Chapter 10Digital Da Vincis: The Renaissance of Art in the Age of NFTs
Preface
Ah, NFTs: the digital enigma that turned the art, gaming, and, quite frankly, the whole internet on its head. Imagine, if you will, a world where your cat’s grumpy face, plastered on a digital token, can sell for the price of a small island. Welcome to the wacky world of non-fungible tokens (NFTs), or as I like to call it, “Seriously, that JPEG just sold for how much?”
In the beginning, there were cryptocurrencies, digital money that said, “Down with the system!” Then came NFTs, strutting onto the blockchain with the audacity of a peacock in a hen house, declaring, “But what if that system could make your weird doodle worth a fortune?” NFTs are the digital age’s answer to “Why can’t I just screenshot that?” Spoiler alert: It’s because blockchain magic says your screenshot is as valuable as a counterfeit Mona Lisa drawn by your nephew.
Here’s where it gets juicy: NFTs are more than just digital bragging rights. They’re a visionary leap into how we perceive ownership and value. Remember when your parents said, “Those video games will never pay the bills”? Well, the joke’s on them, because now, thanks to NFTs, virtual real estate in Decentraland is hotter property than downtown Manhattan. And those in-game assets? They’re not just pixels; they’re your ticket to potentially flipping digital sneakers for the price of a car.
“But it’s all just digital!” you cry. Exactly. We live in a world where friendships ...
Get Blockchain, Crypto and DeFi now with the O’Reilly learning platform.
O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.
