NFT
NFT A M Hasan Nasim / Pixabay

If you watch or read blockchain-related news, then you’ve likely heard about NFTs recently. Non-fungible tokens, or NFTs as they are called, are one of the most innovative new products of blockchain technology that are used to manage the transfer of ownership of a specific asset, digital or otherwise.

The nature of NFTs has made it perfect for the art and entertainment world where the verification of authenticity and transfer of ownership is in high demand. This demand has seen NFTs become the hottest ticket on the market, with $10.7 billion pumped into it in the last quarter alone. This demand has also seen NFTs be used for everything from art by top artists to Jack Dorsey’s first-ever tweet being tokenized and sold as an NFT.

The market is on track to grow even more and as it expands, there are a number of platforms and firms that are leading the charge. While there are some well-known marketplaces like OpenSea, there are also some hidden gems that are disrupting the industry in a unique way. Moving forward, we are bound to see even more of them in the spotlight such as the following:

NFTLaunch

This platform has made history as the first deflationary NFT launchpad with a unique fee redistribution mechanism. The goal with NFTLaunch is to prevent gas wars and this is done with a 12% charge on all token sales and a 20% unstaking fee. These funds, once collected, are then used to buy and airdrop free NFTs, rewarded to stakers, and given to the charity.

NFTLaunch is a product of BlueZilla and works primarily to offer launch services to NFT creators but without the price complications found on other platforms. This solves an emerging problem within the NFT market while benefiting its users.

Verasity

Verasity is primarily known for its patented proof-of-view technology and the highly successful Esports Fight Club platform. What many crypto enthusiasts don’t know about Verasity yet, however, are the company’s most recent ventures in the NFT space.

In a recent interview, former Cardano and now Verasity CMO Maryam Mahjoub told us that Verasity’s next steps on the roadmap include a “Spotify-like marketplace where game publishers can sell skins and other in-game items as NFTs, without losing out on the revenue generated by those sales.” This is in stark contrast to current NFT items in the gaming industry, which are traded on third-party platforms without any profit share for the game publisher.

In addition to this platform, Verasity has recently received a notice of allowance for an extension to its proof-of-view patent, which now also includes an ownership-verification tool for NFTs. Currently, ownership fraud is seen as a massive problem in the NFT industry, since everyone can essentially mint a picture or other file as NFT regardless of whether they are its actual creator.

CellNFT

CellNFT is a brand new NFT trading game where players collect, earn, buy and sell a series of newly minted, constantly evolving rare NFTs. CellNFT is based on the principles of evolutionary science and is the first-ever NFT game that allows collectors to create entirely new NFTs through the game's evolution mechanics and use their NFTs and third-party erc-20 tokens.

This integration has been made to enhance the gameplay and asset values in the game. CellNFT represents a groundbreaking opportunity for NFT collectors, artists, sponsors, and investors, with tremendous potential for large-scale engagement through innovative gameplay, a compelling in-game incentive structure, meaningful utility, the potential for mass collaboration, a constant influx of value for all stakeholders, and a self-sustaining business model.

NFT insiders and strategic investors have been anticipating CellNFT's public collectibles sale ("Big Bang") for several months. This sale is expected to start in early November 2021, with the launch of the platform's test network to follow shortly thereafter.

Attrace

The crypto industry is very community-focused and this often involves individuals sharing opportunities, deals, and referring others to exchanges, forums, and so on. Now, Attrace is helping crypto lovers refer others with even more ease. Attrace Referrals acts as an evolving database for crypto-asset referrals.

Creators of new crypto projects can sign up and create incentives for others to promote their projects such as bonuses and discounts. Referral and discount codes are already used widely outside the crypto industry but Attrace makes them even more accessible, cutting out the time and effort needed to find referrals for various assets. With the influx of new customers into the crypto world, we can expect to see it be used even more.

BitColors

BitColors changes the way we think about colors. The project will let users own and trade NFT colors. The collection is scarce with 1,000 NFTs, but it removes the concept of artificial rarity traits in favor of utility and implementation. Every NFT of BitColors is a blank canvas that can be used and shaped to the holder's content. The ability to own a new unique color has not been explored before, yet it has tremendous implications. Having in mind all of that I believe that 2022 will be the year of BitColors in the NFT space.

Worlds Within

Worlds Within is a project developed by Team FragMint, a collective of creatives and VR enthusiasts who are working on Cardano-based projects. There are many NFT projects that seek out to build a metaverse, which is essentially a merger of multiple networks. However, this project is taking an entirely new approach to what has been seen in the NFT space to date. Worlds Within is a project where users receive an NFT, which at launch will be interactive and have VR support for users with headsets from Oculus, HTC, and other brands. The NFT in this case is an actual world with unique metadata that users can visit and explore via a PC program, smartphone, or a VR headset.

With its VR functionality, Worlds Within can undoubtedly be seen as a groundbreaking collectibles game in the NFT space and should thus be on the watchlists of NFT investors and collectors who are looking to acquire tokens from rare and unique projects.

Warena

Geography and physics are not limitations anymore in the virtual world of Warena -- the first personalized NFT metaverse game with a zombie apocalypse scenario. Players can choose to inhabit different lands, trade warriors and NFTs, battle each other, and play in tournaments.

Supported by Animoca Brands, Warena is a perfect combination of a play-to-earn mechanic with NFT technology that allows users to not only personalize their in-game characters but also go beyond conventional gaming experiences by interacting with characters from other games and universes, such as Axie Infinity.

Warena has recently partnered with another metaverse game - Illuvium - as part of the roadmap to make virtual game worlds compatible with one another.