Sir Tim Berners-Lee to sell off original code that created the internet as NFT

British inventor Sir Tim Berners-Lee is selling the original code for the World Wide Web as a non-fungible token (NFT) with a starting bid of $1,000.

Digitally-signed source code documents written by the computer scientist three decades ago will go under the hammer next week.

An NFT is a limited edition asset which is sold without any physical form via blockchain - a digital ledger of transactions.

They provide certification of ownership and have been hailed as a way to sell digital artwork and assets.

Sir Tim said it felt like the “natural thing” to do with an entirely digital artefact.

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.

Sotheby’s will launch the auction on June 23 for one week, with bidding starting at $1,000 (£708).

Money raised from the auction will be donated to initiatives supported by the computer scientist and his wife.

“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.

“For me, the best bit about the web has been the spirit of collaboration.

“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.

“They are the ideal way to package the origins behind the web.”

The files include code with approximately 9,555 lines which feature implementations of the three languages and protocols invented by Sir Tim that remain fundamental to the World Wide Web today, known as HTML (Hypertext Markup Language), HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol), and URIs (Uniform Resource Identifiers).