Tag: Digital Art

The Problem with NFTs

Around February of this year, in the midst of the still-pending cryptocurrency boom, a sub-category of digital assets started to really take off. NonFungible.com reported that by the first quarter of 2021, over $2 billion worth of transactions had taken place in the NFT market. Musician Grimes sold almost $6 million worth of digital art via digital asset marketplace Nifty Gateway, who are partnered with Sothebyโ€™s. Twitter founder Jack Dorsey auctioned his first ever tweet as an NFT, the final bid closing at $2.9 million. UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou sold NFTs following his knockout victory over Stipe Miocic. The proceeds of the sale, $580,000, was actually more than his disclosed purse for the fight itself that earned him the belt. Despite the hype, in many regards serving as a speculatorโ€™s dream, NFTs come with inherent issues that threaten to hamper widespread and enduring adoption.