British computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee is set to auction the original code for the World Wide Web as a nonfungible token for Sotheby’s in London.
Berners-Lee, 66, invented the World Wide Web in 1989, which marked the beginning of one of the most important applications built on top of the internet. The auction for the NFT will run from June 23 to 30 with a starting bid of $1,000.
The proceeds from the auction will go toward initiatives Berners-Lee and his spouse support, according to a press release.
NFTs are a form of digital asset designed to show certification of authentication of someone’s ownership of a virtual item, such as artwork, pictures, and videos, or even trading cards. NFT purchases are often made using cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin or Ethereum.
For the World Wide Web NFT, the auctioned digital package includes original time-stamped files that contain the source code written by Berners-Lee, animated visualization of the code, a letter written by Berners-Lee, and a digital “poster” of the code. All items included will have digital signatures from Berners-Lee.
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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 starting at just $1,000 https://t.co/iB1n1V9L7P pic.twitter.com/dum6Z1P7uE
— Reuters (@Reuters) June 16, 2021
“Three decades ago, I created something which, with the subsequent help of a huge number of collaborators across the world, has been a powerful tool for humanity,” Berners-Lee said in a statement.
The auction will mark the first time Berners-Lee has been able to capitalize financially on what is considered to be an essential component of everyday activity online.
“For me, the best bit about the web has been the spirit of collaboration. While I do not make predictions about the future, I sincerely hope its use, knowledge, and potential will remain open and available to us all to continue to innovate, create, and initiate the next technological transformation that we cannot yet imagine,” Berners-Lee added.
An NFT is backed by a proprietary digital signature, which acts as a public ledger, allowing internet users to verify the asset’s authenticity and ownership. The ledger exists on the blockchain, which serves as a digital record of transactions, and multiple computers on the internet validate each transaction added to a blockchain.
In recent months, NFTs have gained popularity as some sellers such as Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey have sold NFT tweets for nearly $3 million.
Artists, such as Beeple, also known by his birth name Mike Winkelmann, have sold digital pieces of artwork for nearly $70 million.
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The Washington Examiner contacted Sotheby’s but did not immediately receive a response.
