The art world’s adoption of blockchain technology is a turning point in the way we interact with and perceive art. The creation of decentralized authorities is causing what can only be characterized as a democratization of the art sphere. It’s an achievement the internet has working towards for years, but was never able to perform effectively, until now.

Digital ledgers have made possible the generation of non-fungible tokens – or NFTs, for short. Fungible – or replaceable – assets have been circulating the crypto world since its inception, but only recently have certificates issued specifically to confirm uniqueness and authenticity propped up on the market.

Crypto art isn’t going anywhere. Record-breaking sales volumes month after month are evidence that the blockchain is gradually taking root in the multi-billion dollar art market. Emerging artists are turning to NFT trading sites increasingly quickly to exhibit and establish themselves before the market becomes saturated. 

But Why Create Crypto Art?

Crypto solutions can be applied to art ownership, erasing the high barriers of entry new artists face in the traditional art market.

For instance, in the original Bitcoin white paper, its author Satoshi Nakamoto was vehement about preventing double-spend and transaction forgery. The creation of a verifiable record of transactions was his proposed solution to this kind of fraud. Creators can also benefit from the security of the blockchain to ensure that they are remunerated for their work and protected from theft. Just like paper bills and checks can be validated, an NFT’s certificate of authenticity is openly available for verification.

Crypto can also abate opacity in an art industry known for overvaluing art to reduce their wealthy owners’ taxable income. This stuffs the pockets of well-established artists but does nothing to champion emerging talent. Digital ledgers make artworks traceable, eliminating the ambiguity about an artwork’s ownership and the value it has gained over time.

NFT Sites Put Artists First

NFT marketplaces streamline the publication process in favor of creators. The culture of free services promoted by the internet has made appropriation and low commissions intrinsic to the careers of emerging artists. Mainstream platforms are also often operated with complex algorithms that work against small creators.

Artists from underrepresented minorities face even greater marketing challenges because of how human the industry and its ingrained biases are. Yet sites like OpenSea and Rarible have the option of sorting listings chronologically, dissolving the subjective triage by popularity and discriminatory biases.

Using crypto-powered platforms can also add to the self-expression of artists who seek to make their name under an alias. Anonymity is already a major reason many are turning towards cryptocurrencies to perform transactions. Meanwhile, it can also enrich the experience a creator is building for their work. Think Skid Robot, iNo, and, of course, Banksy. 

So how do you even become a crypto artist? The first step is to get yourself some crypto.

How to Sell Crypto Art

Though it may seem obvious, few, if any, NFT trading platforms allow users to register without connecting their crypto wallet. 

Ethereum is the most widely used currency for art traders, but most platforms also allow you to choose the currency in which you want to upload your work. The value in USD is usually displayed when inputting the sale price, making it easier to adjust the amount of crypto you believe your creations are worth.

Not only is this important to impart ownership of your art, trading platform exchanges typically require gas and processing fees. The amounts of these transaction fees will depend on the size and time at which you’re tokenizing your work; larger pieces submitted at a time of high traffic on the network equals extremely high fares.

Because crypto art has been seeing a surge in popularity, minting an artwork is already starting to be a costly endeavor, and may not be as affordable to artists who are at the very beginning of their career. Though it’s an expense likely to generate a high return on investment, it’s a major point to keep in mind when planning out the future of your business.

Put a Portfolio Together

Since the crypto art market is all about online marketing, it’s important for artists to have an online presence. Being active on social media is a great way to promote your work and interact with your community.

But more importantly, if you don’t already have one, make a website where buyers can find your art. Not only is this going to make you more easily searchable, it’s an effective way of centralizing your works if you’re looking to trade them on multiple platforms. Actively keeping a business website can also serve to catalog your token IDs for buyers to authenticate your works. When anyone visits your website, they can immediately look up your pieces, or even verify that their purchase is authentic.

Apply as an Artist on Your Preferred Platform

On certain platforms like Mintbase, it’s possible to simply submit your work, get it minted, and put it up for sale right away. But if you want to have verified artist status, some of them, like Rarible for example, also require an application to prove that your works are authentic (and that you’re, you know, human).

On other crypto art-selling platforms, including NiftyGateway, Async Art, SuperRare, KnownOrigin, and NonFungible.com, filling out their submission form is necessary to getting any of your works listed in order to ensure your art meets their standards or aesthetics. They commonly ask for your social media handles and portfolio, as well as a few more questions about what your vision and goals are and why you think you would be a good fit for the platform. 

It’s also possible to tokenize your art without going through a crypto marketplace. For instance, Verisart is a platform that allows artists to create a certificate of authentication without needing a crypto wallet. All you really need is to go through their identity vetting process when you go to create your certificate. The service is not a trading platform, but it is a way to authenticate your artworks if you want to sell them on a market that uses fiat currency, or, if you simply want to be able to provide a genuine record embedded within the Bitcoin blockchain.

These are the most straightforward ways to tokenize your stuff, but if you want to use a different currency or customize your own certificate, you can always code it yourself!

Tokenize Your Art!

Now that you’re all set up, it’s time to iron out the details of your first tokens. First, you’ll have to make sure your upload file is compatible with the platform you’re using. Many of them only accept certain file types – most commonly, PNG, GIF, JPEG, MP4 and MP3 – and won’t let you put up files bigger than 30 or even 10 MB.

If these criteria are too restrictive for the kind of art you make, keep in mind you can upload a sample file and indicate in the description of your listing that the original file will be traded with the buyer upon purchase. 

You’ll have to decide on the price and structure of your listings – if it’s going to be a one-of-one piece or 20-of-20; if you’re putting a fixed price or prefer for buyers to send their bids; whether it’s going to be part of a collection; and whether you want to receive royalties on your artwork whenever it’s traded or ownership is transferred. 

You might also be asked if you want to make this an ERC-271 or an ERC1155 token. These are the names of Ethereum protocols that make your art non-fungible on the blockchain. Both are used to create NFTs, but the difference is that while ERC-721 only allows you to create one token at a time. ERC1155, the more recent standard for smart contracts, can create multiple of them at once, both fungible and non-fungible.

Interact with Your Community

This isn’t mandatory, but it always helps. The crypto community is filled with artists and collectors looking for new talent. Share your works, interact with other like-minded people, make connections within your community, and support other creators. Places like Reddit can teach you a lot about how to get started in the crypto art market, especially since finding support and experienced advice online can be challenging. 

The blockchain is hosting the future of art. It gives artists an opportunity to express themselves freely without having to compromise on their livelihoods. It’s clear that calls for a more decentralized art industry are growing louder, yet those who take the opportunity earlier on seek to gain a lot from being at the right place at the right time.

Are you thinking of selling crypto art? Share your questions, comments, concerns, queries, and complaints here or on Twitter!