A manager of a cell phone operator receives a text message (SMS), on his two-kilo “Orbitel” phone, similar to a desk phone, but without wires and with a handle, almost 30 years ago. A short message that, during the third week of December 2021, is auctioned and sold for $121,000.
On December 3, 1992, Neil Papworth, a Vodafone, send “Merry Christmas”, first text message, from his computer to manager Richard Jarvis, who was on holiday in England.
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This historic congratulation was sold by the famous French auction house Aguttes.
“On December 21st, the Aguttes house made a sale in the form of the first NFT (Non-fungible Token) SMS sent by the Vodafone Group network, consisting of 15 characters that you can read: Merry Christmas”, manifested in his account. Twitter, a few days ago, the same auction company.
The first SMS auction in history was in the form of an NFT. Photo: EFE
The buyer, a Canadian working in the new technology sector and whose identity was not disclosed, became the exclusive owner of a detailed replica of the original communication protocol created by Vodafone showing the sending and receiving of the first SMS, the slogan El País.
Meanwhile, as the sale of intangible goods is illegal in France, buyers will get a tangible asset in the form of a digital frame that features a 3D animation that shows when the phone received the world’s first text message. This purchase also includes an animated version of a complete replica of the original communication protocol code.
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“We unite the pioneering spirit of two centuries. We are immortalizing the world’s first SMS on the blockchain and auctioning it off as an NFT for a good cause”, said Colman Deegan, CEO of Vodafone Spain. These non-exchangeable tokens will be paid for in Ethereum, the second most popular cryptocurrency after Bitcoin.
Finally, the amount will be donated to UNHCR, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
What is a Non-Fungible Token (NFT)?
Non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, are a type of digital asset that differ from their counterparts in that they use blockchain technology, just like cryptocurrencies.
That something digital is unique is a paradox, because everything can be copied. With a similar example, an art painting can be copied and photographed. However, according to El País, the image itself has a monetary value that no one else has. After all, the value of the object is determined by the appraiser who decides that the painting is genuine. Similarly, blockchain technology gives NFT the value that makes it unique.
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That NFT They are digital revolution. Any artist, company, influencer, and personality who has some kind of digital law You can take advantage of this figure through a digital property certificate.
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