Andy Schneider – MarfaMeta

Posted on February 8, 2023February 9, 2023 by Andy Schneider — Leave a comment

How Blockchain Art is Purchased and Transferred

If you’re contemplating a purchase of digital art, MarfaMeta has taken the trouble out of purchasing blockchain assets. Our blockchain art (aka NFTs) may be purchased with US dollars, not cryptocurrency. Your purchase begins with your credit card, you receive your receipt (confirming ownership) and one of our Concierge Services department members will oversee and complete the digital transaction.

Before we begin our step-by-step guide to purchasing and owning our blockchain art, let’s examine how you will own the art itself.

How Blockchain Art is Owned

Digital assets like cryptocurrency and NFTs are kept in their owner’s digital wallet. If it’s your first time buying a piece of digital art, you’ll want to obtain a digital wallet and luckily, there are many good free ones. Our smart contracts exist on the Polygon chain, so you’ll need a wallet that works with Polygon (that’s most of them). Around the office, we use MetaMask.

Step 1: Choose Your Piece

The first step in purchasing blockchain art from our gallery is to choose the piece you’d like to own. Our collection features a variety of styles and themes, so you’re sure to find something you love. Once you’ve made your selection, you can proceed to checkout.

Step 2: Make Your Purchase

Our gallery accepts payments via credit card, so you can easily complete your purchase online. After you’ve entered your payment information, your order will be processed and your purchase will be confirmed by your receipt. At this time, you’ll receive the Unlock Code which has the IPFS location of your new art. You may begin using and enjoying your new art immediately.

Step 3: Provide Your Digital Wallet ID

Once your purchase has been confirmed, you’ll receive an email from our Concierge Service asking for your digital wallet ID. A digital wallet is a secure, online storage space where you can store and manage your digital assets, including NFTs. If you don’t already have a digital wallet, you’ll need to create one before proceeding.

Step 4: Transfer of Ownership

Once you’ve provided your digital wallet ID, our Concierge Service will transfer ownership of the blockchain art to your digital wallet. This process typically takes a few hours, after which the piece of art will officially belong to you and will be stored in your digital wallet for safekeeping.

Step 5: Enjoy Your New Piece of Art

And that’s it! Once the transfer of ownership has been completed, you can enjoy your new piece of blockchain art. Whether you’re displaying it in your digital wallet, using it as your desktop background, or simply holding onto it as a valuable asset, you can rest assured that your NFT is securely stored and owned by you.

In conclusion, purchasing blockchain art from our gallery is a simple and secure process. With a few easy steps, you can own a unique piece of digital art that is truly one-of-a-kind. So why wait? Start browsing our collection today and find the perfect piece to add to your digital art collection.

Posted on February 8, 2023February 9, 2023 by Andy Schneider — Leave a comment

A Brief History of NFTs: The Rise of Non-Fungible Tokens

In recent years, Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) have taken the art world by storm. These unique digital assets have become the latest craze, with many artists, musicians, and celebrities creating and selling NFTs to fans and collectors. But where did NFTs come from, and how did they evolve into the phenomenon they are today?

What is an NFT?

The concept of NFTs can be traced back to the early days of the internet, where people started to create unique, digital collectibles such as virtual trading cards and in-game items. These items were often tied to online gaming platforms or social networks and were meant to be collected, traded, and sold.

However, it wasn’t until the rise of blockchain technology that NFTs really took off. In 2009, Bitcoin introduced the world to the concept of a decentralized, digital ledger called the blockchain, which could securely and transparently track the ownership of digital assets.

A Smart Contract Powers Every NFT

Fast forward to 2017, and the blockchain platform Ethereum introduced the concept of smart contracts, which allowed developers to create self-executing contracts that could automatically enforce the rules and regulations of a contract. This development paved the way for the creation of NFTs, as it allowed developers to create unique, digital assets that could be bought, sold, and traded just like physical assets.

Since then, NFTs have exploded in popularity, with more and more artists, musicians, and other creatives exploring the potential of this new technology. NFTs have been used to sell digital art, virtual real estate, and even tweets, with some NFTs selling for millions of dollars at auction.

At MarfaMeta, we regard the invention of the smart contract as the single greatest innovation that could exist for art collectors. The issue of provenance has been an eternal thorn in the side of collectors. How can the authenticity of the work be guaranteed? This was once a matter which profited forgery criminals and forensic scientists alike. Now, the provenance of an NFT is indisputable. The lineage of ownership is publicly available and permanently recorded on the blockchain.

How to Verify NFT Ownership and Provenance

Tracking the ownership from artist or gallery to the current owner is as easy as entering a couple of details into a blockchain-tracking website. On the Polygon chain, Polygonscan works well, is free, and is full of details regarding the NFT work and the underlying smart contract.

In conclusion, NFTs have come a long way since their early days as virtual collectibles. Today, NFTs are revolutionizing the way we think about ownership and value in the digital world, and they’re set to play a big role in the future of the art world and beyond. Whether you’re an artist, a collector, or simply someone interested in the future of technology, NFTs are definitely worth paying attention to.

Posted on February 8, 2023February 9, 2023 by Andy Schneider — Leave a comment

What is IPFS? For Art Owners

In today’s digital world, the way we store, access, and share data has changed dramatically. From centralized data storage systems to decentralized ones, the evolution of data management has taken a new turn with the advent of IPFS (InterPlanetary File System).

IPFS is a decentralized, peer-to-peer file system that aims to replace the current internet’s HTTP protocol with a new, distributed method of sharing and storing information. It’s a new, more efficient, and more resilient way to share and access data. Unlike the current internet, where data is stored on centralized servers, IPFS uses a decentralized network of nodes to store and access data, making it more secure and resistant to censorship and downtime.

How IPFS Works

When you add a file to the IPFS network, it is divided into smaller pieces, called blocks, and given a unique identifier called a cryptographic hash.
The blocks are then distributed across the network of nodes. This means that multiple nodes can have copies of the same file, making it more resilient and less susceptible to data loss.
When you want to access a file, you request it by its hash. The IPFS network will then find the closest node with a copy of the file and retrieve it for you.

One of the biggest benefits of IPFS is that it can store and retrieve large files, such as video or audio files, much more efficiently than traditional methods. This is because IPFS allows you to retrieve the file from multiple nodes in parallel, rather than having to download the entire file from a single server.

Love May Not Be Forever, but IPFS is

Another advantage of IPFS is its ability to make content immutable, meaning that once a file is added to the network, it can never be altered or deleted. This makes it ideal for storing important documents and records, as well as for creating a permanent, tamper-proof archive of web pages and other content.

For example, Sotol and Rainbow’s primitivesRising collections are stored on IPFS. The immutable nature of the storage system is enticing for any art owner. Imagine if all art could be stored this way: never to change or be changed again!

New Advantages for All

IPFS has the potential to revolutionize the way we store, access, and share data on the internet. By providing a more efficient, resilient, and secure way to store and access data, IPFS has the potential to make the internet faster, more reliable, and more resistant to censorship and downtime.