What is Crypto (NFT) Art?

I am no expert. So this is very basic stuff put into simple words.

With blockchain technology, it is possible to generate (or mint) a digital token that is unique and can't be replicated. This token can be transferred from person to person like an object in the physical world. Unlike regular digital files, the token can not be copied or owned by multiple people.

Do not worry about understanding the technology behind it, Now the interesting part:

You can associate this token with a regular digital file (image, video, mp3, or anything), and that token when combined with the file makes it unique. Remember the digital file can be copied but the token is unique.

This has made it possible to sell, auction, and trade digital art (digital file + token) because now it's unique and traceable. There are several platforms that let an artist create (mint) these tokens called NFTs (Non-fungible tokens) and put them up for auction by associating them with a digital file like an Image, Video, or MP3.

If I have failed you and you still don’t understand the basic idea you can listen to this podcast episode. Beeple, a super famous digital artist talking about Crypto Art and his recent auctions worth 3.5 million USD.

Listen to this episode from School of Motion Podcast on Spotify. Mike Winkelmann is well known in the digital art world. His work is often provocative, sometimes downright shocking, but always has a style that is uniquely his.

How to make an NFT and Auction your art

To create (mint) your NFT you need Ethereum (ETH) a cryptocurrency. Don’t be alarmed just think of it as an approx $100 USD* fee to make one token.

First, you need to pick a platform you want to sell your art on. Some platforms have a waitlist and each platform is a bit different from one another.

Once you pick a platform you need to attach it to a wallet (MetaMask) and purchase ETH using your debit card.

That’s it now Hit ‘Create’ and pick the digital file you want to attach with the token, give it a title, and a description. You can set a purchase price or leave it and let people Bid (That works better).

Once everything is in place you will be asked to make an ETH payment (GAS). It’s around $100-$150 USD.

And you are done.

This was a simplified overview of the process you need to read the steps for each platform carefully.

Word of advice, you need a community that believes in your work. Don’t rush into making an NFT take some time to understand the market. Engage with people on Twitter. If you have no community or followers it is extremely hard to sell. Think of ways you can be an active member of the community and then when you feel ready mint your artwork.

NFT has been here for years and it’s not going anywhere. Don’t rush just because you feel it’s a bubble and you want to cash out before it bursts. It’s not as simple as uploading an image and people start bidding. A lot of my first bidders were my client or people I knew.

Also, keep an eye on the trend but be true to your style.

Here is a list of platforms I just copy-pasted:

SuperRare — Highly-curated 1-of-1 edition NFTs. The “gold standard” in the current NFT space. 

NiftyGateway — Fast-growing NFT market leading the pack in sales volume. Highly-sought after daily NFT drops, with popular visual artists and now celebrities getting involved. One of the few NFT platforms that accepts USD / credit card as payment.

Zora — Feed-style NFT platform in which the market of each piece is baked into the NFT itself and not run by the platform. Zora therefore doesn’t take a transaction fee on each sale like the other platforms. Creating NFTs is currently invite-only. The Zora protocol is also open for anyone to build on. 

Foundation — Beautifully designed and curated NFT marketplace with reserved bidding that, once met, unlocks 24-hour auctions. Creating NFTs is currently invite-only. 

Rarible — The most open and permissionless NFT marketplace. Anyone can create an NFT right away without needing an invite, and a roadmap is in place to make the platform community-run.

Makersplace — An invite-only creator NFT platform that accepts both Ethereum and fiat currency. Recently partnered with Christie’s auction house to sell the first fully digital piece at Christie’s, by artist Beeple. 

KnownOrigin — Quality NFT art platform with multiple weekly drops. Offers accepted in ETH.

The source of this platform list is a better-written article than this you can read it here


I want to share more learnings but it is a little too early for that, stay tuned I am a pro at writing mediocre blog posts that hardly anyone reads.