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How to create and sell NFTs on OpenSea: the ultimate guide

Come creare e vendere NFT: la guida definitiva

Do you want to create an NFT project but don’t know where to start? OpenSea is a really simple tool to create and sell NFTs for free in 10 minutes

If there is one thing the NFT market of the past year has taught us, it is that anything can be sold on the blockchain. Or rather, any work that is completely original. You have probably heard of NFTs being sold at stratospheric prices on OpenSea or other marketplaces and wondered if creating and selling NFTs is within your reach. The answer is yes! If you have a unique idea and would like to turn it into a non-fungible token, you will find everything you need to get started in this guide. Wanting to monetise your creations is legitimate, but creating an NFT is not enough to start earning money. Making your way in this field requires commitment and hard work, such as building a community.

Generally minting an NFT, i.e. registering a piece of work on blockchain, requires a cost to pay in fees. However, there are platforms on which you can create and view NFTs for free in as little as 10 minutes. This is the case with OpenSea, the most popular NFT marketplace! OpenSea offers easy and intuitive tools to make your NFT project come true, and is often chosen by beginners because it is a giant showcase due to its large audience. The process for creating and selling NFT differs between platforms, although they share some steps. In the following 5 steps you will discover how to use OpenSea, the industry standard.

Ready? Let’s get started!

1. Create your crypto wallet

If you don’t already have one, now is the time to create a decentralised crypto wallet. Your wallet allows you to connect to the blockchain network and keep the key to your cryptocurrencies safe. One of the most popular wallets is MetaMask, also available as a Chrome extension or Firefox add-on. Metamask is one of the wallets recommended by OpenSea for creating and selling NFTs on Ethereum. If you intend to use the Solana network instead, OpenSea recommends the Phantom wallet. In the next section we will elaborate on the choice of which blockchain to use.

At this point, you may also want to buy cryptocurrencies. NFTs are usually minted using the Ethereum blockchain network, so having Ether is ideal to pay the fees to create your NFT. In some cases it is possible to create NFTs for free on OpenSea, i.e. without paying these fees.

Once you have created your crypto wallet, associate it with OpenSea and create your account.

2. Choose the blockchain on which to create your NFT

In contrast to NFT platforms such as SuperRare where NFT projects must be approved by the team, OpenSea is open to all. OpenSea is currently compatible with the Ethereum, Solana, Polygon, Klaytn, Arbitrum and Optimism blockchains. Each of these blockchains has its own characteristics and different gas fees associated with transactions on their networks. To choose a blockchain for minting, take these costs into consideration. However, OpenSea is a great way to start your venture into the world of non-fungible tokens because, thanks to the ‘lazy minting’ mechanism, you can create NFTs for free, i.e. without paying fees if you choose Ethereum or Polygon. When you decide to use this option, your NFT is put up for sale but is also not yet registered on the blockchain. The latter step will only be taken when the work is actually purchased. In this manner, the payment of fees falls on the buyer.

3. Upload your NFT artwork

Of course, you will need your own creation to put on sale. NFTs can be associated with anything: a drawing, an MP3, or a three-dimensional image. Be creative! Opensea supports various file types including JPG, PNG, GIF, MP4, OGG but the file size of a non-fungible token must not exceed 100 MB.

In the ‘My Collection’ section, accessible from your account, click on ‘Create’. Create your Collection, it will be the showcase for your artwork. From here you can start creating your NFTs by filling out the “Create New Item” screen, you will need to enter:

  1. the file of the piece;
  2. the name of the piece;
  3. a link to the website or social page of your collection (not mandatory);
  4. the description of your NFT;
  5. the collection in which your NFT will be contained.

Next, you can also add other characteristics such as the attributes for the NFT (such as the available traits if it is a PFP collection), or the number of copies available. In this step, you will also have to select the blockchain you chose to create and sell your NFT on OpenSea. At this point your non-fungible token is ready and you can share it on social media. This is a crucial step, we will see why in step 5.

You can also set a ‘creator fee’, i.e. a percentage you will receive for each sale of your NFT work. This is known as a ‘royalty’. The percentage can be as high as 10%.

4. Choose the price of your NFT

After you have minted your NFT, all that remains is to choose the price at which you want to sell it. Go to your item’s page and click on ‘Sell’. Here, you can select the price of the NFT, and how long to leave it available on the market. A 2.5% commission from OpenSea will be subtracted from the selling price.

5. Advertise your collection!

Now your NFT is available on OpenSea, but it is not enough to simply create an NFT in order to earn money. As in real life, competition between artists is particularly fierce. For this, you will need to advertise your work effectively.

As you continue to expand your collection, you will have an increasingly interesting portfolio to show. In addition, consider also using art or social platforms such as Reddit, Instagram and Twitter: the more people like your work, the more possible buyers will want your NFT!

Cultivating a community is crucial for creating a successful NFT project. So is offering works with exclusive advantages that can attract collectors. Some of these advantages could be the possibility of using NFTs in the Metaverse, participating in a DAO and deciding on key aspects of the collection, or associating physical goods with the purchase of NFTs.

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Splinterlands, winning battles with NFT cards

Splinterlands: the NTF card crypto game

Splinterlands is a collectible NFT card game similar to Magic and Hearthstone. Find out about the crypto game of the moment!

NFT card games were among the first crypto games to hit the play-to-earn scene. These games are easy to develop and integrate perfectly with the blockchain. In games like Hearthstone or Magic Arena, the cards you buy don’t really belong to you. In Splinterlands, on the other hand, every card is an NFT that you own on the blockchain, and you can sell it at any price, trade it or use it to destroy your enemies. Find out more about Splinterlands, the NFT card crypto game!

Splinterlands, the collectible NFT card game

Splinterlands is a collectible NFT card game created by two veteran game developers, Jesse “Aggroed” Reich and Matthew “Yabapmatt” Rosen. The two developers came up with the idea in 2018, and, after the Alpha and Beta phases, Splinterlands was officially released on 21 March 2021 on Hive Blockchain, at the height of the NFT hype.

