Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Non-fungible tokens explained – and why some are worth millions

Non-fungible tokens explained – and why some are worth millions

Recently there have been reports of artworks selling for millions of dollars – but those who buy it aren’t getting anything physical – they are getting a unique digital token known as NFTs

If you’ve heard the word NFT, or the phrase non-fungible token, and not had a clue what was going on, you’re not the only one.

Before 2021 it was a relatively rare term to hear, but in recent months it’s becoming increasingly common to hear it spoken about in relation to digital artwork being sold for millions.

NFTs are the latest craze from the world of cryptocurrency.

Christie’s auction house sold the first ever NFT artwork for a whopping $69m (£50m) this week – but the winning bidder will not receive anything physical.

Similarly, an online sale of NFTs by digital artist Pak fetched a massive $16.8million (£12.2million) at Sotheby’s. This included an image of a single pixel for $1.26million (£987,000).

Chris Torres, creator of Nyan Cat, sold his iconic meme for roughly $590,000 earlier this year


Instead, they will get a unique digital token known as an NFT. Confused? Don’t worry, we will do our best to explain.

What is an NFT?


NFT stands for non-fungible token, and is the latest cryptocurrency phenomenon to go mainstream.

In economics, a fungible asset is something with units that can be readily interchanged, like money. For example, you can swap a £20 note for two £10 notes and have the same value.

If something is non-fungible, it means that it has unique properties and can’t be interchanged with something else.


In relatively simple terms, NFTs are “one-of-a-kind” assets in the digital world, that can be sold like anything else.

NFTs can take the form of digital artwork, GIFs, tweets, virtual trading cards, music, virtual real estate and more.

They transform digital works of art and other collectibles into verifiable assets that can easily be traded on the blockchain.

These digital tokens can be thought of as certificates of ownerships for virtual or physical assets.

How do NFTs work?


No physical object changes hands, because NFTs exist exclusively in digital form.

As with crypto-currency, a blockchain (digital record) acts as a public ledger to verify ownership status.

Critics argue that these digital works can be copied and shared, and experts say that this is no different than to in the physical world.

A copy of any artwork is not the original.

The buyer of an NFT owns a “token” which proves only they have the “original” work.

Why are NFTs worth so much money?


In theory, anyone can tokenise their “one-of-a-kind” work as an NFT.

Art-collector Pablo Rodriquez-Fraile thinks the NFT boom has been accelerated by the coronavirus pandemic, but that ultimately it would have happened anyway.

He told Insider: “People have long used art to store value. Crypto extends easily into digital art.

“This is just a more modern approach to investing in art and using it like someone would use gold or bitcoin.”

Billionaire Mark Cuban told Insider that one of the reasons people pay so much is because NFTs are about scarcity.

He told Insider: “The buyer knows how many will be made and has blockchain proof of ownership.”

Experts who spoke to The Hustle also believe a boom in cryptocurrency in general has also generated interest in digital assets.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
×