Understanding NFTs – are they really a bubble?

Non-fungible tokens, also known as non-fungible tokens, are relatively recent phenomena in the blockchain world. Although NFTs have existed for some years, the demand for online art pieces, commemorative products, and other commodities housed in blockchain ecosystems has surged in recent months. 

Contingent on who you ask, non-fungible tokens are perhaps the future of art and a breakthrough in the fundamental notion of ownership. They are an ecologically damaging fad that should be laughed at.  

With tens of billions of dollars flooding in transactions and companies jumping on an ever increasing wave, it is apparent that NFTs have made an unquestionable impact. Whereas the topic of whether this is a good thing or a bad thing remains debatable, according to the countless artists, makers, and developers we talked with, NFTs are just starting up. 

As we approach 2022, mainstream implementation is on the rise, as evidenced by the release of NFTs by global organisations such as Visa and Twitter, as well as the purchase of NFTs as investment products by Adidas, which centred its latest marketing strategy on the metaverse zeitgeist, which also included collaboration with NFT groups and leaders.  

Users have transferred at least $26.9 billion in bitcoin to ERC-721 and ERC-1155 contracts, the two kinds of Ethereum smart contracts linked with NFT markets and collections, thus far in 2021. During the month of October, 2021, NFT collector-sized transfers, defined as those involving between $10,000 and $100,000 in bitcoin, were for 19% of all NFT transactions, up from 6% in early March. With slightly less than 500 transactions each week, institutional-sized transactions represent less than 1% of all transfers. 

These businesses are serving as role models for organisations worldwide who are searching for new methods to interact with and engage passionate fan audiences, demonstrating that NFTs are a successful method of doing so. Many claims that most of the capital is still on the wings, trying to figure out what NFTs are, but the year 2021 "caused investors to pay attention. It is estimated that in 2022  we'll witness new categories emerge, such as music, as billions of dollars in digital assets are constructed on top of the present music sector." 

If NFT advocates are to be followed, real-life events linked to NFTs are simply the beginning of what lies ahead. To comprehend the predicted imminent seismic change, one need only go no farther than another 2021 term — one that gave NFT a run for its money: metaverse.  

The concept of a permanent digital place, or spaces, where individuals (and companies) may connect has been welcomed by both tech giants such as Mark Zuckerberg and those who deal with NFTs daily. One of the most prominent metaverse systems now in use, Decentraland, is constructed on top of the Ethereum blockchain and already supports NFTs. 

In conclusion, Many have said that the excitement surrounding NFTs is nothing more than a bubble, but their widespread functionality argues the contrary as  NFTs force individuals to consider the many options that our era brings. The frenzy around tokens is normal - each new occurrence is brought to light exactly due to the hype.  

However, it is the actual broad examples of how technology evolves through time that indicate its longevity. How leading players incorporate NFTs leads us to believe that they are not merely for entertainment purposes, and definitely not a bubble, but our new reality. 

27.12.2021