The goal in Splinterlands is to collect cards and put together teams of elemental monsters that fight against other players. Each monster card has various special stats and abilities, so each one is suited for a specific role. For example, cards with a lot of Armour and Life are perfectly placed in the front line during fights, while cards with a lot of Attack or support abilities are ideal in the rearguard. In addition, each monster team is led by a Summoner – a special card that decides the team’s predominant element. There are 7 elements in Splinterlands, Fire, Death, Earth, Water, Life, Dragon and Neutral. Once you select your Summoner, your chosen Monsters must be of the same element. The Neutral cards, or mercenaries, are particular Monsters, i.e. they are wild cards.

Before a game, you must choose your team and position it. Formations are very important in Splinterlands, in fact, the card in the front line is the one that gets hit most often. So make sure it has plenty of Life and Armour! If it dies, it will be replaced by the nearest card in the rear. Beware, though, some Monsters cannot attack at close range, so make sure you put them as far away from the front line as possible. Other Monsters, however, have special abilities that allow them to hit creatures in the rear. A Monster with the Opportunity special ability, for example, will always attack the monster with the least Life. To line up a formation you must know all your cards and their characteristics thoroughly. 

Once you choose your team, all you have to do is watch the battle unfold! The first player to win two rounds wins the game. Luckily, Splinterlands, the NFT card crypto game, has very well-rendered animations, so there is no risk of getting bored.

How Splinterlands tokens work

When you first sign up to Splinterlands you get 105 so-called ‘ghost’ cards. These cards do not belong to you, but are given free of charge to all newbies to the game, to familiarise with Splinterlands. To start getting cards and tokens, you have to buy the Summoner’s Spellbook, which unlocks all the game’s features and allows you to connect to your favourite crypto wallet. 

The Summoner’s Spellbook is essential to become competitive on Splinterlands. NFT cards, unlike ghost cards, have levels. The higher the level, the higher the card stats. To improve the card level, you must fuse several NFT cards of the same type. You can get more cards by buying them directly from the official marketplace, or from other marketplaces such as OpenSea. Alternatively, you can buy Booster Packs, which include random cards of the set you have purchased, and can also include ‘Foil’ cards, which are very rare, have brilliant graphics and can gain experience faster. As they belong to you, you can freely sell NFT cards that you do not need, or you can lend them to a player. Each time the player wins a game with a loaned card, they will give you a percentage of the victory reward, in a similar fashion to Axie Infinity.

The game token in Splinterlands is called DEC (Dark Energy Crystal). These tokens can be earned by winning games or by burning your own NFT cards, if you want to get rid of them without going through a marketplace. You can use DEC to buy Booster Packs, different graphic embellishments for your cards, or various types of Potions (for example, some of them increase the possibility of getting Foil cards).

Splinterlands also has a second token called SPS (Splintershards), which is designed to manage the governance mechanisms. In fact, SPS tokens give you the right to vote in the  NFT collectible card crypto game’s DAO – owning them gives you a say in the crypto video game and the right to vote on new features or changes to the Splinterlands economy.
Splinterlands is a very exciting NFT card crypto game, capable of competing directly with big names such as Magic: The Gathering and Hearthstone. Magic, in particular, has a thriving market for ‘real’ cards, and Splinterlands wants to imitate it – but on the blockchain! If you’re not convinced you like the game, you can try it for free on their site. The tutorial is clear and concise and will guide you through the first steps, but then it’s up to you to create your own team and boost it! Each faction has a strength and a weakness, and it is essential to learn them in order to assemble a fearsome and well-trained Monster team. Splinterlands awaits you!

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Beeple, from programmer to millionaire NFT artist

Beeple, the NFT digital artist of Everydays

Beeple is a digital artist best known for his NFT artwork Everydays, but how did his career in the crypto world begin? 

Who is Beeple? Born as Mike Winkelmann, Beeple is one of the best known artists to NFT enthusiasts. His masterpiece ‘Everydays’ was sold at auction by Christie’s for $69 million, catapulting him into the top 5 highest paid living artists. Beeple, however, is not a conventional artist, and has been interested in the new NFT technology since its inception. Find out more about Beeple, the NFT digital artist who created Everydays!

The unusual background of a crypto-artist 

Mike Winkelmann was born in 1981 in Wisconsin, USA. After graduating with a degree in Computer Engineering in 2003, Winkelmann seemed to be heading for an office job at some programming company. 

Instead, the programmer chose to go down a different path, that of digital art. After a few years spent perfecting his artistic skills, Winkelmann started his ‘Everydays’ work on the 1st May 2007. He chose to call himself Beeple after the name of one of his soft toys, and began what he did not yet know would become his masterpiece! 

Everydays, Beeple’s NFT masterpiece

Everydays is a collection of Beeple’s drawings: every day, the artist created a different piece, forcing himself to remain consistent over time. The NFT digital artist is undoubtedly an eccentric person: “I am not a motivated person,” he said in an interview. “In fact, I consider myself a very lazy person, but in this way I found the motivation to keep going. The strength of this project forces me to move forward with much more determination than normal’. In short, the project basically started as an antidote against laziness!

Every day, Beeple improved his digital art, learning how to use new software and trying out new lines, slowly outlining his typical dystopian and psychedelic style. His works range from surreal landscapes, to disproportionate portraits of famous people such as Elon Musk, Trump and Biden, to actual satire cartoons. Finally, in 2020, he began experimenting with NFTs, putting the first 5000 pieces of his project on sale, naming the collection ‘Everydays, the first 5000 days’. Its outcome? The auction held at Christie’s in February 2021 sold the non-fungible token of his work for an impressive $69.4 million! And not only that: each subsequent sale of the pieces will earn Beeple 10% of the transaction value. Not bad at all!

