How to invest in NFTs? Since the pandemic, NFTs (non-fungible tokens) seem to have multiplied. These digital goods, which range from tacos and music to art and toilet paper, might fetch millions of dollars at auction.
Do NFTs, however, live up to the hype or the price? According to some observers, they are a bubble that will pop, similar to the Beanie Baby or Dotcom frenzy. Others believe NFTs will endure and materially alter the investment landscape.
1. What is an NFT?
An NFT is a digital asset representing tangible goods like music, art, films, and in-game items. They are regularly bought and traded online in exchange for other cryptocurrencies and are frequently encrypted using the same software as numerous other cryptocurrencies.
NFTs were first released in 2014, but their popularity has only recently grown due to their increasing use as a platform for buying and selling digital art. A shocking $174 million has been spent on NFTs since November 2017.
NFTs are also usually one-of-a-kind or an aspect of a very short run, and they frequently include unique identification codes. According to Arry Yu, managing director of Yellow Umbrella Ventures and head of the Washington Technology Industry Association’s Cascadia Blockchain Council, NFTs generate digital scarcity.
This starkly contrasts to most digital products, which almost always have a limitless supply. Reducing the supply should raise the asset’s value if there is demand for a certain asset.
However, a lot of NFTs, at least in the beginning, were digital works that were securitized copies of digital artwork that was already popular on Instagram or classic short videos from NBA game clips that were already available on the internet.
For instance, well-known digital artist Mike Winklemann, popularly known as “Beeple,” assembled 5,000 daily sketches into a composite to create possibly the most well-known NFT of the time, “Every day: The First 5000 Days,” which was sold for $69.3 million at Christie’s.
Everybody can browse individual photos and the entire collage of images online. So why would somebody pay millions of dollars for something they could easily download or take a screenshot of?
Because an NFT enables the purchaser to retain ownership of the original product. Furthermore, it has integrated authentication that verifies ownership. Collectors value “digital bragging rights” almost as high as the thing itself.
2. What Is the Difference Between an NFT and Cryptocurrency?
Non-fungible tokens are referred to by the acronym NFT. It’s constructed with the same code as cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum, but that’s where the similarities end.
Since both fiat currency and cryptocurrencies are “fungible,” they can be swapped for one another. A dollar will always be equivalent to another dollar, and a bitcoin will always be equivalent to another, so they are equally valuable. Cryptocurrency is a dependable way to carry out blockchain transactions due to its fungibility.
NFTs are distinctive. Each has a digital signature, which prevents NFTs from being traded for or equal to each other (hence, non-fungible).
3. How Does an NFT Work?
The blockchain, a publicly accessible database that stores transactions, is where NFTs are housed. You’ve undoubtedly heard of blockchain, the essential technology that enables the existence of cryptocurrencies.
Although they can be held on other blockchains, NFTs are typically held on the Ethereum blockchain.
An NFT is minted from digital artifacts that comprise both tangible & intangible items.
In essence, NFTs are digital renditions of physical collector artifacts. A digital file rather than a genuine oil painting to hang on the wall is what the buyer receives.
They will be the only owners as well. NFTs can only have one owner at a time, it is true. The unique data of NFTs allows for easy ownership verification and token transfer between owners. Additionally, the owner or developer can use them to store specific data. Artists, for instance, can sign their work by entering their signature in the metadata of the NFT.
4. Should You Invest in NFTs?
So, would it be beneficial to invest in NFT art? The ideal option may be challenging given the wide range of non-fungible tokens available today, including the best utility NFTs, the best NFT horse racing projects, and the best NFT land projects. Some providers have begun offering the best NFT giveaways as a fresh incentive.
Additionally, you’ll discover that certain NFTs have become the most valuable on the market after selling for record prices, while others are advertised as the least-priced NFT projects.
You might find it interesting to note that several cryptocurrency traders are interested in the new blockchain-based lottery concept called Lucky Block.
Enjin coin is a fantastic alternative coin that provides access to the NFT buzz. With only one billion coins available, now might be a good moment to invest at a discount.
There are numerous things to take into account, but let’s start by going over five of the most important things to remember while learning how to invest in NFTs:
4.1 Possible Value Increase
The possible value rises that can take place over time are one of the key benefits of investing in NFT art. One excellent illustration of this is CryptoPunk 1422, which was bought for $74 in 2017. But according to a new report from BusinessInsider, the NFT was sold for an astounding $2 million in October 2021. This illustration demonstrates the possibility of significant price increases in several NFTs.
4.2 Able to Aid Creators
You could want to invest in the best NFT so that you can help a creator you like. The success of NFTs has shown that they are an excellent platform for both creators to publish their art and for fans to show appreciation by purchasing it.
4.3 Access to Exclusive Bonus Content
Investors who purchase NFTs typically have the opportunity to obtain special additional content in addition to a cool piece of art or music. There are numerous instances of this, but one of the best ones is when designers of NFT collections invite owners to events or give them extra NFTs via Airdrop.
4.4 Simple Ownership Display
Since NFTs are “non-fungible” by design, many NFT owners use their assets as images for their social network profile photographs. This makes people aware of the distinguished NFT they possess, which is protected by blockchain technology and cannot be copied.
