interest NFT projects

How to Make and Sell NFT Art: Step-by-Step Guide With Pictures.

So you’re here because you heard about Nyan Cat. Or maybe it was Grimes’ collection of weird demon baby cherub things. Or something having to do with Lindsay Lohan. Whatever the reason, you’ve decided you’re going to make hay while the crypto sun shines, you’ve got the art skills to do it, and the only thing you’re missing is the crypto know-how to get your work up there where the kind of people who will pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for a GIF can smile upon your work and maybe cough up a few grand your way.

Well, crypto wallet may make money you’re in luck, because we simplified the whole process into a few easy steps that will have your own bizarre crypto art immortalized on the blockchain in no time.

Contents show.

How to Make and Sell NFT Art Step 1: Create Some Art Step 2: Set Up an Ethereum Wallet Step 3: Buy Some Ether Step 4: Choose a Marketplace Step 5: Upload Your Art Step 6: Pay the Transaction Fee.

How to Make and Sell NFT Art.

Down below, we will take you step-by-step through the process of turning your beloved artwork into a newly-minted NFT that will outlive us all on the Ethereum Blockchain. We say Ethereum because, at least for the time being, Ethereum is the prime blockchain for selling and trading NFTs.

Step 1: NFT Create Some Art.

But probably finish yours.

The first thing you’ll have to do when setting out to sell some NFT art is, well, create some art of your own. This can be almost any form of media — GIFs, illustrations, videos, 3D models and the like. A short stroll through Rarible or Foundation will give you an idea of the general Inclinations in crypto Art. Currently, there seems to A preference for either very avant-garde, experimental abstract art or meme-heavy internet culture references. Not that that should necessarily inform your work — we won’t be wading into the «creation for the market» debate right here. Once you’ve settled on the kind of art you’d like to upload, you’re free to move on to the next step.

Step 2: Set Up an Ethereum Wallet.

There are numerous wallets out there to choose from to serve as your public address and store your private key, but it is generally recommended to rely on a hardware wallet. If you need help choosing the best wallet for you, we made detailed comparisons between the best-selling hardware wallets in our Trezor vs Ledger breakdown, as well as an examination of the Ledger Nano S vs X.

In case you are new to cryptocurrency, here’s a quick crash course on how crypto wallets work: They are essentially software or hardware that help you operate a public address on your cryptocurrency’s blockchain. This public address is what stores the cryptocurrency and is viewable by all, though its ownership is completely anonymous (unless you make it otherwise). Every public address has a private key that is used to deposit, withdraw, or send funds to and from the address. Think of it as a mailbox: everybody can see it, knows where it is, and can send mail to it. But only the person with the key to the mailbox can open it and retrieve what’s inside.

There are two types of wallets: Hot Wallets which are connected to the Internet and provide greater convenience to the user at the expense of lesser security, and Cold Wallets which Store your information offline and are less convenient for frequent use but provide much greater security to the user. A popular example of a hot wallet is the commonly used MyEtherWallet, while the best examples of cold wallets are the hardware-based wallets from Trezor or Ledger that we mentioned above — and also pen and paper. Yes,good ol’ pen and paper can function as a cold wallet as well, though you’ll need to generate your own public addresses which can be a pain.

We recommend MyEtherWallet or Metamask for new users who are new to crypto and only looking to put their work up for sale, or any of the Trezor/Ledger hardware wallets for those interested in storying crypto in general (as well as those who have made a sale of significant value and would like to keep their earnings safe!).

Note that Foundation only connects to Metamask.

Step 3: Buy Some Ether.

In the maelstrom of news and surging interest in NFTs, it may be news to you that putting an NFT up for sale will actually cost you some money. This is because of how the Ethereum blockchain works: Unlike Bitcoin, in which miners are rewarded with Bitcoin for contributing the computing power necessary to verify transactions and add their record to the blockchain, Ethereum miners are paid with a different currency on the blockchain known as gas.

Whenever you are looking to confirm a transaction and added to the blockchain, a transaction fee is paid (ostensibly to cover the gas and platform fee) — Ethereum miners are able to pick and choose what contracts they would like to expend the computer power on and thus the more gas you pay for your transaction, the faster your contract will be carried out and added to the blockchain. This includes uploading your NFT.

