NFT and digital art

Oskar

25 Jul 2021
NFT and digital art

Before NFT tokens, it was a big problem for artists to verify the originality of a work. NFTs are now an increasingly prominent theme in digital art. The non-exchangeable tokens create a number of new opportunities for both artists and investors. But basically why NFT and digital art are a great combination?

How NTF is helping the digital arts

An NTF is a token, which is a unit of data stored in a digital ledger, called a blockchain, that certifies that a digital asset is unique and unforgeable. This allows such a token to function as a kind of collector's item. NFT is a class of unique tokens that are created to be non-exchangeable, unlike tokens like Bitcoin or Ether - in their case, each token represents an identical value.

NTF allows artists a new way to monetize their work. For example, painters can tokenize their paintings and poets can tokenize their poems. Of course, tokenization is not always necessary to monetize digital art, but it will undoubtedly create innovative opportunities in this regard. First of all, NFT will bring new standards of certification of originality and uniqueness to the art industry. Moreover, it will significantly facilitate the trading of digital works while enhancing the security of transactions. In addition, some platforms dedicated to NFT art trading provide an opportunity for artists to earn from the resale of their work by a collector.

Before NFT tokens, a big problem for artists was certifying the originality of their digital work and protecting themselves from plagiarism. The blockchain-based digital record is resistant to copying, making it a certification of the originality of digital art.

When the world became interested in tokenizing digital art?

Unlike NFT, digital art has been with us for a long time - if only in the form of computer graphics that we interact with every day.  In recent times, blockchain has enabled its monetization in a new way - through tokenization. The world media took notice of the artistic NFT phenomenon when Christie's auction house sold a digital collage by Beeple titled "Everydays: The First 5000 Days" for $69 million. In addition, an Instagram poet sold one of her poems on Nifty Gateway, earning about $75,000.

Everydays: The First 5,000 Days

Traditional media have yet to capture the full potential of NTF and digital art, but an event like the sale of "Everydays: The First 5,000 Days" has rekindled public interest in tokenizing art.

Growth of NTF

The development of the NTF market is gaining momentum. More creators are interested in this way of monetizing their work. In addition, NFT as a new type of collectible goods also arouses growing interest among investors. 

The most popular NFT token standard is ERC-721, introduced back in 2018. However, it was in 2021 that the rise in popularity of non-exchangeable tokens took on new momentum. This coincided with the shift of many life experiences, including cultural ones, to the online space due to the COVID pandemic. Perhaps it is this trend that will drive the growth of the digital art tokenization market. Moreover, the young generation that is just entering adulthood is increasingly interested in innovative digital products. If one has dreamed of owning a digital artwork, it has now become much easier.

NFT development platforms

Creating simple NFTs, such as graphics, collectible cards or GIFs, is a relatively uncomplicated process, even for people without much knowledge of blockchain technology.Currently, the vast majority of NFTs are created on the Ethereum blockchain. More and more platforms dedicated to this purpose are appearing on the market:

  • OpenSea
  • Rarible
  • SuperRare
  • Foundation
  • Myth Market

Read more about creating NFT on our blog - Creating NFTs - everything you need to know

NFT and art - summary

The distribution of NFT tokens is not only another channel for monetizing one's work, but above all, it is a significant step towards the spread of digital art. In the last decade, art (including music) has changed dramatically thanks to computers and digitization. It is blockchain technology that is likely to bring the next revolution in this field.

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Blockchain for Creators: Secure and Sustainable Infrastructure

Miłosz Mach

07 Nov 2025
Blockchain for Creators: Secure and Sustainable Infrastructure

In today’s digital creative space, where the lines between art and technology are constantly blurring, projects like MARMALADE mark the beginning of a new era - one where creators can protect their work and maintain ownership through blockchain technology.

For Nextrope, being part of MARMALADE goes far beyond implementing features like screenshot blocking or digital watermarking. It’s about building trust infrastructure - systems that empower creators to thrive in the digital world safely and sustainably.

A new kind of blockchain challenge

Cultural and educational projects come with a completely different set of challenges than typical DeFi systems. Here, the focus isn’t on returns or complex smart contracts - it’s on people: artists, illustrators, educators.

That’s why our biggest task was to design secure yet intuitive infrastructure - lightweight, energy-efficient, and accessible for non-technical users exploring Web3 for the first time.

