In 2021, the art world was shaken when a work by the digital artist Beeple sold at Christie’s for an astronomical $69 million. The sale became a symbol of the rise of digital art — NFTs — not only in the art world but also across global financial markets. A technology once seen as the antithesis of art as we knew it, suddenly became a window of opportunity for personal expression and exposure to a vast audience.

Alongside the opportunities, however, the darker side of the internet also emerged: stolen artworks and dubious deals leading to losses of millions of dollars, all within a digital world that struggles to protect creators and collectors alike. Through the stories of artists from around the globe, from the United States to Nigeria and Indonesia, the beauty and the ugliness of digital art are revealed. It’s a chance to set the record straight and understand what an NFT actually is; What is a token; What is blockchain; And at the same time, to confront the bigger question: what remains after the hype around digital art fades?