Tag Archives: nfts

Ethereum NFTs rally, with EtherRock and BAYC leading sales

Ethereum NFTs rally, with EtherRock and BAYC leading sales

Additional Comments by Anndy Lian

Pudgy Penguins floor price reached a new all-time high over the weekend. What was the catalyst behind this?

Firstly, I want to give credit to the change in management last year. They have made good decisions during the bear times. Secondly, a possible factor that contributed to the price increase was the general bullish sentiment and growth of the NFT market, especially on the Ethereum network. Pudgy Penguins is one of the oldest and most established NFT collections on Ethereum, and it has a loyal and active fan base. The project has also expanded from 8,888 NFTs to a suite of real-life products and experiences, such as live events, physical merchandise, and licensing opportunities.

Wrapped Ether Rock 46 sold for 496k today, 4 days after BAYC 1726 sold for $668k. What's driving interest in these large sales, that we haven't really seen in months?

Personally, I think the crypto market is anticipated to be more bullish. This brings the degen narrative back to the scene where this is a way to show their social and cultural capital of the NFTs. Wrapped Ether Rock and BAYC are not just digital assets, but also symbols of status and identity in the NFT community. Owning these NFTs grants access to exclusive perks, access special events, and enjoy unique IP rights. Similarly, owning a Wrapped Ether Rock gives the holder a sense of prestige and history, as they own a piece of the early days of NFTs. These NFTs also attract celebrities and influencers, such as Stephen Curry and Jay-Z, who changed his Twitter profile picture on their social media accounts. These endorsements boost the popularity and value of the NFTs, as more people want to join the club and emulate their idols. I believe the same hype will happen again in this bull run.

What is Anndy Lian's official website?

It is https://anndy.com.

 

 

Ethereum-native nonfungible tokens (NFTs) are starting to make a comeback, according to growing sales figures this week.

Wrapped Ether Rock #46 sold for $496,658 on Feb. 12, four days after Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) #1726 was sold for $668,297, according to NFT data aggregator CryptoSlam. These represent the second- and third-largest sales of the month, following the $1.53 million sale of CryptoPunk #5363 on Jan. 31.

According to Anndy Lian, intergovernmental blockchain expert and author of the book NFT: From Zero to Hero, Wrapped Ether Rock and BAYC aren’t just NFTs but represent a status symbol that grants the holder prestige in the NFT community:

“The crypto market is anticipated to be more bullish. This brings the degen narrative back to the scene where this is a way to show their social and cultural capital of the NFTs.”

While the sale of BAYC #1726 seemed a strategic move, the Wrapped Ether Rock sale paints a different trend, Ilan Rakhmanov, founder and CEO of ChainGPT, told Cointelegraph:

“The Ether Rock sale seems like a price pump by someone who is trying to get more attention to the collection, as the actual sale price is much higher than any offer, which averages around $500.”

Ethereum’s NFT sales volume has risen 99.42% over seven days to $159.5 million, driven by a 25% sales increase by the Nobody collection, which generated $8.76 million worth of weekly sales. Bitcoin’s NFT sales fell 25% to $47.5 million during the same period.

According to Yehudah Petscher, NFT strategist at CryptoSlam, nonfungible token traders are shifting back to Ethereum following a surge of interest in Bitcoin Ordinals inscriptions and Solana-native NFTs:

“We used to just have cycles between assets, like crypto, memecoins, NFT art and NFT PFPs. Now, we have cycles between blockchains to factor in, too. Traders move to where there’s liquidity and opportunity, and they saw those opportunities elsewhere.”

Contributing to Ethereum’s sales increase, the Pudgy Penguins collection’s floor price rose to a new all-time high of 21.5 Ether ($53,427) on Feb. 10 before retracing to the current 20.28 ETH ($50.395). This is 13.1% away from the 22.94 ETH ($57,000) floor price of the Bored Ape Yacht Club, the second-largest Ethereum-native NFT collection, according to NFT Price Floor data.

The seven-day sales volume of Pudgy Penguins also rose 143% to $6.8 million, making it the fourth-largest NFT collection by weekly sales volume across all blockchains, according to CryptoSlam.

