Christie’s Dissolves Digital Art Department as NFT Market Contracts

Christie's has shuttered its standalone digital art division, marking a retreat from its pioneering efforts to legitimize NFTs and AI-generated works in traditional auction markets. The 256-year-old auction house will now fold digital art sales into its broader 20th/21st Century Art category.

The MOVE follows August layoffs that eliminated two key digital art positions, leaving just one specialist in New York. This restructuring mirrors dual pressures facing both conventional and digital art markets. Christie's fine art sales fell 1.9% year-over-year to $1.5 billion in H1 2025, continuing a downward trend from 2023 peaks.

NFT markets have collapsed more dramatically. Trading volumes cratered 93% from 2021's $2.97 billion boom to just $197 million in 2024. Several digital art platforms including Async Art and KnownOrigin have ceased operations entirely.

The decision represents a sobering moment for crypto-art evangelists. Christie's had been instrumental in bridging the gap between blockchain-based art and elite collectors, notably selling the first AI-generated portrait at auction in 2018 for $432,500.