The most expensive asset that can be bought in cryptocurrency. Its price reaches 15 million dollars

International auction house Sotheby’s will accept payments in Bitcoin or Ethereum when a 101.38-carat diamond is sold on Friday, another important step in the adoption of cryptocurrencies.

A single flawless pear-shaped diamond could fetch as much as $ 15 million at auction at Sotheby’s in Hong Kong, making it the most expensive physical thing ever offered for purchase in cryptocurrency.

Sotheby’s Global Luxury Managing Director Josh Pollan said there is a growing demand for gemstones, increasingly coming from “digital generations, many of them in Asia.”

Fewer than 10 diamonds weighing more than 100 carats will be offered at auction, only two of which are pear-shaped, according to “Bloomberg” and seen by “Al Arabiya.net”.

Auction houses are increasingly accepting cryptocurrencies for payment, with Phillips Auctions offering a coin by street artist Banksy for payment via Ethereum or Bitcoin last month. Christie’s also allowed Ethereum to be paid for a batch of digital artwork in February.

For his part, George Buck, art consultant and curator of the Switzerland-based Museum of Contemporary Digital Art specializing in blockchain technologies, said many auction house executives were surprised by the intense interest from enthusiasts of crypto.

“A lot of people have gotten rich quick thanks to the volatility of the cryptocurrency market over the past year, so they’re in the mood to spend,” he added. “If you want to be competitive in the art world as an art dealer or auction house, letting crypto enthusiasts pay with crypto will make you more attractive and innovative,” he said. .

Although cryptocurrency prices have risen and fallen frequently, auction houses rarely bear the brunt of volatility, according to Buck, who said the seller bears most of the risk. Despite the growing interest, cryptocurrencies are not expected to replace traditional currencies anytime soon.