- Title: World Wide Web code that changed the world up for auction as NFT
- Date: 24th June 2021
- Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (JUNE 23, 2021) (REUTERS) SOUNDBITE (English) CHAIRMAN OF SOTHEBY'S EUROPE, OLIVER BARKER, SAYING: "I think actually what you're seeing actually, certainly since the beginning of 2021 as the auction houses, particularly Sotheby's, has gone into the NFT market is really a legitimisation I think, of the space. But the fact that this is the very first digital native NFT as opposed to being one attached to a digital artwork itself is a really meaningful moment. Now in terms of its performance and what it could make, the sky is the limit, I mean I think this ultimately is the best NFT that's been offered arguably, I think independently people are extraordinarily excited about it and there are other things which are kind of indicative of the interest NFTs could make, Such as the Jack Dorsey tweet, but you know we certainly believe this is much much more meaningful and therefore more valuable."
- Embargoed: 8th July 2021 12:59
- Keywords: NFT Sotheby's Tim Berners-Lee WWW auction
- Location: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINDGOM, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND, UNKNOWN LOCATION
- City: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINDGOM, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND, UNKNOWN LOCATION
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: Arts/Culture/Entertainment,Europe
- Reuters ID: LVA008EIRGZ0N
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The original source code for the World Wide Web that was written by its inventor Tim Berners-Lee is up for sale at Sotheby's as part of a non-fungible token, with bids already shooting past $200,000 with two hours of the auction beginning on Wednesday (June 23). Berners-Lee, a London-born computer scientist, invented the World Wide Web in 1989, revolutionising the sharing and creation of information in what is seen as one of the most significant inventions since the printing press appeared in Europe in 15th Century Germany. The digitally signed Ethereum blockchain non-fungible token (NFT), a one-of-a-kind digital asset which records ownership, includes the original source code, an animated visualization, a letter written by Berners-Lee and a digital poster of the full code from the original files.
NFTs have exploded in popularity in recent months, including at auction. A digital only work by American artist Mike Winkelmann, known as Beeple, sold for nearly $70 million at Christie's in March. The files contain 9,555 lines of code including implementations of the three languages and protocols invented by Berners-Lee: HTML (Hypertext Markup Language), HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol), and URIs (Uniform Resource Identifiers). Also included are original HTML documents that instructed early web users on how to use the application.
Bids for the NFT, a way of asserting ownership of a digital asset, started at $1,000 in a standalone online auction titled "This Changed Everything" running from June 23-30.
(Production: Natalie Thomas) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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