{"id":8031,"date":"2021-05-09T17:11:08","date_gmt":"2021-05-09T17:11:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uaaglobal.com\/sothebys-accepting-cryptocurrency-for-upcoming-banksy-auction\/"},"modified":"2021-05-09T17:11:08","modified_gmt":"2021-05-09T17:11:08","slug":"sothebys-accepting-cryptocurrency-for-upcoming-banksy-auction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uaaglobal.com\/sothebys-accepting-cryptocurrency-for-upcoming-banksy-auction\/","title":{"rendered":"Sotheby\u2019s accepting cryptocurrency for upcoming Banksy auction"},"content":{"rendered":"
It has been made abundantly clear that the digital realm is now intrinsically tied to the economies of the world. With the ever-valuable status of Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies still aloft and the vastly growing interest in NFTs, the digital economy is also making firm ties to the world of art. So it comes as no surprise that major art brokers and institutions would want to open their doors to these ever-growing avenues of finance, and Sotheby\u2019s accepting cryptocurrency for an upcoming auction of a Banksy<\/a> is a clear sign of these changing times.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The piece up for auction is Banksy\u2019s Love is in the Air (2005), an iconic work by the anonymous artist, depicting a masked rioter standing poised to lob a bouquet of flowers. This particular iteration is oil and spray paint on canvas, the colourful hand-painted bouquet unique to it. It\u2019s perhaps the image most synonymous with Banksy, even being used as the cover for his book Wall and Piece and reproduced constantly worldwide. Not only does it capture the artist\u2019s signature skewing of contextual presumptions and wit, but it also brims with the hopeful and active energy for positive change that seems to drive so much of Banksy\u2019s career.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Sotheby\u2019s announced that through a partnership with Coinbase Commerce, a cryptocurrency transaction facilitator, they would be accepting bitcoin or ether for the hammer price on this piece. It is the first time that, not only Sotheby\u2019s, but any major auction house, has accepted cryptocurrencies for an auction. Although they have only stated this allowance for this particular auction, with trends as they are, there is a good chance cryptocurrency will find a regular place within Sotheby\u2019s. And as NFTs are still just beginning their rise it likely won\u2019t be long before other major institutions follow suit.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n