Resale royalties, first introduced in the 1920s to support artists through a share of future resales, have now adopted by nonfungible token (NFT) marketplaces for digital art trading. Although these royalties are often viewed as beneficial for creators, our research reveals unexpected consequences. Using data from a major NFT marketplace, we find that NFTs with higher royalty rates sell for significantly lower prices and take longer to sell. Surprisingly, creators do not recoup these initial losses through royalty payments within four years. We discover that higher up-front minting costs lead creators to set higher royalty rates. We reveal a delayed gratification effect where creators with higher royalties accept lower up-front prices in hopes of future royalty income. We also find an overconfidence effect where confident creators, measured by their past sales and follower count, are more likely to lower initial prices. Our research contributes to the ongoing debate about royalty enforcement in NFT marketplaces and offers empirical evidence to inform platforms and creators. Platform managers should carefully consider both reducing up-front minting costs and implementing royalty rate limits to improve market liquidity. Creators should be cautious about setting high royalty rates as they may not provide the expected financial benefits.
Open access
2 source records
Art History and Market Analysis
Aesthetic Perception and Analysis
Consumer Behavior in Brand Consumption and Identification
This article examines recent developments in United States (US) intellectual property (IP) law that directly affect the art market, namely: 1) the judicial interpretation of fair use and the use of copyrighted material to train AI systems; 2) the US Copyright Office’s refusal to register certain AI-generated works; and 3) the application of trademark law to NFTs (Non-fungible tokens). The aim of this article is to provide an overview of the constantly evolving legal landscape in this field while highlighting controversies that will likely continue to arise in the near future. As a jurisdiction where new technologies, the art market, and IP case law overlap, the US is in a unique position to reflect ongoing changes as well as in-depth interpretations of existing provisions.
This article examines the application of blockchain technology for creating and circulating new investment assets in the creative industry. The study analyzes the impact of decentralized technologies, particularly blockchain, on the formation of new types of investment assets in the creative sector of the economy and assesses their potential for industry development. The research employs a systematic approach, methods of analysis and synthesis, comparative and statistical analysis, and generalization of expert assessments. The current state and trends in the use of blockchain technologies in the creative industry have been investigated, with a focus on NFTs, intellectual property tokenization, and decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs). The study concludes that blockchain technologies create fundamentally new opportunities for monetization and investment in creative assets, while also highlighting challenges such as regulatory uncertainty and technological limitations. Recommendations for maximizing the positive impact of blockchain on the creative economy are provided, along with suggestions for further research.
The rapid expansion of the non-fungible token (NFT) market, which grew over 200% in 2023 to reach $22 billion, has opened new avenues for fashion brands to engage consumers through digital fashion products under blockchain technology. This study investigated the effects of NFT promotional bundles that combine physical and NFT fashion items as a pair on consumer perceptions. By investigating the interaction effect between the brand type (luxury vs. non-luxury) and promotional bundle types (PHY+free NFT vs. NFT+free PHY), the research demonstrated how these bundles influenced consumers’ perceived value, risk, and authenticity according to the brand type. The findings showed that while a freebie physical item can enhance consumers’ perceived value of NFT products for non-luxury brands, it led to value-discounting inferences, particularly for luxury brands. This study contributes to the literature on NFT fashion by exploring consumer perceptions and providing insights for fashion retailers on effectively framing promotional bundles to maximize consumer engagement for NFT fashion products.
Open access
Art History and Market Analysis
Consumer Behavior in Brand Consumption and Identification
This paper explores the evolution of digital art, tracing its development from the early experiments of the 1960s to the diverse contemporary practices of the 21st century. It examines key technological advancements, such as the transition from 2D to 3D art, the rise of the internet, and the integration of artificial intelligence, which have redefined artistic creation and audience interaction. The role of Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) and blockchain technology in the commercialization and authentication of digital art is discussed, as well as the impact of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) in creating immersive art experiences. Additionally, the paper addresses ethical and philosophical questions regarding authorship, ownership, and the environmental impact of digital art. Ultimately, this study highlights the profound influence of digital technologies on art and offers insights into the future trajectory of the field.