Beeple’s early NTFs between satire and dystopia

Although Everydays is Beeple’s most famous NFT artwork, his experience with non-fungible tokens began in November 2020. One of his first artworks sold on the blockchain was Crossroads, a political drawing created for the election clash between Biden and Trump. This NFT was very special, in that the artwork would change depending on the winner of the election! The digital artwork sold for $66,666.66 on Nifty Gateways, and was resold shortly thereafter for $6 million!

Enthused by the experience, Beeple continued to experiment with NFTs and put more works up for sale in December 2020. The year-end auction was a hit, making $500,000 in less than five minutes!  

Beeple’s beginnings as a young artist 

Before breaking into the NFT and digital art world, Beeple was a classical artist, armed with brushes and canvas. Despite his training and beginnings in the traditional art world, he has always said that he understood nothing about art or theory, and was never inspired by any classical or contemporary painter. 

Beeple regards the fact that he did not take inspiration from anyone as his strength and peculiarity. His works are psychedelic and almost absurd. Viewers often find themselves bewildered and intrigued by the hidden meaning of his art, or simply lost in the funny caricatures of the characters he chooses to illustrate.
Beeple, the NFT digital artist from Everydays, has gone from being a surrealist artist to an NFT and digital art avant-gardist. He is now one of the most followed crypto personalities in the world and is also famous in more mainstream circles. His Everydays project continues unabated, and you can follow him directly on his official website!

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Illuvium, the space ‘Pokémon’ are waiting for you: catch them all!

Illuvium, the Pokémon-style crypto game on Immutable X

Illuvium is a Pokémon-style play-to-earn video game. Explore the alien planet, capture the Illuvials and discover their secrets!

A vast and wild alien world to explore with your jetpack and scout drone here is Illuvium, the crypto game that has nothing to envy of off-chain games! Built with the Unreal Engine 5 graphics engine, Illuvium features excellent graphics quality that catapults you to a planet inhabited by Illuvials, creatures of unimaginable power that can be domesticated. Illuvium is based on the Immutable X blockchain, which specialises in play-to-earn video games thanks to its low fees and speed. The planned release date for the open beta is late 2022. Want to know more? Read on to learn what Illuvium Pokémon-like crypto game on Immutable X is all about!

Illuvium’s story and gameplay

Illuvium is an as yet uncharted alien planet inhabited by some strange creatures, the Illuvials. In the game, your character is a space explorer stranded on Illuvium with your team after responding to a distress signal. The landscape before you is a boundless environment with many different ecosystems, often subject to extreme weather events such as storms and hailstorms. The planet emanates a mysterious radio signal that disables spaceships but at the same time turns animals into Illuvials, giving them almost divine powers.

Together with the other explorers, you decide to become a Ranger and capture Illuvials using Shards – items created from materials found on Illuvium, and used to capture the creatures and tame them so they can be used in combat, the main part of the game’s gameplay. Basically, every captured Illuvial becomes an NFT in your wallet! But besides fighting, you can do a lot more with your Illuvials.

​​If you want to enhance your creatures, you can trigger a Fusion between three of them to create a second-level Illuvial. Fusing three second-level Illuvials creates a third-level Illuvial, the top level. Since these creatures are NFTs you can either use them in your adventures or sell them for ETH on Illuvium’s decentralised exchang IlluviDEX. Besides making your Illuvials more powerful, Fusion makes NFTs deflationary. According to the developers, this system should create an economy that increases in value over time.

Gather resources and build weapons and armours

Illuvials are not the only NFTs you can trade for ETH. The planet of Illuvium is rich in resources that you can sell in exchange for crypto on IlluviDEX. With your jetpack and scout robot, you can explore the vast 3D world without limits! In fact, your futuristic technology allows you to glide over gorges, or perform double jumps to reach the highest peaks. Exploration is a fundamental element of Illuvium’s gameplay and the developers are working to make it dynamic and fun.

Among the most valuable resources are the minerals, which you can use to build weapons and armour for your character. Your explorer fights alongside your Illuvials in battles, and the weapons determine their role in the fight. Choose a plasma rifle to make them a sniper, or equip them with energy blades and let them throw themselves into the fray! To prevent them from being easily defeated you can also build armours that increase their hitpoints and make them harder to take down. Of course, you can also choose to sell weapons and armour in exchange for ETH on the Illuvium exchange.

The second type of resource is Illuvium’s flora. Your scout drone can collect alien flowers and fruits, which are indispensable for creating special potions and jewellery. Potions are used to support your Illuvials during combat. You can use them to heal wounded creatures, or to make them temporarily stronger. Jewellery, on the other hand, can be applied to your weapons and enhance the Illuvials around you. These items are also NFTs, and can be conveniently traded for ETH on the IlluviDEX.

Resources can be refined by building technological facilities directly on the planet. To do this, you first need to buy LAND. There are 100,000 LANDs, and during the first pre-sale that began on 2 June, 20,000 have already been sold. Considering that it will be crucial to refine resources in the play-to-earn videogame, owning LAND will play a very important role in the Illuvium universe!

Train your Illuvials and fight!

Combat is at the heart of Illuvium’s gameplay. Although exploration is a very important aspect of the crypto game, Illuvium remains an autobattler. Your task is to build a balanced team of Illuvials by exploiting their strengths and minimising their weaknesses, just like in Pokémon. Illuvials are in fact divided into classes and can have elemental affinities.

There are five classes of Illuvials. The first are Fighters, who are versatile and attack using claws and fangs. Bulwarks are very resistant and have high defences, making them perfect as tanks (in a nutshell, they are suitable for staying in the front line and protecting less resistant comrades). Rogues, on the other hand, are not very resistant, but their attacks hardly miss their target and they can easily eliminate already weakened enemies from combat. Psions are Illuvials with psionic powers and have special abilities that weaken enemies at a distance, they can also monitor the battlefield with telekinesis. Empaths, on the other hand, are back-up Illuvials and can heal and protect the team from the back. 

