https://a16z.com/2021/04/02/nfts-readings-resources/ Skip to content It's time to build Nav Opener * Portfolio * Team * Focus Areas + Bio + Cultural Leadership Fund + Consumer + Crypto + Enterprise + Fintech + Growth + Talent x Opportunity * Content Topics + Fintech + Gaming & Social + Security & Privacy + Marketplaces + Enterprise & SaaS + Bio + Consumer + Cryptocurrencies & Blockchains Type + Articles + Video + Podcasts + Newsletters * About search [ ] Close NFT Canon by Sonal Chokshi, Chris Dixon, Denis Nazarov, Jesse Walden, and Linda Xie * cryptocurrencies & blockchains * gaming, social, and new media * online communities * open source * the creator economy * art & tech * glossaries & terms to know * listicles * nature of the firm & evolving institutions * NFTs * trends 2021 * what we're reading * Facebook * LinkedIn * Twitter The NFT Canon is a go-to resource for artists and creators, developers, corporations and institutions, communities and other organizations seeking to understand or do more with non-fungible tokens. It's a curated list of readings and resources on all things NFTs (inspired by the a16z Crypto Canon), and is organized from the big picture of what NFTs are and why they matter, to how to mint, collect, and do more with them -- including various applications such as art, music, gaming, social tokens, and others. We will continue to update this as more people try out new things, share their work, or publish resources for learning about NFTs. If you have suggestions for quality pieces to add, let us know @a16z. * * * The Big Picture, Beginners Guides, & FAQs Life Is Non-fungible: The Evolution of Ownership, Assets, and Us -- ownership is deeply human; collectibles for self-expression, identity, money, trade by Roham Gharegozlou https://youtu.be/u894J50AqOs NFTs and a Thousand True Fans -- evolution of the internet and better economics for creators by Chris Dixon https://a16z.com/2021/02/27/nfts-and-a-thousand-true-fans/ Stories, Scarcity, and Mimetic Desire -- how NFTs turn millions of stories into scarce assets by Nick Tomaino https://thecontrol.co/ stories-scarcity-and-mimetic-desire-c4a344fa74e1 A beginner's guide to NFTs -- what they are, why they're interesting, applications by Linda Xie https://linda.mirror.xyz/ df649d61efb92c910464a4e74ae213c4cab150b9cbcc4b7fb6090fc77881a95d What is an NFT? -- properties of blockchain-based non-fungible tokens by Devin Finzer https://opensea.io/blog/guides/non-fungible-tokens/# What_is_a_non-fungible_token All about NFTs -- the what, why, and how of NFTs, their applications, and process as well as common questions & misconceptions by Jesse Walden, Linda Xie, Sonal Chokshi https://a16z.com/2021/03/27/ nfts-explainer-faqs-hype-reality-innovation-crypto-creator-economy The new magic of NFTs -- the cases, the elements of crypto, and how it's about so much more Katie Haun interviewed by Tim Ferriss https://tim.blog/2021/02/24/katie-haun-transcript/ NFTs invert the ownership model of media -- offering creators, their audiences, and developers who build for them a viable alternative to platform-driven monetization by Jesse Walden https://variant.mirror.xyz/ T8kdtZRIgy_srXB5B06L8vBqFHYlEBcv6ae2zR6Y_eo NFT subculture -- properties of disruptive subcultures by Denis Nazarov https://d.mirror.xyz/OQrTGdbiDDKs-7it-URF2NYRG9xLMYEQcNnET8fah3I 8 Reasons why crypto art > art and the new economy of digital creativity by Scott Belsky https://scottbelsky.medium.com/ the-furry-lisa-cryptoart-the-new-economy-of-digital-creativity-6cb2300ea081 Crypto Will Change Value, NFTs Will Change Society -- how NFTs change internet, work, economics, business models, more by Andrew Steinwold