Purpose Advancements in Internet technologies greatly influence digital humanities, yet research investigating web3 (i.e. the blockchain-based, decentralised web) within that domain remains limited. The purpose of this paper is to address that gap, presenting a state-of-the-art synthesis of web3-related technologies for digital humanities infrastructures and exploring associated risks and challenges. Design/methodology/approach Following a review of the literature, the authors scope out ways blockchain technology, peer-to-peer decentralised storage and other web3 technologies could support digital humanities infrastructures, especially in the context of digital cultural heritage. In this discussion, particular cognisance is given to the needs and aims of the UK’s Arts and Humanities Research Council funded Towards a National Collection programme, which seeks to break down the barriers that exist between the UK’s cultural heritage collections. Findings Web3 introduces novel tools and processes that could benefit digital humanities infrastructures, enabling decentralisation and facilitating open access data storage. Yet, significant barriers to adoption remain, such as the requirement for highly specialised technical expertise. Risks and challenges must also be considered prior to any use, including legal, ethical and technical safeguards. Research limitations/implications This study explores opportunities and risks of web3 for digital humanities, through the lens of digital cultural heritage infrastructures and their requirements, including decentralised storage and persistent identification. It does not provide a holistic overview of all web3 technologies. Practical implications The authors identify practical uses of web3 technologies for digital humanities projects, outlining potential applications concerning decentralised storage and persistent identification. Originality/value The authors push forward current knowledge and literature on the intersection of web3 and digital humanities, outlining also practical recommendations for scholars, practitioners and funding organisations.
This study explored the role of NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) in digital marketing and content monetization within Iringa Municipal, Tanzania. It assessed the level of awareness and understanding of NFTs among local businesses and individuals, explored the potential applications of NFTs in digital marketing, and evaluated the benefits and challenges associated with their use. Using a sample size of 100 participants, the study revealed moderate familiarity with NFTs but highlighted significant interest in their application across industries like digital art, music, and brand marketing. Although NFTs offer promising opportunities for revenue generation, enhanced ownership, and transparency, challenges related to scalability, volatility, and regulatory uncertainties were significant. The findings suggest that while NFTs hold transformative potential in digital marketing, a focused approach on education, technological infrastructure, and regulatory clarity is needed to fully harness their benefits.
Ethereum, as a representative of Web3, adopts a novel framework called Proposer Builder Separation (PBS) to prevent the centralization of block profits in the hands of institutional Ethereum stakers. Introducing builders to generate blocks based on public transactions, PBS aims to ensure that block profits are distributed among all stakers. Through the auction among builders, only one will win the block in each slot. Ideally, the equilibrium strategy of builders under public information would lead them to bid all block profits. However, builders are now capable of extracting profits from private order flows. In this paper, we explore the effect of PBS with private order flows. Specifically, we propose the asymmetry auction model of MEV-Boost auction. Moreover, we conduct empirical study on Ethereum blocks from January 2023 to May 2024. Our analysis indicates that private order flows contribute to 54.59% of the block value, indicating that different builders will build blocks with different valuations. Interestingly, we find that builders with more private order flows (i.e., higher block valuations) are more likely to win the block, while retain larger proportion of profits. In return, such builders will further attract more private order flows, resulting in a monopolistic market gradually. Our findings reveal that PBS in current stage is unable to balance the profit distribution, which just transits the centralization of block profits from institutional stakers to the monopolistic builder.
The development of digital art has been marked by numerous transformative phases, with the rise of NFTs (non-fungible tokens) representing a pivotal moment in its evolution. This paper posits that the ascent of NFT art is closely linked to the COVID-19 pandemic, which catalyzed a shift towards digital mediums and redefined the relationship between art and technology. NFTs not only revolutionized the creation, distribution, and monetization of digital art by embedding databases and data archives into the artwork itself, but they also challenged traditional notions of ownership and value in the art world. This study examines how NFTs altered the perception of digital art, particularly during the pandemic, and investigates the factors contributing to the subsequent decline in their prominence after the initial surge of interest.
