What is a Non-Fungible Token (NFT)? Features & Benefits

NFTs are being welcomed as the digital solution to collectibles, similar to how Bitcoin was heralded as the digital answer to currency, but many sceptics believe they're a bubble ready to explode.

 

Let’s see what is NFT and is it capable of solving all the problems with digital art for once and all.

 

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About NFT 

 

A digital asset that reflects real-world elements like art, music, in-game goods, and movies is known as an NFT. They're bought and traded online, often using cryptocurrency, and they're usually encoded with the same software as many other cryptos.

 

Despite the fact that they've been available since 2014, NFTs are rising in popularity as a more popular means to buy and sell digital art. Since November 2017, a whopping $174 million has been spent on NFTs.

 

NFTs are likewise one-of-a-kind, or at the very least one of a very small run, and contain unique identification codes. “Essentially, NFTs generate digital scarcity,” explains Arry Yu, managing director of Yellow Umbrella Ventures and head of the Washington Technology Industry Association Cascadia Blockchain Council.

 

This is in sharp contrast to the vast majority of digital works, which are virtually always available in unlimited quantities. If a particular asset is in demand, cutting down the supply should theoretically increase its value.

 

However, many NFTs have been digital works that already exist in some form elsewhere, such as classic video clips from NBA games or securitized copies of digital art that are already floating around on Instagram, at least in these early days.

 

For example, prominent digital artist Mike Winklemann, better known as "Beeple," created "EVERYDAYS: The First 5000 Days," probably the most famous NFT of the time, which sold at Christie's for a record-breaking $69.3 million.

 

Individual images—or perhaps the complete collage of images—can be seen for free on the internet. So, why are individuals ready to spend millions of dollars on something that might be simply screenshotted or downloaded?

 

Because a non-financial transaction permits the buyer to keep the original object. It also comes with built-in authentication, which acts as evidence of ownership. Those "digital bragging rights" are almost as valuable as the object itself to collectors.

 

NFTs may be purchased on a variety of sites, depending on what you're looking for (for example, if you're looking for baseball cards, you should go to a site like digital trading cards, while other markets sell more generalised items). You'll need a wallet that's unique to the site you're buying on, as well as bitcoin to put in it.

 

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History

 

The first time NFT was used was in 2014, when Anil Dash, a software entrepreneur, and Kevin McCoy, a digital artist, created Quantum, a color-changing pixelated octagon. The first fully-fledged NFT project was created and presented at DEVCON 1 just three months after the Ethereum blockchain was founded.

 

Several NFT initiatives arose as the Ethereum blockchain gained traction over traditional token systems based on bitcoin. Despite the importance of initiatives like Cryptopunks, Colored Coins, and Rare Pepes in the development of NFT, it was the introduction of CryptoKitties in October 2017 that propelled the technology into the public. Some of these blockchain-based digital cats were sold for more than $100,000, causing the NFT ecosystem to explode. (Here)

 

Features of NFT

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Features of NFTs

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• Unique –Each NFT has a distinct attribute, which is often recorded in the token information. NFTs have distinct personalities, and no two NFTs are alike. An original image.jpg file, on the other hand, is identical to its duplicate, a.jpg file.

• Digitally Scarce resource – The blockchain network is where NFT is kept. As a result, the certificate of ownership is available on different networks, allowing the owner of a digital item to be proven.

• Indivisible – You can't break most NFTs into smaller denominations, and you can't buy or transfer a portion of them.

• Ownership– The ownership of the asset transmitted is guaranteed by these tokens.

• Fraud proof– They are easily transferred and unaffected by fraud.

 

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Working of NFTs

 

Many NFTs are generated and stored on the Ethereum network, but they are also supported by other blockchains (such as Flow and Tezos). Because everyone can look at the blockchain, the ownership of the NFT can be easily confirmed and traceable, yet the person or company who holds the token can remain anonymous.

 

Artwork, gaming objects, and stills or video from a live broadcast are all examples of digital commodities that may be "tokenized" - NBA Top Shots is one of the major NFT marketplaces. 

 

The file size of the digital object doesn't matter because it stays distinct from the blockchain while the NFT that transmits ownership is added to the blockchain.

 

NFTs are separate tokens that are part of the Ethereum blockchain and include additional information. The essential element is the additional information, which allows them to be represented as art, music, video (and so on), in the form of JPGs, MP3s, movies, GIFs, and other formats. They may be purchased and sold like other forms of art because they have value – and, like real art, their worth is primarily determined by market and demand.

 

That isn't to imply that there is just one digital version of an NFT work accessible for purchase on the market. Copies of an NFT are still legitimate portions of the blockchain, just like art prints of an original are created, used, bought, and sold - but they will not have the same value as the original.

 

The copyright or licence rights may or may not come with the purchase, depending on the NFT, however this is not always the case. Purchasing a limited-edition print does not imply that you have exclusive rights to the image. NFTs might have a wide range of uses outside of the art world as the underlying technology and idea improves.

 

A school, for example, may give an NFT to students who have completed a degree, allowing employers to quickly validate an applicant's education. Alternatively, a venue may utilise NFTs to sell and track event tickets, possibly reducing resale fraud.

 

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Benefits of NFTs 

 

Some of the advantages of NFTs that are often stated include: 

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Benefits of NFTs

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• Ownership 

 

The primary benefit of non-fungible tokens is the ability to prove ownership. NFTs can assist in linking ownership to a single account because they are on a blockchain network. 

 

Most importantly, NFTs are non-distributable and cannot be shared among numerous owners. At the same time, the ownership benefits of NFTs protect consumers against the risk of receiving counterfeit NFTs.

 

NFT detractors have publicly said that individuals could just photograph NFTs and sell or give them away for free. You can, however, have a picture of the NFT. However, you must determine if you own the asset. Downloading a photograph of the Mona Lisa on the internet, for example, does not make you the proprietor of that image.

 

• Authenticity

 

The benefits of non-fungible tokens are primarily dependent on their uniqueness. NFTs are produced on the blockchain, meaning that they are linked to unique data. NFTs' distinct characteristics demonstrate their potential for adding value. At the same time, NFT producers have the option of releasing a limited quantity of NFTs in order to create supply scarcity.

 

In the case of some NFTs, authors have the option of making numerous duplicates, similar to how tickets are made. The immutability of the blockchain on which NFTs are kept, on the other hand, ensures their legitimacy. 

 

Immutability assures that blockchain-based NFTs remain unaffected by changes, removal, or replacement. As a result, NFTs may readily promote their authenticity as the most desirable attribute.

 

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• Transferability

 

In-game goods are available in many games, and players may purchase them to enhance their gaming experience. The in-game objects, on the other hand, are limited to the game's setting, and players cannot use them elsewhere. Furthermore, if the game falls out of style, gamers may lose their investment in in-game souvenirs or goods.

 

In the case of NFTs, game creators might create NFTs for in-game objects that players could keep in their digital wallets. Players may then use the in-game things outside of the game or even sell them to get money. 

 

Because NFTs are built on smart contracts, including the usage of smart contracts makes ownership transfers simple. Smart contracts specify precise criteria between the buyer and seller that must be met before ownership transfers may be finalised.

 

 

Conclusion

 

Non-fungible tokens are unquestionably one of the most important developments in internet commerce. Furthermore, their benefits have become attractive selling factors for a variety of consumers. While the benefits of non-fungible tokens obviously point to a bright future for them, it's vital to be aware of their limits. 

 

The lack of rules and a standardised, universal infrastructure for NFTs, for example, presents several barriers to their implementation.

 

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