If you’ve been watching tech news lately, you’ve likely heard of terms like Bitcoin, blockchain, and most recently NFT. Stories of multi-million dollar auctions of digital assets have caught the attention of artists and collectors alike. But what are NFTs? How does it work?
Here, we explore the basics of irreplaceable tokens, the technology behind them, and their uses in everyday life. We also take a look at some of the skills and knowledge that you will need to share with them.
What are NFTs? Explanation of key terms
First things first, let’s take a look at some of the basic terms and definitions we’ll use. To understand what NFTs are and how they work, we need a broader context:
NFT
NFT stands for non-replaceable token. It probably doesn’t mean much now; The word “replaceable” is not particularly common. However, it basically means that something is interchangeable.
For example, in economics, money is a fungible asset. It contains modules and can be easily exchanged (such as exchanging £ 20 for two of £ 10) without losing or gaining value. Non-fungible assets also include things like gold, cryptocurrencies, and stocks.
As we explore the open path of cryptocurrencies, a redeemable asset is something that can be divided in many different ways, and there can be an endless supply. They can be used in many ways, such as payments or to store value nft investment.
On the other hand, the non-expendable asset is one-time only; A billboard, a house or a business card, for example. Although a painting, for example, can be copied or photographed, the original remains the original and the replicas do not have the same value.
NFTs are units of data stored in a blockchain digital ledger. Each non-fungible token acts as a kind of certificate of authenticity, indicating that the digital asset is unique and not interchangeable. The NFT can never be changed, modified or stolen, thanks to the cryptographic principles that make the blockchain unique.
digital resources
Simply put, a digital asset is anything that is in digital form and you have the right to use (the right to copy, duplicate, reproduce, modify, and otherwise use). So, for example, things like documents, audio or video content, images, and other similar digital data are considered digital assets.
Blockchain
We have a full article on understanding blockchain, cryptocurrencies, and bitcoin. In this post, we have highlighted that a blockchain is a type of database – a set of information or data that is stored electronically.
Unlike a normal database, a blockchain is a series of “blocks” of data that are linked to each other. This blockchain creates a shared digital ledger (dataset) that records activity and information within the chain.
Each blockchain ledger is stored globally on thousands of different servers. This means that anyone on the network can see (and verify) everyone else’s entries. Peer-to-peer distributed ledger technology, as it is known, means that it is nearly impossible to falsify or manipulate data within a block.
So, to use IBM’s definition, the blockchain is a shared, immutable (permanent and immutable) ledger that facilitates the process of recording transactions and tracking assets.
When we think of NFT, they are created on the blockchain and can never be brought into a separate blockchain ecosystem. It will be located on the blockchain and will prove the authenticity of the item you purchased.