Similar to wallets, NFTs play a delicate balance between convenience and ownership (see custodial vs non-custodial). In this case, some of the most popular platforms aren’t really as decentralized as you’d think.

Wanna immortalize your artwork as a 1/1 NFT? Looking to launch the next big collectible? You’ve come to the right place. In order to create your very own NFT, you must first “Mint” it on a smart contract.

https://www.tiktok.com/@rabbithole_gg/video/7109162729302183210

Minting: This term stems from the “minting” of money, it’s a fancy way of describing publishing something new on the blockchain, when you mint an item (like a JPG, Article, or Coin), you’re introducing data on the chain, and making sure it stays there forever.

There are a few different approaches to minting your creations, most NFT marketplaces will offer you their own twist on minting. To help illustrate this, here’s a few examples from the most popular ones:

• Opensea created the Wyvern protocol, the NFT contract golden standard, which allows for transfers, editions, and auctions for your NFTs. This platform is the closest web3 equivalent to Amazon, everything from art, to collectibles and virtual land can be bought and sold here.

Its biggest limitation is not that obvious at first glance, Opensea’s contract can sometimes be a bit restrictive when it comes to what you can do with your NFT, such as displaying it on other marketplaces. Still, this one’s the most popular option, so it’s usually compatible with most web3 services.

<aside> ⚠️ A quick note on Opensea: If you can afford to pay the gas fee, it’s extremely adviceable to freeze your NFT’s metadata, that way your creation is truly stored on-chain, and not in Opensea’s servers. Some artists from restricted locations have had trouble with OS de-listing their creations with no warning just because US law forbids them from selling their products there. ****

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• Foundation, Known Origin and Superare are some of the best places to be if you’re looking to sell digital art, these platforms have a varying range of access gating and curation, so chances are, only outstanding artists get to sell their pieces here. They’re also taking some interesting steps towards offering you freedom by launching their own contracts, or minting your token directly to the blockchain without going through their own servers first as is the case with Opensea.
• Manifold Studio is a recent development in the NFT scene. They aim to offer quick and easy access for all creators to launch their own smart contracts to avoid NFT marketplaces’ restrictions. This is by far one of the best options, you get to keep your royalties and have total control of where your NFTs are displayed and sold. Also, this service is only getting better with time, so the perks of getitng your own contract will only grow as people contribute to the project.
• Zora goes above and beyond the previous platforms, it’s one thing to help you mint your work, but another one altogether to place a gigantic bet on offering the widest array of tools for creators, collectors and curators alike. Zora has a similar approach to minting as Foundation and Known Origin; but where they truly excel is their ever expanding contract that offers curator royalties, multi-marketplace displays, and even the option to create your very own NFT marketplace with their open-source back-end where you can share your friend’s creations as well as yours.

How to Mint an NFT on Zora

A Quick Note on Lazy Minting