Vodafone announced that around this time next week, it will auction the world’s first text message as a non-changeable token (NFT). In December 1992, the first message that read “Merry Christmas” was sent over the network. The auction will be run by Aguttes Auction House in France and the winning buyer will pay in Ether. Proceeds from the auction will be donated to UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.
Commenting on the matter, Vodafone UK CEO Ahmed Essam said: “We are proud to combine a great technology innovation from our past with the latest technology of today to help people who need support. This initiative embodies our spirit of ‘We Can Do It Together’.”
Vodafone said the money will help UNHCR help the 82.4 million refugees displaced from their homes due to conflict and persecution.
The winning bidder will be given a detailed copy of the original communication protocol that transmits the world’s first SMS as NFT, Vodafone said. As with all NFTs, the collector will be able to prove ownership of the item thanks to the blockchain.
The idea of owning NFT collectibles is a fairly new idea, so it is not possible for now to say whether these assets will increase in value in the future or whether they will one day become worthless due to some unforeseen hurdles. Still, we can say that owning the World’s first text message looks like a pretty good collectible, and what the buyer will pay will be put to good use.
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