Features / 303 posts found
The Art World Has a Problem. But NFTs May Offer ‘a Real Solution’
NFTs are bringing new possibilities and opportunities to artists in ways the traditional art world has never offered. With the advent of the technology, a new art ecosystem formed, free of many structures artists typically navigate just to reach an audience, let alone succeed. In crucial ways, the blockchain leveled the playing field, and suddenly anyone could take part in the new creator economy. NFT projects built from the ground up on Discord and other social media channels brought together like-minded individuals and fostered exciting new possibilities for distributing the digital artwork these communities love and the flow of capital […]
Can Innovation Trump a Bear Market? Here’s What We Know
On April 18th, 2020, when business and consumer morale were low at the height of the pandemic, tech titan Marc Andreessen published a blog post whose title deployed four poignant words: It’s time to build. The corresponding article criticized the United States for its poor preparation for a worldwide pandemic, chalking it up to the country’s lack of desire to “build” the infrastructure and physical footprints needed to withstand such a sudden black swan event. The post ends by encouraging all readers to build because it’s the only way to “honor the legacy of our forefathers and foremothers and to […]
NFT Tickets Are the Future of Live Music. Here’s Why
For the better part of a decade, concert and festival goers have foregone ink and paper in favor of storing their event tickets on their phones. As ticketing has transitioned from paper to PDF and the age of digital credentials, a new wave of post-pandemic performances has started to shake up the live-event ecosystem via — you guessed it — NFTs. Although it can sometimes seem like digital art and avatar NFTs are the only use cases for NFTs that have longevity, this just isn’t so. The truth is that NFTs can be used in far more ways than they […]
How the Nyan Cat Creator Let Memers Finally Get Paid
Meme culture is one of the internet’s most cherished and valuable pastimes. And for a good reason — memes can be a deceptively rich form of social commentary that manifests itself in tightly-looped GIFs or evocative yet simple images featuring blocky text overlays. But they can also just be good, silly fun. For the longest time, memes were a great cultural metric of creator disenfranchisement on the internet. The disparity between the heights of global popularity that viral sensations have reached and the lack of compensation (or even basic recognition) their creators received is vast. It’s enough to cause a massive […]
HUSL NFT Project Will Help Users Start Their Own Businesses
While growing in variety, scope, and utility, NFTs and Web3 tools can become overshadowed by the flashy side of digital art technology. Purchasing and managing your website’s domain name on Ethereum Name Service might be helpful, but it’s just not as sexy as dropping or buying into a colorful PFP collection. Despite those optics, there are plenty of project developers actively exploring ideas on how to use NFTs in myriad ways. One up-and-coming business-related project is HUSL NFT. It’s a collection of 5,000 fully-automated software-as-a-service businesses wrapped and sold as NFTs. You’re probably not alone if you’ve raised an eyebrow […]
Shira Lazar: How One Woman Became a Leading Female Voice in NFTs
The gravitational pull of the NFT space is undeniable. We’re forging a new creative economy in real-time, and, over the years, the weird wide world of nonfungibles has ballooned, bootstrapping a robust community of creatives and professionals from every industry along the way. While rising stars of the NFT ecosystem reach for success, Shira Lazar, Founder and CEO of the Emmy Nominated digital media brand called What’s Trending, has become one of the most vocal proponents of blockchain tech and culture. A woman of many hats, Lazar is not only an avid collector of and advocate for NFTs, but a […]
Here’s Why Many Gamers (Rightfully) Aren’t so Game on NFTs
For many gamers, animosity toward NFTs has yet to wane. Even as the NFT ecosystem balloons further, branching out into seemingly every sector of the entertainment industry, an array of (very vocal) detractors continue to staunchly oppose digital collectibles. Across all the industries — music, fashion, film, finance, and so on — NFTs are undoubtedly most abhorred in the gaming industry. From casual players all the way up to e-sports professionals, many have denounced the implementation of NFTs and similar blockchain-based endeavors within the space. And it isn’t just consumers. Prominent game developers and companies alike have opposed NFTs. Even […]
Exclusive: The IRS and SEC Eye Crypto and NFT Regulation
Will 2022 be the year of NFT regulation? With regulatory bodies and enforcement agencies in the U.S. paying close attention to the world of cryptocurrencies, digital assets, and the crimes committed within these spheres, it certainly looks like it might be. We’ve seen the FBI charge a former OpenSea employee with insider trading; the founders of the now infamous Frosties NFT project arrested for making off with $1.3 million in a rug pull; and Le Anh Tuan, founder of the doomed Baller Ape Club NFT project and community, charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in addition to conspiracy to […]
Contracts Are Still Crucial for NFT Sales of Real-World Objects
When blockchain technology went mainstream in 2016 and Bitcoin hit its then-record high of $20,000 the following year, entrepreneurs and visionaries were eager to leverage the crypto-mastermind Satoshi Nakamoto’s vision for decentralization for as many real-world applications as possible. And the list of innovations is seemingly endless. IBM went all-in on the blockchain, launching its program to speed up the development of blockchain-based applications for businesses. The Sacramento Kings became the first NBA team to mine Ethereum. Even Walmart expressed interest in employing blockchain centers to help bring transparency to the supply chain and reduce instances of foodborne illness. Clearly, […]
Have There Really Been Major NFT Advancements in the Last Year?
In 2021, the nonfungible token (NFT) ecosystem absolutely exploded. Artists gained a robust new way to sustain themselves, NFT collectors evolved into prominent Web3 builders, and entire lives were changed thanks to blockchain technology. That’s all well and good, but does it really matter in the grand scheme of things? Of course, those associated with the world of art, finance, and blockchain tech will say that it does. To the vast majority of consumers though, NFTs are inconsequential. Sure, the total sales volume of NFTs went from $94.9 million to over $23 billion in a year, but big figures and […]