So you will want to buy some Ether in order to purchase the gas and pay the transaction fee. Transaction fees fluctuate pretty wildly, but are overall significantly lower than they were A month or two ago when Ether started its bullrush to $2000.

Step 4: Choose a Marketplace.

Once you have your art, your wallet, and some Ether burning a hole in your pocket, you are ready to put your NFT to market. What do you want to do is head over to ethereum.org and take a look at their selection of dApps — short for decentralized apps. Rarible, Nifty Gateway, and Foundation are some good starting points to get a handle on the Ethereum market and some eyeballs on your own NFT. Each one caters to a slightly different taste so make sure to check all three of them, as well as the many other market places, before settling on one.

Foundation seems to be the best for digital painting, while Nifty Gateway caters most to 3D models and Rarible seems to be a chaotic mix of the aforementioned of Avant-Garde/Internet meme culture fusion.

Step 5: Upload Your Art.

While each platform will differ in where you click the actual button, they all start with connecting your crypto wallet. Each of the major sites will automatically create an account associated with your wallet and guide you through a relatively simple upload process in which you have to choose how many «copies» of your NFT you’d like to mint and what percentage you’d like your royalties to be whenever the item is resold.

This latter feature is an innovative leap forward for digital artists who, unlike their traditional counterparts, could never truly limit the supply of any one work once dispensed nor produce a true «original.» An NFT essentially comes with a blockchain-printed certificate of authenticity that proves its originality as the original work, making it possible for the original artist to get a cut of every subsequent trade/sale — a feature even traditional artists can’t feasibly reap the benefits of. Once you’ve chosen the work, set your copies, and royalty fee, you’re ready to move on to the final step.

Step 6: Pay the Transaction Fee.

With your NFT artwork locked and loaded, all you need to do is pull the trigger on the gas and you can sit back while your work is uploaded to the blockchain and becomes a unique entity on the network, immutable and invulnerable to any server collapse. The transaction fee will ensure that your NFT is mined by whichever Ethereum miner picks up the contract, pocketing your fee for their trouble.

After that, it should only be a matter of a couple minutes before your newly-minted NFT is up and on the market for just waiting to make the day of the keen-eyed patron who sees it first!

Any more NFT questions? Feel to shoot ’em at us down below. Otherwise, take a tour of our cryptocurrency archives for all your crypto-related needs.

Will.

Will Heydecker is a writer, screenwriter and illustrator who still likes dragons. As part of his bitter war against adulthood, he likes to distill art, invest in nft gaming, technology, and entertainment info into digestible topics people actually enjoy reading.

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What is an NFT: A Look Into the World of Digital Collectibles.

Learn what is an NFT, and take your first steps into the world of digital NFT art!

Last Updated: November 21, 2022.

If you were to take a single look at the crypto world this past year, you’d likely notice that NFTs are at the top of the popularity charts . In the same manner how Bitcoin used to be the focus of attention, now, everyone’s talking about non-fungible tokens ! That being said, though – what is an NFT, and how is it important, in the first place?

Currently, the internet is full of misinformation . Some crypto experts claim NFTs to be digital collectibles , while others talk about the utility aspect of these tokens. Sorting the right from the wrong can be a challenge, especially if this is your first time hearing about NFTs, in general!

Worry not, though, since this is where I come in. Today, I’ll tell you what does NFT stand for , what is NFT art , and we’ll also talk about all of the other different use cases for this phenomenon.

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Table of Contents.

1. What is an NFT? 2. What’s All the Hype About? 3. One NFT, Two Uses? 3.1. Crypto Art – More Than Meets the Eye 3.2. Tangible Use Cases for NFTs 4. Buying, Selling, Storing, and Creating NFTs 4.1. Creating an NFT – Simpler Than You’d Think! 4.2. NFTs and Energy Consumption – An Intricate Issue 4.3. How to Buy / Store an NFT? 4.4. How to Sell / Trade an NFT? 5. NFTs – The Revolution of Asset Ownership, or a Big Bubble? 5.1. On the Other Hand… 6. What is an NFT: A Quick Recap 7. Conclusions.