They also have 5 elemental affinities. Air Illuvials are agile and difficult to hit. Earth Illuvials are tough and difficult to knock down. Fire Illuvials hit hard and their offensive special abilities are more powerful. Water Illuvials can use their special abilities more often. Nature Illuvials, on the other hand, have natural regenerative abilities.

Affinities and classes can become stronger during a Fusion, or even combine to create hybrid Classes and Affinities! For example, fusing three Earth Illuvials will create an even stronger and more imposing Granite Illuvial. Conversely, merging a Fire Illuvial and an Air Illuvial will give your creature the Electric affinity. Ready to get your crypto Pikachu?

When creating your team, always keep an eye on their Affinities and Classes: the more members of your team have these two aspects in common, the more advantages your Illuvials will have. Conversely, putting opposite Affinities together will give your beasts disadvantages, so be careful!

Illuvium’s Tokenomics 

Illuvium is a play-to-earn video game, where everything you gain – Illuvials as well as raw resources – has value outside of the game. You can buy and sell all your NFTs in exchange for ETH on IlluviDEX. All trading among players is done with ETH and the fees end up in the Illuvium Vault, the game’s treasury. 

ILV is Illuvium’s proprietary crypto. You cannot trade with other players using ILV, but you can purchase special items directly from a computer-managed market, such as the Shards needed to capture the Illuvials, or cosmetic items such as costumes and jewellery, which do not directly impact Illuvium’s gameplay. ILV’s primary use is as a utility token. For instance, you can use it to vote on community proposals and utilise it as a classic governance token. In this way, Illuvium’s development follows the path the crypto world wants, without changes and modifications imposed ‘from above’. 

Staking is ILV’s second use. Whoever holds this token can stake it from a minimum of one month to a maximum of twelve months directly on the Illuvium site. ILV staking’s special feature is that the rewards can be received in two different ways of your choice. If you choose to receive the classic token, you will have to wait a vesting (i.e. lock-in) period of 12 months before you can sell it. Alternatively, you can choose to receive a synthetic token, sILV. This token is pegged to ILV, but can immediately be used in-game to purchase Shards or cosmetic items.

When Illuvium will be released, ILV owners will get additional rewards directly from the Illuvium Vault. The game developers, in fact, will not earn anything from the marketplace fees: all revenue will end up in the wallets of people who had staked their ILVs. This will allow the community that has believed in the crypto game to earn money and continue to increase the value of the game.

When will Illuvium be released?

Illuvium’s roadmap is going full steam ahead, and the closed Beta phase is already available for the lucky ones who have been selected. In the coming months, there will be an open Beta phase in which everyone will be able to try out the crypto game. Judging by the videos released directly by the developers, Illuvium is already well underway, with only the finishing touches remaining. Given that the LAND sale which took place on the 2nd of June 2022 was a success, the developers of Illuvium themselves must have geared up to let the public try out their game!

So, the Pokémon-style crypto game on Immutable X, Illuvium, is coming soon. According to its founder Kieran Warwick, a videogame of this kind is set to last at least 10 years, thanks to its deflationary economy and the updates already planned by the development team. Will Illuvium succeed in conquering the crypto world with its gameplay and innovations, or will it be unable to undermine the primacy of other play-to-earn video games such as DeFi Kingdom and Axie Infinity?

This is the 3rd in a series of articles covering the world of crypto gaming and blockchain games. Follow us to stay updated on the most exciting crypto games of 2022!

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Young Monday: Polygon, Tesla and Bitcoin, Final Fantasy NFT

Polygon's zkEVM, Elon Musk, Final Fantasy's NFTs

Polygon announces an innovative Layer 2, Tesla sells Bitcoin due to liquidity problems and Enjin hosts Final Fantasy NFTs

Polygon is always on the move! After its participation in last week’s Disney Accelerator Program, the blockchain announced an Ethereum Layer 2 based on the very fast zero-knowledge protocols! For other news coming from the crypto world this week, Tesla, Elon Musk’s company,has decided to sell some Bitcoin to overcome some liquidity problems. Finally, Square Enix faces digital collectibles by announcing a Final Fantasy NFT collection together with Enjin.

Polygon and the layer-2 everyone was waiting for

The first news has left the entire crypto community stunned: Polygon (MATIC), the blockchain dedicated to Web3, has created a Layer 2 that could solve many of Ethereum’s problems. How? With a protocol called zkEVM (zero-knowledge Ethereum Virtual Machine). This new solution implemented by Polygon promises to significantly improve Ethereum’s performance by lowering both gas fees and transaction waiting times. But how does this new crypto technology imagined by Polygon work? The innovative Layer 2, instead of processing transactions individually, groups them together and then sends them to the Ethereum Layer 1. This way, gas fees are reduced because they are divided among all users involved and finalisation is faster.

The result? Fast, cheap and secure transactions. This system will have tangible benefits both for normal transactions and for the entire ecosystem of dApps and NFT marketplaces that will enjoy better performance. According to Polygon, its system will reduce the cost of using Ethereum by 90 per cent! In spite of this, however, Ethereum 2.0 continues to move forward fast, and its goal is to make Layer 2s like Polygon’s zkEVM unnecessary.

Elon Musk: Tesla sells 75% of its Bitcoin holdings

From Bitcoin enthusiast to paper hand? According to Tesla‘s new financial report, Elon Musk‘s company has sold 75% of its Bitcoin reserves. From $936 million in BTC, Tesla now holds only $218 million. Although it seems like a move by a crypto sceptic, Elon Musk was quick to explain that it is in no way a lack of confidence in digital gold. The reasons for the sale are to be found in the closure of factories in China due to Covid, so Tesla needs liquidity to protect itself against the lack of supply of electric car batteries.

