Bored Apes to CryptoPunks: The top 10 most expensive NFT sales of 2023

This year wasn't the best for NFT sales, or for the floor prices of the most popular collections. 

Yuga Labs's NFT collections Bored Ape Yacht Club and CryptoPunks, which was originally created by Larva Labs, saw their floor prices fall 57.6% and 13.8% respectively from Jan. 1, 2023 to Nov. 28, according to The Block's Data Dashboard. 

However, Bored Apes and CryptoPunks made up the majority of the most expensive NFT sales of 2023. In fact, four were from the Bored Ape collection and another four were from CryptoPunks, with one Art Block Fidenza and a Mutant Ape NFT thrown in as well. 

Here's a look at the most expensive NFT sales of 2023. 

10) Bored Ape Yacht Club #5116 — 440 ETH

Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT #5116. Image: OpenSea

This NFT sold on March 7 on the NFT platform X2Y2 for 440 ETH. The NFT's rarity includes trippy fur, which only 0.77% of the 10,000 Bored Ape NFTs have, as well as Kings Crown, also with 0.77% rarity. 

9) CryptoPunk #3307 — 500 ETH

CryptoPunk #3307. Image: CryptoPunks

While other NFTs are prized for their rare attributes, CryptoPunk #3307 is special for its lack of any. It is one of eight CryptoPunks that has zero attributes, according to the CryptoPunk website. 

The asset sold for nearly $1 million worth of ETH on Aug. 4 on the Larva Labs marketplace. 

8) Mutant Ape Yacht Club #30002 — 500 ETH

Mutant Ape Yacht Club #30002. Image: Blur

This Mutant Ape Yacht Club NFT marks the only asset from the Mutant Ape Collection, a spin off of Bored Ape Yacht Club, making the top 10 list. It has a 1-of-1 "mega zombie" trait, making it the only NFT of the 20,000 MAYC NFTs with this trait. A user bought this NFT for 500 ETH on the NFT marketplace Blur on Sept. 1. 

7) Bored Ape Yacht Club #4980 — 530 ETH 

Bored Ape Yacht Club #4980. Image: X2Y2

Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT #4980 is one of 46 with solid gold fur and has other rare traits. Of the collection’s 10,000 NFTs, this one has a gray background (11.7% with this trait), smoking jacket (2.2%), angry expression (4.3%), a party hat (1.2%) and is making the phoneme “ooo” (2.5%). It sold for 530 ETH, worth $1.06 million, on May 15. 

6) CryptoPunks #8531 — 550 ETH

CryptoPunk #8531. Image: CryptoPunks

One of the 88 existing "ZombiePunks" makes the sixth most expensive NFT sale of 2023. This NFT is one of 463 with stringy hair, one of 295 with a goatee and one of 527 with regular shades.

It sold for 550 ETH, worth $1.06 million, on July 15 on the CryptoPunks marketplace.

5) Bored Ape Yacht Club #1734 — 600 ETH

Bored Ape Yacht Club #1734. Image: X2Y2

Trading hands for $1.2 million worth of ETH on July 13 on X2Y2, this asset is one of the 46 other Bored Ape NFTs with solid gold fur. It also has a faux hawk, which only 1.2% of the collection has, as well as a "bored cigarette," with a rarity of 7.1%. 

4) CryptoPunk #7458 — 600 ETH 

CryptoPunk #7458. Image: CryptoPunks

Another ZombiePunk here — except this one has a knitted cap (one of 419), a shadow beard (1 of 526) and regular shades (1 of 527). A user bought this NFT for 600 ETH, worth $1.14 million, on the CryptoPunks marketplace on Nov. 6.  

3) Fidenza #545 — 625 ETH

Fidenza #545. Image: OpenSea

The only NFT collection not from CryptoPunks or Bored Apes IP is from Tyler Hobbs' generative NFT collection Art Blocks. Part of the Fidenza collection, Fidenza #545 sold for 625 ETH, or $1.145 million, on OpxttmenSea. The rarest trait on this NFT is its "small" scale; the floor price of Fidenzas with the small scale trait have a floor price of 600 ETH on OpenSea. 

2) Bored Ape Yacht Club #7090 — 800 ETH 

Bored Ape Yacht Club #7090. Image: X2Y2

This NFT sold for 800 ETH worth $1.6 million on Feb. 7 on X2Y2. It has solid gold fur, with a multicolor grin (1.2%), service uniform (1.4%) and heart-shaped glasses (3.9%). 

1) CryptoPunks #5066 — 857 ETH

CryptoPunk #5066. Image: CryptoPunks

The most expensive NFT to sell in 2023 was CryptoPunk #5066. It sold for 857 ETH ($1.4 million) on Feb. 6. It’s not only yet another zombie punk (1 of 88), but it has an earring (1 of 2,459), a knitted cap (1 of 419) and a smile (1 of 238).