NFTs: What are they? Why are they suddenly growing popular?

As more blockchain projects are being developed, Non-fungible Token (NFT) has become the new de-facto standard. We have seen several projects embracing the ERC 721 standard, including CryptoKitties, Decentraland, and the recently released Gods Unchained. Having the NFT standard allows for easy implementation of in-game items, collectibles, and other non-traditional digital assets. However, the standard does have some security risks that you should be aware of. In this article, we will go over common NFT security risks and how to avoid them.

What is an NFT, and how does it work?

The NFT is an addressable token that allows people to transfer ownership of an asset that doesn’t really exist in the physical world. This asset is a digital asset controlled by the blockchain, which allows you to move this asset around with greater ease. You can do this either in a token itself (as with CryptoKitties) or with assets such as contracts, vouchers, or points. The major asset that we have seen be created using the NFT standard are digital collectibles. Examples of these assets include CryptoPets and CryptoChinchillas. Collectibles have proven to be popular, and people love to collect digital collectibles for both real and virtual items.

Why NFTs are becoming so popular recently.

Most blockchain projects tend to get delayed. Projects like EOS and Zcash have seen this in real life, where developers build their blockchain from scratch after they initially begin development. However, this isn’t necessarily the case for the new NFT token standard that many blockchain projects are adopting. As mentioned, the new ERC 721 (NFT) standard allows for easy integration with traditional collectibles. In this case, we can say that it can be seen as a “fast blockchain.” And, because of this, NFT has caught on rapidly with blockchain projects such as CryptoKitties. Because of this, NFTs are not only being implemented into games but also new digital platforms and projects.

The risks of NFT

Although using NFT can have exciting potential for creating innovative new assets, the security risks associated with it can also be significant. From a security perspective, NFT is more vulnerable to scams than other blockchain solutions like ERC 721. A scam occurs when someone creates a fraudulent identity or a set of fake accounts to interact with the community. There are numerous reasons why a person could create a scam. Maybe they want to go out on a limb and try a new platform. Perhaps they want to raise some venture capital and want to gather up some attention. Maybe they are simply ignorant about blockchain and blockchain technology. Regardless of the reason, it is essential to realize that all blockchains are not created equal.

How to avoid NFT security risks

If you are using NFT, you must ensure that you understand how the NFT standard works. The NFT standard is simply a standard that allows you to create digital assets that are different from blockchain tokens. For example, you can create digital assets that can be used in-game environments, things of that nature. If you are creating a non-fungible digital token that you want to use, you must have a standard for that use case as well. There are a few different ways to do that, such as splitting an existing asset into multiple tokens or creating a new asset in NFT. There are a number of ways to create a new NFT asset. An asset manager could create a new asset with an ERC-20 token.

Environmental Concerns of NFTS

One of the first issues with implementing NFTs in blockchain applications is that non-fungible assets are mostly transacted over the internet. While it may seem like an excellent idea for decentralization, it will be crucial to find a way to protect the assets against environmental damage. Asset degradation As more and more players become active in blockchain-based game applications, ecological degradation is a looming concern. There will come a time when there is a need to recycle NFTs, but there is no practical way to do so. When a player sells an item, then it becomes immediately degraded, rendering it useless. Although there are methods for using blockchain assets, it is not guaranteed that they will not be destroyed.

Conclusion

The concept behind Non-fungible Tokens (NFT) is pretty simple: a token creator (e.g., a game developer) can create a non-fungible digital asset (something that is not transferable) in their game (e.g., collectible card game). The digital asset can then be used to power player assets within the game. The non-fungibility of the assets provides a way for collectors, users, and businesses to create multiple virtual currencies that will never be convertible into other currencies. We have already seen this concept being explored in the video game world. With NFT assets in video games, players will have various collectible items that can only be used within the game. However, these items can be transferred to other digital games.