Everyone knows the story of Elon Musk and Dogecoin, but the story of Tesla and Bitcoin also deserves to be told. The company bought its first Bitcoins in 2021 for a total of $1.5 billion. For a time, it was also possible to buy Tesla cars by paying in Bitcoin, however Elon Musk soon removed this option because he was concerned about the environmental impact of transactions with BTC. The news of Tesla’s sale, however, did not shake the price of Satoshi Nakamoto’s crypto too much: from $23,700, the price briefly dropped to $23,000 before returning to $23,400. In short, BTC confirms itself as a tough nut to crack in the crypto market, regardless of Elon Musk’s support!

Final Fantasy enters the NFT space, Square Enix launches on Enjin

Square Enix’s legendary fantasy RPG saga Final Fantasy has been making millions of gamers dream since 1987 . Now it is jumping into the world of NFTs by relying on Enjin, the blockchain dedicated to video games! The Japanese company has decided to launch a collection of both physical and digital trading cards for all fans of the saga. For the price of $4, Final Fantasy fans will be able to buy sachets containing 6 cards and a code to redeem an NFT on Efinity, Enjin’s platform built on Polkadot. Additionally, in November 2023, Square Enix will release a limited edition figurine of Cloud Strife, the famous sword-wielding protagonist from Final Fantasy VII. The figurine will come with an NFT certificate of authenticity, while a digital version of the action figure can also be obtained directly on Efinity for a small extra charge.

Enjin is a blockchain completely dedicated to video games and play-to-earn, and this collaboration with Square Enix could be the beginning of a new way of developing video games. Unlike other blockchains such as Ethereum, Enjin is much more accessible and has very low gas fees, ideal for an ecosystem where transactions are the order of the day! But Square Enix doesn’t want to stop at collectible NFTs: it wants to do much more with Enjin! In fact, the Japanese company sold the Tomb Rider franchise for a sum of 300 million dollars. Part of the proceeds were used for the development of NFT games, which will probably be integrated with Enjin and Efinity. Eyes open: the next Final Fantasy could be on blockchain!

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Post Malone performs in the Facebook metaverse

Post Malone’s exclusive gig in the Facebook metaverse

Post Malone, the famous American rapper, gave a virtual concert in the Facebook metaverse, Horizon Worlds

Could concerts in the metaverse be the new frontier of music? After the music NFTs  and crypto-spotify, the world of music is becoming more and more virtual and crossing physical boundaries. Post Malone, one of the world’s most influential American rappers, held a virtual concert in Horizon Worlds, the Facebook metaverse, as part of the tour for his new album Twelve Carat Toothache. The artist’s performance was designed for owners of the Oculus Rift, a virtual reality headset, to give the audience maximum immersion. Post Malone’s exclusive concert in the Facebook metaverse was a great success!

Post Malone’s new album in the Facebook metaverse

Post Malone, the American rapper with multiple accolades, did not miss the opportunity to experiment with new technologies first hand! He agreed to perform directly in the metaverse with his new album Twelve Carat Toothache. The artist recorded an immersive performance with other young artists such as Kid Laroi, Fleet Foxes and Roddy Ricch. The concert was then streamed three times on Friday 15 July on Horizon Worlds, the Facebook metaverse.

The concert is still available for 2D streaming, and will be available until the 30th of September for Oculus Rift owners, but only in the US and UK. “I’m thrilled to have given fans the opportunity to enjoy this virtual reality experience,” said Post Malone. “We went to great lengths to make the event as exciting as possible. I thank everyone for making this possible.” The performance was recorded in 8K, and custom designed for virtual reality with visual and sound effects that catapult the viewer directly in front of the rapper! The Post Malone concert was part of a larger all-music event organised by Facebook’s metaverse, called Horizon Worlds Block Party.

What is Horizon Worlds?

Horizon Worlds is Facebook’s metaverse created for use with the Oculus Rift virtual reality device. It has been available in the US and Canada since December 2021, after a successful beta phase. Horizon Worlds features an initial hub, similar to other games like The Sandbox and Decentraland, but each player can create their own custom worlds and share them online with other players.

Mark Zuckerberg’s company Meta has decided to focus on music, precisely because virtual reality allows users to attend concerts in the first person without leaving their homes. With his new album Twelve Carat Tootache, Post Malone opened the Horizon Worlds Block Party music event, which will continue throughout the summer, by introducing the artists who will be participating. Some of the events will be free of charge and, in addition to the music, it will be possible to play games or watch films directly in the metaverse!

Post Malone’s exclusive concert in the Facebook metaverse is an indicator of the evolution of “live” music. Although it will be impossible to completely replace the experience of dancing under the stage to the music of your favourite singer, Horizon Worlds is a relevant example that shows in the metaverse have great potential and that the audience enjoys them! Will you also explore the musical possibilities of the metaverse?

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Complete guide to Sorare, the fantasy football crypto game on Ethereum

Sorare: A complete guide to crypto fantasy football NFTs

Sorare is a crypto fantasy football game where you can buy and sell players in exchange for ETH

Do you love football and crypto? There is a way to combine these two passions. It’s called Sorare, a genuine crypto fantasy football game built on Ethereum! The goal of this game is to create your own team, made up of NFTs of footballers, and participate in tournaments trying to beat your opponents. We are going to look at how to start playing, how tournaments work and how to earn the rarest cards in this full guide to Sorare’s crypto fantasy football NFTs. Let’s get started!

How to Play Sorare

The first thing you need to do to start playing Sorare is to have an Ethereum wallet at hand. MetaMask is the quickest solution. Once you have created your wallet, replenish it with some ETH. Playing at the beginning is free, but to participate in the more difficult Leagues you will need to buy NFT cards from Sorare’s marketplace. At this point, sign up to Sorare using your email and mobile phone number. Immediately afterwards you will be asked to choose your favourite teams from 44 leagues around the world. Five players will be randomly selected from the teams you choose. This will serve as your initial team pool, allowing you to learn the mechanics and start playing. You will then be given 5 Common cards, which are not NFTs and are not exchangeable with other players.

