Non-fungible tokens are one of the innovations in the blockchain space that has recently garnered a lot of followers. One of the reasons for this is that NFTs allow artists to showcase their skills and receive the needed recognition for their work.

Over the years, there has been an influx of several artists who have leveraged NFTs to bring to light their unique creative skills, thereby increasing their popularity.

Further, the NFT market has continued to grow with the creation of new platforms and the minting of new tokens despite the unstable price movement of the crypto industry.

Brief History of NFTs

NFTs first appeared in the blockchain industry in 2012 when the Colored Coins protocol was launched on the Bitcoin blockchain. However, they didn’t receive much recognition until 2017, when NFTs transitioned to the Ethereum network. On Ethereum, NFTs flourished because of the network’s ability to enable the creation, programming, and trading of these assets, which include digital arts, collectibles, and music.

The most successful NFT projects between 2017 and 2018 were CryptoPunks, Rare Pepes, and Crypto Kitties. Before 2017, Kevin McCoy minted Quantum in 2014, which some in the industry regard as the first NFT on the Namecoin blockchain.

The NFT market, however, exploded to new highs in 2021 when it started to circulate the art industry, with digital artists leveraging it to monetize their work. That year, Beeple sold a digital artwork for $69 million, and the trading volume of the non-fungible token market surged to $13 billion.

10 Famous NFT Artists

Several famous NFT artists have made millions of dollars from selling their work, making them very popular in the industry. However, among these crowds of artists are some who have been regarded as the top 10 hottest creators due to their impressive sales and unique skills. They are Beeple, Pak, Trevor Jones, Krista Kim, Grimes, Fewocious, Mad Dog Jones, XCOPY, Josie Bellini, and Slimesunday.

Beeple

Source: Beeple’s Website

Mike Winkelmann, the face behind Beeple, is one of the most popular NFT artists in the industry. Beeple had consistently created a piece of art every day for over 13 years. He eventually minted his digital artwork, encompassing a collage of 5000 images into a non-fungible token, and named this unique piece “Everyday: The First 5000 Days.”

Beeple sold the piece for $69 million, the highest record sale of an NFT art in March 2021. Also, since it was the first “crypto art” to be auctioned and sold at a traditional art house, it increased the popularity of such assets. Beeple is well known for his unique art, creating surreal and dystopian imagery for onlookers. Mike keeps pushing the boundaries of digital art by experimenting with new techniques and creates art daily, which he shares on his social media handles.

Pak

Source: Nifty Gateway

Pak is an anonymous digital artist with nearly 20 years of work experience creating digital art. Notably, Pak’s anonymity also leaves the possibility of this mysterious NFT artist being a group rather than an individual.

Pak is considered one of the wealthiest NFT artists, though most of their art sells for only a few million dollars, with an average of $4,077.96. Pak’s art often includes abstract shapes created with generative algorithms. The use of cutting-edge technologies and remarkable creative skills has made their work one of the most sought-after art in the industry. In March 2021, they sold a collection of NFTs for $17 million. Then, in 2014, they created an AI-powered social media platform, Archillect, which they use to post visual art.

While Pak has remained anonymous, this has not discouraged art collectors who have continued to spend vast sums of money to acquire Pak’s work. Among the massive followers of this artist is the CEO of Tesla Motors, Elon Musk.

Trevor Jones

Source: Trevor jones art

Trevor Jones is an NFT artist who has made massive sales and garnered many followers by combining traditional painting and cutting-edge technology. This combination brings out a rare and unique piece that is often visually stunning and thought-provoking.

Further, Jones is dedicated to helping the NFT community grow by using his platform to boost other upcoming NFT artists. Trevor also used his platform to create more awareness about the potential of blockchain technology in the world of digital art. One of his best works is the series of Bitcoin Angel pieces featuring a winged figure levitating over several global landmarks. The series was beautifully crafted using digital painting techniques and 3D modeling software, with each piece being unique.

Krista Kim

Source: Krista kim studio

Kim founded the Mars House project, an NFT virtual house that she sold for $512,000 in March 2021. Her art features dreamlike images and pastel colors. Also, she is known as one of the first artists to adopt NFTs and leverage blockchain technology to create unique pieces of artwork.

