Vodafone NFT Auction: Sending Off the First Ever “Merry Christmas” SMS

Throwback! The very first SMS sent in 1992 is set to go up for auction as an NFT. According to the listing, it is expected to fetch between 100,000 – 200,000 Euros!

The growing adoption and popularity of NFTs is not the only reason why Vodafone chose this time of the year. It has a lot more to do with the content of the SMS. The very first text message was actually a simple “Merry Christmas” greeting. Neil Papworth, an employee of a British computer company, sent it on December 3, 1992, to Vodafone director Richard Jarvis.

What’s even more interesting is that it was not until the following year that the first cell phone capable of sending and receiving text messages, made by Nokia, was released.

More About Vodafone’s Move to Auction the World’s First SMS as NFT

The British multinational telecommunications company promised not to produce any other NFTs of this SMS in the future.

So what exactly will the highest bidder receive?

The lot will include a replica of the original communication protocol of the first SMS. In addition, a visual featuring the cell phone that received the message and an animation displaying a replica of the text.

Aguttes is inviting bidders from over the world to participate in the auction held at Neuilly-sur-Seine on the outskirts of Paris. If this is your cup of tea, then make sure to block off  December 21, 2021 (3 PM local time).

Meanwhile, Christie’s sold Wikipedia’s first-ever edit on its homepage as an NFT for $750,000. In addition, Jimmy Wales’ Strawberry iMac that was used during that time sold for $187,500.

You can check out the listing at https://www.aguttes.com/catalogue/121163!