https://andrewsteinwold.substack.com/p/ crypto-will-change-value-nfts-will NFTs, the trend -- overview, projects, players, lessons, haters, opportunities by Dru Riley https://trends.vc/trends-0050-non-fungible-tokens-nfts/ NFTs by Saturday Night Live https://youtu.be/mrNOYudaMAc Building Blocks & Technical Foundations NFT metadata -- on-chain, off-chain, storage, more by Devin Finzer https://opensea.io/blog/guides/non-fungible-tokens/# Non-fungible_token_metadata Do You Really Own Your NFT? -- data storage, URLs vs IPFS, off-chain, more by Dan Kahan https://thedefiant.io/do-you-really-own-your-nft-chances-are-you-dont / Non-fungible token standards -- from Ethereum to non-Ethereum standards by Devin Finzer https://opensea.io/blog/guides/non-fungible-tokens/# Non-fungible_token_standards What is ERC-721? -- non-technical explanation of how the original standard powering NFTs on blockchains works by William Entriken https://fulldecent.blogspot.com/2018/06/ nontechnical-what-is-erc-721.html ERC-721 Non-Fungible Token Standard -- powering unique, rare, collectible tokens on the Ethereum blockchain https://eips.ethereum.org/EIPS/eip-721 Crypto Glossary: Cryptocurrencies & Blockchains -- key concepts and terms to know that relate to NFTs (cryptography, proof of stake, more) by Alex Pruden and Sonal Chokshi https://a16z.com/2019/11/08/crypto-glossary/ Crypto Wants to Be Seen -- experiencing crypto in ways that enable creators to master it and be immersed in core concepts by Kayvon Tehranian https://thedefiant.io/ crypto-wants-to-be-seen-op-ed-by-kayvon-tehranian/ Arts, Music, Gaming, Other Applications... and Creator Stories Tips for Creators Getting Into Crypto by Patrick Rivera https://p.mirror.xyz/WQQywdjjfnksMRPMaNKBMxPBqfE5k8nL6pCLe1roGyw Ideas for building in NFTs -- community as art, more [thread] by Dylan Field https://twitter.com/zoink/status/1372561281002004481 Musicians meet audio NFTs -- an overview of audio NFTs, limited edition audio/visuals experiences issued and sold as tokens on Ethereum by Cooper Turley https://coopahtroopa-eth.medium.com/ musicians-meet-audio-nfts-aa495cfd2996 The relationship between visual art and music Devendra Banhart interviewed by Samantha Ayson https://foundation.app/blog/devendra-banhart Two crypto creators -- on art galleries to tokenized collectibles by Pak, Signe Pierce, Zoran Basich https://a16z.com/2020/11/22/ crypto-for-creators-tokenized-collectibles-nfts/ How the blockchain broke the auction block -- how is a Beeple JPEG worth $69 million? by Alexi Horowitz-Ghazi and Mary Childs https://www.npr.org/2021/03/12/976513031/the-69-million-jpeg Monetization for Gamers in the New Cryptoeconomy -- how blockchain technology realigns economic relationships, collaboration, community, and creativity by Kevin Chou https://a16z.com/2020/03/09/ monetization-for-gamers-in-the-new-cryptoeconomy/ Community economics and the limits of today's game economies -- on the economic activity inside and outside virtual game worlds like Animal Crossing by Kaiser Hwang https://techcrunch.com/2020/07/17/ animal-crossing-new-horizons-and-the-limits-of-todays-game-economies/ [also at https://www.forte.io/?p=507] Where Crypto meets the metaverse -- without the assumption of a robust economic membrane, the entire concept of the metaverse quickly collapses by Piers Kicks https://metaversed.net/ Into-The-Void-Where-Crypto-Meets-The-Metaverse-263f1ff8c13c455ea472f5689e01acaa Where Web3 meets the metaverse -- NFTs & digital ownership, open vs. closed metaverse, "Direct-to Avatar Economy", value chain of the open metaverse by Packy McCormick https://www.notboring.co/p/the-value-chain-of-the-open-metaverse Gamers want virtual goods with