Every time Tessa publishes a story, you’ll get an alert straight to your inbox! <br>Enter your email<br><br> By clicking “Sign up”, you agree to receive emails from Business Insider. In addition, you accept Insider’s <a href="/terms" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Terms of Service</a> and <a href="/privacy-policy" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Privacy Policy</a>. <br>Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are digital assets that use blockchain technology to link ownership to one-of-a-kind physical or digital items, such as artwork or music.<br>NFTs are non-fungible, meaning each token has unique properties and isn't worth the same amount as similar tokens. Art and collectibles are often considered non-fungible since only one original exists.<br>Digital art is the most popular type of NFT and heavily contributed to the NFT boom in 2021. However, the decentralized technology can be applied to various virtual and tangible assets, including real estate and virtual works.<br>NFT ownership involves security risks, including high <a target="_self" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/investing/what-is-volatility" data-track-click="{"element_name":"body_link","event":"tout_click","index":"bi_value_unassigned","product_field":"bi_value_unassigned"}" rel="">volatility</a> and the potential for substantial loss. If you're a <a target="_self" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/investing/what-is-cryptocurrency" data-track-click="{"element_name":"body_link","event":"tout_click","index":"bi_value_unassigned","product_field":"bi_value_unassigned"}" rel="">cryptocurrency</a> investor, these concerns likely sound familiar.<br>The NFT market experienced a major downturn in 2022 and 2023. Despite these challenges, the NFT market remains resilient and still an active community of sellers and traders. Developers are exploring new ways to use NFTs and blockchain technology by adapting emerging trends like gaming, the metaverse, and improvements in security, accessibility, and user experience. <br>Many of the <a target="_self" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/investing/best-crypto-bitcoin-exchanges" data-track-click="{"element_name":"body_link","event":"tout_click","index":"bi_value_unassigned","product_field":"bi_value_unassigned"}" rel="">best cryptocurrency exchanges</a> provide investors access to the NFT market.<br>The first NFTs emerged in 2014, but the market didn't start gaining traction until 2017, when high-demand digital art pieces like Rare Pepes and CryptoPunks were released.<br>NFTs' popularity skyrocketed in 2021, boosted by celebrity endorsements from big names like Snoop Dogg and Paris Hilton. Even popular brands like Gucci, Coca-Cola, and Budweiser released exclusive NFT collections during this time.<br>In 2022, the NFT market began to fall as it became oversaturated, with over 1.5 million NFTs actively traded each month.<br>At the same time, FTX, one of the key players in the crypto and NFT industry, filed for bankruptcy. Popular crypto coins TerraUSD and LUNA lost nearly all their value, costing investors over $60 million. All these factors, plus various scams and fraudulent activity, led to the fall of NFTs, making many digital assets practically worthless.<br>Since the crash, the NFT market has integrated greater technological advancements to improve its efficiency and security on the blockchain network. It has reached beyond digital art to adopt real-world assets (like tickets and memberships), virtual worlds, fashion, and real estate.<br>Although nowhere near its 2021 high, NFT appears to be steadily recovering from its fall and adopting stronger regulatory practices and greater use cases.<br>You can buy, sell, trade, and create NFTs from online exchanges or marketplaces. The creator or current owner may choose a specific price. Or, there may be an auction, and you'll have to bid on the NFT. Depending on the marketplace, different fees may be associated with each transaction.<br>Ethereum is the primary blockchain network for NFTs, in part because it uses token standards that allow users to build their applications.<br>Token standards are application-level specifications that determine how a particular digital token functions, enable interactions between applications and smart contracts, and lay out the foundation rules of the asset. Anyone can create token standards, but standards must be reviewed and accepted by the blockchain network development community.<br>The two most popular token standards are:<br>Different types of digital goods can be "tokenized," such as artwork, items in a game, and stills or videos from a live broadcast. NBA Top Shots is one of the largest NFT marketplaces. The most popular types of NFTs are:<br>As the underlying technology and concept advance, NFTs could have many potential applications beyond digital art and videos. For example, a school could issue an NFT to students who have earned a degree and let employers easily verify an applicant's education. Or, a venue could use NFTs to sell and track event tickets, potentially cutting down on resale fraud.<br>As the NFT market matures and enables innovative business models, it could become a valuable tool for enhancing efficiency and accessibility in verifying the authenticity of assets.