NFT Mania: Popular Internet Memes That Sold For Millions As NFTs

This year, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) appear to have erupted on the internet. From art and music to tacos and toilet paper, digital assets are selling like 17th-century exotic Dutch tulips, fetching millions of dollars in certain cases.

Are NFTs, however, worth the money—or the hype? Some analysts believe they are a bubble that will burst, similar to the dot-com mania or Beanie Babies. Others feel that NFTs are here to stay and will permanently revolutionise investment.

An NFT is a digital asset that symbolises physical stuff such as art, music, in-game items, and movies. They are purchased and traded online, usually using cryptocurrency, and are typically encoded using the same underlying software as many cryptos.

Despite the fact that they have been present since 2014, NFTs are gaining popularity as a popular means to purchase and sell digital artwork. Since November 2017, a whopping $174 million has been spent on NFTs.

Individual images—or perhaps the full collage of images—can be seen online for free by anybody. So, why are individuals prepared to spend millions of dollars on something that can be readily screenshotted or downloaded?

Because an NFT permits the buyer to retain ownership of the original item. Furthermore, it includes built-in authentication, which acts as evidence of ownership. Collectors appreciate "digital bragging rights" nearly as much as the thing itself.

What Is the Difference Between an NFT and Cryptocurrency?

NFT is an abbreviation for non-fungible token. It's constructed using the same code as cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin or Ethereum, but that's where the similarities end.

Physical money and cryptocurrencies are "fungible," which means they may be swapped for one another. They're also worth the same amount—one dollar is always worth another dollar and one Bitcoin is always worth another Bitcoin. The fungibility of cryptocurrency gives it a reliable method of executing blockchain transactions.

How Does an NFT Function?

NFTs reside on a blockchain, which is a public distributed ledger that records transactions. You've definitely heard of blockchain as the fundamental technology that allows cryptocurrencies to exist.

NFTs are commonly kept on the Ethereum blockchain, however, they can also be held on other blockchains.

An NFT is "minted" using digital objects that represent both tangible and intangible elements, such as:

GIFs, art, videos of sports highlights

Collectables

Video game skins and virtual avatars

Designer shoes

Music

Tweets are also considered. Jack Dorsey, the co-founder of Twitter, sold his first tweet as an NFT for more than $2.9 million.

NFTs are essentially digital versions of tangible collector's artefacts. Instead of a physical oil painting to put on the wall, the customer receives a digital file.

They will also have sole ownership rights. That's correct: NFTs can only have one owner at a time. The unique data of NFTs makes it simple to verify ownership and transfer tokens between owners. They can also be used to hold particular information by the owner or author. Artists, for example, can sign their work by putting their signature in the metadata of an NFT.

What Is the Purpose of NFTs?

Artists and content creators have a unique potential to monetise their work thanks to blockchain technology and NFTs. Artists, for example, no longer have to rely on galleries or auction houses to sell their work. Instead, the artist may sell it straight to the buyer as an NFT, allowing them to keep a larger portion of the revenues.

Furthermore, artists may set up royalties so that they get a share of revenues anytime their work is sold to a new owner. This is an appealing feature because most artists do not earn future revenue after their work is sold.

Art isn't the only method to profit from NFTs. Charmin and Taco Bell, for example, have auctioned off themed NFT paintings to generate revenue for charity. Charmin's offering was called "NFTP" (non-fungible toilet paper), while Taco Bell's NFT art sold out in minutes, with the top bids coming in at 1.5 wrapped ether (WETH), or $3,723.83 at the time of writing.

How to Purchase NFTs?

If you want to build your own NFT collection, you'll need the following items:

To begin, you must obtain a digital wallet that allows you to store NFTs and cryptocurrencies. Depending on the currencies accepted by your NFT provider, you may need to acquire some cryptocurrency, such as Ether. You may now buy cryptocurrency with a credit card on platforms such as Coinbase, Kraken, eToro, and even PayPal and Robinhood. You will then be able to transfer it from the exchange to your preferred wallet.

As you study your alternatives, keep costs in mind. When you acquire cryptocurrency, most exchanges charge at least a portion of your transaction.

Popular NFT Exchanges

Once you've set up and financed your wallet, there's no shortage of NFT sites to choose from. The following are the major NFT marketplaces at the moment:

1. OpenSea.io is a peer-to-peer marketplace that sells "rare digital objects and collectables." And get started, simply create an account to browse NFT collections. You can also sort by sales volume to find new artists.

2. Rarible is like OpenSea, a democratic, open marketplace where artists and producers may issue and sell NFTs. Holders of RARI tokens issued on the platform can vote on features such as fees and community rules.

Although these and other sites are home to hundreds of NFT artists and collectors, do your homework before purchasing. Some artists have been duped by imposters who have listed and sold their work without their consent.

Furthermore, the verification methods for creators and NFT listings differ among platforms, with some being more strict than others. For NFT postings, OpenSea and Rarible, for example, do not need owner verification.

Meme For Millions?

Once a meme is converted into an NFT, its ownership can be traded between parties for increased earnings. Many memes have made the headlines for being sold at sky-high prices.

Let's have look at the internet's favourite meme-NFTs :

A. Sucess Kid - The image of the first-pumping toddler who populated early memes.

Sold for: 15.00 ETH

Worth: Rs.13,72,246.55 (data as on 05/07/22)

B. Trollface - A comic character with a mischievous smile meant to represent the facial expression of an internet troll.

Sold for: 42.00 ETH

Worth: Rs.38,52,378.05

C. Doge - Photo of a Shiba Inu named Kabosu, now the face of dogecoin

Sold for: 1,696.9 ETH

Worth: Rs.15,56,45,245.51

D. Grumpy Cat - Photograph of a cat named Tardar Sauce, known famously as The Grumpy Cat.

Sold for: 44.2 ETH

Worth: Rs.40,54,169.28

E. Disaster Girl - Image of Zoe Roth eyeing a camera as a house burns

Sold for: 180 ETH

Worth: Rs.1,65,10,191.64

Should You Invest in NFTs?

Does the fact that you may purchase NFTs imply that you should?

"NFTs are dangerous since their future is unpredictable, and there isn't a lot of experience to gauge their performance," she says. "Because NFTs are so new, it may be worth investing tiny sums to test them out for the time being."

In other words, investing in NFTs is mostly a personal choice. If you have some extra cash, it's worth thinking about, especially if the artwork has importance to you.

However, keep in mind that the value of an NFT is entirely determined by what someone else is prepared to pay for it.

Treat NFTs in the same way you would any other investment: Do your homework, understand the dangers (including the possibility of losing all of your investment rupees), and continue with prudence if you decide to take the leap.

Conti, R. (2022, June 14). What Is An NFT? How Do NFTs Work? Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/advisor/in/investing/what-is-an-nft-how-do-nfts-work/