Interest in the collection started surging in December after the announcement of Pudgy World Alpha, a blockchain-based, open-world gaming experience set to release in Q1 2024.

The NFT market has been in a downtrend since May 2022. The floor prices of top blue-chip NFT collections CryptoPunks and BAYC are down 48% and 82% from their all-time highs, respectively.

 

 

 

Source: https://cointelegraph.com/news/ethereum-nft-market-revival-etherrock-bayc-lead-sales

 

Anndy Lian is an early blockchain adopter and experienced serial entrepreneur who is known for his work in the government sector. He is a best selling book author- “NFT: From Zero to Hero” and “Blockchain Revolution 2030”.

Currently, he is appointed as the Chief Digital Advisor at Mongolia Productivity Organization, championing national digitization. Prior to his current appointments, he was the Chairman of BigONE Exchange, a global top 30 ranked crypto spot exchange and was also the Advisory Board Member for Hyundai DAC, the blockchain arm of South Korea’s largest car manufacturer Hyundai Motor Group. Lian played a pivotal role as the Blockchain Advisor for Asian Productivity Organisation (APO), an intergovernmental organization committed to improving productivity in the Asia-Pacific region.

An avid supporter of incubating start-ups, Anndy has also been a private investor for the past eight years. With a growth investment mindset, Anndy strategically demonstrates this in the companies he chooses to be involved with. He believes that what he is doing through blockchain technology currently will revolutionise and redefine traditional businesses. He also believes that the blockchain industry has to be “redecentralised”.

www.anndy.com
j j j

Web3 and NFTs: Catalysts for Change in the Digital Era of 2024

Web3 and NFTs: Catalysts for Change in the Digital Era of 2024

Web3 is a term that has been gaining popularity in the tech world, especially among the enthusiasts of blockchain, cryptocurrency, and decentralized applications. But what exactly is Web3, and why is it important? How does it differ from the current web, and what are the benefits and challenges of adopting it? And most importantly, what is the future of Web3, and what role will non-fungible tokens (NFTs) play in it?

What is Web3?

This is a concept for the next iteration of the internet, built around decentralization and often incorporating blockchain technologies, such as various cryptocurrencies and non-fungible tokens (NFTs). It is supposed to be a more open, fair, and democratic web, where users have more control over their data, identity, and assets, and where intermediaries and gatekeepers are replaced by peer-to-peer networks and protocols.

Web3 is contrasted with Web2, the current dominant model of the Internet, which is based on centralized platforms and services that provide user-generated content, social media, and e-commerce. Web2 has enabled unprecedented innovation, connectivity, and convenience, but it has also created problems such as data breaches, privacy violations, censorship, misinformation, and monopolization.

It aims to address these problems by leveraging the power of blockchain, a distributed ledger technology that records transactions in a secure, transparent, and immutable way. Blockchain enables the creation of digital assets that are scarce, verifiable, and programmable, such as cryptocurrencies and NFTs. Cryptocurrencies are digital currencies that can be used as a medium of exchange, a store of value, or a unit of account, without the need for a central authority or intermediary. NFTs are unique digital identifiers that can represent ownership and authenticity of any digital or physical item, such as art, music, or collectables.

Web3 also relies on the concept of smart contracts, which are self-executing agreements that are encoded on the blockchain and can perform various functions, such as transferring funds, verifying conditions, or triggering events. Smart contracts enable the creation of decentralized applications (DApps), which are applications that run on a distributed network of nodes, rather than on a single server or company. DApps can provide various services, such as decentralized finance (DeFi), gaming, social media, and more.

What is the main driver for Web3 in 2024?

