Cointime

Download App
iOS & Android

Insight: NFTs Mass Adoption Roadblocks

Validated Project

Since early June 2022, the total trading volume of NFTs has essentially come to a standstill, reflecting the hollowing out of the market. As traders evaporate, owners of blue-chip NFTs are now actively working to exit their positions. This downturn impacted the value and demand for these digital assets. As buyers became more cautious, sellers found it challenging to sell their NFTs at desirable prices. The decrease in market activity signaled a shift in investor sentiment, leading to a bear market for NFTs.

NFT Trading Volume on Ethereum ( data source: NFTScan)

NFTs have so much further to go. Without a large number of users buying and selling NFTs, the market will struggle to grow and remain relevant. As more people become aware of NFTs and start using them, we can expect to see an increase in the value and diversity of these unique digital assets. Therefore, it is crucial for the NFT market to have mass adoption in order to achieve long-term success.

There are several fundamental obstacles that the industry needs to overcome, as a whole, before NFTs' mass adoption can take place. With that in mind, let’s take a look at factors standing in the way of the mass adoption of NFTs.

Accessibility

First and foremost, there’s the issue of accessibility. As with the crypto and blockchain space in general, accessibility is a major roadblock to the mass adoption of NFTs. Quite simply, there’s a steep learning curve in regards to getting to grips with NFTs — and as it can result in losing money, a lot of people won’t be willing to make the climb.

For a start, even the very concept of an NFT can be a little tricky for the average person to wrap their head around. This means that stakeholders are going to have to invest in first-class educational resources to make creating, buying, storing, and selling NFTs as simple as possible.

Just as important, however, is making NFT marketplaces, wallets, and other tools as accessible as possible. Currently, NFT platforms and software are made by developers for other equally technical people — or at least it seems that way. Navigation on most NFT platforms isn’t as intuitive as it could be and instructions are usually filled with too much technical jargon.

Accessibility is one of the key things that need to be addressed if NFTs are to reach mass adoption.

NFTScan developer platform

Scalability

The issue of scalability hangs over the whole crypto industry like a dark cloud, so it will also play a role in preventing the widespread adoption of NFTs. At present, simply put blockchain technology just couldn’t handle the demand that would come with NFT mass adoption.

The best example is the Ethereum blockchain, on which the majority of NFTs are sold, which already has scalability problems, despite both the NFT and DeFi industries being in their infancy. The lack of scalability combined with the high demand results in slower transaction times and higher transaction, or ‘gas’, fees.

NFT Collections’ Gas volume (24h). Data source: NFTScan  

This is especially a problem for potential NFT creators, such as digital artists and photographers, as to put an NFT up on an NFT marketplace, you’re required to pay a minting fee. At the moment, this can cost somewhere between $70 and $120, on average, but during peak times this has been known to skyrocket to as high as $200–300!

This is way too much of a barrier to entry for an aspiring NFT creator to test the waters and will scare away people that would have otherwise been successful — and the entire NFT industry will suffer as a result.

Questionable Real-life, Long-term Value

Another roadblock that NFTs could encounter on the road to mass adoption is a lack of evidence regarding their real-life, long-term value. Sure, NFTs have generated billions of dollars and, subsequently, digital artists and meme creators have become millionaires overnight, but we’re only talking about a very small group of people in such cases. As attention-grabbing as headlines about NFTs selling for millions of dollars maybe, as far as the general public is concerned, it’s just another case of someone getting rich off something they don’t fully understand.

While, on the other hand, there’s talk of NFTs being a huge part of the upcoming metaverse or potentially revolutionizing online identity verification, such projects are years away from being realized. And — who knows — maybe some other technology will come along that’s better suited to those applications than NFTs are.

For NFTs to achieve mass adoption, there needs to be a strong reason for them to actually be adopted by the masses.

Regulation

Although NFTs are subject to some regulation, namely, financial and consumer laws, there’s a distinct lack of regulation specifically made for NFTs — especially when it comes to copyright protection.

Unfortunately, at present, there’s little to stop someone from turning someone else’s art into NFT, claiming it, and profiting off it. Take a look at the story of someone trying to sell a fake Banksy NFT as evidence of this.This lack of regulation is a huge problem for both buyers and sellers, as someone that purchases a dodgy NFT could be unknowingly sued for copyright infringement. Fortunately, as an industry grows, it attracts more attention and demands more regulation. This happened with eCommerce in the early days of the internet, it’s currently happening with the blockchain industry as a whole, and it needs to happen with NFTs as well for them to reach mass adoption.

