Non-Fungible Tokens

When a collage of digital images was sold in New York earlier this year for £50 million, the art world was convulsed. The reason? The picture couldn't be hung on a wall and was only visible online. What had been bought and sold was the non-fungible token - or NFT - relating to the collage. David Aaronovitch and his guests discover how NFTs work for those who sell and those who buy them and also consider if NFTs are a passing fad or an aspect of our culture that is becoming increasingly common and might lead to the emergence of a future John Constable or Tracy Emin, eventually spreading to and influencing other art forms.Enter the Briefing Room and find out why collectors are investing in NFTs; how easy it is to spot a fake and what you can do about it; and whether non-fungibles will be an enduring part of the artistic - and investment - worlds in the years ahead.Those taking part include: Georgina Adam of The Art Newspaper; investor in NFTs and co-founder and chief executive of the Arts and culture portal Vastari, Bernardine Bröcker Wieder; and the art historian, former art dealer and presenter of the BBC FOUR series, Britain's Lost Masterpieces, Bendor Grosvenor.Producers Simon Coates and Bob Howard Editor Jasper CorbettImage: Visitors to "Machine Hallucinations - Space: Metaverse" by Refik Anadol, which will be auctioned online as an NFT at Sothebys, at the Digital Art Fair, Hong Kong Credit: REUTERS/Tyrone Siu

Om Podcasten

Step inside The Briefing Room for indepth explainers on the biggest news stories. A podcast and radio show hosted by Journalist and Author David Aaronovitch.Listen anytime: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/b07cblx9. **THE BRIEFING ROOM**Alongside a panel of academics, policy experts and journalists, each week we break down the essentials of the biggest news stories, in the United Kingdom and beyond. From international politics, healthcare, and technology; to the economy, education, and immigration. At the end of 2024 The Briefing Room covered the following topics: - What’s going on in Syria? www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0025l2l - Will new weight loss drugs bankrupt the NHS? www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0025vw7 - Is the push for the electric cars in trouble? www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002693mOur promise to you each week: If you step inside The Briefing Room, you'll be fully briefed on the biggest stories in the news.**SPECIAL EPISODES**As well as our weekly episodes, The Briefing Room has also recorded several mini-series that you can listen to anytime:- Global Tensions: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0kh4p9s - Health: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0kh4nwt**HOW TO LISTEN**New episodes are published every Thursday and are usually around 30 minutes long. Listen anytime here: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/b07cblx9. Catch us every Thursday and Monday on BBC Radio 4. Have a look at the latest BBC Radio 4 schedule for timings: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/schedules/bbc_radio_fourfm. Also, you can now listen to us on a smart speaker. Just say, "Ask BBC Sounds to play The Briefing Room" for the latest episode. It works on most smart speakers.**GET IN TOUCH**We'd also love to hear from you. If you have a question or a comment for the team, please email us anytime at briefingroom@bbc.co.uk.