In my personal view, Web3 is still in its early stages of development, and many challenges and uncertainties need to be overcome before it can achieve mass adoption. Some of these challenges include scalability, interoperability, usability, regulation, and security. However, many factors are driving the growth and innovation of Web3 in 2024, such as:

  • The increasing demand for digital sovereignty, privacy, and security, as users become more aware and concerned about the risks and drawbacks of Web2, such as data exploitation, surveillance, manipulation, and censorship. Web3 offers users more control and ownership over their data, identity, and assets, as well as more transparency and accountability over the platforms and services they use.
  • The rising popularity and value of cryptocurrencies and NFTs, as more people and institutions recognize their potential as alternative forms of money, investment, and expression. Cryptocurrencies and NFTs enable new ways of creating, exchanging, and storing value, as well as new forms of art, culture, and community.
  • The emergence and development of new technologies and standards that enable faster, cheaper, and more efficient transactions and interactions on the blockchain, such as layer-2 solutions, cross-chain bridges, decentralized identifiers, and verifiable credentials. These technologies and standards aim to improve the scalability, interoperability, and usability of Web3, making it more accessible and attractive to a wider audience.
  • The support and involvement of various stakeholders, such as developers, entrepreneurs, investors, regulators, and users, who are contributing to the innovation and adoption of Web3. Developers are creating new and improved DApps and protocols that provide various solutions and opportunities for Web3 users. Entrepreneurs are launching new and exciting projects and platforms that leverage the power of Web3. Investors are funding and supporting the growth and development of Web3 projects and platforms. Regulators are providing guidance and clarity on the legal and regulatory aspects of Web3. And users are exploring and experimenting with the various possibilities and benefits of Web3.

Do you think NFTs will have a big comeback?

NFTs are one of the most prominent and controversial aspects of Web3. NFTs have been used to create and trade digital art, music, collectables, and other forms of creative expression, generating billions of dollars in sales and attracting mainstream attention and participation. However, NFTs have also faced criticism and skepticism, due to their environmental impact, legal ambiguity, and speculative nature.

According to Cryptoslam, NFTs experienced a huge boom in 2022, reaching a peak of over $23 billion in sales. As we all know, they also suffered a sharp decline in the following months, dropping to less than $8 billion in sales in the 2023. This was due to various factors, such as market saturation, regulatory uncertainty, technical issues, and fraud.
However, despite the slump, NFTs have shown signs of recovery and resilience in 2024, thanks to several developments and trends, such as:

  • The improvement and adoption of more energy-efficient and eco-friendly blockchain technologies, such as proof-of-stake, layer-2 solutions, and carbon offsetting. These technologies aim to reduce the environmental impact and carbon footprint of NFTs, which have been a major source of criticism and concern.
  • The emergence and popularity of new and diverse forms and genres of NFTs, such as gaming, metaverse, music, sports, and social media. These forms and genres of NFTs offer more utility, functionality, and interactivity to users, as well as more opportunities for creators, artists, and celebrities.
  • The integration and collaboration of NFTs with other Web3 platforms and services, such as DeFi, DAOs, and DEXs. These platforms and services enable new and innovative ways of creating, financing, governing, and exchanging NFTs, as well as enhancing their value and liquidity.
  • The recognition and acceptance of NFTs by various institutions, organizations, and individuals, such as museums, galleries, brands, celebrities, and influencers. These entities are using NFTs to showcase, promote, and monetize their work, as well as to engage and reward their fans and followers.

Therefore, I think that NFTs will have a big comeback in 2024, as they continue to evolve and expand their scope and impact. It will not only be a form of digital art, but also a form of digital identity, culture, and economy. It will not only be a niche and novelty but also a norm and necessity. NFTs will not only be a part of Web3 but also a driver of Web3.

Bottom Line

Web3 is a vision for a new and improved internet, where users have more freedom, power, and value. Web3 is driven by various factors, such as the demand for digital sovereignty, the popularity of cryptocurrencies and NFTs, the innovation of new technologies and standards, and the support of various stakeholders. It is also challenged by various obstacles, such as scalability, interoperability, usability, regulation, and security. Web3 is still in its infancy, and its future is uncertain and unpredictable. It is full of potential and promise, and its future is exciting and inspiring.