What is an NFT?

Let’s get straight to the point – what is an NFT?

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Well, I’ll present you with the watered-down description, NFT first, and then we’ll be able to get into some more detail.

NFTs – non-fungible tokens – are cryptocurrency-related assets that are completely unique in their nature. They can be anything from digital artwork, all the way to a song from Deadmau5 or a homemade video of a cat falling off the table. Once any of the aforementioned assets ( rather, their metadata ) is uploaded onto the blockchain, they become NFTs.

Now, in order to discuss what is NFT, the very first thing that we need to get out of the way is the term » non-fungibility «.

While it may sound difficult, it’s actually pretty simple to understand. Non-fungibility is a fancy way of saying » uniqueness «. The term NFTs itself stands for » non-fungible tokens «. This uniqueness relates to the one-of-a-kind properties assumed by each individual NFT.

Think about it this way: fiat money like the United States dollar is fungible. Meaning, each different $1 can usually be replaced with another $1 , in a 1:1 ratio. This, however, isn’t the case with NFTs.

Same as any other crypto assets, NFTs possess their own metadata , and can be distinguished by it on the respective blockchain . Unlike other digital assets, though, there are no » 1:1 » replacements for an NFT – the token is completely unique , and one-of-a-kind .

This is actually one of the main reasons for the values attributed to some non-fungible tokens . If you’re looking to find out what is an NFT since you saw Beeple’s NFT art being sold for $69 million , chances are that you know what I’m talking about. Unlike with cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin , being completely unique and one-of-a-kind , an NFT crypto is also scarce , and this scarcity comes with a certain price tag.

Now, obviously, there are other reasons for the values attributed to some NFTs out there, but I think the former point illustrates the idea perfectly.

I assume that some readers of this article might say – how are coins like Bitcoin not unique?! All transactions are public, and each coin can be traced back, in the same manner how each transaction can be observed by anyone and everyone!

Yes, you are correct. However, I’d urge you to, once again, think about the United States dollar.

Each dollar has a serial number – this is equivalent to the metadata of each crypto coin on the blockchain. That being said, you will always be able to exchange a single dollar for another dollar – they are fungible! Figuring out what is an NFT, you should understand that the opposite is the case with these tokens – there are no equivalents out there .

What’s All the Hype About?

NFT’s are popular – that’s quite evident . All you need to do is take a look at some of the more-recent Twitter trends , or even check out your local news .

What is this hype all about, though? Learning what is an NFT doesn’t really explain why you should be interested in the topic, in the first place.

To put it very bluntly , non-fungible tokens allow you to become the provable owner of a certain digital asset . Once you purchase an NFT, everyone will see that the X NFT belongs to the Y wallet – it’s set in stone. Also, as mentioned earlier, unlike fungible assets, NFTs are scarce – this scarcity creates a natural demand.

That being said, though, why do people purchase rare artwork ? Or, on a more-common note – why would you buy a skin for your League of Legends character, or your weapon in CS:GO?

The answer is truly subjective . Some people enjoy the visual aesthetics of their assets . Others love knowing that they possess something that is rare and valuable . Furthermore, many people like to purchase certain assets as investments , with the idea to later flip them , and make a profit whilst doing so.

The exact same rules apply to NFTs, as well. Them being digital assets doesn’t really alter or influence these reasons in any way, shape, or form.

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One NFT, Two Uses?

Probably one of the most-notable points of » what is NFT » discussions is the fact that most people associated NFTs with digital art , and nothing else.

It is true that the main use case for these tokens ( as of writing this article ) is just that – NFT art . That being the case, though, you should know – it’s not the only one!

In fact, there’s a huge variety of different use cases for NFTs. And I’m not talking about things such as them acting as collectibles – instead, I’m referring to actual , tangible value .

Truth be told, NFTs can be used for a wide variety of purposes . While they are most often categorized as digital art and utility tokens , the list can get a lot more detailed than that. NFTs can be:

Digital art ( .png, .jpeg, .gif, and any other internet-supported format ); Game assets ( in-game items that can be sold to or traded with other players – think Axie Infinity ); Tickets to different events; Identity preservation units; DeFi lending collateral; Tokens of some performed service; Representations of real estate, documents, or any other physical item.