<br>NFTs offer a unique set of benefits, especially regarding verifiable ownership. <br>Since NFTs are securely recorded on a blockchain, there's a level of insurance that assets are one-of-a-kind. This technology can also make it difficult to alter or counterfeit NFTs.<br>"By creating an NFT, creators are able to verify scarcity and authenticity to just about anything digital," says Solo Ceesay, cofounder and CEO of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow" href="https://calaxy.com/" data-track-click="{"click_type":"other","element_name":"body_link","event":"outbound_click"}">Calaxy</a>. "To compare it to traditional art collecting, there are endless copies of the Mona Lisa in circulation, but there is only one original. NFT technology helps assign the ownership of the original piece."<br>When you buy an NFT, other people may be able to make copies of the image, video, or digital item you own. But, like buying a unique art or limited-series print, the original is typically more valuable. Blockchain technology also makes it easier for the public to authenticate the owner of the original work themselves. <br>NFTs empower creators by giving them greater control over their work, fostering direct connections with supporters, and unlocking new revenue opportunities. By offering fractional ownership of their creations, similar to <a target="_self" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/investing/how-to-buy-stock" data-track-click="{"element_name":"body_link","event":"tout_click","index":"bi_value_unassigned","product_field":"bi_value_unassigned"}" rel="">stocks</a> and <a target="_self" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/investing/how-to-buy-bonds" data-track-click="{"element_name":"body_link","event":"tout_click","index":"bi_value_unassigned","product_field":"bi_value_unassigned"}" rel="">bonds</a>, creators can democratize access to their work and enable fans to participate in their success.<br>Additionally, subscription-based models can provide a reliable source of income for creators and exclusive content for dedicated supporters.<br>"For creators, NFTs create a seamless way to sell digital art that might not have much of a market. Additionally, there are ways in which creators can get paid fees for each subsequent sale of the art," Ceesay says.<br>Smart contracts allow creators to define specific terms and conditions for NFT ownership, fostering transparency and eliminating the need for intermediaries. This empowers creators to share their works online without the risk of theft or forgery and to set their terms of sale.<br>NFTs offer unique benefits to holders, including exclusive content or experiences, which can foster a more active community where creators can interact directly with fans. Some brands have effectively used NFTs to increase engagement and connect the virtual and physical worlds.<br>For example, fashion brand Dolce & Gabbana's 'Collezione Genesi' NFT collection, released in 2021, aimed to build an online fashion community. Participants could purchase unique virtual fashion designs that could be digitally superimposed onto images and videos.<br>NFTs can serve as innovative reward programs. Starbucks, a notable example, launched a limited-edition NFT collection of 2,000 unique Siren pieces in 2023 on the Polygon network. Holders of these NFTs gained access to an exclusive rewards program featuring exclusive digital content, rewards, and live events.<br>Before you invest in NFTs, ensure you thoroughly understand the risks and challenges involved. <br>A significant drawback of NFTs is their environmental impact. The creation, storage, and trading of NFTs heavily contribute to electronic waste and high energy consumption, similar to <a target="_self" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/investing/bitcoin-mining" data-track-click="{"element_name":"body_link","event":"tout_click","index":"bi_value_unassigned","product_field":"bi_value_unassigned"}" rel="">bitcoin mining</a>. NFTs require significant digital storage space, relying on energy-intensive systems like the Interplanetary File System (IPFS). As the number of NFTs continues to grow, so will the energy consumption.<br>E-waste comes from the outdated or broken specialized hardware needed to run the NFT marketplace. Since these machines contain mercury, lead, and cadmium, toxins and greenhouse gas emissions can be released into the environment. <br>Adopting responsible practices can mitigate the environmental impact of NFTs. Recycling outdated or damaged computers can help reduce electronic waste and decrease the energy consumption required for manufacturing new devices.<br>The NFT community has shifted efforts toward sustainability initiatives and developing more energy-efficient blockchain technologies, such as systems that use renewable energy sources instead of fossil fuels.<br>NFTs are highly speculative assets. Some investors have made thousands or millions of dollars selling NFTs, while others spend a lot of money on worthless digital assets.