A federal judge in New York has approved a final settlement in a lawsuit between the two pseudonymous figures behind the record-breaking $69.3 million purchase of Beeple's NFT "Everydays: The First 5000 Days." The agreement legally prohibits Anand Venkateswaran (Twobadour) from claiming any involvement in the 2021 Christie's purchase, confirming that Vignesh Sundaresan (Metakovan) was the sole buyer. Venkateswaran must also pay an undisclosed sum, dissociate from related online profiles, and correct third-party biographical information.
The resolution definitively settles the high-profile dispute over ownership and bragging rights for one of the most famous art sales in history, which became a symbol of the NFT boom. Its conclusion arrives as the NFT market has dramatically collapsed, marked by the closure of major marketplaces like Nifty Gateway, the shuttering of Christie's digital art department, and reports that the vast majority of NFTs are now worthless.