4.5 Open Up Access to Elite Communities
Owners of high-end NFTs can frequently join exclusive “communities,” which gives the assets a more prestigious feel. A well-known illustration of this is the Bored Ape Yacht Club, which runs a Discord server populated by other Bored Ape owners, including well-known people and celebrities. Additionally, owners have access to the neighborhood-run graffiti board called “The Bathroom.”
5. How to Buy NFTs?
5.1 Pick the NFT that You Would Like to Purchase:
How to invest in NFT – Searching for the NFT you wish to purchase is the first and most enjoyable step in obtaining one. Each NFT is exclusive or comes from a small collection. Search the marketplace listings until you locate the ideal NFT to begin your collection.
If you want to see what’s available, you can visit the biggest NFT marketplaces, such as OpenSea, Raible, or Axie Marketplace. You will need to note the coin you will need to buy your NFT because most NFT marketplaces only allow you to buy NFTs using cryptocurrencies.
5.2 Make a Bitcoin Wallet that is Suitable:
How to invest in NFT – If you don’t already have one, you should make a crypto wallet as your next step. The bitcoin needed to purchase NFT is kept in these virtual wallets. Because not all digital wallets are compatible with every cryptocurrency, you must use one that is if you want to purchase your favorite NFT.
You may create a digital wallet for nothing using your computer or smartphone. Ledger, MetaMask, and Coinbase Wallet’s wallets provide NFT capability.
5.3 Put Digital Currency in Your Wallet:
How to invest in NFT – The next step is to add funds to your crypto wallet by buying the cryptocurrency you need for the NFT using fiat money, like dollars. While Ethereum is commonly utilized in major NFT marketplaces, it’s possible that the specific NFT you’re looking for is only available in another digital currency. Typically, NFT purchases can be made using a cryptocurrency like Ethereum connected to the blockchain that powers the NFT.
5.4 A NFT Marketplace Should be Connected to Your Wallet:
How to invest in NFT – After you’ve built and funded your digital wallet, you can connect it to the online marketplace that supplies the NFT. Once linked, you should be able to see how much cryptocurrency you have in your wallet to purchase one or more NFTs.
5.5 Buy an NFT:
How to invest in NFT – When you’re ready, you can buy an NFT by clicking the Purchase button.
NFTs might have a fixed price or require bidding, with the highest bidder buying the asset.
You must also pay a “gas” cost for the Ethereum blockchain to conduct the transaction if you choose to pay using ETH. Depending on the Ethereum platform’s network latency, this fee can cost hundreds of dollars. You can get assistance from websites like NFT Gas Station to estimate the prospective gas costs for NFT transactions.
5.6 Verify the Transfer of NFT to Your Digital Wallet:
How to invest in NFT – After hitting the buy button, you are now the legal owner of an NFT. Congratulations! Because blockchain transactions cannot be undone or canceled, the NFT is yours until you decide to trade or sell it.
Depending on the transaction, you might need to wait until the NFT is complete before you can view it in your digital wallet. The NFT transfer to your wallet is not complete until it has been approved and verified by the blockchain network supporting the NFT.
The transaction can be finished once you see the NFT in your wallet.
6. How to Create an NFT
Artists, musicians, filmmakers, writers, and other creators who can guarantee the legitimacy of their work and monetize it as NFTs contribute to part of the attractiveness of NFTs.
A digital asset can be “minted” (or transformed) into an NFT and sold on a marketplace by anyone.
The fundamental minting procedure is as follows, albeit each platform manages things slightly differently:
- Make a crypto wallet.
- Link your wallet to an NFT marketplace.
- Buy some cryptocurrency(you’ll have to pay some fees).
- Organize your artwork into a “collection.”
- Generate an NFT from that collection.
- List your NFT on the marketplace.
- Market your NFT to your peers and fans.
The eighth step can involve converting your ETH back into physical currency since you will be compensated in ETH when someone purchases your NFT.
7. What is the Price of Creating a Single NFT?
On NFT markets, anyone can easily create an NFT. OpenSea, Rarible, and Mintable are a few well-known, sizable, and user-friendly marketplaces.
To mint NFTs, each of these platforms offers customers a choice of at least two different blockchains. Additionally, the cost of minting NFT is impacted by the creator’s choice of blockchain.
The publishing of digital works and the registration of digital assets were made possible by the first programmable blockchain, Ethereum. There are various blockchain alternatives, like Solana, polygon, Texos, Cardano, WAX, Avalanche, Zilliqa, and others.
Because it uses Proof of Work (PoW), Ethereum is the blockchain with the highest price. With Ethereum, the gas fee to the miners is significant because PoW employs a competitive validation technique to confirm blockchain transactions. The amount of Ethereum that is mined greatly relies on the moment the transaction is started and the price of Ethereum on the market (ETH).
Several blockchains use Proof of Stake (PoS) and Proof of History(PoH), similar to Solana. In contrast to PoS, which employs randomly selected miners to validate the transactions, PoH records each message’s relative timing and order in historical records.
