How the auction of our NFT cover went

IN SEPTEMBER our “Alice in Wonderland” themed cover sent Alice down the rabbit hole, into the weird world of non-fungible tokens (NFTs), cryptocurrencies and blockchains. The new technology, the accompanying story argued, contained promise for all sorts of digital and financial activities. To grasp it better, we resolved to follow Alice down the rabbit hole. On October 25th we began an auction of an NFT of that cover. Just over a day later, after a flurry of late bids, the auction closed. It had raised 99.9 ether, equivalent to nearly $422,000 (see chart). The winning bid, less fees, transaction costs and potential tax liabilities, will be donated to The Economist Educational Foundation, an independent charity that teaches young people to analyse current affairs.