Mint your first NFT on Cardano

Are there NFTs on Cardano?

100% Yes. The first NFTs on Cardano we dropped on 3/1/2021. Since NFTs on Cardano are native assets and therefore not governed by smart contracts, digital assets became tradable on the Cardano blockchain nine months before smart contracts became available.

How do you buy an NFT on Cardano?

If you arrived on this page before finding the video tutorial below, then you definitely want to watch that tutorial and use the following steps as an accompanying guide.

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  1. First, you need a wallet from which you can purchase and store the NFTs. This is not an exchange account. You can buy ADA on an exchange but you cannot store NFTs there. If you try, the NFT will be lost in the ether… forever. A crypto wallet is your key to Web3. It is important to note that you are 100% accountable for the security of your assets in Web3. NFTs are digital assets, yep, even the art you collect is a financial asset.

    1. I have two recommendations for Cardano Wallets. A) for ease of use: NamI Wallet. B) for completeness, Eternl Wallet

    2. There are many many tutorials on how to install these wallets on your browsers and mobile devices. In short, you will install the application and create your seed phrase, then voila. That seed phrase is everything, though. Be sure to store it correctly and safely. If you need particular help, please join my Discord! I can help you personally through there.

  2. Next you’ll want to put ADA (the currency on the Cardano Blockchain) in your wallet.

    1. You can buy ADA directly through your wallet (depending on which wallet) or you can get it through an exchange such as Coinbase. To purchase one of the NFTs from the “vending machine” below, you’ll need at least 10 ADA, about $5 on 9/27/22.

  3. Using the Vending Machine below you will select the number of NFTs you want to purchase/collect and then sign the prompt with your password approving the transaction.

    1. That’s it!

 You have an NFT, now what?

Well, you cherish it!

The first and most obvious use-case for art is to enjoy it. Its YOURS. Which comes with far more value than if you right-click saved it. You get to take it with you everywhere and show it off when you meet other art enthusiasts.

Unlike traditional art, the value of your NFT is stored on the block chain and can be used as an investment record. Your NFT is much more liquid than traditional art and can be sold when you need to raise money or want to take profits.

Example: Based on the rarity chart for this collection, there is only 7 Mystery NFTs for every 100 pieces in the collection. If you mint one, it is inherently more valuable than the others, especially to a collector who wants all 5 pieces. You could list that piece for sale on a marketplace like jpg.store for many times more ADA than you purchased it for.

Viewing your NFT

You can view your NFT on digital screens such as Nano Frames and blockchain viewers like Pool.Pm. Watch the tutorial above for a demonstration on how to do so.

Now to mint!

Collection mints like the one below are gamified or randomized to make the minting fair and fun. When you collect from this machine you will receive a random NFT from the collection.

  1. Chose the amount you wish to mint.

  2. Enter your spending password to confirm the transaction.

    1. Depending on blockchain load, you will receive your NFT in moments or it can take up to a few minutes. One amazing thing about Cardano is that as the system scales, transactions will scale up to 3,000,000 transactions per second. Amazing. That’s faster than any credit card provider.

  3. You’re Done!

  4. Next, join my discord where you can share your NFT, connect with others of my collectors and extend your learning about blockchain art and NFTs.

    1. You can also follow me on Twitter and Instagram where I share more of my art and discover artists and collectors in the wild.

THAT’s IT

Once you’ve minting you can find you digital asset in your wallet. Watch the video tutorial above to see a few ways in which you can view your new artwork. Did you get a rare one? Let me know in Discord. If you have questions, you can also ask them in the general chat channel for Discord.