You are now in – connect your MetaMask wallet and follow Sorare’s tutorial. You will be faced with a trial round and will have to create your team line-up. Sorare’s crypto fantasy football teams are made up of 5 players: goalkeeper, defender, midfielder, striker and a wildcard that can be a player of any position. When setting the formation you also have to choose the team captain. You can see the average score of each player directly on their card, to help you decide how to set up your team. Players earn points based on their performance during official matches; read the complete list. The captain gets 20% more points, so choose your strongest player!

Familiar with the system yet? Now it’s time to find out how to play Sorare! By clicking on Play, you will see the available Leagues and those in which you can compete with your team. For many of them, you have to meet certain requirements, such as holding a minimum number of NFT cards. The more requirements there are, the more rewards the League has to offer you! You can participate in as many tournaments as you want, but each card can only be part of one team at a time.

How NFT cards work on Sorare

The free Common cards are great for getting started in Sorare, but they won’t get you far. Sooner or later you will need to buy players from the primary or secondary market. Let’s see how Sorare cards work!

Sorare cards are available on the platform in 5 different rarities. Common cards are not NFTs, and only earn half as many points as other cards. Then there are Limited cards (maximum 1000 cards in circulation), Rare (100 cards in circulation), Super Rare (10 cards in circulation) and Unique (only one card in circulation). These cards have a blockchain proved scarcity, and have a higher or lower value depending on the player’s skill. Sorare NFT cards also earn Experience Points each time they are used: depending on the Level, the number of points they earn at the end of the game increases. Common, Limited and Rare cards have a maximum level of 20 and can achieve a 10% bonus. Super Rare and Unique cards can reach level 60 and 100 respectively, accumulating bonuses of 30% and 50%!

How does trading work on Sorare? There are three ways to get your hands on NFT cards. The first is to participate in the platform’s primary market through an auction. Every day, Sorare mints new NFT cards from random players. These cards are put up for auction, and all players can ‘bid’ an amount of ETH to try and grab them. 

Alternatively, you can go through the secondary market. If you own an NFT card, you can offer it for sale directly on Sorare. To sell a card, you have to choose a price that you feel is appropriate and wait. If nobody buys it after 48 hours then the card goes back into your wallet. Watch out, though – trading cards in this way decreases the player level! Alternatively, Sorare cards can also be bought on Opensea.

The third way to obtain a Sorare NFT card is to compete in the Leagues. There are various Leagues with different characteristics, such as the age of the players or the league they play in, but the main one is the All Stars League. Finishing on the podium of these tournaments grants you a random NFT card from Sorare. If your team exceeds the scoring thresholds determined by the League, on the other hand, it gives you a reward in ETH. Considering that many other players participate in the Leagues, though, it is very difficult to win and reach the podium unless you have a strong and balanced team. Therefore you need to get your ETH in hand if you want to play competitively, to put together a team that can rival the other coaches!

Now that you know how Sorare’s crypto fantasy football works, you are ready to go scouting NFTs like a real coach. Create your dream team, join the Leagues and become the best coach in Sorare! And why not, you might even find yourself competing against football legends like Mbappé or Zidane!

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Immutable X is radically changing crypto gaming

What is Immutable X, the blockchain for crypto gaming?

Immutable X is a layer-2 solution built on Ethereum, specialised for crypto gaming and NFTs. Find out all about the future of gaming!

Do you dream of playing video games like Skyrim or Fortnite but on the blockchain? Your dreams may soon become reality. Immutable X is a layer-2 blockchain built on Ethereum with low fees and no gas fees for NFT minting. Near-instant transactions and a marketplace with eye-catching graphics complete this ambitious project. The goal? To be the pioneers of crypto gaming and enable the development of games that rival the most renowned development houses. Find out what Immutable X is and how it works, and which video games are being developed on the crypto gaming blockchain!

What Immutable X is and how it works, the crypto gaming blockchain

Immutable X is a blockchain developed by gaming studio Immutable. Founded in 2018, the company released Gods Unchained, one of the first collectible card crypto games to achieve success. The video game was initially based on Ethereum, but Immutable soon realised that Buterin’s blockchain was not ideal for a crypto game. Gods Unchained is based on the continuous exchange of cards between players. Therefore, an efficient and low-commission blockchain was needed to incentivise players to buy and sell cards in the form of NFTs.

The solution? Immutable X, a layer-2 solution that employs the latest technological innovations to guarantee instant and cheap transactions. Unlike Ethereum, Immutable X uses a zero-knowledge rollup system. In short, transactions are not executed one at a time but in batches, which are approved by a smart contract. This system can support up to 9,000 transactions per second. The technology is easy to apply even for budding game developers, so it is popular with developers approaching blockchain. Immutable X’s ZKs allow NFT and crypto to be exchanged at lightning speed, and players can focus on having fun!

IMX is Immutable X’s utility token, an ERC-20 with various uses within the blockchain. There are 2 billion IMX, and they are used both to pay fees and to give incentives to developers and creators. IMX is also a governance token, and gives the right to vote on decisions affecting the blockchain for crypto gaming. The beta staking of IMX started on 1 July 2022 and will last until 30 July. In September there will be a second test of self-custodial staking (i.e. staking without intermediaries). Immutable X chose this approach as a consequence of recent events in which some CeFi platforms blocked their users’ withdrawals. According to the Immutable X team, with IMX self-custodial staking, no one can ever block withdrawals, because Immutable X tokens always remain in the user’s possession.

Immutable X and the NFT marketplace

NFT or non-fungible tokens is the technology that has made crypto gaming a reality. In fact, thanks to them, it is possible to guarantee the uniqueness of certain objects in a user’s possession and consequently their value.

To make the user experience as simple as possible, Immutable has decided to focus on an NFT marketplace integrated on the blockchain. Unlike Ethereum, NFTs on Immutable X do not require gas fees to be mined, incentivising players and developers to use the GameFi ecosystem. Transactions are immediate and without the long wait times that Vitalik Buterin’s blockchain has accustomed us to, and they also consume very little energy. Mining the 8 million NFT cards for Gods Unchained on Ethereum would have required 490,000 mWh of energy, while only 1,030 kWh were needed on Immutable X!