Sanat eserlerinin yegâne özelliği biricik olmasıdır. Dijital sanat, sınırsız kopyalama ve dağıtma anlamında bu temel özelliği bir anlamda yapıbozumuna uğratmıştır ve tartışmalı bir süreci getirmiştir. Değiştirilemez jeton anlamına gelen NFT (non-fungible token), tescillenebilme özelliği ile klasik sanata özgü nitelikler olan ve dijital sanatta tartışma konusu olan biriciklik ve özgünlüğü bir anlamda yeniden teslim etmiştir. NFT, özellikle son yıllarda birçok alanda gündemi meşgul etmiştir ve sanat ortamında da oldukça ön plana çıkmıştır. Zaman içerisinde NFT sanatı üretenlerin yanı sıra sanatı domine eden yapıların da bu konuya yaklaştıkları ve bir takım projeler ürettikleri, etkinlikler düzenledikleri görülmektedir. Ancak piyasada herhangi bir konuda yaratılan ilginin manipülatif olma ihitimali vardır. Sanat piyasasının da manipülasyon yönünün güçlü olduğu göz önünde bulundurulmalıdır. Dünya çapında çeşitli analiz şirketlerinin anket sonuçlarına ve bulgularına bakmak, daha gerçekçi bir tablo çizmek anlamında yol gösterici olabilir. Bu nedenle bu çalışmada çeşitli analiz şirketlerinin son üç yılda (2021-2023) NFT teknolojisi üzerine yaptığı istatistiklerden ortaya çıkan veriler incelenmiştir. NFT pazaryerleri ile fiziksel, sanal ve hibrit ortamlardaki NFT sergileri araştırılmış, örnekler serimlenmiştir. NFT sanatı özelindeki atılımlar ile daha somut sonuçlar veren istatistikler arasındaki ilişkiye bakılarak aradaki korelasyon değerlendirilmiştir.
This paper examines the global evolution of resale royalties within the art market, with an emphasis on the transformative role of blockchain technology in enforcing artists’ droit de suite. It delves into the evolution of resale royalties and their enforcement through blockchain technology globally, analyzing diverse approaches in the European Union, the United States of America, Australia, and China, and the universal adaptation of blockchain in this context. Drawing on diverse practices, the paper reveals diverse practices and the complex interplay between economic, legal, and cultural factors in each context. The research underscores blockchain’s potential to offer transparency, security, and efficiency in managing and enforcing resale royalties, as demonstrated by the rise of non-fungible token platforms like OpenSea. The paper also delves into China’s distinctive approach to blockchain, which avoids speculative digital currency markets while fostering digital collectibles within a controlled regulatory framework. The paper concludes by offering strategic recommendations aimed at harmonizing legal frameworks, spurring technological innovation, and preparing markets for these advancements. It calls for a balanced ecosystem that fosters artistic innovation and ensures regulatory compliance, showcasing the enduring influence of early concepts in the current digital era of the art market.
Gilbert Fridgen, Roman Kräussl, Orestis Papageorgiou, Alessandro Tugnetti
Abstract This paper analyzes the sales of 875,389 art nonfungible tokens (NFTs) on the Ethereum blockchain to identify the key determinants influencing NFT pricing and market dynamics. We find that market liquidity and trade volume are strong predictors of NFT prices. Contrarily, social media activity negatively correlates with prices. Introducing an artist ranking system, our study reveals a “superstar effect”, with a few artists dominating sales, and herding behaviour within the NFT market.
Samuel de Oliveira Ribeiro, Dayan Ramos Gomes, Nara Raquel D. Andrade, Emanuel Aurélio F. de Miranda · 5 authors
Non-fungible Tokens (NFTs) are digital objects with unique identities and ownership verified via blockchain networks. The digital arts and media industry has embraced NFTs for their secure features, such as defining authorship, transfer, and royalties, which can be programmed into smart contracts. The classification of NFTs is crucial for their commercialization but often relies on the author’s definition, which may be prone to errors, or on expert evaluation. In this work, we analyze NFT collection classes based on metadata extracted from OpenSea, the largest NFT platform. We assess the efficiency of supervised machine learning to identify the most relevant attributes of these collections and classify them into the nine most popular categories on the platform. Our results demonstrate the challenges of automating classification to assist users and platform curators, achieving a promising accuracy of 67% and an F1 score of 72% in the best cases.
Open access
Blockchain Technology Applications and Security
Advanced Steganography and Watermarking Techniques
The symbiosis of blockchain technology with human creativity has given rise to what we now call crypto art, marking a new frontier in digital artistic expression. This development has profoundly altered our understanding of digital artifacts and ownership in this domain. Once easily accessible to all, digital art poses a unique challenge in the realm of collecting: how does one collect something that can be effortlessly replicated and shared? This paper explores the role of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) as authentication mechanisms and proof of authorship for digital artworks. Initially designed for decentralized financial transactions, blockchain technology has become instrumental in validating authorship and enabling the monetization of digital artworks through NFTs. Although digital artists now benefit from the validation of their work as legitimate investment assets through NFT technology, challenges persist due to the absence of copyright verification during token creation. For example, many artists have discovered their creations being used by third parties to mint tokens without their consent. The study demonstrates the transformative impact of NFTs on the digital art landscape while addressing the ongoing challenges and the imperative for enhanced copyright protection mechanisms.
