What Are NFTs? A Deep Dive into Unique Assets in the Digital Age
What is NFT?
NFT is short for “Non-Fungible Token,” referring to a unique and non-interchangeable blockchain asset. Each NFT is like an electronic certificate with a unique number that records the ownership of a certain piece of digital content. For example, a digital painting, a music track, or even a ticket can be certified on the blockchain in the form of an NFT.
The difference between NFT and ordinary cryptocurrencies
The biggest feature of NFT is its “uniqueness.” You can own a Bitcoin, and you can divide it into 0.1 or 0.01 for transactions; but you cannot own half of an NFT because it is an indivisible whole. Moreover, each NFT is different and cannot be exchanged on an equivalent basis with other NFTs. For example, two NFTs from the same “Bored Ape” series may look similar, but their identifiers and attributes on the blockchain are completely different.
NFT places greater emphasis on the binding of “content and identity”. The value behind it comes from factors such as creators, scarcity, and community consensus, rather than just token quantity or circulation.
How are NFTs “created” and traded?
The process of generating an NFT is called “Minting,” and it usually requires the following steps:
- First, you need a blockchain wallet, such as MetaMask or Trust Wallet.
- Then, choose an NFT platform, such as OpenSea, Blur, Magic Eden, etc.
- Upload your digital content, such as images, audio, or videos, to the platform.
- Next, fill in the metadata, including name, description, royalty percentage, etc.
- The system will mint this content as an NFT on the blockchain through a smart contract.
- Finally, you can choose to list it for sale or directly transfer it to someone else.
Trading NFTs is like buying and selling artworks in an auction house, where the price depends on supply and demand, brand, and community popularity. Some platforms also support models like “blind boxes” or “pre-sales” to increase interaction and randomness.
Where are NFTs applied?
The application fields of NFT are continuously expanding, currently mainly including:
- Digital Art: This is the original and most popular application scenario. NFT works by well-known artists like Beeple and Pak can also be seen at traditional auction houses like Christie’s and Sotheby’s.
- Game items and virtual real estate: NFTs can be used to represent game characters, equipment, and even land in the game world. Projects in the metaverse like “The Sandbox” and “Decentraland” widely use NFTs.
- Identity verification and tickets: An increasing number of event tickets and membership cards are being made in the form of NFTs, which prevents counterfeiting on one hand and enhances interactivity and collectible value on the other.
- Music, film and IP licensing: Musicians can sell exclusive audio clips, performance rights, or fan benefit packages through NFT.
What should beginners pay attention to when investing in NFTs?
Although NFTs sound very attractive, there are also considerable risks as investment assets, especially for beginners:
- The NFT market is extremely volatile, and price fluctuations are often influenced by market sentiment. A project that is booming today may be worthless tomorrow.
- The liquidity of NFTs is relatively low, unlike cryptocurrencies that have buyers and sellers at all times. Once you purchase an NFT and there are no buyers, you may hold it for a long time without any return.
- Issues such as project team running away, image copyright infringement, and contract vulnerabilities are not uncommon. You may have purchased an “legally existing” NFT, but the content and rights behind it cannot be guaranteed at all.
Therefore, it is recommended that beginners start with small amounts, prioritize well-known platforms and leading projects, and avoid blindly following trends. In addition, pay attention to online security and do not click on unfamiliar links or authorize unknown smart contracts to prevent NFT theft.
The future trends of NFT
With the development of Web3 technology, the role of NFTs is evolving from mere “speculation” to a more practical direction. In the future, NFTs could become a core part of on-chain identity (DID), applicable in various fields such as social networking, educational certification, and medical records. At the same time, the combination of NFTs with AI, AR, and the metaverse may create entirely new digital interaction scenarios.
Whether you are an investor, creator, or regular user, NFTs are one of the important entry points to understanding blockchain and Web3. By seizing this trend, you might become the next pioneer of the “On-chain Era.”