Having spent so much time at home in the past year, many people want a change in their environment.
But if a coat of paint or some creative renovations does not resolve, there is now a more extreme alternative: the digital home.
NFTs made headlines recently, allowing digital art and other thinking, such as drawings or music, to be sold online.
An NFT is a unique digital token that effectively verifies authenticity and ownership. It is encrypted with the artist’s signature on the blockchain, a digital ledger used in cryptocurrencies like bitcoin.
NFT’s digital Mars House sold for more than $ 500,000. Credit: Courtesy Krista Kim
The new owner paid digital artist Krista Kim 288 Ether – a cryptocurrency equivalent to $ 514,557.79 – for virtual ownership.
In return, the buyer will receive 3D files to upload to his “Metaverse”.
The metaverse is a virtual extension of our world, Kim told CNN on Tuesday, where lots of virtual land are bought and traded, and digital houses and businesses are built.
There is a market for digital assets, such as fashion and accessories, and users can live and interact in a metaverse through their digital avatar.
Kim said the concept behind the house was “inspired by being locked up during the pandemic”.
Kim, who describes herself as a “Techism artist”, told CNN: “Mars House represents the next generation of NFTs. It is a sign of things to come, as we enter a future with AR (augmented reality) interface, with the launch of Apple AR glasses and contact lenses.
“Art, NFTs, cryptocurrencies … these radical changes and ideas of how we will live with digital assets are becoming a reality and will create a global paradigm shift.
“In addition, after being confined due to Covid-19, we need more innovative ideas about how our internal environments can heal us, as mental health has become a primary concern for everyone.”
Artist Kim said that Mars House represents “the next generation of NFTs”. Credit: Courtesy Krista Kim
The artist said she partnered with musician Jeff Schroeder of The Smashing Pumpkins to create a calming musical accompaniment.
Record month for NFTs
The sale was made last week – adding to what has been a record month for NFTs.
The NFT’s first piece of art was sold in action for an incredible $ 69 million on March 11, placing the artist Beeple close to the summit of the most expensive living artists to date.
And Gucci launched sales of exclusively digital shoes priced hundreds of dollars below what their physical shoes usually cost.