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    HomeNewsBusinessCryptocurrencyVodafone to auction its first-ever text message 'Merry Christmas' for about $2,00,000

    Vodafone to auction its first-ever text message 'Merry Christmas' for about $2,00,000

    The exclusivity of the NFT can be gauged from the fact that Vodafone has publically assured that in the future, it will not issue or mint any other NFT in the realm of the world's first SMS.

    Ira Puranik
    December 21, 2021 / 16:20 IST

    Thirty years ago, on December 3, 1992, engineer Neil Papworth sent an SMS (Short Message Service) to Richard Jarvis to his Orbitel 901 handset. The message simply said "Merry Christmas".


    That message by Papworth, who worked as a test engineer working on the SMS service for Vodafone, changed the way the world communicated. Nokia followed suit, becoming the first to introduce messaging services in their mobile phones.


    This message is now being auctioned as a Non-Fungible Token (NFT), with the proceeds being donated to UNHCR, the UN refugee agency tasked to help around 8.24 million people who were displaced from their homes owing to conflict, war and persecution. Vodafone estimates to receive almost $200,000 from the auction of this NFT.


    The exclusivity of the NFT can be gauged from the fact that Vodafone has publicly assured that in the future, it will not issue or mint any other NFT in the realm of the world's first SMS.


    The auction takes place in Paris today and will be conducted by Aguttes, which happens to be the first independent auction house in France. There is also a provision to place bids for the same online as well. 

    To confirm the authenticity of the digital collectible, the buyer will be given a guarantee certificate signed by the Vodafone Group CEO Nick Read, along with a detailed replica of the original communication protocol. Additionally, sent and receipt documents of the message, as well as a copy of the communication protocol, will also be provided as TXT and PDF to the buyer.
    Ira Puranik
    first published: Dec 21, 2021 04:20 pm

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