Hello NFT Divinators,
As the end of 2021 approaches, we look back at the year that started with some optimism and ended with a more darker pessimistic view point. Crypto prices have fallen and retraced somewhat, and NFTs rose plateaued and are in the process of transformation. And our hopes of travel and some normalcy has taken a backseat to some degree as we look forward to more restrictions and lockdowns.
However, we should look at the more positive points of 2021. NFTs are here to stay and we are now beginning to see their integration into mainstream daily life, but not without some backlash. We have also seen bitcoin ETFs approved as financial assets. Cryptocurrencies and NFTs can be discussed at the dinner table, even though few understand the mechanics driving it.
People are a little reluctant to change, particularly during a pandemic when massive shifts in lifestyle and work are happening at the same time. We will probably see more of these complaints in the coming year but you will also see that little by little the decentralized world will take hold in our lives, just as Amazon and Netflix did years before.
The Future is Not Only Useless, It’s Expensive
“This is how NFTs make me feel: like the future is useless but expensive, and world-altering technology is now in the hands of a culture so aesthetically and spiritually impoverished that it should maybe go back to telling stories around the cooking fire for a while, just to remember how to mean something.”
Many critics of the current digital trends see the future as somewhat dark, yet the changes will come regardless and our attitude will shift with it.
A visual guide to using NFTs as avatar profiles
“Profile picture NFTs are pieces of digital artwork that people use to express themselves online. Each item is a depiction of a character’s face, and has a unique mix of attributes that gives it a sense of collectability.”
When the change comes and the world is living within a metaverse, you have to look good.
NFT trends for brands in the new year
“Retail – retail accepting NFTs as payment in stores and online.
Apparel – NFTs will be used during the shopping process from ordering and buying to delivery and exhibition.
Food – ordering and paying for food with NFTs with an app or wearable device.
Experiences – Entry to special events whether in real life or virtual as well as earning loyalty points and receiving special promotions and offers.”
Resistance is futile.
Messy NFT drop angers infosec pioneers with unauthorized portraits
“The incident is a reminder of the potentially thorny legal issues around NFTs, where norms of permissionless innovation often clash with likeness rights and intellectual property law. Typically, US laws around publicity rights hold that a person’s name and identity can’t be used for promotion without their consent — although it’s unclear how such a lawsuit would work in practice when applied to NFTs.”
Yes there are problems that need to be ironed out, however it’s ironic that the crypto punks of years back are now the grumpy old men of the future.
IN THE NEWS
Critic Nora Khan curates NFT collections
“There’s been a lot of debate on how this financial innovation will affect the future of art criticism. What’s clear is that the values we find in digital art are shifting very quickly after 20 years of scholars trying to describe and theorize the artistic values [of the medium]. I think a lot of the new media folks who are so against the NFT space are decrying the lack of knowledge. “
Each and every collector is a curator in their own right. They are just as important as the creators and distributors in the Ecosystem.
“The metaverse platform in March will host four days of runway shows and immersive experiences with UNXD, a luxury marketplace built on the Polygon blockchain network.”
I am too sexy for my NFT.
“At their best, they’re boundary-pushing art pieces and content (novels, games, movies) that democratized ownership and distribution in the arts. Then there were some odd ones that defied categorization. Herewith are some of the stranger fruits born from 2021’s NFT boom.”
I hope by next year we raise the bar on wackiness.
COOL LINKS
I have a secret love for ballet. I am glad to see that you’re getting the NFT treatment.
Ozzy to release 9,666 NFTs ai ai ai
I have had a great admiration for Ozzie since I was in high school. Most of all, I am amazed that he is still alive after all these years and drugs and deserves an NFT to honor them. I find it funny that his choice for an NFT collection is the bat that nearly killed him years ago.
