If you’re a techie or if you enjoy keeping up with the latest financial and pop culture trends, chances are, you have heard of NFTs and the Metaverse by now. NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, are digital tokens and/or assets that represent real-world items, such as clothing, collectibles, and even real money or art. NFTs were originally thought of as glorified graphics and animations, but have since taken on a world and ecosystem of their own.
With new technologies such as deepfake and AR (Augmented Reality) becoming more commonplace each year, it is only a matter of time before AR and NFTs merge, which is exactly what they are beginning to do.
What is an NFT?
An NFT, or a non-fungible token, is a virtual or digital asset that typically represents a piece of artwork, similar to the art world in our everyday reality. However, NFTs can be as simplistic as an animated GIF or Flash file or as extensive as an AR-generated NFT that is completely unique to each individual who views or encounters it in the Metaverse itself.
What is the Metaverse?
The “Metaverse” is essentially a new and improved virtual reality setting that is easily accessible for all users and much safer and more encrypted. From typical communications to immersive VR (Virtual Reality) and AR (Augmented Reality) games, the Metaverse will have a space for just about everyone.
The Metaverse was designed with digital assets, virtual communication, connection, security, and encryption in mind. Using decentralized smart properties also helps with collaborations and collaborative projects already in the works. Using the Metaverse will be available for both recreational as well as work-related purposes.
What is AR?
AR, also known as augmented reality, is a virtual reality experience that essentially merges both the real-world as well as the digital one we access nearly every day. It is estimated that by the year 2024, there will be more than 1.73 billion augmented reality users, making AR a contender for the top spots in many industries, both online and off.
Augmented reality can include merging smartphones and cameras with a digital world or realm. Currently, it is already possible to integrate AR into your daily life if you own one of the latest Android or iOS smartphones available on the market today. With various AR tools, you can implement a wide range of digital assets while shopping for live previews, or join in on various AR-based games while working with other players from around the world.
One of the most popular examples of a real-time augmented reality game is Pokemon Go. Pokemon Go was not just a one-off trend. In fact, it inspired thousands of additional applications and uses of VR as well as AR in daily life. Pokemon Go’s AR-based smartphone app merged real-time GPS data with its own game’s generated characters and treasures, allowing players the opportunity to find characters, goodies, and actual Pokemon in their very own familiar neighborhoods and environments.
Why are NFTs Becoming Increasingly Popular?
NFTs are becoming increasingly popular as they are not limited to standard still web graphics or animated GIF files. Many different NFT game development agencies are also realizing the benefits of using NFTs directly in-game, both for online multiplayer games as well as single-player story-based games.
As NFTs are becoming more commonplace, new NFT game development company solutions are also becoming readily available for app and game developers as well as company coordinators alike. If you are thinking of developing immersive gaming or mobile experiences for your prospective customers or clients, working together with an augmented reality development company that understands the importance of the future of NFTs can help bring your project’s vision into reality.
How NFTs are Used
In most cases, NFTs are purchased and collected similarly to those who invest in traditional forms of art in the real world. NFT art can be shown off as collections or even imported into various virtual worlds, such as Decentraland, a leading online virtual landscape that is no stranger to NFTs and the development of the NFT community. NFTs may be used for the following reasons:
- Collecting virtual NFTs can be compared to having collectibles of any kind.
- Using NFTs can help customers to try on or test items before purchasing a real product.
- Creating an immersive and unique experience that helps brand visibility and with spreading brand awareness.
- Showing off a special collection of products or real-world items in digital form.
How Can I Find AR NFTs?
Finding NFTs is as simple as processing a quick Google search or heading to Twitter to follow some of today’s most influential Bitcoin, NFT, and AR experts in the industry. However, the best way to find NFTs is to truly immerse yourself in the NFT communities and available platforms available today.
A few of the NFT marketplaces available for you to learn more about NFTs and to discover which NFT collections are thriving and why include:
Joining multiple NFT marketplaces is not only a way for you to immediately dive head-first into the world of NFTs, but it can also provide you with valuable insight in terms of trends and styles of art that seem to attract the most attention and perform the best. Compare sales, stats, art styles, and even the number of items an individual has in their inventory or for sale.
Advantages of AR NFTS
As NFTs continue to grow in popularity and pick up steam, new AR NFTs are likely to follow. Using augmented reality NFTs is a unique method of connecting with potential customers or even helping to maximize online visibility and reach. Some of the most notable advantages that may come with using AR NFTs in the future for both personal collectors, as well as NFT creators, include:
- Create a completely unique and immersive experience for users and potential customers or clients that is unlike any other.
- Allow customers to try on or test items prior to making a purchase with virtual previews and virtual testing in-game or in-world, depending on the VR/AR platform you choose to utilize with your AR NFTs and NFT collections.
- The ability to implement NFTs in various games and throughout the gaming ecosystem, even with online and multiplayer games.
- Flexibility in terms of what each individual NFT has to offer and what it may mean for a user, player, or customer.
- Create and/or generate a virtually infinite number of creations with AI tools and solutions that are optimal for NFT development and design.
- Seamlessly show off NFT collections using various online tools and offline real-world technologies.
- In some instances, it may also be possible to implement AR NFTs into our daily lives through the use of virtual picture frames, holographic projectors, and more.
Whether you enjoy seeking out new and unique investments or if you are involved in NFT and AR development yourself, understanding the ecosystem that is brewing between the two industries is a must for anyone involved in tech today. Knowing how NFTs work in the metaverse and what to expect next in augmented reality development can help you to better prepare for what is to come in terms of new technologies, advancements, and abilities online.