NFTs are one of the most prominent and controversial aspects of Web3. NFTs have been used to create and trade digital assets, generating billions of dollars in sales and attracting mainstream attention and participation. NFTs have also faced criticism and scepticism, due to their environmental impact, legal ambiguity, and speculative nature. NFTs experienced a huge boom and a sharp decline, but they have shown signs of recovery and resilience in 2024, thanks to several developments and trends, such as the improvement and adoption of more eco-friendly blockchain technologies, the emergence and popularity of new and diverse forms and genres of NFTs, the integration and collaboration of NFTs with other Web3 platforms and services, and the recognition and acceptance of NFTs by various institutions, organizations, and individuals.

Web3 and NFTs are not just technologies, but also movements and cultures. Maybe more WebX will emerge in 2024. Just like Web4 that Anndy Lian talks about, Jack Dorsey on Web5 and Justin Sun on Web6. Anything can happen. They represent a new way of thinking and living in the digital age, where users are empowered, connected, and creative.

 

Source: https://in.investing.com/analysis/web3-and-nfts-catalysts-for-change-in-the-digital-era-of-2024-200609039

Anndy Lian is an early blockchain adopter and experienced serial entrepreneur who is known for his work in the government sector. He is a best selling book author- “NFT: From Zero to Hero” and “Blockchain Revolution 2030”.

Currently, he is appointed as the Chief Digital Advisor at Mongolia Productivity Organization, championing national digitization. Prior to his current appointments, he was the Chairman of BigONE Exchange, a global top 30 ranked crypto spot exchange and was also the Advisory Board Member for Hyundai DAC, the blockchain arm of South Korea’s largest car manufacturer Hyundai Motor Group. Lian played a pivotal role as the Blockchain Advisor for Asian Productivity Organisation (APO), an intergovernmental organization committed to improving productivity in the Asia-Pacific region.

An avid supporter of incubating start-ups, Anndy has also been a private investor for the past eight years. With a growth investment mindset, Anndy strategically demonstrates this in the companies he chooses to be involved with. He believes that what he is doing through blockchain technology currently will revolutionise and redefine traditional businesses. He also believes that the blockchain industry has to be “redecentralised”.

www.anndy.com
j j j

How ERC-404 Brings Fungible Tokens and NFTs Together

How ERC-404 Brings Fungible Tokens and NFTs Together

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) have been one of the hottest trends in the crypto world, attracting millions of dollars and users to the digital art, collectables, gaming, and metaverse sectors.

However, NFTs also have some limitations, such as high transaction costs, low liquidity, and lack of interoperability. To address these challenges, a new token standard has emerged on the Ethereum blockchain called ERC-404. This standard combines the features of fungible tokens (FTs) and NFTs, creating a new type of token that can be both fungible and non-fungible, depending on the use case.

Today we explore what ERC-404 is, how it works, what are its benefits and drawbacks, and whether you should invest in it or not.

Key Takeaways

  • ERC-404 is an experimental token standard aiming to merge fungible and non-fungible tokens on the Ethereum blockchain.
  • It addresses NFT limitations like high costs and low liquidity and offers flexibility and enhanced interoperability, including features like fractional ownership.
  • However, it’s not yet an official standard and may lead to complexities and competition.
  • While ERC-404 brings innovation, some view it as over-hyped and potentially overshadowed by existing standards like ERC-1155.
  • Its true impact remains to be seen in both technology and market adoption.

What is ERC-404?

ERC-404 is an experimental token standard built on the Ethereum blockchain that aims to combine the functionalities of ERC-20 tokens (fungible tokens) and ERC-721 tokens (non-fungible tokens, or NFTs) into a single standard.

This means that ERC-404 tokens can be both fungible and non-fungible, depending on the specific implementation. For example, a token can start as an FT and be traded with other tokens of the same kind without losing any value, but once it is used or redeemed, it can become an NFT and gain unique characteristics and value. Alternatively, a token can start as an NFT and be fractionalized into smaller units that can be traded as FTs, but once the units are recombined, the token can regain its NFT identity.

The idea was proposed by the Pandora team, a project that is building a metaverse platform where users can create, explore, and trade digital worlds and assets. The first token to use this standard is the $pandora token, which represents a Pandora Box, an NFT that contains a Replicant, a unique digital creature that can evolve and interact with other Replicants. The $pandora token can be traded as an FT on decentralized exchanges (DEXs) like Uniswap, but once it is opened, it reveals the Replicant NFT inside, which can have different attributes and values.