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, though . Taking it from the top, let’s discuss the most well-known usage of these unique crypto assets – digital collectible artwork .

Crypto Art – More Than Meets the Eye.

As mentioned earlier in this article on what is an NFT, undoubtedly the most popular use case for these tokens is artwork . Let’s explore this concept a bit further.

If you google » NFT crypto «, chances are that your search results are going to be bombarded with different images of digital artwork. Truth be told, you don’t even need to search for NFT art, or try to find out what is NFT art, specifically – the non-fungible token culture is naturally associated with these types of artwork .

The pieces of art can come in all possible shapes and sizes – seriously . On one hand, you have intricate digital worlds , 3D imagery , and paintings that appear like they belong in a museum. On the flip side, you could just take a photo of your dog, and make an NFT out of it, too.

The concept of NFT art is closely related to the topic of collectibles . Most NFTs that are artwork come as collectible units – some are unique pieces of art, while others can be a set of similar characters ( think: CryptoPunks ), unique internet culture aspects ( such as Jack Dorsey’s first tweet ), or even famous moments caught on camera , and crafted into an NFT-GIF ( LeBron James dunking the ball during a basketball game ).

The former example can be compared to opening a booster pack of your favorite card game. However, instead of physical cards, you’ll receive digital ones, and instead of an actual game, you get to possess digital artwork, in the form of collectibles ( although, NFT games are super-popular, as well ).

While all of this is fine and dandy , more often than not, the core aspect of what is NFT is being missed, as far as artwork goes. Everyone’s talking about the » irrational » prices of some NFT crypto art pieces, but no one wants to mention how NFT revolutionized the professional landscape for the artists themselves .

The NFT market has allowed artists to go completely independent , and detach themselves from different profit-sharing platforms. Instead, an artist can now host their work on an NFT marketplace ( more on those later ), and take care of all of the marketing themselves.

Evidently, this is thanks to the combination of a particular public interest in the art side of NFTs, and blockchain technology itself. Still, cryptocurrency though, it’s a point that should be emphasized more often!

Tangible Use Cases for NFTs.

While you could say that you now know what is an NFT, that statement wouldn’t be factually correct due to its one-sidedness. Because, while NFT art might be the most popular topic that’s discussed in all of the different media outlets out there, there are actually many more use cases for the tokens , too.

Instead of trying to simplify some complicated jargon , allow me to illustrate what I mean with a straightforward example:

Imagine that one of your favorite musicians – say, The Weeknd – is organizing a concert in your city. As per usual, you could just purchase a conventional ticket, and go to the concert. However, you notice that there are alternative tickets available – more-specifically, NFT ones .

For the sake of this example, let’s just say that The Weeknd decided to release an NFT collectible set – 1000 pieces of custom-made NFT artwork, accompanied by their music tracks from a new album. Anyone who purchases this album unlocks a hidden perk – three free tickets to any of The Weeknd’s concerts in the US.

Now, all that you need to do is have your proof of NFT ownership ready with you as you stand near the doors of the arena, and you’re set!

The above-given example is super-simple , sure, but it does the job to illustrate just how well NFTs can be used, in a tangible way. You don’t only receive a limited digital collectible , but also unlock additional perks .

Truth be told, this can extend to various meet-and-greets , VIP access to certain events , locked digital content ( early access to movies, special videos from your favorite YouTube content creators ), and much more.

Admittedly, as of writing this » What is NFT? » article, this area of the crypto phenomenon is still unexplored, and is only practiced by a set few content creators ( funnily enough, The Weeknd does actually have an NFT release like that ). There are multiple theories for why this might be the case, the most plausible of which is that the NFT market is still in the early stages of its development .

Buying, Selling, Storing, and Creating NFTs.

By now, it should be pretty clear – what is an NFT, what are the different types of NFTs out there, how the tangible-use NFTs differ from purely-art-based ones, and so on .

