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The cryptoverse is not enjoying 2022. Bitcoin prices have fallen 65 percent, NFT trading volume is down 97 percent, and FTX\u2019s implosion showed the sector is as financially dubious as it is morally bankrupt.<\/p>\n
Hardly an ideal time, one might think, for Christie\u2019s<\/a> to really get the wheels spinning on its specialized NFT operation. The auction house, however, remains bullish, announcing its \u201cNext Wave: The Miami Edit\u201d sale with the peppy optimism of Spring 2021. And why not? It\u2019s got NFT pedigree<\/a>. It\u2019s assembled some of the crypto art\u2019s biggest names. It boasts an on-chain auction platform, Christie\u2019s 3.0<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cDespite the news cycle of cryptocurrencies, there remains strong interest in digital art,\u201d Nicole Sales Giles, digital art director at Christie\u2019s, told Artnet News. \u201cCollectors want to own the best artworks and Christie\u2019s 3.0 is the venue.\u201d<\/p>\n The auction, which will run from November 30 to December 7, is timed to coincide with Miami Art Week, an event that last year became an IRL bonanza of crypto celebration. The top lot is Mother Flock <\/em>a generative project created by Random International and Danil Krivoruchko, which allows the viewer to manipulate a flock of thousands of bird-like figures. Other lots include a shot from Dave Krugman, the American photographer with a penchant for cars; Untitled<\/em> by nature-focused painter and programmer Zancan; and, fittingly, City of Miami<\/em>, a serenely colorful work by Cory Van Lew.<\/p>\n \u201cUntitled\u201d Zancan. Courtesy Christie\u2019s<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cWe curated a tight group of digital artists who are producing very high-quality work and helping to advance the digital art space\u201d Sales Giles said. \u201cThey are the next generation of digital artists.\u201d<\/p>\n The auction follows the successful debut of Christie\u2019s 3.0 with the sale of work by teenage NFT star Diana Sinclair<\/a>. All of the works sold at 145 percent above the low estimate. It also saw 300 clients connect their crypto wallets to Christie\u2019s 3.0.<\/p>\n