How to Make an NFT

You can’t escape the NFT craze right now: everybody is talking about these digital assets, or even going so far as putting out their own. As a result, you may find yourself curious about how to get in on the action. Here’s how to make your own.

How to Create an NFT

We’ve put together this short guide on how to make an NFT in just a few steps. However, because it’s relatively brief, we’re assuming you already know some basics, like what NFTs are and how they relate to cryptocurrency.

We’re also assuming that you’re aware of criticisms of and problem with NFTs. For example, as an investment, they’re incredibly volatile. Some people are making millions with crypto, but plenty of others have seen their portfolios plummet in value. The art itself isn’t stored on the blockchain.
Warning: We’re not recommending you create or buy NFTs. If you get involved with NFTs, know that there’s no such thing as a sure bet when dealing with anything crypto.

Step 1: Create a Piece of Art

With disclaimers out of the way, let’s take a look at how you can create an NFT and bring it to market. The first step is to have or make something that can be turned into a non-fungible token. There are a lot of options here, from video game items to memes, but for the purpose of this guide we’ll assume we’re working with digital art.

In this case, the first step is to create one. We’re not artists: This part is up to you. In the end, though, it doesn’t really matter what you want to turn into an asset, as long as it can be fit into some kind of digital format PNG seems to be the most popular for visual art you’re set for the next step.

Step 2: Get a Crypto Wallet and Add Some Crypto

The next step is also quite brief: you need to make sure you have a crypto wallet and load it up with the currency your platform’s blockchain uses—more on that later. The only way to play in the world of crypto is to have a wallet and to have a few bucks in it, so you can’t avoid this step.

We have a guide on what a crypto wallet is and how they work, as well as one where we explain how you can buy bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. The reason you need to have a wallet is to be able to receive funds, while you’ll need to buy some crypto of your own so you can pay any fees associated with putting an NFT up for sale.

Note that you can’t just use any wallet, though, as not all wallets play nice with all platforms, so take a close look at the next step before making any commitments.

Step 3: Pick a Platform to Sell On

This will be the most involved step: You need to pick where to sell your NFT. This can be a tricky choice, as different platforms charge different fees, let you set different terms, and may even specialize in different types of NFTs. Most importantly, they can also offer different blockchains to place your NFT on, which can affect security and usability for different people.

Going over all these differences in a single article is simply impossible. Instead, we’ll touch on the two biggest platforms, OpenSea and Rarible, and how they handle sales. Both of these are popular options to choose from. If you don’t like either of these options, though, there are plenty more to choose from. At the start of 2022, new ones are popping up almost every day.

Among the things you should keep in mind when choosing a platform are the legal side of things: some platforms will present you with a contract where you gain the copyright along with the NFT, with others it stays with the original maker. Another issue is which blockchain you want your NFT to be on.