How to get involved with NFTs while they’re still a novelty

(They aren’t weird JPEGs anymore) tools and tips for creatives White Space [logo] Hey, Creators! As we all know, tech is creating a whole new world around us. One of those advancements is in the world of digital art: the NFT. In this issue of White Space, we’re covering: 💪 Why your design skills could be crucial in a world where NFTs are mainstream 🤑 The most expensive NFT (and how much it sold for) 🌟 The artist who made NFTs famous… and his reaction when his collage sold for $69 million 🖼️ Six platforms you can use to get started minting NFTs today Already involved in the NFT space? Mighty Deals is looking to partner with a few select designers on some NFT projects. If you’re interested in a partnership, just reply to this email with “NFT” and we’ll be in touch. If this email was forwarded to you, [click here to subscribe]( so you never miss another White Space newsletter (along with exclusive deals on design bundles, fonts, and graphics)! SO… WHAT IS AN NFT? All about the latest “tech goldrush”, causing waves in the art world 🎨 Unless you’ve been hiding out in an abandoned cabin, without access to the internet, you’ve probably heard someone mention NFTs in the last few months. NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) were created back in 2012, but their popularity has grown rapidly in 2020-2021. NFTs are one of the latest use cases of blockchain technology, more commonly known in relation to cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin and Ethereum. In fact, you can’t buy or sell NFTs without owning some type of cryptocurrency, as both the currency, and the digital product being sold, live on the blockchain. In short, NFT technology allows you to buy and sell original pieces of digital content (gifs, jpegs, mp3s, etc.) on the blockchain. Some NFTs are also backed by a physical product, but not all are. Since NFTs are complicated, we can’t cover everything about them here. But we did some digging. So here are links to the top design articles, explaining all the ins and outs of this latest craze, so you can take your time learning all about it. - 1. [How NFTs could help you achieve financial freedom]( via Lollypop - 2. [NFTs 101 (including both sides of the environmental controversy surrounding them)]( BuiltIn - 3. [Why designers should be paying attention to the NFT hype]( via DesignWeek - 4. [All the latest news in the NFT world]( via Dezeen - 5. [15 Ways NFTs are being used that could make them go mainstream]( via CoinDesk BEEPLE: THE NFT TRAILBLAZER A persistent artist earns a fortune from a collage of his art. NFTs are no longer limited to pixelated JPEGs and video game art. It was March 11, 2021. Graphic designer Mike Winkelmann waited with bated breath, as he and his family watched the final minutes of the auction clock tick away. The artist had been creating digital artwork every single day since 2007 (and documenting it on his Instagram page [here]( ). As NFTs started becoming more popular, Mike (commonly known by his artist name, Beeple) had an idea. He created a single digital collage of every single piece of art he had created since that first day (pictured above☝️). He partnered with luxury art business, Christie’s, to produce and sell the first piece of fully digital art the company had ever auctioned off. While the bidding started low, the realized value of Everydays: The First 5000 Days (the name of this one-of-a-kind piece) continued to rise and then skyrocketed, as the auction drew to a close. This single JPEG image sold for over $69 million, after which the artist cheered, “I’m going to Disney world!” [Read the full story and see Beeple’s live reaction to the final bid here. 🤯]( WHY BOTHER CREATING NFTS (AND HOW TO GET STARTED) Beeple can do it, but can I? To be fair, the $69M price wasn’t just a stroke of luck. Beeple was already famous for his artwork online. His clients include big names, like Justin Bieber, SpaceX, and Louis Vuitton. But there are many reasons to start creating your own NFTs (even if you don’t have a fan base of millions.) - 1. NFTs are still relatively new—you’ll have a first-mover advantage, if you start creating now. - 2. People have sold things far worse than any art you could create in the form of NFTs—like [this compilation of lockdown farts!]( - 3. With Facebook’s Metaverse and many other digital worlds becoming a reality soon, the demand for digital art will be increasing rapidly. - 4. NFT possibilities are endless, and the technology is here to stay. Even Nike is [joining the trend.]( - 5. As a designer, you’re already creating every day. Why not use that creative energy to make some money? [Ready to start creating? Here’s a step-by-step how-to video teaching you how to mint your first NFT. 🧑‍🎨]( BEST NFT PLATFORMS FOR DESIGNERS Six Platforms that can help you build your NFT success. Some NFT marketplaces run on Ethereum. Others run on other crypto blockchains. Some are invite-only. Others are open for anyone to join. Some focus on environmental concerns. Others focus on building a tight-knit community of artists. In the end, the platform you use to mint (or create) your NFTs will be based on your goals as a designer, the kind of work you create, and the community you already have supporting your work. [OpenSea]( OpenSea is the first and most well-known NFT marketplace. Open for anyone to join. [Rarible]( Rarible’s goal is to be a fully decentralized, autonomous organization (DAO), so all updates are controlled by users on the platform. Open for anyone to join. [NFT Showroom]( NFT Showroom is built on the Hive blockchain, with the goal of creating a more affordable process for both artists and collectors. You have to jump through a few hoops to join the platform, but you can find a how-to guide [here](. [Nifty Gateway]( This platform partners with select creators to build art collections. Each “drop” or collection of art is only available for a limited time. This one’s much harder to join, but you can [apply here.]( [Mintable]( Mintable is one of the easier platforms to use, if you’re just getting to know the NFT world. Open for anyone to join. [SuperRare]( SuperRare is another invite-only platform, but this only adds to your credibility, if and when you mint an NFT on the marketplace. You can [apply here]( to join as a creator. TIDBITS: AN NFT FUN FACT The most expensive NFT sold for $532 million. And it’s pictured above. ☝️ Recently, someone paid for CryptoPunk #9998 (above) with 124,457 Ethereum… that’s equal to over $530M in US dollars! However, it seems that the user who “bought” CryptoPunk #9998 purchased the artwork from themself. So, does it really count? [Get the full story here. 💰]( Want to get more involved in the crypto/NFT space? Your design skills are needed! Here at Mighty Deals, we’re looking to partner with designers in the NFT space on some fun projects. If you’re interested, just reply to this email with “NFT” and we’ll be in touch. Cheers, The MightyDeals team What did you think? Your feedback helps us improve, please click on a link to vote: 👍 [I enjoyed it]( - 😐 - [Meh - was ok.]( - 👎 [Not interesting to me.]( Mighty Deals LLC, 8 The Green, Dover, Delaware, 19901, USA [Update email]( [Privacy]( [Terms of Service]( In order to unsubscribe from this mailing list, please click [here](