An internet icon is set to disappear after the original 'Charlie bit my finger' YouTube video sold as a non-fungible token (NFT) for US$760,000.
NFTs, digital assets that have a blockchain-based digital server allowing verification of ownership, have become a big investment focus in 2021 with a digital artwork selling for nearly US$70 million and the first tweet selling for US$2.9 million.
The Davies-Carr family originally posted the video in 2007 and, 14 years to the day later, it will be deleted after 883 million views and 25 auction bids.
It showed three year old Harry putting his finger in the mouth of his one year old brother, Charlie, resulting in the famous utterance "Charlie bit me".
Bidding for ownership started at US$99,999 before topping off at US$760,999 when user 3fmusic outbid mememaster.
As well as being the sole owner of the 'Charlie bit my finger' NFT, 3fmusic will also have the ability to create their own parody with the original stars, now 17 and 15 years old.
"Star in it yourself, or give the honor to the biggest Charlie Bit My Finger fan you know, and recreate a hilarious modern-day rendition of the classic clip," they wrote on the auction site.
Harry told Business Insider the family will be donating part of the winning bid to offset the cost of mining the bitcoins used to buy the NFT with the rest put towards his and his brothers' education.
'Charlie bit my finger' is the latest in a line of famous and infamous viral videos and memes to have been sold online.
Chris Crocker, the creator of the 'Leave Britney alone' viral video sold it as an NFT for US$41,000 while the 'disaster girl' meme NFT sold for over US$500,000.