These protocols enable Solana to provide the best service and manage up to 65K transactions per second. In Solana, the standard price to mint an NFT is 0.00001 SOL ($0.01).
The transaction rate for Ethereum is only 12 to 15 per second. Ethereum is now aiming to switch from a PoW paradigm to a PoS one for its consensus mechanism. Transaction fees will decrease significantly as a result of it.
8. Can NFTs be Created for No Cost?
The Polygon Blockchain allows users to mint NFTs at no cost. The designers are allowed to mint the NFTs because they are freely listed on Polygon. It is known as slack minting. You can create NFTs “off-chain” by lazy minting, which really only charges you fees when the NFT is sold (away from the primary blockchain).
After being sold, the NFT will be published to the “on-chain” (the main blockchain). The platform will take 2.5% off the service’s selling price. It is the best option if you try setting up an NFT for the first time.
9. Crypto and NFT Price
NFTs typically increase in value when the fungible token marketplaces are quiet, based on past price fluctuations. Many NFTs experienced a value spike at the start of 2022, but many collections have since leveled off or been phased out.
The NFT market, in contrast to cryptocurrencies, exhibits negligible volatility spillover inside NFT markets. This indicates that unlike the increased volatility cryptocurrencies suffer, NFTs function more autonomously than each other.
Utility and anticipated value based on supply and demand are other elements determining NFT value.
10. Popular NFT Marketplace
There are multiple NFT marketplaces out there, but some have become popular due to their easy access and user-friendly UI. Some of them are:
- OpenSea.io: The self-described “purveyor of rare digital artifacts and valuables” on this peer-to-peer website, you only need to create an account to begin browsing NFT collections. You can also sort the artwork by how many people have purchased it to discover new artists.
- Rarible: Rarible, a democratic, open market similar to OpenSea, enables artists and producers to create and sell NFTs. Holders of the RARI tokens used by the platform can voice their opinions on issues like price and community laws.
- Foundation: Here, artists must first obtain “upvotes” or invitations from other creators to upload their work. Due to its exclusivity and high admission cost, the community may exhibit artwork of a higher grade (artists must additionally pay “gas” to mint NFTs). For instance, Chris Torres, the creator of the Nyan Cat, promoted the NFT on the Foundation platform. Additionally, suppose the demand for NFTs remains the same or even increases over time. In that case, it might lead to greater prices, which would not necessarily be bad for artists and collectors trying to profit.
Thousands of NFT artists and collectors are on these and other platforms, but you should still do your homework before purchasing. Impersonators who listed and sold other people’s artwork under their names have taken advantage of certain artists.
Additionally, there are differences amongst platforms regarding the verification procedures for creators and NFT listings, with some being more rigorous than others. Owner verification is not required, for instance, for NFT listings on OpenSea and Rarible. The old adage “caveat emptor” (let the buyer beware) may be the greatest guide when shopping for and purchasing NFTs because it seems that buyer protections are at best scant.
11. Know the Risks Associated with Investing in NFTs
It is important to consider NFTs as a very dangerous new asset class. Investments in cryptocurrencies are linked to some of the risks involved with investing in NFTs. Despite being existed for more than ten years, digital money is still a comparatively recent investment class with significant levels of market unpredictability. Legislative changes or unfavorable market conditions could cause a sudden decline in the value of cryptocurrencies.
If the price of your NFT is set in Ethereum and Ether’s value drops by 50%, the price of your NFT may also drop by 50% or more. Your total investment in cryptocurrencies or NFTs may be lost.
12. Various Crypto Wallets:
After being bought, the NFT is kept in a crypto wallet within the same blockchain, on a different blockchain, or in decentralized storage. The NFT can only be seen on a screen because it is digital, usually as part of a website. Although you own the NFT, you often do not own the copyright to the original asset (the NFT developer does), therefore you cannot reproduce it and you are not able to file a copyright infringement lawsuit against someone.
Some of the crypto wallets are:
- Metamask
- Coinbase
- Cybavo
- Blue Wallet
- Electrum
- Trust Wallet
- Alpha Wallet
- Exodus
With the help of these wallets, you may keep both your cryptocurrencies and the NFTs you purchase from the market.
13. Investment in NFTs: Pros and Cons
There are some pros and cons that you should know before investing in NFTs. Some NFTs skyrocket and some NFTs just take down your finance drastically.
13.1 Pros:
- Exposure to cryptocurrency and blockchain technology: A relatively new asset class and technology are directly experienced through investment in NFTs.
- Investments that are safe and largely anonymous: NFTs can be safely purchased online and kept in the independent crypto wallet of your choosing.
13.2 Cons:
- A risky investment with a high possibility for loss: Cryptocurrencies and NFTs are erratic, risky investments. In an NFT, you could lose everything you invested.
- The requirement to keep a digital wallet: You might find it difficult to manage the technical parts of running a crypto wallet to purchase, sell, and store NFTs if you don’t have at least some computer abilities.
14. Conclusion
NFTs are both intriguing and useful. Additionally, they enable digital artists to market their works in new ways.
They are not, however, a secret source of income for creative types, despite what a few high-ticket sales might suggest. NFT generation is currently a risky venture due to high costs, technological challenges, and a small customer pool.
