Inventor Sir Tim Berners-Lee puts original World Wide Web files up for auction

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2021-06-15 12:30:09

Digitally-signed source code documents written by the computer scientist three decades ago will go under the hammer as a non-fungible token (NFT).

An NFT is a limited edition asset which is sold without any physical form via blockchain, effectively providing certification of ownership.

As well as the opportunity to delve into the bare bones of the web’s early architecture, the winning bidder will receive an animated visualisation of the code, a letter written by Sir Tim about its creation, as well as a digital poster of the full code.

“Three decades ago, I created something which, with the subsequent help of a huge number of collaborators across the world, has been a powerful tool for humanity,” Sir Tim said.

“While I do not make predictions about the future, I sincerely hope its use, knowledge and potential will remain open and available to us all to continue to innovate, create and initiate the next technological transformation, that we cannot yet imagine.

“NFTs, be they artworks or a digital artefact like this, are the latest playful creations in this realm, and the most appropriate means of ownership that exists.