How Does ERC-404 Work?

ERC-404 works by linking every issued token to an NFT, which acts as the source of truth for the token’s state and ownership. The NFT can have a base unit, which defines the minimum amount of tokens that can be transferred or exchanged.

For example, if the base unit is 100, then the token can be divided into 100 fractions, each representing 1% of the NFT. The token can also have a total supply, which defines the maximum number of tokens that can be issued for the NFT. For example, if the total supply is 1000, then the token can be minted up to 1000 times, each representing 0.1% of the NFT.

The standard defines four main functions for the token contract:

  • Mint: This function allows the token creator to issue new tokens for a given NFT up to the total supply limit. The function also checks if the NFT exists and if the token creator is the owner of the NFT.
  • Burn: This function allows the token holder to destroy tokens and reduce the total supply. The function also checks if the token holder owns enough tokens to burn and if the NFT exists.
  • Transfer: This function allows the token holder to send tokens to another address. The function also checks if the token holder owns enough tokens to transfer and if the NFT exists. Additionally, the function updates the ownership of the NFT according to the token balance. For example, if the token holder transfers all their tokens to another address, the NFT ownership is also transferred to that address. Conversely, if the token holder receives enough tokens to reach the base unit, the NFT ownership is also transferred to them.
  • BatchTransfer: This function allows the token holder to send multiple tokens to multiple addresses in one transaction. The function also checks if the token holder owns enough tokens to transfer and if the NFTs exist. Additionally, the function updates the ownership of the NFTs according to the token balances.

What Are the Benefits of ERC-404?

ERC-404 offers several advantages over the existing token standards, such as:

  • Increased liquidity: Being able to trade NFTs as fungible tokens on DEXs massively increases liquidity. This solves a major limitation with existing NFTs, which often suffer from low trading volume and high price volatility due to their uniqueness and scarcity.
  • Lower costs: Being able to batch transfer multiple tokens in one transaction reduces gas fees and saves time. This also solves another limitation with existing NFTs, which often incur high transaction costs due to their individuality and complexity.
  • Greater flexibility: Being able to switch between fungible and non-fungible modes gives token creators and users more options and possibilities. For example, token creators can use ERC-404 to create dynamic and interactive NFTs that can change their state and value based on certain events or actions. Token users can use it to access fractional ownership of NFTs, which lowers the barrier to entry and expands the potential market.
  • Enhanced interoperability: ERC-404 tokens can interact seamlessly with protocols and platforms in both the fungible token and NFT spaces, bridging these previously disconnected areas. For example, ERC-404 tokens can be used as collateral, governance, or utility tokens in DeFi protocols, or as assets, rewards, or currencies in NFT platforms.

What Are the Drawbacks of ERC-404?

ERC-404 is not without its challenges and limitations, such as:

  • Experimental status: As mentioned above, the ERC-404 is not an official Ethereum standard yet, but rather an experimental one that is subject to change and improvement. This means that there may be bugs, vulnerabilities, or compatibility issues with the standard, which could pose risks for token creators and users. Moreover, there may be legal and regulatory uncertainties regarding the status and treatment of such tokens, especially in jurisdictions that have strict rules for crypto assets.
  • Complexity: It is a complex and novel token standard that requires a deep understanding of blockchain technology and smart contracts. As this is new, developers who want to create them need to study the standard and its functions. Users who want to interact need to have a clear grasp of the token’s behaviour and logic, as well as the risks and benefits involved.
  • Competition: ERC-404 is not the only token standard that aims to combine fungibility and non-fungibility. There are other standards that have similar or different approaches, such as ERC-998 and ERC-1155. These standards may offer different features, advantages, or disadvantages than ERC-404, and may attract more adoption or support from the crypto community. Time will tell.

Should You Invest in ERC-404?

