Digitaaliset lupaukset, analogiset todellisuudet: Esseitä vallasta, työstä japrekariaatista NFT-markkinoilla

Abstract

This dissertation examines the evolving landscape of non-fungible token (NFT) markets, primarily in the arts, focusing on the experiences of artists and the role of intermediaries in shaping market dynamics. Through three interconnected research papers, it challenges the techno-utopian narratives of decentralization and democratization associated with blockchain technology. The first paper presents an analysis of how NFT marketplaces have become decisive arbiters of value, particularly in royalty enforcement, which reveals the paradoxical coexistence of technological decentralization and organizational recentralization. The second paper presents a novel typology that demonstrates how NFT marketplaces actively construct value and shape participant behaviour through governance mechanisms and curatorial strategies. The third paper foregrounds artists’ lived experiences and unveils how the digital nature of NFT markets intensifies competitive pressure and necessitates constant “visibility labour” on social media platforms. Collectively, the findings unveil how NFT markets, despite the decentralization rhetoric, often reproduce and amplify traditional art market hierarchies while introducing the challenges of cryptocurrency volatility, algorithmic visibility, limited legal and social protections and other forms of digital vulnerability. This dissertation highlights the complexities of an evolving ecosystem in which technological innovation intersects with established power structures and market practices and thereby contributes to the Information Systems literature. It also offers critical insights into the intricate interplay between technological innovation, market configurations, and creative labour in the digital age, which not only advance our understanding of NFT markets but also provide a framework for analysing future developments in digital creative economies.