Top NFT Platforms of 2021

Digital assets have never seen a higher rise in popularity than last year, with 2021 being defined by influential shifts in the cryptocurrency market. Artists, musicians, and creators of all sorts, talented or otherwise, are finding additional ways to monetize their works with the advent of these new technologies and the communities that arise from them.  

NFTs simply reflect the digital verification of ownership of an asset using blockchain technology. The asset can be anything from a song, piece of art, or even a text. 

What I’m trying to say is that If it’s minted, it’s an NFT.  

NFTs have surpassed cryptocurrencies in popularity, even being named word of the year by Collins Dictionary.  

Perhaps the most significant indicator that NFTs are here to stay is that large companies and globally-famous brands like Nike are pouring capital into Metaverse tokens such as the sandbox NFT items, vehicles, buildings, and land.   

Still, you want to use NFT platforms that are reliable, easy to use, and safe to link to your crypto wallet. The NFT landscape is fraught with scammers, and one should take extra precautions when trading.  

Here are the top NFT platforms that stayed on top throughout last year and will likely continue to do so in the future:  

OpenSea  

By far the biggest NFT marketplace today, OpenSea has been the leader in NFT trade for some time now, and there is no reason for that to change yet. It’s a great NFT marketplace website for beginners and veterans alike, having one of the most user-friendly interfaces of the bunch.  

It is based on the Ethereum blockchain and garners massive support from the larger community, and backs over 150 different tokens in its exchange.  

Rarible  

Much like OpenSea, Rarible hosts a wide variety of NFTs, from 3D models to gifs and Sandbox real Estate.   

Multiple companies such as Taco Bell and Adobe have listed art on the NFT marketplace; however, you will need to use the marketplace’s token of the same name to trade on the platform.  

Axie Marketplace  

Unlike the previously mentioned platforms, Axie marketplace exclusively sells NFTs used to play the video game Axie Infinity in which tiny cute floating Axies are trained up and pitted against other players Axies. Players can purchase new Axies and real estate to be used in the game.  

The marketplace uses Axie Shards, tokens built on the Ethereum blockchain, which can be exchanged on many other marketplaces and some crypto exchanges.  

Super Rare  

Super Rare is yet another NFT marketplace for digital creators who can sell anything from 3D and 2D art to videos gifs, photos, and videos, purchased using Ethereum, and bought and sold on OpenSea.  

Nifty Gateway  

One of the more beloved NFT Platforms out there, Nifty Gateway, is an art curation platform that hosted some of the most famous NFT artists, such as Beeple and Grimes. Nifty Gateway uses the Gemini token for its exchange but is built on the Ethereum blockchain.  

What makes Nifty Gateway unique is that the NFTs sold on Nifty, called Nifties, are stored on the platform itself instead of the buyer’s wallet. Also, they can be purchased with fiat currencies, like the good old-fashioned dollar.   

There has never been a better time to jump on the NFT train; as time goes on, the money grabbers and scammers will be fizzled out and discarded, leaving the art lovers and good honest investors in their place.