LOS ANGELES, CA.- Bonhams and Nifty Gateway announced 1,744 editions minted of Chapter X in the Aku series by artist Micah Johnson, realizing a total of $20MM in sales for the NFT (Non-Fungible Token) series. The final chapter was sold on Monday February 21, the one-year anniversary of Aku’s debut, as an Open Edition priced at $999 and was available to purchase for only 10 minutes on Nifty Gateway.

The short video clips follow the character Aku, a young boy who dreams of being an astronaut, based on an experience authentic to the artist, after hearing a young boy ask if astronauts could be Black. Johnson has now amassed a dedicated fanbase, only two years after making his debut in the digital art space, and Aku has been optioned for TV and film projects, the first NFT deal of its kind.

“We are honored to close out the Aku series by Micah Johnson,” said Nima Sagharchi, Head of Digital Art at Bonhams, “which has been transformational for Johnson as a NFT artist, gaining him worldwide recognition.”

Chapter X was previewed at Bonhams Los Angeles for a week prior to the sale through LED art display, Luma Canvas, and a special evening dedicated to Micah Johnson was hosted on the rooftop of the Sunset Boulevard salesroom, which welcomed over 100 art world notables, artists, and collectors who were in town for Frieze LA.

Bonhams will continue its partnership with Nifty Gateway in two major sales taking place this year in June and October. More details to be announced shortly.

Nifty Gateway is an all-in-one platform that makes it easy to buy, sell, and store digital art and collectibles, otherwise known as Nifties (or NFTs). Nifty Gateway was founded by Duncan and Griffin Cock Foster in 2018, and acquired by Gemini in 2019, with the belief that crypto networks and the blockchain have the power to fundamentally change the art world by creating greater choice, independence, and opportunity for artists, creators, and collectors.

Micah Johnson is the creator of Aku. After hearing a young boy ask his mom if astronauts could be Black, Micah released an NFT of a 3D animation depicting a boy with an oversized astronaut helmet. In less than one year, that NFT took Micah from a retired athlete to “2020 NFT of the Year” and the first creator to have an NFT optioned for a major feature film. Named one of the “Top 50 Most Influential People in NFTs” by Fortune, Micah’s foresight and belief in the web3 communities to evangelize IP has resulted in over $20MM in sales volume for Aku to date.