Home » World News » TikTok star, 21, sells ‘virtual love’ for $250,000 to mystery bidder

TikTok star, 21, sells ‘virtual love’ for $250,000 to mystery bidder

A TIKTOK star may be the first person to have sold "virtual love" as an NFT – for $250,000 (£185,000).

The staggering sum was reportedly paid out to Polish influencer Marta Rentel in exchange for her "emotions".

But rather than receive a guarantee of physical intimacy, the mystery buyer now owns an NFT, or non-fungible token.

They're virtual items swapped like Bitcoin.

But unlike Bitcoin, each NFT is totally unique – so if you buy one, you're the only person with it in the world.

The tech has led to wild virtual sales, including an auction for a digital house for $500,000.

Now TikToker Marta, who goes by the name Marti Renti, says she's already cashed the sale from the unknown bidder.

"Yesterday I sold my first NFT for an incredible amount," Marta, 21, said on Instagram.

Marta, who has 2.4million TikTok followers, went on: "I won't tell you how much, because I don't believe it myself.

"I don't know who bought them yet. Brent, if it's you, thank you."

Later on, Marta revealed that the NFT had been bought for $250,000.

The deal includes "full rights to [the] digital love" of Marta.

And Marta has promised to go for a one-on-one dinner with the mystery buyer.

The 21-year-old is also due to appear on Poland's version of 'Fame or Shame'.

What is an NFT?

Here’s a simple guide…

NFTs are a hot new tradable item taking the internet by storm
The letters NFT stand for "non-fungible token"
If something is "fungible", it can be traded for an identical counterpart
For instance, Bitcoin is technically fungible – you can swap one for another, and have the same thing
Physical cash is also fungible – you could trade one £10 note for another
An NFT is a totally unique digital token with no copies
Like Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, NFTs work using a blockchain
A blockchain is a public ledger of transactions recorded across the internet – and is totally unalterable
The NFTs on the blockchain can be traded like Bitcoin, but they're unique by design
This gives them a special value, because each NFT is individual and unique
You can turn almost any kind of data into an NFT
People are selling digital artworks, songs and even tweets in NFT form
More elaborate NFT sales include virtual trainers/sneakers and even a virtual house
Importantly, NFTs are not physical – so if you buy an NFT object, you're just owning a part of the blockchain and NOT a physical item

Looking for tips and hacks for your phone? Want to find those secret features within social media apps? We have you covered…

In other news, The Sun's favourite alternative to a games console is the Oculus Quest 2 VR headset.

Check out the wildly impressive Panasonic 65HZ1000 TV, which makes most tellies look rubbish.

And Dell's Alienware R10 Ryzen Edition is a gaming PC powerhouse that crushes both the new consoles.

We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online Tech & Science team? Email us at [email protected]