Empowering NFT Market Growth: NFTScan’s Role

  1. Bridging Diverse Ecosystems

The decentralized nature of blockchain technology has led to the proliferation of NFT ecosystems across various blockchains. However, this very decentralization has led to market fragmentation, making it challenging for enthusiasts to explore a diverse array of digital assets. NFTScan recognizes the importance of cohesive exploration and takes a multi-chain approach. By aggregating data insights from 16 blockchains, NFTScan offers users a unified platform to explore NFTs seamlessly across ecosystems. This unified approach streamlines research, promotes discovery, and fosters cross-chain interaction.

The NFT Explorer of 16 blockchains (Supported by NFTScan)

2. Enhance Transparency

As the NFT ecosystem evolves, the significance of overcoming adoption roadblocks cannot be overstated. NFTScan emerges as a pivotal player in this narrative. By providing real-time trading volumes, historical sales data, and market trends, NFTScan equips traders, collectors, and enthusiasts with critical information. This information empowers stakeholders to make informed decisions, thereby contributing to enhanced liquidity and a more robust NFT trading environment. NFTScan becomes a catalyst for transformative change. Its data-driven insights create a ripple effect, cascading into a landscape that is more accessible, transparent, and dynamic. The integration of NFTScan’s insights is instrumental in enabling NFTs to realize their full potential.

Collection Analysis (Data source: NFTScan)

3. Verifying the Imprint

Amidst the excitement surrounding NFTs, the issue of authenticity and provenance has emerged as a persistent concern. Buyers and collectors seek assurance that the NFTs they engage with are genuine and have a verifiable history. NFTScan steps into the spotlight with an unwavering commitment to transparency. Through meticulous tracking of transaction histories and ownership records, NFTScan creates a transparent trail that allows users to verify the authenticity of an NFT. By putting the power of verification in the hands of users, NFTScan builds trust and credibility in the NFT market.

Collections Analysis (Data source: NFTScan)

4. Decoding the Complex

The realm of NFTs often feels like a labyrinthine journey through blockchain intricacies, leaving newcomers perplexed. Navigating this digital landscape, with its intricate blockchain technology and nuanced ecosystem, can be daunting for those unfamiliar with its inner workings. The lack of accessible information and comprehensive education has emerged as a substantial roadblock, preventing many from fully embracing the NFT revolution. Enter NFTScan API, a beacon of clarity amidst the NFT complexity. Recognizing the challenges faced by newcomers, NFTScan has harnessed the power of data to create an accessible and informative gateway into the NFT world. Seamlessly integrated into the platform’s user-friendly interface, the NFTScan API serves as a key to unlocking the mysteries of NFTs.

Behind every NFT lies a treasure trove of data waiting to be unearthed. The NFTScan API becomes a bridge to this data, providing insights that not only enlighten but also guide. From tracking the history of NFT transactions to understanding the rarity of specific assets, the API transforms raw data into actionable insights. Imagine having the ability to analyze the historical performance of certain NFT collections, understand market trends, and make informed decisions about NFT acquisitions — all at your fingertips. NFTScan’s API empowers users to harness the power of data-driven decision-making, helping them traverse the NFT landscape with newfound clarity and purpose.

NFTScan API: https://docs.nftscan.com

NFTScan API Doc

In response to the intensifying cryptocurrency bear market, the blockchain industry is launching self-redemption campaigns. Public chains such as Ethereum, Decentralized Finance (DeFi), and Dapps are all exploring new directions. Meanwhile, NFTs, which were once the hot topic in 2021, have also entered a decline and are now trying to find new directions and motivations.

Although the recent stagnation in the NFT market is disappointing, we can still focus on identifying the fundamental problems and coming up with solutions to these issues. There is still a long way to go in realizing the true value and possibilities of NFTs.

NFTScan is the world’s largest NFT data infrastructure, including a professional NFT explorer and NFT developer platform, supporting the complete amount of NFT data for 15 blockchains including Ethereum, Solana, BNBChain, Arbitrum, Optimism, and other major networks, providing NFT API for developers on various blockchains.