Now, though, since we have the basics out of the way, and given the fact that you are now a bit more knowledgeable about the different aspects of NFTs, we should also cover the technical parts of the topic , too – everything from their creation , all the way to buying and trading .

One thing to point out is that this isn’t a » how-to » article. Meaning, we won’t be going too in-depth when it comes to the processes described above. Instead, though, I’ll tell you all about them in a theoretical fashion , and will also give you some tips, too.

Creating an NFT – Simpler Than You’d Think!

What is an NFT creation process, and what does it look like?

Well, believe it or not, creating an NFT is actually pretty simple ! While all of the jargon surrounding it may make it look really confusing and complex, I promise you – anyone who understands the basics of how crypto works should be able to create their own non-fungible tokens in a few minutes.

The very first thing that you need to do is find an NFT marketplace . Two of the largest examples are OpenSea , and Rarible . Both are dedicated to Ethereum-based NFTs ( ERC-721 token standard ).

You could create NFTs in a different manner, as well, but granted that you’d just learned what is an NFT, in the first place, keeping things simple is probably the best way to go about it. At the same time, NFT creation on platforms such as OpenSea is actually the preferred way to go about it, too!

Once you’ve chosen a platform, you will then need to connect your cryptocurrency wallet to it . This wallet is where you will be keeping your NFTs in , and also the place that you’ll store your Ether , in order to transact on the NFT marketplace of your choice . There are NFT-compatible wallets out there that are better than others – an industry-leading example would be the Ledger Nano X , a hardware crypto wallet .

While it may seem dangerous to connect your wallet to a third-party platform, the process should be completely secure – this further-emphasized by the marketplaces themselves. Naturally, though, security is exactly the reason why you should only use reliable and established marketplaces , such as the ones mentioned above.

With platforms such as OpenSea, there will be a wizard guiding you through the creation process. This process is actually really quick, assuming that you have your NFT ( photograph, 3D file, GIF, etc .) already prepared.

Now, the only point that you might want to consider are the gas fees . These are fees that you need to pay in order to perform a transaction on Ethereum . If, after learning what is NFT, you’re creating an ETH-based token, you should try and aim for a period of time during which the gas fees are at the lowest. You can use this tool to check it .

If the fees aren’t an issue for you, then the creation process is very straightforward , from there on out. You set your auction prices, choose whether or not it’ll be a private sale, adjust a few other metrics, and that’s it – all that’s left to do is to market your work!

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NFTs and Energy Consumption – An Intricate Issue.

Before you go out and create your own NFTs , you should understand the energy consumption issue that is often brought up as one of the bigger criticisms of the tokens.

Multiple artists who’ve decided to issue and sell their artwork in the form of NFTs have been criticized by environmentalists for doing so. It would appear that creating and selling even a single NFT requires unprecedented amounts of energy . Following this, the space is considered to be wasteful.

If you’re not sure about just how big of an issue this is, all it takes is a look at Tesla and Elon Musk’s scandal concerning accepting BTC as a payment option for their cars.

As it relates to NFTs, however, this issue is misplaced . Meaning, it’s not the fault of non-fungible tokens – the energy waste happens during their minting process , and has to do with the miners of Ethereum , combined with the popularity and use of this particular blockchain.

This is an issue that is hopefully going to be mitigated by the Ethereum 2.0 update, though.

How to Buy / Store an NFT?

If you’ve learned what is an NFT, and would like to own one yourself, the best course of action is to – once again – visit one of the more-popular marketplaces, and start your selection process.

Depending on your reason for why you’d want to buy NFT art ( potential investment, collectible, or other ), most marketplaces will have different sections for you to explore .

Upon finding the NFT crypto that you’d like to acquire, you will then need to connect your wallet in order to make a purchase. Some NFTs can be bought outright, while others will have to be purchased via a timed auction.

Once you purchase the NFT of your choice, it will then be stored on your cryptocurrency wallet , such as the aforementioned Ledger Nano X . Well, rather, its reference will be stored there, in the form of private keys – this is a whole different can of worms to open, so we won’t do it here .

