Opinion | What the Heck are NFTs? Let’s Ask Beeple. (Published 2021)

NFTs are new keys to internet: NFTs (non-fungible tokens) are a special kind of crypto asset where each token is unique. They authenticate ownership of any kind of digital asset. NFTs represent more than unique digital objects, they are objects described by code. As such they become programmable keys to media and gaming communities.

It’s easy to see why NFTs inspire both excitement and deep skepticism: They’re a completely novel asset class, and we don’t see new asset classes appear that often. But what drives the value of an asset that’s really just a digital token people can pass around? To appreciate NFTs properly, we first have to think through what they actually are and t... See more

NFTs [1] are not just cat pictures that people trade on blockchains. Today digital art [2], collectibles [3], and in-game assets [4] are the most visible use cases for these nifty non-fungibles. But the market holds an inconspicuous secret: there is a staggering diversity of online digital content that can be placed on a blockchain in the form of N... See more