Nelson Mandela’s arrest warrant NFT fetches $130k at auction

A non-fungible token (NFT) created from Late President Nelson Mandela’s original arrest warrant has been sold at an auction for 1.9million rand ($130,000). The proceeds will be used to fund the Liliesheaf Museum heritage site that documents South Africa’s struggle for democracy.

An NFT, or non-fungible token, is a digital asset that represents ownership of a unique item or piece of content, such as a digital artwork or collectible. NFTs are created and traded on blockchain platforms, which allows for secure and verifiable ownership and transfer of the asset

According to Ahren Posthumus, chief executive officer of Momint, the marketplace for NFTs that sold the Mandela item, the Museum received the original document as a donation in 2004.

Last year the same museum received about $50,000 following an auction of a NFT of a pen gun owned by fellow freedom fighter Oliver Tambo.

Nelson Mandela was a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary, political leader, and philanthropist who served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He was the first black President of South Africa. He was arrested on charges of sabotage and conspiracy to overthrow the government in 1962 and was sentenced to life in prison. He was released in 1990 after serving 27 years in prison.

This helps the “museum sites stay afloat,” Posthumus said in an interview. “They have been badly affected by the lack of tourism due to Covid. So this is a way to revitalize their flow and keep history alive.”

Posthumus said that the buyer of the NFT will have exclusive access to the original document at Liliesleaf Museum, “The ink is visible through the paper” of the high-definition scan, he added.