Instead, just note that while you won’t be able to see your NFT on Ledger Live, it’s safe and sound within your wallet. We’ll explore how this works a bit further in the upcoming chapter.

So, that’s it – you are now a proud owner of a non-fungible token! Since it’s public data, everyone will be able to see that you own the NFT – so, it’s not only provable , but also fair and transparent, too!

Well, people won’t be able to know that YOU own the token – only that a wallet with a specific address owns it. Unless you tell ( or show ) someone that the wallet belongs to you, no one will be the wiser.

How to Sell / Trade an NFT?

If you wanted to learn what are NFTs for investment purposes, this means that you’re probably going to be doing a lot of trading and selling . This process, albeit still pretty simple, will depend a lot on your wallet of choice.

As pointed out in the previous chapter of this » What is NFT? » article, you won’t be able to see your non-fungible tokens on your Ledger Live user interface. Instead, in order to see ( and trade, send, or sell ) the NFTs, you will have to connect your wallet to another interface that does support the visual representations of the tokens .

This can include popular software wallets such as MetaMask , or Trust Wallet . With the help of these interfaces, you will then be able to transact with your NFTs. This includes sending them, trading, selling, and doing everything in between.

The process is, once again, straightforward . If you were using one of the software wallets that support NFTs as your go-to choice, in the first place, then you won’t need to connect one wallet with another – it becomes quicker and easier.

NFTs – The Revolution of Asset Ownership, or a Big Bubble?

Before I let you go, there’s one more topic that is worth considering, and it’s also part of the answer to the question – what is an NFT?

That topic revolves around the biggest discussion in the NFT community – is it all just pure hype and a bubble that’s eventually going to burst , or are NFTs truly the next step in digital asset ownership and the world of copyrighted material ?

As you can probably imagine, this isn’t a question that would be all that simple to answer. It’s quite open-ended , still, and interest NFT projects involves a lot of different variables.

Critics pointing out that NFT art is overpriced make a point out of the lack of tangible value that is received with each purchase of the tokens. Admittedly, you do not receive a physical copy of some sort of artwork – instead, you simply own the representation of that art on the blockchain .

One could make the point that it’s similar to trading card collections, only in the digital form. This is a fair comparison to make – once you figure out what does NFT mean, and what is NFT art, you could draw clear parallels between the two concepts. On top of that, we’ve already discussed the subjectivity of this earlier in the article.

Art aside, though, the lines get a bit more blurred when you start considering different GIFs and other forms of media as tradeable NFTs. Sure, you can purchase one of Donald Trump’s tweets , but do you actually own the tweet itself? No, you do not – you simply own the visual representation of that tweet, on the blockchain.

Furthermore, there are a lot of copyright-related issues involved in this, as well. As you can imagine, there are plenty of scammers and malicious actors in the space – all of whom have no problems breaching and stealing someone else’s copyrighted content.

While you yourself might be figuring out what are NFTs, the governments of the world are still having a hard time keeping up . A lack of crypto regulation does extend to some confusion in the NFT copyright aspect, as well.

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Curious about the Bored Ape NFT Collection?

Bored Ape Yacht Club burst onto the scene in April 2021 with a collection of 10,000 non-fungible token (NFT) avatars minted on the Ethereum blockchain. The Apes attracted high-profile celebrities and rode the crest of a crypto wave. Since then, their founding collection has sky-rocketed to the moon, with the current floor price for a Bored Ape NFT 98.5 ETH ($200k) and the total trading volume surpassing $1 billion on Opensea.

With Bored Apes infiltrating the world of Web3 and beyond, let’s explore what everyone needs to know about this extraordinary project.

Despite a volatile crypto market, Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC), a brand created by Yuga Labs, remains as relevant as ever. The journey of the Bored Apes has been remarkable and the feats that they’ve accomplished in the NFT space demand respect. Following the success of the Bored Apes, Yuga Labs has since launched two more two spin-off NFT collections, cryptocurrency Bored Ape Kennel Club and Mutant Ape Yacht Club.

Then, there’s ‘Apes v Mutants’, a free-to-play mobile game they created in collaboration with Animoca Brands. This game served as the Apes’ transition to the realm of video games and expansion in the digital realm. More was to follow.