Kim’s work has gained wide recognition across the world of arts in prestigious exhibitions, museums, and galleries worldwide. In 2018, Kim collaborated with Lanvin to create a clothing collection and founded the Techism movement to bridge artists and tech engineers. Also, this movement sees technological advancement as a work of art.

Grimes

Source: @grimes/collections">Nifty gateway Grimes

Grimes is an artist, producer, and performer who has made a name for herself in music and digital art. Recently, Grimes began to show interest in NFTs, creating and selling digital artworks that portray power, identity, and mythological themes. Like Kim, her work is also characterized by dreamlike and surreal imagery.

Grimes’ source of inspiration is linked to medieval arts, cyberpunk, and anime, which is why her work is filled with science fiction and fantasy. In 2021, she sold her NFT collection War Nymph on Nifty Gateway, which earned her $6 million, which is way more than she has gained as a musical artist.

Fewocious

Source: Cryptoart.io fewocious

Fewocious began his drawing and painting journey at a tender age, and in 2020, he shifted into NFTs to monetize his work. Fewocious captured the hearts of collectors and enthusiasts with his extraordinary skill, thereby making him gain massive recognition in a short time.

His art features bold, imaginative, and colorful qualities, one of the key ingredients to his success as an NFT artist despite his age of 21. Fewocious works have been displayed and sold at reputable exhibitions for a few thousand dollars.

In 2021, he collaborated with RTKF, a Nike subsidiary, to create a sneaker NFT collection titled FEWO WORLD Open Edition. The collection included a real pair of sneakers with the purchase of the unique NFT, and it sold over $3 million in 7 minutes.

Mad Dog Jones

Source: Twitter

Micah Dowbak, a Canadian digital artist, is the face behind Mad Dog Jones, and his art is fueled by nostalgic memories of growing up in the 90s. His work is, therefore, magnificent, evoking a sense of wonder in its viewers.

Though Micah is relatively new to the NFT scene, he has garnered a lot of followers and made impressive sales on his work. In April 2021, Dowbak’s most famous artwork, the Replicator, sold for over $4 million. It was a 50-second loop scene featuring a copy machine and a cat. Mad Dog Jones has made over $18 million from his work.

XCOPY

Source: Xcopy

XCOPY is an anonymous NFT artist or group of artists who gained popularity due to their use of glitches, pixel art, and traditional art techniques to create a hypnotic piece that always has a stunning effect on its viewers.

They have a high sales ranking, selling a single NFT for over $23,000 on average. In 2022, they sold an NFT collection titled Max Pain as an open edition on Nifty Gates for nearly $23 million. XCOPY’s work often portrays dystopia, apathy, and death through a distorted visual loop.

Josie Bellini

Source: Twitter

Josie Bellini is a crypto artist quickly gaining widespread recognition in the NFT community. Her work is a delicate balance between fantasy and science fiction, coming to life in bold colors and intricate details.

Josie’s signature style of infusing her artwork with storytelling and emotions has made her a respected titan in the NFT community. Her most prominent work is the Bitcoin gas mask from Filter, which has gradually fused with her brand.

Josie is also a staunch believer in decentralization and uses her art to create more awareness about Bitcoin and Ethereum. Further, in March 2022, she launched CyberBrokers, an NFT collection that brings the metaverse to light in colorful art.

Slimesunday

Source: @slimesunday/collections">Nifty Gateway

Mike Parisella, who goes by the art name Slimesunday, is a digital artist whose extraordinary talent has been noticed in the NFT community. Mike, who has a distinct style of creating surreal and supernatural pieces, seamlessly blends different textures and elements into his work. Viewers of Slimesunday’s work are often left with a sense of disorientation, unease, and awe due to its glitchy, distorted, and fragmented images.

Further, Mike combines painting, photography, and digital techniques to continually push the boundaries of what is acceptable in mainstream media. Slimesunday’s beautiful yet haunting composition art has made him one of the few artists whose work continues to strike viewers with deep, thought-provoking feelings.

Conclusion

The art world’s significant transition toward NFT and blockchain technology has been a game-changing move that helped artists monetize their work. These artists are of different ages and backgrounds, but their unique skill set has earned them a place in the industry’s top 10 most respected and famous NFT artists.

Some artists, like Josie Bellini, have continually used their art to create awareness about crypto giants like Bitcoin and Ethereum. At the same time, others like Trevor Jones use their art to champion the potential of blockchain technology for the world of digital art.