Despite widespread academic and practitioner interest in non-fungible tokens (NFTs) as a form of digital assets, little is known about how consumers perceive NFT value. This exploratory research investigates why people create, trade or collect NFTs, what value they derive from them, and how online communities contribute to value co-creation. Over the course of two rounds, we interview 38 participants, most of whom are digital natives. We find that engaging with NFTs is the new form of day trading, reflecting financialization of everyday life. The value of NFTs is mainly speculative and utilitarian, and NFTs themselves are best thought of as derivatives. Value co-creation in NFT project communities is largely focused on gaining superior information about the project. We contribute to the crypto-marketing and web3 literature by advancing a novel model of NFT consumer value that extends Holbrook's (1999) typology and distinguishes both positive and negative aspects of consumer value that have been overlooked in mainstream literature. We shed light on the role of communities in an unusual setting: a nascent, illiquid, speculative, informationally opaque market for digital assets. Our study helps creators and brand managers to develop effective NFT strategies.
Theoretical background: The dynamic development of generative artificial intelligence such as ChatGPT has transformed the perception of creative work. In the graphic realm, AI systems like Midjourney, DALL-E, or Adobe Firefly allow the creation of high-quality graphics without the need for artistic skills or hiring a talented designer. Concurrently, the emergence of cryptocurrencies and the associated non-fungible tokens (NFTs) has resulted in radical changes in the creative sector, especially in the art market. Purpose of the article: The aim of this article is to examine the development pace and impact of AI-generated art and NFTs on the global art market, focusing on market trends, dependency on energy prices, segmentation, and how these changes influence artwork pricing and artists’ livelihoods. Research methods: The author has assessed the popularity and development of the NFT market, as well as the main reasons for its collapse in 2022. The author identified possible scenarios for the development of the art market, pointed out the primary potential threats, and highlighted the key determinants of future digital asset valuation. Main findings: Despite initial euphoria, buyers depreciate digital goods, especially those generated by artificial intelligence. They are considered inherently inferior and less valuable. Overproduction of works combined with the availability of AI solutions means that the traditional supply and demand mechanism lowers the price of assets and thereby forces more and more graphic designers, photographers, and painters to abandon their professions. Competition from artificial intelligence is subject to the same supply and demand mechanisms, which reduces the cost of access to quality graphics for entrepreneurs and individuals. Simultaneously, as the market becomes saturated with synthetic goods, there will be a delineation at the segment level, similar to what has happened with artisanal beers, hand-assembled cars, and furniture, or handmade ceramics. An unwritten, "made by humans" certificate will result in a 300–500% higher price for similar goods made by humans compared to works of artificial intelligence. This situation will resemble the division of the clothing or furniture market into mass-produced goods and designer items. Amid all this, the increasingly prominent role of NFTs will be evident, which will also appreciate in value, but due to the ecological taxation resulting from energy consumption that is 100,000 times higher than that of a regular bank payment.
On the occasion of the award of the author's da Vinci Medal in 2022, this article sketches a perspective, material political economy, employed by the author, explaining it by drawing on Marc Bloch's classic account of the dispute in European feudalism between milling grain on watermills or windmills controlled by feudal superiors, who could exact fees, and common people's use of hand mills. It considers the material political economy aspects of two modern technologies. The first is automated high-frequency trading in finance, where there are typically conflicts with incumbents and material efforts to favor "market-making" over "aggressive" algorithms. The second is the automated auctioning of digital display advertising opportunities, showing tension between two forms of these auctions' material organization: centralized auctioning via Google's systems and decentralized "header bidding."
The secure management and sale of digital assets has become a critical problem in an increasingly digitized environment. This project intends to address this issue by creating decentralized applications (dApps) that use blockchain technology to provide secure and efficient digital asset management, with a focus on NFTs. The NFT marketplace includes secure wallet connections, NFT image creation, minting, the marketplace, and profile management. Solidity-based smart contracts are utilized to create the NFT Marketplace back end, and IPFS is used for storage. The NFT Marketplace's front-end development uses React JSX and the web3js framework, allowing developers to connect to the Ethereum network. NFT Marketplace may assist creators in selling their art through a smart contract system, in which the artwork's ownership transfers to the new owner upon submission of a digital certificate.
