corporations have been dabbling in NFTs, MetaKovan predicts that “more space is going to be taken up by artists than companies and crypto protocols.” Added Twobadour: “Art is precious, not in the sense that a precious or rare metal is, but in a sense that air or water is, like, something that you can’t do without.”

Subscribe to Fortune Daily to get essential business stories straight to your inbox each morning.


Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Even Nvidia’s own research teams can’t get enough GPUs amid the race for AI computing power
NewslettersEye on AI
Even Nvidia’s own research teams can’t get enough GPUs amid the race for AI computing power
By Sharon GoldmanApril 9, 2026
5 hours ago
You’re looking at the AI revolution all wrong, top economist says: 40% unemployment and a 3-day work week are the same thing
AIdisruption
You’re looking at the AI revolution all wrong, top economist says: 40% unemployment and a 3-day work week are the same thing
By Nick LichtenbergApril 9, 2026
5 hours ago
Zoom CEO Eric Yuan
Successthe future of work
‘I hate working 5 days’: Zoom CEO says traditional work schedules are becoming obsolete—and predicts a 3-day workweek by 2031
By Preston ForeApril 9, 2026
6 hours ago
Nutella seen aboard the Orion spacecraft Integrity.
RetailFood and drink
Nutella jumps on the best product placement money can’t buy: a trip to the far side of the moon
By Catherina GioinoApril 9, 2026
7 hours ago
kash
Cybersecuritycyber
Trump’s ‘cease-fire’ won’t stop Iranian hackers for long, cyber experts say
By David Klepper and The Associated PressApril 9, 2026
7 hours ago
lego
PoliticsIran
AI-savvy pro-Iran groups troll America with Lego Movie-style propaganda videos mocking American failure
By Sam McNeil and The Associated PressApril 9, 2026
8 hours ago

Most Popular

U.S. government is spending $88 billion a month in interest on national debt—equal to spending on defense and education combined
Economy
U.S. government is spending $88 billion a month in interest on national debt—equal to spending on defense and education combined
By Fortune EditorsApril 9, 2026
10 hours ago
The U.S. had a national debt ‘home run’ in its grasp, says Jamie Dimon. But the government did nothing, and now its best option is crisis management
Economy
The U.S. had a national debt ‘home run’ in its grasp, says Jamie Dimon. But the government did nothing, and now its best option is crisis management
By Fortune EditorsApril 8, 2026
1 day ago
2 years ago, Saudi Arabia quietly canceled the ‘petrodollar’ deal with America that wired the world economy for 50 years. Then war broke out in Iran
Energy
2 years ago, Saudi Arabia quietly canceled the ‘petrodollar’ deal with America that wired the world economy for 50 years. Then war broke out in Iran
By Fortune EditorsApril 7, 2026
2 days ago
Self-made billionaire MrBeast says his work-life balance is nonexistent and calls it a ‘miracle’ if he works less than 15-hour days: ‘I live to work’
Success
Self-made billionaire MrBeast says his work-life balance is nonexistent and calls it a ‘miracle’ if he works less than 15-hour days: ‘I live to work’
By Fortune EditorsApril 8, 2026
1 day ago
Gen Z workers are so fearful AI will take their job they’re intentionally sabotaging their company’s AI rollout
AI
Gen Z workers are so fearful AI will take their job they’re intentionally sabotaging their company’s AI rollout
By Fortune EditorsApril 8, 2026
1 day ago
MacKenzie Scott's latest donation takes her HBCU giving to well over $1 billion
Success
MacKenzie Scott's latest donation takes her HBCU giving to well over $1 billion
By Fortune EditorsApril 7, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.