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Are NFTs worthy of the investment or the hype? There is a split among financial professionals over whether NFTs are a flash in the pan or the future of investing.
Either way, NFTs have certainly made headlines, from Top Shot, which allows NBA fans to trade their favorite NBA moments, to Beeple’s jaw-dropping US$69 million NFT artwork, to celebrities such as Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, Snoop Dogg, and Jason Durelo launching their NFT market and collectibles.
But what are NFTs? And how can you get started if you’re unfamiliar with them? Read on for a beginner’s guide to NFTs.
What is the Meaning of Non Fungible Tokens (NFTs)
What exactly are Non Fungible Tokens? First, you need to understand the word “Fungible.”
Another term for fungible is “replaceable.” You can purchase a specific shirt online, but others can also get the same shirt with the same design from the dealer. As a result, the shirt is not unique. In this situation, the shirt is fungible. Consider an artwork such as the Mona Lisa. There is just one original piece in the world. This is an example of a non-fungible object.
In terms of money, a 100-dollar note is a fungible token since it may be traded for ten 10-dollar bills and still retains its worth.
Therefore, A Non-Fungible Token is a one-of-a-kind or irreplaceable digital asset stored on the blockchain. NFTs may be any material, such as pictures, movies, or songs. For example, once NFT arts are minted, they can be sold for a significant amount.
Minted NFT Blockchain Technology
An NFT may be compared to a digital object’s unique fingerprint or signature. NFTs can only be produced, or more accurately “minted,” via blockchain technology. As a result, they may only be purchased, traded, or exchanged on special online platforms. The blockchain functions as a public ledger, allowing anybody to verify the legality and ownership of the NFT.
NFTs are often acquired using cryptocurrencies or traditional methods of payments, and the transactions are stored on the blockchain. Even though anybody may see and access the NFT, only the buyer has the key to declare ownership.
To sum it up, NFTs are digital assets connected to the blockchain in the same way as cryptocurrencies (such as bitcoin and ethereum) are, but they are non-fungible. If you are still unsure of NFT meaning or want to learn more about how they work, keep reading the below.
What is the significance of an NFT?
The most apparent advantage of NFTs is the possibility to convert a physical asset to a digital one while eliminating intermediaries.
Hence, blockchain technology provides artists and content producers a unique opportunity to monetize their work digitally. For example, artists are no longer required to sell their work via galleries or auction houses. Instead, the artist may sell it directly to the buyer as an NFT, enabling them to retain a larger percentage of the earnings. Artists may also include royalties into their software to get a percentage of sales when their work is sold to a new owner. This is advantageous since most artists do not earn more revenue after their first sale.
It’s vital to remember that the worth of an NFT is decided by what someone else is willing to pay for it. To put it another way, demand will determine prices rather than conventional factors such as earnings and other financial metrics that have historically influenced stock prices.
Undoubtedly, the most exciting possibility for NFTs lies in creating new NFT markets and the Metaverse.
What may be converted into an NFT?
An NFT may be made out of anything that can be digitized. In addition to artwork, music, and video, you may convert collectibles, event tickets, in-game goods on gaming platforms, memes, and real-world items such as landed properties.
On March 22, 2006, a young man who had just completed the setup of a social networking platform decided to post for the first time, “Just setting up my twttr.” Jack Dorsey, the co-founder and CEO of Twitter is the individual in question. This tweet sold for more than $2.9 million as an NFT.
How do you create NFTs?
The first step is to choose the artwork or material you want to convert into a digital asset. Make sure you hold the property rights to this item.
After deciding on the object to be converted into an NFT, you must select the blockchain. Ethereum is the most widely utilized in NFT markets. When the NFT craze hit in early 2021, Ethereum was the only popular blockchain that supported NFT creation. As a result, Ethereum remains the leading blockchain in NFT sales volume. However, when Ethereum values increased tenfold between late 2020 and mid-2021, so did network expenses (known as “gas fees”).
Opensea and Solanart
As a result, a rising number of NFT applications and markets are developing on the Solana blockchain (where fees are minimal). Among them are Solanart and SolSea.
The purchasing procedure is almost the same whether you use Ethereum, Solana, or another chain. You’ll next need to fund your crypto wallet with Ether or another token native to the blockchain of your choice. This is used to finance the mining of your NFT. MetaMask, Trust Wallet, and Coinbase Wallet are examples of popular NFT wallets.
The next step is to choose a marketplace where you will create and list your NFT. Rarible, SuperRare, Axie, and OpenSea NFT marketplace are the most popular NFT markets. OpenSea lets you mint NFTs for free, but you must first link your ETH wallet. Almost every platform you use includes a “Connect” button in the top right corner.
Almost every platform you use includes a “Connect” button in the top right corner. To link your wallet, click on that button.
You can now mint your first NFT after connecting your digital wallet. The stages are simple and generally only take a few minutes to complete. Fill out the necessary information, upload your artwork, and begin the minting process.
What now that you’ve successfully minted an NFT?
You may now begin selling your artwork. However, much like in the real-world art market, you must build hype around your works for them to stand out and attract people’s attention. The most popular sites for promoting your releases are Twitter, Instagram, and Discord.
Where can you purchase NFTs?
NFTs are purchased and sold via an NFT marketplace, such as Rarible or OpenSea. NFTs may be kept, displayed, and exchanged here.
To participate in the NFT market as a collector, you’ll need to open a digital wallet and buy a cryptocurrency like Ether or Solana. Then connect your wallet to your preferred NFT marketplace, such as OpenSea, Rarible, or Foundation. Once your wallet is linked, you can explore the available collections and make purchases.
After purchasing, the NFT will be transferred into your wallet.
The $2.9 Million Dollar Tweet
So, why did someone spend $2.9 million for the digital equivalent of a tweet? The value placed on anything is determined by its “perceived worth.” There are many great works of art around the world, yet the hype surrounding the Mona Lisa painting raises its value considerably. To this day, the strategy of generating public interest, also known as creating a buzz or hype, works flawlessly.
Blockchain technology undoubtedly provides limitless opportunities for creating a new and fascinating world. To truly grasp what this technology can do for you, whether through minting your NFT or engaging in NFT crypto investment, you must decide when you are ready to jump in and start exploring.