The world’s first SMS sold in NFT for $150,000 at the Paris auction house
Jarvis received the message on his Orbitel 901 cell phone at the company’s Christmas reception.
The NFT is a replica of the original communications protocol that transmitted the SMS, the auction house said. The unknown buyer, who was supposed to pay in Ether cryptocurrency, will also receive a digital frame with a 3D animation of the received message.
“A pivotal moment”
They finally refined the code and SMS transmission via Vodafone’s network became a reality.
“In 1992, I had no idea how popular texting would become, and that it would give rise to emoticons and messaging apps used by millions of people,” Papworth said, as quoted by Commissioner- auctioneer.
“It was only recently that I told my children that I had sent that first text. Looking back, it is clearer to see that the Christmas message I sent was a pivotal moment in mobile history,” he added.
Initially, text messages could not be sent from cell phones as they did not have a keypad. However, in 1994 they could be transmitted from telephones thanks to the arrival of the Nokia 210.
Five years later, text messages could be sent over various telecommunications networks, hence their popularity. According to the press release, texting as a means of communication has begun to overtake the use of phone calls.
The 160-character limit on SMS – which stands for “Short Message Service” – has since been incorporated into all digital platforms, including Twitter.
Shake up the art world
Just as the world’s first SMS revolutionized the way people communicate, NFTs are shaking up the art world.
Non-fungible tokens are a form of cryptocurrency that converts digital works of art into unique, verifiable assets that can be traded on the blockchain.
Speaking about the sale of the NFT SMS, Maximilien Aguttes, head of development at Aguttes auction house, said: “The first printed book, the first phone call, the first email, all these inventions changed our lives and our communication in the world. “
“This first text message received in 1992 is a historic testimony to human and technological progress. It conveyed a message of joy, ‘Merry Christmas'”, added Aguttes.