Continuing their expansion in the Web3 space, ApeCoin was launched earlier this year, which is a product of ApeCoin DAO, an organisation governed entirely by the token holders. This is an ERC-20 token on the Ethereum blockchain and cryptocurrency will be the currency of choice in their new metaverse experience, which is currently under construction.

Speaking of which, Yuga Labs has started building their own gamified, interoperable metaverse called ‘Otherside’, which allows holders of multiple blue-chip NFTs (not only BAYC members) to participate in a community gaming platform.

Hence, an explosion of creativity and artistic brilliance has led us to this point and that’s all in the space of one roller-coaster year.

Who is behind the Bored Apes?

The Bored Ape Yacht Club was created by Yuga Labs, who comprise four men operating under the following pseudonyms: Gordon Goner and Gargamel – the two original co-founders – and two additional engineers they brought into the fold, No Sass and Emperor Tomato Ketchup.

The Bored Ape artwork, which has become so iconic in the community, was the work of a freelance artist called Seneca, who operates largely in the shadows, away from the public realm. According to Nicole Muniz, CEO of Yuga Labs, Seneca has been compensated for her work to the tune of «over $1 million».

The Bored Ape Yacht Club has captured the intrigue of the worldwide media. For example, an extended piece was written about them in the prestigious New Yorker magazine and their Apes featured on the front cover of the Rolling Stone magazine, as part of an interview/collaboration. Indeed, Rolling Stone lauded the famous NFT brand in the article.

Gus Wenner, President and COO of Rolling Stone said: «We are thrilled to collaborate with Bored Ape Yacht Club. The cultural groundswell associated with these artists is in line with movements Rolling Stone has covered for decades.»

«The Bored Apes’ shared love of music and counter-culture made them fantastic collaborators to bring this unique project to life with.»

Recently, Buzzfeed did some digging and reported that the real names of the two co-founders are Greg Solano (Gordon Goner) and Wylie Aronow (Gargamel). Greg and Wylie are two friends from Miami, who met in a dive bar, dabbled in crypto, enjoyed a beer and debated about literature.

Solano, a writer, co-authored a book about ‘World of Warcraft’ with one of the game’s designers and perhaps his passion has influenced their current RPG project. Both he and Aronow, Buzzfeed reported, are creatives who both did a Masters of Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative Writing. Apparently, only Solano completed his MFA.

Otherside, the Yuga Labs game currently under development, is going to be an expansive open-world experience, bringing to life, and expanding upon, the original idea of rich apes living in a swamp club.

The creative vision of the Bored Ape owners, which inspired the project, is set in the year 2031. The people who invested in the early days of cryptocurrency have all become billionaires and Goner said: «Now they’re just fucking bored. What do you do now that you’re wealthy beyond your wildest dreams? You’re going to hang out in a swamp club with a bunch of apes and get weird.»

When did the Apes become famous?

The Bored Ape NFT collection arrived on the scene in April 2021 at the price of 0.08 ETH (around $200 at the time) and following a series of high-profile endorsements, the snowball effect took over. Like dominos, they fell and the initial sale sold out in a matter of days, earning the team $2 million in revenue. Suddenly, the NFT market was rife with Bored Apes.

Then, the Bored Ape NFTs became status symbols among the rich and famous. Under the FOMO spell (fear of missing out), the brand has taken off among some of the world’s most renowned celebrities, including Eminem, Justin Bieber, Paris Hilton, Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Curry and Post Malone. Additionally, it could be argued that Bored Apes have become a proud symbol of counter culture and alternative thinking in the last year.

Why would I buy a Bored Ape NFT?

So, what can you do with a Bored Ape NFT? Firstly, BAYC holders can use it as a profile picture on Twitter.

Furthermore, you gain access to a private Discord channel, which the co-founders liken to an «online dive bar». This allows like-minded Ape enthusiasts to exchange ideas, draw graffiti and connect.

Perhaps the most interesting utility of all is that your membership – a Bored Ape NFT – gains you access to exclusive in-person events and random airdrops from the team.

