LONDON: A digital collage by American artist Beeple sold Thursday for a record $69.3 million at Christie’s auctioneers, as virtual art rapidly establishes itself as a new — and highly profitable — creative genre.

“Everydays: The First 5,000 Days” became the most expensive ever “non-fungible token” (NFT) — a collectible digital asset that uses blockchain technology to turn virtual work into a unique item.