Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) have left their mark in the crypto ecosystem, whether it was the mania they spurred earlier this decade or the real-world use cases they have matured into since then. Their use cases were always known; now they’ve evolved into more than trendy JPEGs. Still, their primitive form that became a worldwide frenzy was the start of something revolutionary.
September 20, being International NFT Day, commemorates just that each year—digital ownership, creativity in online spaces, and the innovation advanced by blockchain technology. Happy International NFT Day!
The Birth of NFTs and Why Today Matters
To understand how September 20 became associated with NFTs, one does not have to look too far back. Dieter Shirley, Dapper Labs’ Chief Technology Officer, proposed the ERC-721 standard on this same day in 2017, which was the first time the term “non-fungible token” was used. This proposal, later officially recognized as an Ethereum standard in 2018, laid the foundation for a group of assets that could represent true uniqueness and ownership.
International NFT Day commemorates the first usage of the term in an online community, and, of course, the proposal that was responsible for bringing this token type to Ethereum. Shirley and Dapper Labs are also responsible for launching one of the most popular NFT collections, CryptoKitties, which was the first major project to highlight the potential of ERC-721.
So, What Are NFTs?
With the introduction of NFTs came a new kind of asset class that could assign verifiable ownership to digital items—music, images, collectibles, virtual real estate, documents, and so much more. This ability differentiates NFTs from the average crypto asset, like Bitcoin or Ethereum.
A bitcoin can be exchanged with another, just like how a dollar bill can be exchanged with another, which makes these assets interchangeable and fungible. NFTs, due to their uniqueness, cannot be interchanged, making them non-fungible.
This attribute ensures individuals can assert ownership over tokenized digital items as long as these artifacts have been transacted to their wallets. Furthermore, it also introduces scarcity, which opens up numerous use cases. For one, the NFT mania through 2020.
Nevertheless, experiments with NFT-like use cases existed much earlier, even before the introduction of ERC-721. For instance, projects like Quantum by Kevin McCoy and Anil Dash worked on similar use cases, but 2017’s developments formalized these assets on Ethereum and put them on the map.
Projects like CryptoKitties and marketplaces like OpenSea came together to merge viral collections with the infrastructure to buy, sell, and trade them. One could argue that this virality remained within the crypto niche, and they would be right. But NFTs made their way into mainstream culture not long after they garnered tremendous attention in crypto circles.
Beeple’s record-breaking $69 million art sale, global fashion houses collaborating with NFT projects, the world’s biggest musical acts releasing tokenized albums, and sports franchises launching digital collectibles launched this asset type into the stratosphere. While much of this was driven by speculation as people showed interest in NFTs offering explosive profit-making opportunities, they serve numerous other use cases today. They act as access tokens, community identifiers, and the building blocks for a new era of the internet.
How International NFT Day Is Celebrated
Considering the significance of these tokens, it is not surprising that they have a day reserved to celebrate the innovation they have brought thus far and the potential they hold for the future. The first-ever International NFT Day was celebrated in 2022, with Dapper Labs and other big-name partners like OpenSea and Animoca Brands coming together to make this more than a niche celebration.
The goal of this day, since its first iteration, has been to harness the power of NFTs to reshape the internet. And that is making the technology accessible for a plethora of use cases, demystifying it for easy adoption, and bringing diverse online communities together.
Celebrations often take different forms across the world, including meetups and workshops where artists, developers, and collectors exchange ideas and showcase projects. This does not have to be location-dependent, as many such celebrations also occur via livestreams, Twitter Spaces, and metaverse gatherings to gather communities from every part of the planet. Projects in the NFT vertical also release free or limited-edition mints to make International NFT Day memorable for those celebrating.
What to Expect This Year
Keeping in tune with how it has been every year thus far, meetups, panels, workshops, and free NFT drops are all expected. One can check out what the celebrations look like in their region or online at internationalnftday.org. This year’s discussions are expected to revolve as much around utility as art, given how rapidly the space has shifted as of late in the gaming, online commerce, and digital identity spaces.
For enthusiasts, artists, collectors, and anybody else, these gatherings and celebrations are the perfect chance to learn, connect, and participate in what is next for digital ownership. For those minting their first tokens, attending virtual panels, or simply keeping their eyes out for trending hashtags, today is all about community and shared innovation.
Why International NFT Day Matters
International NFT Day stands as a testament to how these assets and the technology powering them have reshaped culture. In just a few years, NFTs have expanded from their role as a niche blockchain use case to propelling art, entertainment, commerce, and identity.
The celebrations rightfully help push the boundaries of possibility, taking NFT utility to new heights and integrations that did not seem plausible in previous years. September 20 is more than these assets themselves—it is about what they can unlock with ownership, creativity, and community building.
