World Wide Web Original Code Set to Be Auctioned as an NFT

Sotheby’s auction house is set to auction the web’s source code as an NFT and the bidding starts at $1,000.

British computer scientist and inventor Tim Berners-Lee has chosen Sotheby’s to auction the original code for the World Wide Web as a nonfungible token (NFT). The NFT called “This Changed Everything” will be up for auction from 23-30 June.

Auction house Sotheby’s will be in charge of the auction event in London, and the bidding for the NFT starts at $1,000. The NFT on display will contain the original time-stamped files with the source code written by Berners-Lee.

It will also contain an animated visualisation of the web code, a letter written by the creator on the code and its creation, and a digital “poster” of the full code. All these contents will be digitally signed by Berners-Lee.

The auction of the NFT is set to be the first time Berners-Lee will financially capitalise on what many consider to be one of the greatest inventions of all time. Berners-Lee said, “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.”

The inventor said he believes the web’s knowledge and potential will remain open and available for people to continue to innovate, create and launch the next technological transformation. “NFTs, be they artworks or a digital artifact like this, are the latest playful creations in this realm and the most appropriate means of ownership that exists. They are the ideal way to package the origins behind the web,” Berners-Lee added.

NFTs have gained popularity in recent months, with hundreds of millions of dollars sold since the start of the year. So far, NFTs have gained adoption in numerous industries, including sports, art, film and music.