“Our mission wasn’t to build another financial protocol. It was to create a layer of trust for digital creators.”
— Nextrope Team

Security that stays invisible

The best security is the kind you don’t notice.
Within MARMALADE, we focused on making creators' protection seamless:

  • Screenshot blocking safeguards artworks viewed in browsers.
  • Dynamic watermarking helps identify unauthorized copies.
  • Blockchain registry ensures every proof of ownership remains transparent and immutable

“Creators shouldn’t have to think about encryption or private keys - our job is to make security invisible.”

Sustainability by design

MARMALADE also answers a bigger question - how to innovate responsibly.
Nextrope’s infrastructure relies on low-emission blockchain networks and modular architecture that can easily be adapted for other creative or cultural initiatives.

This means the technology built here can support not only artists but also institutions, universities, and educators seeking to integrate blockchain in meaningful ways.

Beyond technology

For Nextrope, MARMALADE is more than a project — it’s proof that blockchain can empower culture and creators, not just finance. By building tools for digital artists, we’re helping them protect their creativity and discover how technology can amplify human expression.

Plasma blockchain. Architecture, Key Features & Why It Matters

Miłosz Mach

21 Oct 2025
Plasma blockchain. Architecture, Key Features & Why It Matters

What is Plasma?

Plasma is a Layer-1 blockchain built specifically for stablecoin infrastructure combining Bitcoin-level security with EVM compatibility and ultra-low fees for stablecoin transfers.

Why Plasma Blockchain Was Created?

Existing blockchains (Ethereum, L2s, etc.) weren’t originally designed around stablecoin payments at scale. As stablecoins grow, issues like congestion, gas cost, latency, and interoperability become constraints. Plasma addresses these by being purpose-built for stablecoin transfers, offering features not found elsewhere.

  • Zero-fee transfers (especially for USDT)
  • Custom gas tokens (separate from XPL, to reduce friction)
  • Trust-minimized Bitcoin bridge (to allow BTC collateral use)
  • Full EVM compatibility smart contracts can work with minimal modifications

Plasma’s Architecture & Core Mechanisms

EVM Compatibility + Smart Contracts

Developers familiar with Ethereum tooling (Solidity, Hardhat, etc.) can deploy contracts on Plasma with limited changes making it easy to port existing dApps or DeFi, similar to other EVM-compatible infrastructures discussed in the article „The Ultimate Web3 Backend Guide: Supercharge dApps with APIs".

Gas Model & Token Mechanism

Instead of forcing users always to hold XPL for gas, Plasma supports custom gas tokens. For stablecoin-native flows (e.g. USDT transfers), there is often zero fee usage, lowering UX friction.

Bitcoin Bridge & Collateral

Plasma supports a Bitcoin bridge that lets BTC become collateral inside smart contracts (like pBTC). This bridges the security of Bitcoin with DeFi use cases within Plasma.
This makes Plasma a “Bitcoin-secured blockchain for stablecoins".

Security & Finality

Plasma emphasizes finality and security, tuned to payment workloads. Its consensus and architecture aim for strong protection against reorgs and double spends while maintaining high throughput.
The network launched mainnet beta holding over $2B in stablecoin liquidity shortly after opening.

Plasma Blockchain vs Alternatives: What Makes It Stand Out?

FeaturePlasma (XPL)Other L1 / L2
Stablecoin native designusually second-class
Zero fees for stablecoin transfersrare, or subsidized
BTC bridge (collateral)only some chains
EVM compatibilityyes in many, but with trade-offs
High liquidity early✅ (>$2B TVL)many chains struggle to bootstrap

These distinctions make Plasma especially compelling for institutions, stablecoin issuers, and DeFi innovators looking for scalable, low-cost, secure payments infrastructure.

Use Cases: What You Can Build with Plasma Blockchain

  • Stablecoin native vaults / money markets
  • Payment rails & cross-border settlement
  • Treasury and cash management flows
  • Bridged BTC-backed stablecoin services
  • DeFi primitives (DEX, staking, yield aggregation) optimized for stablecoins

If you’re building any product reliant on stablecoin transfers or needing strong collateral backing from BTC, Plasma offers a compelling infrastructure foundation.

Get Started with Plasma Blockchain: Key Steps & Considerations

  1. Smart contract migration: assess if existing contracts can port with minimal changes.
  2. Gas token planning: decide whether to use USDT, separate gas tokens, or hybrid models.
  3. Security & audit: focus on bridge logic, reentrancy, oracle risks.
  4. Liquidity onboarding & market making: bootstrap stablecoin liquidity, incentives.
  5. Regulation & compliance: stablecoin issuance may attract legal scrutiny.
  6. Deploy MVP & scale: iterate fast, measure gas, slippage, UX, security.