In addition, Immutable X aims to simplify the buying and selling of NFTs with a simple and attractive proprietary wallet. At the moment, the wallet of choice is the popular MetaMask, but the Australian crypto gaming blockchain company plans to create a wallet designed specifically for gamers and integrated with major credit cards and Immutable X’s NFT marketplace. This will allow you to get into the thick of the game in the blink of an eye, even if you are not an expert in crypto and blockchain. Simplicity is a key factor in making the crypto games of the future mainstream!

AAA crypto games to hit the blockchain

Immutable X’s commitment to creating an easy-to-use, player-centric ecosystem can be seen in the growing number of crypto games that choose it as their blockchain of choice. Illuvium and Ember Sword, two video games that promise to be a hit in the industry, have chosen Immutable X to support their game economy.

The company behind the crypto gaming blockchain has also decided to launch a $500 million fund for game developers. This money aims to support all those who want to help build the Web3 and increasingly affordable NFT platforms. Robbie Ferguson, CEO of Immutable, noted that the total value of the crypto gaming market is approaching $1 trillion! “This is just the tip of the iceberg in an industry with enormous potential,” said the company president.

Now you know what Immutable X is and how it works, get your joystick ready: crypto games that are no match for the likes of Skyrim or GTA are coming soon! Star Atlas, Illuvium, Ember Sword and many other games are in development and will be released soon. And if hunting for digital monsters is not enough for you, Immutable X’s NFT marketplace offers plenty of tokens for all tastes. The future of crypto gaming is already here!


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10 musicians and bands who launched music NFTs

NFT Music: 10 musicians who have already launched NFTs

From Snoop Dogg to Linkin Park: discover the 10 musicians who have already launched musical NFTs. 

NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, are one of the most versatile innovations brought by the blockchain. Although they are best known for artistic projects such as Bored Ape Yacht Club, NFTs also hold enormous potential for the music world. There are many artists trying out this new model of music NFTs, and soon there will be purpose-built platforms such as Napster 3.0. Find out which 10 musicians and bands have already launched musical NFTs. Watch out, the last one will surprise you!

1. Snoop Dogg and Eminem

Two of the crypto community’s idols, Snoop Dogg and Eminem have been avid NFT fans for years. Both proud owners of several Bored Ape Yacht Clubs and Mutant Ape Yacht Clubs, the two rappers have seen NFT music as a way to improve the recording industry and reshape the relationship between fan and artist.

On 24th June, the two rap legends released a new music video in collaboration with Yuga Labs, where they impersonate their Ape. Snoop Dogg also has a various other NFT music projects under his belt, and has put 25,000 albums on sale in the form of non-fungible tokens for $5,000. These NFTs, called Stash Boxes, contain his new album B.O.D.R. with 3 bonus tracks for fans. 

2. Shawn Mendes

Shawn Mendes – the pop singer who became famous with his hit Stitches – has entered the crypto world with Genies, an NFT platform that creates 3D characters that can be used in various metaverses. He has published a collection of NFTs inspired by his best-selling album, Wonder, on OpenSea, as well as some digital wearables to display on virtual avatars. 

3. Mike Shinoda, Linkin Park

Linkin Park vocalist Mike Shinoda has also joined the musical NFT trend. The legendary band’s singer has held an NFT auction of a music clip from his single Zora. He has also sold NFTs with exclusive artwork from another of his singles, Happy Endings.

In addition to these experimentations, Mike Shinoda has also tried to educate his audience on the functionality of NFTs, with some tweets clearly explaining what non-fungible tokens are and what their value is. Thanks to his willingness to innovate and educate his audience about new technologies, the Linkin Park singer has become one of the most prominent musicians to have already launched musical NFTs.

4. Whitney Houston

Whitney Houston’s stepsister has sold an unreleased demo the legendary soul singer had recorded when she was 17. The NFT was sold at a whopping $1 million. The song is accompanied by a video by digital artist Diane Sinclair. Unfortunately for Whitney Houston lovers, the NFT-related song cannot be made public, and will forever remain in the hands of the lucky person who won it at the auction. The proceeds were donated to the Whitney Houston Foundation, a non-profit organisation dedicated to empowering young women in the US.

5. Avenged Sevenfold

American alt-metal band Avenged Sevenfold launched a collection of 10,000 NFTs called ‘Deathbat Clubs‘ in 2021. Although not directly linked to songs, these NFTs represent the possible future uses of non-fungible tokens. Depending on the rarity of the token, in fact, fans who own a Deathbat are entitled to certain exclusive benefits, such as free tickets for life to see Avenged Sevenfold or the privilege of spending a day with the band. 

M. Shadow, the alt-metal band’s singer, said that NFTs are much more than a way to make easy money. They should be considered ‘virtual handshakes’ because they have the potential to create strong communities and reward hardcore fans. “Everyone is obsessed with making money, when that hides the real innovations of NFTs,” said the NFT music pioneer. “…NFTs should be tickets to exclusive clubs for real fans.” 

6. deadmau5

One of the 10 musicians who have already launched NFTs is the techno artist deadmau5, already well known in the crypto world thanks to his collaboration with The Sandbox metaverse. In addition to 3D artwork and tickets to exclusive music events, deadmau5 sells his songs directly to his fans via the NFT platform Nifty Gateway. According to his manager, the artist has earned more than $ 4 million from his NFT!

7. Achille Lauro

Achille Lauro, known for his ‘eccentric’ performances is a well-known Italian trap artist, also thanks to his appearances at the Sanremo Festival. But during his 5 July concert in Milan, he unveiled his latest ‘sound-reactive’ generative art project.