real-world value -- survey from Vorhaus by Dean Takahashi https://venturebeat.com/2020/12/09/ vorhaus-advisors-63-of-gamers-would-spend-more-on-virtual-goods-with-real-world-value / Artists on collecting NFTs by Samantha Ayson https://foundation.app/blog/ why-artists-are-collecting-each-others-nfts NFTs, digital art, and the value shift between IRL and virtual life Trevor McFedries interviewed by Dan Frommer https://newconsumer.com/2021/03/trevor-mc-fedries-interview-nft-fwb/ Creators, Artists, and Athletes -- messaging creator coins to fans in videos by Kurt Patat https://medium.com/rallynetwork/ video-creators-artists-and-athletes-discussing-their-creator-coins-with-fans-e633391b59e3 Why I'm Collecting Black Crypto Art -- on spurring a Black Digital Renaissance that could create and capture value for Black communities by Cuy Sheffield https://medium.com/@cuysheffield/ why-im-collecting-black-crypto-art-c3cbba939d64 Forefront Profiles -- communities and social tokens creators https://forefront.market/creators Artists on NFTs and more https://foundation.app/blog "The Greatest NFT Film Ever Made" creators share views on NFTs, properties, platforms, scaling, exhibitions, more across art, music, fashion, defi, the metaverse The Defiant https://youtu.be/cY9lM73ie0Q The Man Who Tokenized Himself Gives Holders Power Over His Life -- on first ever Ethereum personal token sale Alex Masmej interviewed by Vinamrata Chaturvedi https://www.coindesk.com/ man-who-sells-himself-now-wants-buyers-to-control-his-life Social Tokens, Community Tokens, Personal Tokens (& NFTs) Social tokens -- a broad category of tokens issued by individuals and communities by Linda Xie https://linda.mirror.xyz/ df649d61efb92c910464a4e74ae213c4cab150b9cbcc4b7fb6090fc77881a95d The fractionalization of NFTs will lead to better social tokens -- objects, communities, more by Brian Flynn https://jammsession.mirror.xyz/ -xYcfFRlhDdLDSUgRMTYJAaRJBs2VG4LP34DnOV84mI Loyalty Points and Social Tokens -- social not just financial incentives in designing transactional communities of social tokens users by Wong Joon Ian https://medium.com/rallynetwork/ loyalty-points-and-social-tokens-5046d1ca993 Social Tokens Year in Review (2020) -- digital assets backed by reputation of individual, brand, or community by Cooper Turley with Jess Sloss, James Young, Scott Moore, Brian Flynn, and Priyanka Desai https://2020inreview.forefront.news/ NFT Ecosystem; Funding Innovation, Orgs; Markets Ecosystem overview -- marketplaces; art, collectibles, games, virtual worlds; finance & trading by Andrew Steinwold https://andrewsteinwold.substack.com/p/ -quick-overview-of-the-nft-ecosystem How to display crypto art -- showcase sites, digital displays, metaverse galleries by William Peaster https://metaversal.banklesshq.com/p/how-to-display-cryptoart- How the CryptoPunks took physical form to participate in their first gallery show -- paper wallets and a physical model for digital ownership https://www.larvalabs.com/blog/2019-2-1-15-1/ a-physical-model-for-digital-art-ownership-the-cryptopunks-in-their-first-gallery-show NFTs: A Legal Guide for Creators and Collectors -- primer on just some of the considerations in the United States by Amy Luo https://www.coindesk.com/ nfts-a-legal-guide-for-creators-and-collectors Where do NFTs capture value? -- the NFT stack, breaking down the various layers, honing in on curation by Cooper Turley https://coopahtroopa.mirror.xyz/ A16NP2XXi9RdHptfdF9WHR0Xq_E1XDmUgMwPmJYOG7w The Most Important Scarce Resource is Legitimacy - on NFTs as public goods funding by Vitalik Buterin https://vitalik.ca/general/2021/03/23/legitimacy.html "Post-Venture" Capital and the Crypto Nobel