People have, over time, collected and monetized a wide variety of objects – from currency and art to precious stones and metals, such as diamonds and gold. It’s always been part of human culture and the financial world to put a value on currency and certain items, as well as trade them for profit or payment. However, in more recent times, people have also assigned value to the most bizarre and brand-new items, particularly online and in the forms of electronic currency and virtual tokens.
The first thing that probably comes to mind is cryptocurrency when thinking of new, budding currencies, digital goods, and online trading trends; however, there’s another one that’s rising in the ranks – one that’s only just emerged recently and is taking the internet by storm. This brand-new digital item that’s becoming a dominating feature in the online world of digital currency and trading is the NFT – which has made a notable and very quick impact on world financial markets.
This article looks at the fast-growing trend that is the NFT (which stands for Non-Fungible Token) and discusses whether this is a long-term opportunity or if the NFT market is nothing but a flash in the financial pan. There have always been financial assets that people collect and value differently – but given the recent hype surrounding NFTs and their blossoming popularity and success, it begs the question: what are NFTs, and, more importantly, are they here to stay? Let’s take a look.
What Is an NFT?
The tokens are built on blockchain, recording all transactions in a way that cannot be changed or cheated. It is person-to-person in the nature of the transaction and, as such, not controlled by any centralized bank or organization.
A non-fungible token is something that cannot be copied, and whether a baseball or Pokémon card to an electronic piece of art, there can only be one unique token. There is a wide variety available, with great examples of the diversity in NFTs seen at the marketplace OKX.com, and anything from a self-drawn piece of art to a gaming card and virtual designer clothes can have a real value assigned to it.
The value, as with anything else that is bought and sold on the open market, is intrinsically linked to whatever use or perceived value someone is prepared to pay, and the internet and the soon-to-be metaverse now enables more people, both real and virtual, to be able to bid and buy the objects and artforms that they desire.
How Well NFTs Have Done Over Time – and Why
One of the main aspects or sectors that has used the NFT is the online gaming sector, where avatars and gamer personas are so important that they have become tradable, and items of virtual game importance are also assigned real-world value.
Most of the big players in all sectors are releasing their versions of NFTs and using them for all manner of electronic and digital security and transacting.
Is It Worth Getting Involved, or Is It a Flash in the Pan?
The rise of the metaverse has meant that many more people spend time and money on the virtual online space, and, as such, digital NFTs, such as a birthday present or house gift for a fellow gamer, have also become just as important.
The sharp increase in NFTs and the widest variety and options have made this one of the fastest-growing forms of investment and money-making. As such, it looks like NFTs are here to stay in the long term, provided they continue to do as well as they have been doing in the global online markets.
Final Thoughts
This article shows that although the NFT sector has seen incredible volatility, especially of late, it is still a sector that will continue to yield value and financial promise as bigger players look to get involved.
Sports teams, specific personalities, celebrities, and card and board games alike have all staked a claim to the space and are all soon to release their versions of the NFT. It’s a sector on the move – and that notion is incredibly exciting.
