NEW YORK—We’re arguably in the “gold rush” of NFTs, which have disrupted not only pop culture but also the cryptocurrency, technology, and multimedia markets since an artist by the name of Beeple sold a mere 10-second video for $6.6 million back in February of last year. However, the non-fungible tokens have been in existence since 2014, and June 20-23 marked the fourth annual NFT.NYC, a four-day event that aims to unite the global NFT community of brands, developers, gamers, tech entrepreneurs, investors, artists, collectors, and enthusiasts.
NFT.NYC 2022 was hosted across seven venues in Times Square, including Radio City Music Hall, the New York Marriott Marquis, and the Margaritaville Resort Times Square, and featured a lineup of speakers that are pillars in the industry. Talent included the likes of Alex Kim, the founder and president of cryptocurrency exchange platform Binance; Alexis King Wilson, the senior manager of social impact at Spotify; NFT artist Katie Langhammer; and so many more.
Education was also plentiful, covering topics such as investment strategies, IP and licensing, the future of NFT decentralization, and revolutionizing the music industry with NFTs, just to name a few. And each of the estimated 14,000 attendees received NFT swag giveaways minted on the Polygon blockchain that included art and other NFTs redeemable for physical merch or sponsor offers.
Events throughout the week included Gutter Cat Gang NFT.NYC, a reception hosted by Gutter Labs, the creative studio behind the Gutter Cat Gang NFT project; a series of NFT and Web3-centered celebrations dubbed 837/NEXT, presented by Samsung; and the Ledger Op3n, a conference and NFT marketplace.
While details on NFT.NYC 2023 have yet to be released, NFT.London is slated for Nov. 3-4 at the QEII Centre, with early bird tickets now available for £499.
But, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Keep scrolling for an inside look at NFT.NYC, and decide for yourself if the non-fungible tokens are worth investing in.
What’s an NFT? Once an NFT is created, it’s stored on a blockchain—the same kind of blockchain that cryptocurrencies are stored on (although this is where the similarities between NFTs and crypto ends). Blockchains provide NFTs with proof of ownership and make the buying, selling, and trading of NFTs more efficient and less susceptible to fraud. Why do people buy NFTs and why should we care? And increasingly, we’re seeing individuals and companies alike utilize NFTs as a unique way to launch products and campaigns, as well as create activations and exclusive, membership-based communities. Want to see how? Check out how NFTs reshaped Miami’s 2021 Art Week, and why restaurants are adding the tokens to their menus. |