On November 21, 2024, Sotheby's in New York witnessed a groundbreaking auction where Maurizio Cattelan's duct-taped banana artwork, Comedian, sold for $6.24 million. This price far exceeded its pre-sale estimate of $1.5 million, highlighting the volatile nature of art valuation.
The auction attracted intense competition, culminating in a five-minute bidding war led by Tron founder Justin Sun. Notably, Sotheby's accepted cryptocurrency payments, coinciding with Bitcoin's surge to $97,000 on the same day.
Sun described the artwork as a cultural phenomenon linking art, memes, and cryptocurrency. He plans to eat the banana, emphasizing its role in both art history and popular culture.
This event underscores the intersection of the art world and cryptocurrency, illustrating how digital currencies are increasingly influencing traditional markets.