The answer to this question depends on your risk appetite, investment goals, and research. ERC-404 is a new and innovative token standard that has a lot of potential but also a lot of uncertainty. Investing in them could be rewarding but also risky. Therefore, you should do your own due diligence before investing in any crypto asset and only invest what you can afford to lose. Here are some factors to consider before investing:

  • The token’s use case: What is the purpose and value proposition of the token? How does it benefit from the ERC-404 standard? What problem does it solve, or what opportunity does it create? How does it compare to other tokens in the same or similar sector?
  • The token’s performance: How has the token performed in terms of price, volume, and market capitalization? What are the factors that influence its demand and supply? What are the trends and patterns that indicate its future direction?
  • The token community: How large, active, and engaged is the token community? How do they support and promote the token? How do they interact with the token team and other stakeholders? What are their feedback and opinions on the token?

Looking Forward

Taking this opportunity, I spoke to people in the industry asking how they look at this new standard. The feelings on the ground are mixed.

Batulzii, former chairman of the board at Cryptocurrency & Blockchain Association of Mongolia highlighted that ERC-404 increased liquidity for NFTs: “By making NFTs divisible and tradable like tokens, it helps overcome the inherent illiquidity issue of traditional NFTs. This can attract more investors and boost the overall NFT market.

“Fractional ownership unlocks new possibilities for ownership and investment, as people can now access valuable NFTs they couldn’t afford entirely, opening up participation to a wider audience.”

Batulzii, who is also the technology lead and founder of Sanchirtech, also warned that this new standard is still experimental and untested and that its complex design could harbour security vulnerabilities that haven’t been fully explored.

Alex Atashkar, co-founder of Seed.Photo, articulated the vision of their platform as the NFT marketplace dedicated exclusively to photographers. He emphasized the significance of not just showcasing art but anchoring it in genuine ownership and said that Seed.Photo’s is integrating the ERC-404 standard

Atashkar highlighted the team’s excitement about the potential of the ERC-404 standard for its unique capability to enable shared ownership of a single NFT by multiple wallets, a breakthrough in the digital art space. This feature opens up myriad possibilities, including tokenization for diverse purposes such as securing loans, staking, and collective art ownership.

From a crypto exchange perspective, I have asked John Inzo, Social Media Manager at HTX to comment on the topic. “This will be an interesting experiment to see how this will help or hurt Ethereum long-term.”

The Bottom Line

To sum things up, ERC-404 is a hybrid token standard that combines the features of fungible and non-fungible tokens, creating a new type of token that can be both fungible and non-fungible, depending on the use case.

I must say that ERC-404 is an exciting and innovative token standard that is revolutionizing the NFT space, but it is not for everyone. To be very honest, I personally think that ERC-404 is more hype than reality. The previous ERC-1155 could almost achieve the main functions of ERC-404, and ERC-1155 is more mature than ERC-404. The latter now seems to be just a modified version of the former. But we shall wait and see how the technology — and market reaction — plays out.

 

 

Source: https://www.techopedia.com/how-erc-404-brings-fungible-tokens-and-nfts-together

 

Anndy Lian is an early blockchain adopter and experienced serial entrepreneur who is known for his work in the government sector. He is a best selling book author- “NFT: From Zero to Hero” and “Blockchain Revolution 2030”.

Currently, he is appointed as the Chief Digital Advisor at Mongolia Productivity Organization, championing national digitization. Prior to his current appointments, he was the Chairman of BigONE Exchange, a global top 30 ranked crypto spot exchange and was also the Advisory Board Member for Hyundai DAC, the blockchain arm of South Korea’s largest car manufacturer Hyundai Motor Group. Lian played a pivotal role as the Blockchain Advisor for Asian Productivity Organisation (APO), an intergovernmental organization committed to improving productivity in the Asia-Pacific region.

An avid supporter of incubating start-ups, Anndy has also been a private investor for the past eight years. With a growth investment mindset, Anndy strategically demonstrates this in the companies he chooses to be involved with. He believes that what he is doing through blockchain technology currently will revolutionise and redefine traditional businesses. He also believes that the blockchain industry has to be “redecentralised”.

www.anndy.com
j j j