‘Generative art’ refers to randomly created art by algorithms from a set of characteristics set by the developers of the NFT collection. In this case, Achille Lauro collaborated with students from the BigRock school on the ”NFT live Superart” project, which will generate artwork based on the notes of his most famous songs. The artworks will be created live during his concerts. They will then be put up for sale in the autumn, with all proceeds going to charity.

8. Justin Blau, 3LAU

Justin Blau, aka 3LAU, is an American DJ among the first to experiment with NFTs. Blau sold his first non-fungible token in 2020, long before tokens came into vogue. But that was just the beginning: in fact, in February 2021, the DJ sold 33 NFTs commemorating his album Ultraviolet, released three years earlier. The sale was a success, and he earned almost $12 million!

Blau has since continued to focus on the world of NFT music, and has launched a decentralised music platform called Royal. Music NFTs sold on Royal are associated with both a song and a percentage of royalties decided by the artist. This means that whoever owns the NFT associated with a song, earns money every time it is purchased or used in advertisements and films. An innovative idea that allows fans to “own” a part of their favourite songs on the blockchain!

9. Kings of Leon

US rock band Kings of Leon took their NFT adventure very seriously – they decided to release their latest album, While You See Yourself, directly on the NFT YellowHeart platform! They offered three types of non-fungible tokens, the first one included the album with some bonus tracks, the second granted a pass to attend all their concerts for free, and the third was a package of artwork on blockchain linked to the album. Each NFT is associated with a different piece of art. Released on 5 March 2021, prices ranged from $50 for the basic token to $2,500 for the rarest ones with the most elaborate designs!

10. Ringo Starr

The Beatles’ drummer launches his own NFTs? Absolutely! Ringo Starr has teamed up with auction house Julien’s Auction for a collection of 20 non-fungible tokens called ‘The Creative Mind of a Beatle’. The collection consists of 5 animated paintings accompanied by the audio of a drum solo by Ringo Starr himself. Each painting is available in 4 unique copies guaranteed by the blockchain. In addition to the digital animated painting, the NFT buyers are also entitled to a physical painting signed by the Beatles’ drummer, and can also ask Ringo Starr for a virtual meeting on the Spatial.io platform. A treat for Beatles fans!

These 10 musicians and bands already using NFTs are just the first to join the upcoming music revolution! Web3 and blockchain have the potential to make the music industry fairer and more equitable towards artists, who frown upon streaming platforms like Spotify. They also permit a special relationship with hardcore fans. NFT music is only just beginning: sooner or later your favourite artist will also arrive on the blockchain!

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Facebook crypto breakthrough – NFTs arrive on the social network platform

Facebook becomes an NFT platform - first photos released!

Zuckerberg does not quit the blockchain – Facebook will become a platform for NFTs  

Mark Zuckerberg’s company that controls the social networking sites Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp – Meta – has once again surprised the crypto world. After cancelling the Novi wallet project and the Diem crypto, it has announced that Facebook will soon integrate NFTs based on Ethereum and Polygon. The social network will therefore support both creators and users who want to buy NFTs. Continue reading to find out what NFTs on Facebook will look like!

Ethereum and Polygon’s NFTs on Facebook – first photos released

Meta (formerly Facebook), the company that controls some of the world’s most widely used social networks, showed interest in the crypto world when it changed its name and started to take an interest in the concept of the metaverse. In March 2022, Zuckerberg announced that NFTs would arrive on Instagram. At the moment the feature is being tested for influencers in a number of countries. The next step? Turning Facebook into a platform where you can show off your NFTs!

The breaking news was first shared by Navdeep Singh, a developer for Meta. “I’m excited to show the world what I’m working on,” he tweeted, posting a small spoiler for the curious. The picture shows some of the features that will be available when NFTs will be released on Facebook. For instance, it will be possible to add entire collections (such as Bored Ape Yacht Club or Pudgy Penguins) to your profile, as long as you have them on your wallet. Non-fungible tokens will also be shared like normal posts, with the possibility of adding reactions and comments.

 Initially, according to a Meta spokesperson, it will only be possible only to support Ethereum and Polygon-based NFTs, but there are plans to add tokens built on Solana and Flow later on. Cross-posting with Instagram will also be enabled, to create a unique ecosystem within Meta products. In the future, it will be possible to buy NFTs directly on Facebook. Facebook’s crypto turn could be instrumental in bringing NFT technology to a wider audience of users.

So long wallets – Facebook becomes an NFT platform

Zuckerberg’s interest in crypto began in 2019, when his company released the Novi wallet. Novi was a beta project that was supposed to allow Facebook users to pay more easily and quickly. Facebook’s crypto, however, never saw the light of day. Neither Libra (the original project) nor Diem (its evolution) will have any future, because Meta has decided to abandon the project and shut down Novi. In fact, Facebook’s crypto encountered many technical and legislative obstacles, which led Zuckerberg to completely shut down the project. Novi will be closed forever on 1 September 2022.

However, the interest in the blockchain did not die with the Novi wallet, quite the contrary. According to some experts, NFTs on Facebook will serve to make the social platform a new hub for crypto enthusiasts. Support for non-fungible tokens will be crucial to expose them to a more mainstream audience, and to give users the chance to show off their collections. For now, the most used social platform for crypto enthusiasts is Twitter, but that may change soon!

Facebook’s goal is to make NFTs and cryptos ‘social’ and let word of mouth do the rest. That’s why the new features will first be tested by influencers and creators of some prominence in the community. If the tests are successful, the NFT feature will then be made available to all Facebook users. 

If all goes according to plan, NFTs on Facebook will be released in the coming months to some users, and then reach everyone else. Meta, the company that owns Facebook, believes strongly in crypto and blockchain projects. Its 2.93 billion users could find themselves interacting with NFTs on Facebook without realising it – a huge boost for the global adoption of cryptocurrencies. Will Facebook soon become a platform for NFTs in its own right? Will the social network’s idea bring non-fungible tokens into the mainstream?