The traditional wallet we have been using for decades is a carry pouch on a go in which a person carries his/her fiat currency and small personal items like identification documents like a driver's license, visiting cards, debit cards, credit cards, or any laminated cards. However, in the age of crypto currency, you need a wallet to keep your crypto tokens in one place for use on a daily basis and for trading and earning more crypto tokens so this wallet is known as crypto wallet. It enables you to store and handle all of the day's chaos with it. This study will examine CoinSwitch a crypto currency wallet, and all the features and services it provides to its dedicated users. The impact of the CoinSwitch wallet on the Indian crypto currency market will be examined in the research article. The research article will also examine CoinSwitch's SWOT analysis, benefits and drawbacks as a crypto currency wallet.
Young Soon Jeong, Ji Eun Jeong, Chae Hyun Lee, Jong Woo Park
Purpose: Non-Fungible Token (NFT) ART, based on NFT technology, represents a novel form of art that has recently garnered significant attention in the art market. NFT technology enables the assertion of ownership over digital data, introducing the concept of ownership into the digital realm. As digital data gains ownership, NFT ART is anticipated to be positively viewed as an investment and expected to become more active due to the characteristics of this new technology. Therefore, this study aims to verify the influence of NFT ART characteristics on perceived value. This study contributes to extracting the distinctive characteristics of NFT ART compared to other forms of art and to understanding the perceived value of NFT ART among consumers with purchasing experience.Methods: This study applied structural equation modeling to explore the relationships among the variables using SPSS 26.0 and R program version 4.2.3. A total of 320 questionnaires were retrieved, all of which were adopted as valid analytical samples without missing values.Results: The findings indicate that the decentralization, transparency, and scarcity of NFT ART positively influence the perceived usefulness and enjoyment among consumers, while security does not have a significant impact. This suggests that higher levels of decentralization, transparency, and scarcity in NFT ART enhance perceived usefulness and enjoyment for consumers, significantly influencing the perceived value. Furthermore, it was confirmed that these characteristics are considered important values and perceptions from the consumer’s perspective.Conclusion: The research presents positive factors for the activating of purchases among consumers considering buying NFT ART. It emphasizes the necessity of benefits for all participants to activate the art market. Additionally, the perceived value provides crucial insights for inducing active purchasing behavior in the NFT ART market and serves as a foundational study for further research.
The merger of Proof of Stake (PoS) with Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) might revolutionize digital ownership and collections. PoS's impact on NFT generation, administration, and security will be examined to create a sustainable, energy-efficient framework. PoS systems' environmental impact compared to Proof of Work (PoW), economic effects on producers and collectors, and digital asset security advantages are examined. The purpose is to explain how PoS may transform the NFT ecosystem and improve digital ownership models. This study highlights the complementarity between blockchain technology and digital assets, suggesting PoS might fuel innovation in the fast-changing digital collectibles industry. The results will inform sustainable and safe blockchain application discussions. Results from Digital Asset Ownership indicate 5 owners' digital ownership distribution. A % random sample was collected for 3 Assets. Values vary from 10-30 for Asset 1, 10-40 for Asset 2, and 10-30 for Asset 3. Fluctuation of Ownership from January to May 2024: Asset 1 20-30, Asset 2 35-42, Asset 3 15-25. In the correlation between ownership concentration and asset value for Top 1–5, Asset 1 ranges from 50–100, Asset 2 from 40–90, and Asset 3 from 60–95.
The potential of Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) is highly anticipated, particularly in the realm of visual arts. However, current applications within fine arts often involve trivial processes, such as creating digital versions of artworks or replicas of masterpieces as NFT images, and selling only these NFTs. To unlock the full potential of NFTs, more innovative models are needed. This paper introduces a novel model that establishes a permanent link between an NFT and a physical craft object. This linkage is utilized to orchestrate the trade workflow, ensuring a sustained connection between real and digital artifacts. A distinguishing feature is that they can be sold together or seperately and later reunited with a buyer. The NFT serves as a multifunctional certificate, tracing, and communication token. Through a comprehensive analysis, this paper explores diverse scenarios that may arise in the relationship between the physical object and its digital twin. It presents a systematic and formal description of the proposed model and its various cases, marking a pioneering effort in the field. Noteworthy advantages include the ability to detect plagiarism and fraud. By strategically incorporating stakeholder roles, the model preserves the anonymity of art collectors while extracting valuable information about the ownership of physical artworks. The primary objective is to enhance security in the art trade and foster new business opportunities for stakeholders. As a proof-of-concept, the model was implemented in a real-world scenario on a leading NFT marketplace platform.