For instance, Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT holders famously received a random gift – a bunch of ApeCoin – after the ApeDAO cryptocurrency had been launched. Many Bored Ape holders became wealthy overnight, cashing in their ApeCoin for close to $100,000 USD. Thus, they were rewarded for simply being a part of the NFT project.

Remember, some Bored Ape holders bought their NFTs when they were just $200 and thus, those who got in early, and sold their ApeCoin at its peak, reaped huge financial rewards.

What is next for the Bored Ape NFT project?

Bored Ape Yacht Club appears to be one of the definitive NFT art projects at the moment. The collection has taken on a life of its own and the community is thriving. Indeed, pictures of Bored Apes being proudly worn around the world are proliferating on Twitter. Now, this is more than a PFP phenomenon and the community believes in the future of the project.

Parent company Yuga Labs is showing no signs of stopping. In March, they raised $450 million in a seed funding round that valued the company at $4 billion dollars. Moreover, they recently acquired the «brands, copyright in the art and other IP rights» for two major NFT projects developed by Larva Labs: Cryptopunks and Meebits, their 3D counterparts.

This made Yuga Labs the owners of the two most successful NFT projects of all time. With Cryptopunks, they promised to add more «utility» to the brand, which could see those pixelated punks re-appear in various places in the physical and digital world.

Meanwhile, the Yuga Labs ‘Otherdeeds’ land sale on April 30th sent the Ethereum blockchain into a frenzy. Otherdeeds are parcels of land within Otherside, the metaverse project currently under development. In total, 55,000 parcels of land were sold for a total of $320 million. Another major triumph for invest in nft Yuga Labs, although the sheer volume of traffic on Ethereum sent the transaction fees soaring that night. A lesson learned, perhaps.

In truth, Bored Apes have already achieved so much with their brand and the scope of the project is limited only by their own imagination and motivation to continue.

Aping around in the metaverse.

We don’t currently know exactly what the Otherside will look and feel like, but we know that it will resemble a Massive Multiplayer Online (MMO) RPG game, with various places to roam and explore within the game and socialise with friends. Indeed, natural voice will feature in the game.

Otherside Teaser Trailer.

The artistic vision of Otherside was revealed in a tantalising teaser and from that teaser, we know that the game intends to support multiple NFT brands – including CryptoPunks, Mutant Ape Yacht Club, Cool Cats and World of Women, to name a few.

For the Otherside, Yuga Labs are partnering up with games developer and venture capital company Animoca Brands, who acquired The Sandbox in 2018 and have been making big moves in the development of the metaverse.

Bored Apes and big brands.

The most eye-catching collaboration achieved by Bored Ape Yacht Club to date was with Adidas Originals. The fashion and lifestyle subdivision of the German sportswear giant launched ‘Into the Metaverse’ as part of their bigger plan to enter Web3 culture. The poster boy for the project was a Bored Ape #8774 named Indigo Herz, sporting heart-shaped shades and a green Adidas tracksuit.

Adidas Originals Voyage ‘Into the Metaverse’

Into the Metaverse grants NFT holders benefits in the physical and digital world. Holders of these NFTs can claim exclusive real merchandise and also the NFT works as your ticket into the metaverse. Specifically, you will have access to The Sandbox, where Adidas are building experiences to enjoy. What is more, your avatar will be able to wear an exclusive, NFT branded pair of Adidas sneakers, which commemorate this collaboration with the Bored Ape Yacht Club.

The defining NFT collection.

BAYC holders will tell you that they’re part of something that feels special and whether you love or loathe these Bored Ape NFTs, their community has to be respected. From quirky profile pictures to worldwide fame and recognition, these Apes have infiltrated our subconscious and the success of this project is a testament to something profound.

It’s a celebration of creativity, of an imaginative idea, which a couple of guys hanging out in a bar came up with, and ran with it. They committed to their idea, found a wonderful illustrator to execute it, and found a couple of tech guys who could make their vision happen. The rest, as they say, is history.

For any creative person out there, this story has to be inspiring. The tale of the Bored Apes proves that your art and interest NFT projects creativity, thanks to the blockchain and NFTs, can reap financial rewards in the modern, Web3 era.