Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) have started a revolution in the digital world. After the last year’s expansion of the NFT market, it looks like there’s nothing that can stop this innovation. NFT marketplaces serve as a gateway for participating in the sale and purchase of digital assets. You can think of NFT marketplaces as Amazon of the digital space.
Use cases of NFTs:
People who like to collect artwork or are interested in crypto-trading use NFTs. This isn’t it because it has several other uses cases.
- Digital content is the most significant use of NFTs in today’s world. With NFTs in the scene, the creator has the ownership of their content and this enhances their profits.
- The gaming industry is another conquered realm of NFTs. Developers and players both benefit from NFTs.
- NFTs can be used as collateral in Decentralized Finance (DeFi) to borrow money. DeFi applications let you borrow money by using collateral. NFT and DeFi, both work together to explore using NFTs as collateral instead.
- Domain names are easier and more memorable because of NFTs. NFTs provide a more relevant and valuable length to IP addresses.
Popular NFT marketplaces:
The sale of your NFTs depends on whether you have chosen the right marketplace or not. A lot of people choose NFT marketplaces based on the fees they have to pay which is completely wrong. You need to choose what type of NFT you’re creating and which blockchain is being used. So far Ethereum is the most popular among top NFT marketplaces but digital space also has some platforms that are cheaper and more efficient. Let’s take a look at the top NFT marketplaces.
Opensea:
Opensea holds the first position among top NFT marketplaces because it is one of the most used and oldest platforms. The platform hosts a very wide range of NFTs including art, music, photography, virtual worlds, and sports collections. Other than Ethereum platform uses different blockchains like Polygon and Klatyn. This marketplace supports more than 150 cryptocurrencies for payment purposes. It is a very easy-to-use platform.
Anyone can set up an account for free and use this platform to create, sell, purchase, or browse a wide range of digital collectibles. A great place to start your journey with a sea-like platform.
Reasons to choose:
- The platform uses several blockchains which is a plus point for Opensea.
- For payment purposes, more than 150 cryptocurrencies are accepted.
- A wide range of NFTs is present on the platform.
Reasons to reject:
- High gas fees and carbon fees can be problematic for the platform.
Nifty Gateway:
Nifty Gateway is popular for its big drops for users. Most eye-catching big-money digital collectibles sales have happened on this platform. For example, the sale of Pak’s ‘The Merge’ and Beeple’s ‘CROSSROAD’ happened on this platform. It is the number one platform for Celebrity NFTs. A huge following on Twitter also boosts the platform.
If you want to buy an NFT and don’t own cryptocurrency, then this platform might be the best for you because it allows users to purchase collectibles using credit cards. An unlimited number of editions are created for a limited period and then these are sold at base price. This is the best use of open editions. After timed out, not a single NFT is issued ever.
Reasons to choose:
- Purchasing can be done through fiat currency
- The platform makes good use of limited open editions which makes it interesting.
Reasons to reject:
- This platform is dominated by celebrity NFTs which leaves little room for commoners.
Solanart:
Built on the Solana Network, Solanart is a full-fledged NFT marketplace. This platform charges a transaction fee of 3% but supports many wallets such as Phantom, Clover, and Solflare.
Rarible:
Rarible is owned by the community and promotes decentralization. The marketplace is infamous for its rare media and sports collection due to which it attracts a lot of media, gaming, and sports brands. Users can sell a single NFT or collection. Users can get part in the platform’s upgrade through their right to vote. A lot of brands are associated with a platform that helps to preserve artists’ work and create novel NFTs.
Along with Ethereum, Blockchains like Tezos and Flow are also used by this marketplace. Usage of several blockchains provides an option to users to choose what benefits them.
Reasons to choose:
- Several Blockchain options are very good
- Community-owned platform
- A very low carbon and gas fees option is offered.
Reasons to reject:
- Dominated by big brands
Foundation:
Digital Artists, crypto natives, and collectors work on this platform. Artists need to build a profile first and get enough Upvote from the community to be accepted on Foundation. Foundation has a policy that the creator of the art receives 10% from every time an artwork of his resells.
Binance NFT:
Binance is known as one of the largest and future-proof NFT marketplaces. Supported by the crypto exchange, Binance, this platform is expanding very rapidly. Due to this support of crypto exchange, it is considered one of the best future-proof NFT platforms.
If you have Binance tokens (BNB) accessing the marketplace is even easier, and you can use ETH, BNB, and BUSD to bid. You can deposit ETH or BSC NFTs if you’re looking to sell.
Reasons to choose:
- Platform charges only 1% fees
- Users can cash out using Fiat
- Secure and large platform for NFTs
Reasons to reject:
- The platform is not artist-friendly
SuperRare:
SuperRare is an NFT platform that provides an art gallery feel and brings gallery attitude to the NFT realm. It’s an art-first NFT marketplace that puts credibility and artistic intent above meme-friendly art. You won’t find SuperRare filled with celebrity NFTs. It reportedly only accepts 1% of the artists who apply, which sounds elitist, but it means that if you’re accepted you know you’re in a catalogue of highly curated and interesting artworks.
The approach makes SuperRare feel like a high-end gallery, and that’s further enhanced by a rule enabling its artists to mint one of their originals – no Editions here. This means the pieces are more scarce and so, as the name suggests, rare. SuperRare is one of the best NFT marketplaces for serious art and artists.
Reasons to choose:
- Curated and rare artwork can be found here.
- The platform has a great editorial blog which makes it different.
- It has a fine gallery mood
Reasons to reject:
- The platform is notorious for accepting a low number of applicants.
Magic Eden:
NFT marketplace Magic Eden has rapidly surged to the top of the Solana pack, becoming the dominant player in the space much like OpenSea has done on Ethereum. Platform charges 2% of the transaction as a fee.
Should you Buy NFTs?
NFT market is expandable with a lot more to come but risky at this level. Even traditional art and collectibles are hard to value and difficult to invest in if you don’t have sufficient knowledge. If you think that you know the market and this space enough then you should check any of these points.
- You completely understand the traditional art market.
- You already have invested in the traditional market and hold sports trading cards, art, or anything related to it.
- You’re not looking for a quick buck rather you are in for long term investment
Thorough research of the platform and content’s value is of extreme importance here. Let things clear first and then go with investment.
Conclusion:
The craze of NFTs is not going to slow down any soon. NFT marketplaces provide a way to start investing in digital collectibles. Plenty of options are out there and we have discussed a few of them. Be sure to choose one that suits your buying and storage needs based on the type of NFT you’re after and the crypto you’re interested in using for transactions.