First announced on February 8th, a single-lot of 104 CryptoPunk NFTs was expected to sell for up to $30 million yesterday, but minutes before the auction began, it got cancelled.

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23 minutes before the bidding was scheduled to start, Sotheby’s announced the withdrawal. “Following discussions with the consignor, tonight's Punk It sale has been withdrawn. Thank you to our panelists, guests and viewers for joining us,” Sotheby’s tweeted.

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Not long after, the pseudonymous collector ‘0x650d’ tweeted “nvm, decided to hodl,” followed by two memes claiming they were “taking punks mainstream by rugging Sotheby’s.” The lot, which Sotheby’s titled “Punk It!,” was acquired by the collector in a single transaction back in July 2021.

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Because of the sale’s focus on CryptoPunks, Sotheby’s co-head of digital art, Michael Bouhanna, earlier described the as a “first-of-its-kind” and “monumental.”

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"CryptoPunks are the original PFP series that laid the groundwork for subsequent NFT projects and helped launch NFTs to the global stage as one of the most identifiable visual styles that has become synonymous with the digital art movement."

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