NFTs can be created and stored on any public blockchain that is open and accessible to anyone, by anyone. The items they represent are verifiable and traceable, while the owner can remain anonymous if they so choose.

Minting

🪄 Minting or the creation of an NFT happens when an NFT is generated on the blockchain for the first time. This means that the NFT has its first official owner! This can be the creator or someone who has appropriate licenses and permission to mint it.

🤖 From a technical perspective, NFTs are minted through smart contracts that assign ownership and manage the transferability of the NFTs. The minting process includes a few steps, from creating a new block to validating and recording the data on the blockchain. When an NFT is minted and associated content is uploaded, the owner has proof that they are the sole holder of the token which establishes the scarcity of the asset.

<aside> 🎊 Minting can take place directly via a project website, a marketplace platform, or directly on a smart contract

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For Artists & Collectors

As an artist, minting an NFT or a collect of NFTs for the first time can be done via a smart contract, project website, or through a marketplace (OpenSea, Rarible, etc). Minting makes your NFT or collection available for purchase to the public. An NFT can be bought and sold multiple times and have many owners during its lifespan. As an artist/creator your NFT will always be tied to the smart contract that it originated on (regardless of whether it was minted on a site, smart contract directly, or platform) and you can earn royalties on each and every sale. This logic is specified in the originating smart contract.

Profile Picture Collectibles (PFP) are popular and common NFT projects. These projects typically are minted from a website and there is a fixed amount available. For example, there will be 10,000 PFPs available for a given project and minting will be open to the public for a period of time. Collectors who successfully mint an NFT from the collection will be owner of the NFT while the artist/project retain any royalties for secondary sales.

How to Mint (via a marketplace)

  1. You will want to mint from your Mac or PC
  2. Access the marketplace (OpenSea, or other) you would like to mint your NFT on and connect your wallet (Metamask or other). You will need to be signed in to your wallet
  3. Select create/add new
  4. Upload a high-quality image of your digital asset and give it a name
  5. Add any other details or metadata associated with your asset
  6. Do a final check and click create
  7. Your asset is now listed!