The minimum lot price at the auction is 0.13 Ethereum, which is equivalent to $500.
Tishman Speyer, which oversees the famous Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center, this year invites everyone to participate in the auction and “take away” the New Year symbol to their home. One of the most famous Christmas trees has received its own animated copy-illustration.
The minimum lot value at auction is 0.13 Ethereum, which is equivalent to approximately $500. The auction is expected to close by January 1, 2021.
The animated GIF also includes a banner at the top of the tree informing the owner that it is 24 meters high. All proceeds from the sale of the virtual tree will be donated to the Habitat for Humanity Foundation.
It is noted that the initial cost of NFT is clearly less than the price that Tishman Speyer pays for the installation of a real Christmas tree. This year, a 12-ton, 85-year-old Norwegian spruce was delivered by truck from Elkton, Maryland. The spruce is adorned with over 50,000 light bulbs and topped by a giant star covered in 3 million crystals.
Tishman Speyer has curated the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree since purchasing the iconic New York landmark for $1.85 billion in 2000. The complex itself was built in the 1930s and renovated in 1996.
This is Tishman Speyer's first ever entry into the NFT business, although a number of major players have already entered the business of selling virtual homes and works of art. So, in March 2021, the first ever “digital home”, designed by an artist from Toronto, was sold for 288 Ethereum tokens, which is more than $1 million.