<br>Generally, the value of an NFT fluctuates significantly, similar to cryptocurrencies. Unlike assets with value tied to tangible goods like gold or the U.S. dollar, the value of an NFT is determined by market speculation and supply and demand. Plus, NFTs are hard to compare, resulting in a lack of standardization in assessing value. <br>The high-priced and headline-making NFT craze has historically attracted scammers and fraudsters. Scammers may try to sell you something and tell you it's an NFT when it's not. Others might claim they have the right to sell an NFT of a piece of work they don't own and didn't create. Some of the most common acts of fraud in the NFT marketplace include:<br>One of the largest NFT scams was a rug-pull scheme in 2022. Le Anh Tian, the founder of Baller Ape Club, launched the collection only to delete the entire website, launder the project's $2.6 million investor funds, and transfer them across multiple blockchains (known as chain-hopping).<br>The Department of Justice charged the founder with <a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-enforcement-action-charging-six-individuals-cryptocurrency-fraud" data-track-click="{"click_type":"other","element_name":"body_link","event":"outbound_click"}">conspiracy to commit wire fraud</a> and conspiracy to commit international money laundering on June 30, 2022. The lawsuit has yet to be fully resolved. <br>The best way to avoid getting scammed is to thoroughly research and fact-check information before buying or selling an NFT. <br>Ownership and intellectual property rights are unclear when it comes to NFT ownership. When you buy an NFT, you aren't necessarily buying the copyrights, as the creator or third-party seller can still retain it. The creator or original seller may also retain the right to modify, distribute, or display the asset.<br>Depending on token standards and smart contracts, sellers and distributors risk accidentally giving up their legal and ownership rights of the NFT when they sell. You can avoid unintentionally selling the rights by paying close attention to the NFT and blockchain coding.<br>One of the major concerns among market experts is the potential for an NFT bubble, where prices are artificially inflated and may eventually burst.<br>The 2021 NFT boom was driven by speculative activity, which inflated the prices. In 2022, the bubble burst, and the value of investments fell, hurting investors who paid exorbitant prices for overhyped securities.<br>You can buy an NFT on many popular cryptocurrency exchanges, using funds available in your crypto account. Some NFTs may be sold via auctions, requiring participants to bid for ownership. Here are some <a target="_self" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/investing/best-bitcoin-wallet" data-track-click="{"element_name":"body_link","event":"tout_click","index":"bi_value_unassigned","product_field":"bi_value_unassigned"}" rel="">cryptocurrency wallets</a> that support buying NFTs.<br>$1<br>0.50% spread for buy/sell transactions; transaction fee from $0.99 to $2.99; up to 0.60% for Coinbase Pro and Coinbase Advanced Trade<br>Coinbase is one of the best investment platforms for crypto trading, staking rewards, and crypto storage. The crypto exchange offering nearly 250 coins and tokens and is great for active real investors who can utilize Coinbase's services, account options, and investment tools. <br>$10<br>1/5%; 0% - 0.40% maker/taker fees<br>Earn 4.90% APY on uninvested cash.<br>$100 (in the USA and UK)<br>1% when you buy or sell a crypto asset; 0% stocks and ETFs, $2 monthly fee on uninvested cash if your cash balance is under $5k<br>eToro USA is a popular cryptocurrency exchange and investment platform that is best suited for beginners interested in automatic investing tools, Smart Portfolio options, crypto wallet storage, and more. But its crypto selection is fairly limited compared to other crypto exchanges. <br>Most NFTs are not worth much anymore compared to the 2021 NFT boom. However, a dedicated community of investors still participates in NFT creation and sales to further the policies and technologies of the NFT market.<br>NFTs are digital, non-fungible tokens representing ownership of assets such as art, real estate, in-game items, and music. NFTs are traded using the same blockchain technology used by cryptocurrency.<br>You can buy an NFT through an NFT marketplace or cryptocurrency exchange. NFTs are typically bought and sold using U.S. dollars and cryptocurrencies (usually ether). There may be an auction for certain pieces. In this case, interested participants must bid on the NFT to claim ownership. <br>The difference between NFTs and cryptocurrencies is that cryptocurrencies aim to act as currencies by storing value or letting you buy or sell goods. NFTs create one-of-a-kind tokens that can show ownership and convey rights over digital goods.<br>NFTs may not be a good investment opportunity for growing wealth over the long term. After the NFT marketplace crashed in 2022, almost all NFTs lost most of their value. However, NFTs may be a good investment for people who believe in the future of blockchain technology and want to contribute to its future growth.<br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br>Jump to<br><br><a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiekFVX3lxTE1hOGNzR2xpS2UzTld3NXpNNHdsdTVpd09pakYxa0RDNGVwdnFQZklSYjFmeXdNTnlEd002WkRkb2VRQnB5OEVDWjFLZEdMUERVU1QyNElraF84V25CNjNpR1ZySmFKdXJhR3VfRU10RGRlN2lST2h6QXd3?oc=5">source</a>