Official Links:

NFTScan: https://nftscan.com

Developer: https://developer.nftscan.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/nftscan_com

Discord: https://discord.gg/nftscan

Join NFTScan Connect Program

Comments

All Comments

Recommended for you

  • U.S. Congressman Mike Flood: Looking forward to working with the next SEC Chairman to revoke the anti-crypto banking policy SAB 121

     US House of Representatives will investigate Representative Mike Flood's recent statement: "Despite widespread opposition, SAB 121 is still operating as a regulation, even though it has never gone through the normal Administrative Procedure Act process." Flood said, "I look forward to working with the next SEC chairman to revoke SAB 121. Whether Chairman Gary Gensler resigns on his own or President Trump fulfills his promise to dismiss Gensler, the new government has an excellent opportunity to usher in a new era after Gensler's departure." He added, "It's not surprising that Gensler opposed the digital asset regulatory framework passed by the House on a bipartisan basis earlier this year. 71 Democrats and House Republicans passed this common-sense framework together. Although the Democratic-led Senate rejected it, it represented a breakthrough moment for cryptocurrency and may provide information for the work of the unified Republican government when the next Congress begins in January next year."

  • Indian billionaire Adani summoned by US SEC to explain position on bribery case

    Indian billionaire Gautam Adani and his nephew, Sahil Adani, have been subpoenaed by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to explain allegations of paying over $250 million in bribes to win solar power contracts. According to the Press Trust of India (PTI), the subpoena has been delivered to the Adani family's residence in Ahmedabad, a city in western India, and they have been given 21 days to respond. The notice, issued on November 21 by the Eastern District Court of New York, states that if the Adani family fails to respond on time, a default judgment will be made against them.

  • U.S. Congressman: SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce may become the new acting chairman of the SEC

    US Congressman French Hill revealed at the North American Blockchain Summit (NABS) that Republican SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce is "likely" to become the new acting chair of the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). He noted that current chair Gary Gensler will step down on January 20, 2025, and the Republican Party will take over the SEC, with Peirce expected to succeed him.

  • Tether spokesperson: The relationship with Cantor is purely business, and the claim that Lutnick influenced regulatory actions is pure nonsense

     a spokesperson for Tether stated: "The relationship between Tether and Cantor Fitzgerald is purely a business relationship based on managing reserves. Claims that Howard Lutnick's joining the transition team in some way implies an influence on regulatory actions are baseless."

  • Bitwise CEO warns that ETHW is not suitable for all investors and has high risks and high volatility

    Hunter Horsley, CEO of Bitwise, posted on X platform that he was happy to see capital inflows into Bitwise's Ethereum exchange-traded fund ETHW, iShares, and Fidelity this Friday. He reminded that ETHW is not a registered investment company under the U.S. Investment Company Act of 1940 and therefore is not protected by the law. ETHW is not suitable for all investors due to its high risk and volatility.

  • Musk said he liked the "WOULD" meme, and the related tokens rose 400 times in a short period of time

    Musk posted a picture on his social media platform saying he likes the "WOULD" meme. As a result, the meme coin with the same name briefly surged. According to GMGN data, the meme coin with the same name created 123 days ago surged over 400 times in a short period of time, with a current market value of 4.5 million US dollars. Reminder to users: Meme coins have no practical use cases, prices are highly volatile, and investment should be cautious.

  • Victory Securities: Funding Rates halved and fell, Bitcoin's short-term direction is not one-sided

    Zhou Lele, the Vice Chief Operating Officer of Victory Securities, analyzed that the macro and high-level negative impact risks in the cryptocurrency market have passed. The risks are now more focused on expected realization, such as the American entrepreneur Musk and the American "Efficiency Department" (DOGE) led by Ramaswamy. After media reports, the increase in Dogecoin ($DOGE) was only 5.7%, while Dogecoin rose by 83% in the week when the US election results were announced. Last week, the net inflow of off-exchange Bitcoin ETF was US$1.67 billion, and the holdings of exchange contracts and CME contracts remained high, but the funding rates halved and fell back, indicating that the direction of Bitcoin in the short term is not one-sided, and bears are also accumulating strength.

  • Web3 data and AI company Validation Cloud completes $10 million in new round of financing

     Web3 data and AI company Validation Cloud announced a $10 million financing round from True Global Ventures. The company plans to use the funds to expand its AI products and achieve seamless access to Web3 data.

  • Careers in Crypto: 5 Insights for 2024

    In an overwhelming job market, leaning into personal networks and connections are more important than ever. Emily Landon, CEO of The Crypto Recruiters, outlines what is happening in the crypto job market and how you can position yourself or your company in 2024.

  • Cointime August 10th News Express

    1. The U.S. Internal Revenue Service has released a new draft of the crypto tax form, which no longer requires filling in wallet addresses and transaction IDs