Prize by Matt Stephenson https://glyphx.medium.com/ post-venture-capital-and-the-crypto-nobel-prize-29847faf3f08 A beginner's guide to DAOs -- with examples of NFT collectives for art, gaming, more by Linda Xie https://linda.mirror.xyz/Vh8K4leCGEO06_qSGx-vS5lvgUqhqkCz9ut81WwCP2o The non-fungible token market -- market size & growth (2019-2020), sale mechanisms, distribution by Devin Finzer https://opensea.io/blog/guides/non-fungible-tokens/# The_Non-Fungible_Token_Market Rankings OpenSea https://opensea.io/rankings CryptoSlam! https://www.cryptoslam.io/ CryptoArt https://cryptoart.io/ Other Resources - Newsletters & Digests Zima Red -- NFTs, virtual worlds, blockchain games https://andrewsteinwold.substack.com/ The Forefront Newsletter -- weekly digest of developments in social tokens, NFTs, DAOs https://forefront.market/newsletter History: Origins; Earlier and Other Forms of Crypto Art, Collectibles, & Games Crypto trading cards (1993) -- idea to promote digital cash Hal Finney https://protos.com/bitcoin-hal-finney-predict-nft-market-joke-1993/ Colored coins (2012) -- earliest NFT project (tracking origin of a given bitcoin to distinguish it from the rest so it can have special properties or value for various applications) by Yoni Assia, Vitalik Buterin, Lior Hakim, Meni Rosenfeld web pdf History of NFTs -- from and before CryptoKitties onwards, games, and other experiments by Devin Finzer https://opensea.io/blog/guides/non-fungible-tokens/# History_of_non-fungible_tokens_2017_2020 Rare Pepe (2017) -- digital trading cards by Fred Wilson http://avc.com/2017/05/rare-pepe/ Skin-in-the-game coins (2018) -- reputation mining, token-curated registries, early utility tokens by Ryan Selkis https://medium.com/messaricrypto/skin-in-the-game-coins-da0afdfdc650 Will cryptocurrencies be the art market's next big thing? (2018) by Scott Reyburn https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/13/arts/ cryptocurrency-art-market.html Smart media tokens (2017) from Steemit https://smt.steem.io/smt-whitepaper.pdf Digital collectibles and the weird future of "digibles" by Josh Stark https://hackernoon.com/ digital-collectibles-and-the-weird-future-of-digibles-f75f4bf0f9aa How to code your own cryptokitties-style game on Ethereum (2017) by James Martin Duffy https://medium.com/loom-network/ how-to-code-your-own-cryptokitties-style-game-on-ethereum-7c8ac86a4eb3 Acknowledgements: Thanks also to Guy Wuollet and Carra Wu for their additions above as well image: Mona Lisa/ Creative Commons 4.0; changes made by Greg Truesdell per Sonal Chokshi The views expressed here are those of the individual AH Capital Management, L.L.C. ("a16z") personnel quoted and are not the views of a16z or its affiliates. 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April 2, 2021 Related Stories * [nfts_monal] a16z Podcast: All about NFTs by Jesse Walden, Linda Xie, and Sonal Chokshi * [Screen-Sho] NFTs and a Thousand True Fans by Chris Dixon * [CyrptoArtP] Crypto Creators: On Art Galleries to 'Tokenized' Collectibles by Pak, Signe Pierce, and Zoran Basich Related Stories * [nfts_monal] a16z Podcast: All about NFTs by Jesse Walden, Linda Xie, and Sonal Chokshi * [Screen-Sho] NFTs and a Thousand True Fans by Chris Dixon * [CyrptoArtP] Crypto Creators: On Art Galleries to 'Tokenized' Collectibles by Pak, Signe Pierce, and Zoran Basich Our crypto newsletter is coming soon Sign up to be the first to get it. Thanks for signing up. Check your inbox for a welcome note. Software is eating the world (c) 2021 Andreessen Horowitz Software is eating the world + Twitter + Simplecast * Contact * Jobs * Briefings * Terms of Use & Privacy * Disclosures * Conduct * Who We Are