What Are Social NFTs? What�s the Difference Between Social Tokens and Social NFTs?

A non-fungible twist on social crypto

In our recent post, we did a deep dive on one of the hottest trends in crypto: social tokens. To review, a social token is a blockchain token which is sold or issued by a content creator. The social token is a smart contract between the holder and issuer, entitling the holder to certain privileges or access. Social tokens usually offer exclusive experiences, such as early access to new content, membership in an exclusive group or chat, or meet-and-greets with the creator themself.

What is the difference between tokens and NFTs?

But before we can talk about social tokens and social NFTs, we need to talk about the precise definition of �tokens� and �NFTs.� A token is the base unit of a blockchain network. Bitcoin and Ether, the two best-known cryptocurrencies, are both tokens you have probably heard of. Tokens are the tradable element of blockchains which you can use to invest or make purchases, but they also underlie the function of the blockchain ledger. The mining or staking of tokens is what powers the blockchain as it executes transactions and records them immutably. (Check out our articles on consensus and token distribution for a more detailed explanation of these concepts.)

Cryptocurrency tokens like Bitcoin and Ether are fungible. That means they are completely interchangeable with each other, and each individual token has the same value as any other. Traditional fiat currencies are fungible too: every dollar has the same value as any other dollar. NFT stands for �non-fungible token� meaning each token is different and unique. That�s why NFTs are often used for art � you wouldn�t just trade a painting for any other painting right? You might end up trading the Mona Lisa for a kid�s arts and crafts project! Here we get at the most important difference between regular tokens and non-fungible tokens: regular tokens are completely interchangeable, whereas NFTs are unique.

What are social NFTs?

Now that we covered that, the difference between social tokens and social NFTs is pretty easy. Social tokens are fungible, with each one the same. That means they usually all carry the same privileges, access, or benefits. Social NFTs can be completely unique, so that each one entitles the holder to different things. This can make for really intriguing marketplaces, where NFTs are valued differently in accordance with the benefits they offer. However, this can change how the tokens are perceived. Some social token holders view their tokens as investments in the career of a content creator. As their profile rises, so does the value of the tokens. If they want to bet big on that creator, they buy more tokens. While social NFTs are still attached to the creator, it matters exactly which NFT you get and the benefits it offers, meaning a slightly different approach for collectors and investors.

Let�s take a look at some of the biggest social NFT collections around:

Bored Ape Yacht Club

If you spend any time in the NFT community, it will not be long until you see a Bored Ape. The Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) is a collection of monkeys and one of the most popular NFT collections. Lifetime trading volume for the collection is above $500 million and individual Bored Apes have sold for nearly $3 million!

There are 10,000 Bored Apes available, each with its own expression, style, and accessories. The uniqueness of each one is enabled by non-fungibility, and causes certain Apes to be more valuable than others. The token attached to each Ape functions as your membership card to the Yacht Club, a members-only metaverse for Bored Ape owners. Features include �The Bathroom,� a graffiti-wall for members and an arcade game. The BAYC Discord has 13,000 members and their Twitter community is one of the strongest. The community effect is enhanced by the many famous and important people who own Bored Apes. Basketball legend Steph Curry has popped into the BAYC Discord and many other NBA stars have aped in as well. The Apes even got a write-up in the New Yorker. Bored Apes are one of the most valuable NFT collections, second only to CryptoPunks.

VeeFriends

Marketing and business guru Gary Vaynerchuk launched his social NFT collection VeeFriends this year to �test, learn and understand everything about� NFTs. There are 10,255 VeeFriends with designs hand-drawn by Vaynerchuk himself. The NFTs are tiered by the privileges they offer, and those that offer the most valuable access to Vaynerchuk are scarcest. Experiences include mentoring sessions, wine tastings, and even a fishing trip! Every VeeFriends NFT gives the owner free admission to the annual VeeCon meetup through 2024. The VeeFriends social aspect is also enhanced by an active Discord. With VeeFriends, �the token is the key that unlocks you into Gary�s world.�

Afterparty

Afterparty was launched in the hopes of building a decentralized �creator economy� for Web3. The platform is built on a Polygon sidechain and allows creators to easily mint their own social NFTs for their fans with an emphasis on events. Purchasing tickets to a live event requires Creator Coins for both the creator and Afterparty, rewarding the artist and keeping the platform afloat. Afterparty launched quite recently in June, so it is still in its infancy. However, the platform is launching NFTs to expand beyond events into a wide range of content and experiences. This is one of the most exciting aspects of social NFTs: the ability to bring creators and fans closer together.

Social NFT

The aptly-named Social NFT is a dedicated marketplace for social NFTs. The platform is built on Binance smart chain and links directly with creators� social media accounts. This means their existing content can effortlessly be minted as NFTs. Popular creators can easily leverage their existing fanbases by linking their accounts to the platform. The proprietary SNFT token is the currency for purchases on Social NFT, and also used for governance and powering the network. Can you imagine the resale value from snapping up viral tweets or Instagram posts before they are big? Social NFT provides the profitability and provenance of NFTs for the wild world of social media.

The Future of Content

Social NFTs allow content creators to connect on a deeper level with their fans, and give normal people access to their favorite celebrities. This relationship allows creators to sidestep networks, streaming services, and social media sites to retain more control over their work and the revenue it generates. This is one of the amazing decentralizing effects of blockchain technology and a hallmark of Web3. Social NFTs also allow like-minded people to easily build communities around the things they love. Are you going to buy any social NFTs?

Pontem Network is building the premier experimentation network for Facebook�s permissioned Diem Blockchain. Hopefully our technology will introduce Facebook�s huge audience to NFTs, as well all the other amazing aspects of crypto. Stay up to date with everything Pontem by subscribing on Medium, following us on Twitter, and joining our Telegram chat.

Non-Fungible Tokens, Explained

1.What does non-fungible mean?

To fully appreciate what makes these tokens special, it�s worth taking a look at the difference between �fungible� and �non-fungible.�

When something is fungible, in this case a token, it means it can be easily replaced by something identical � and it is interchangeable with ease.

Real world examples of something fungible could include grains of rice, or the $1 bank note in your pocket. If you were to lend that $1 to someone, it wouldn�t matter if they didn�t return the exact same one.

This all changes when something is non-fungible. Although two items may look to be identical at a glance, each will have unique information or attributes that make them irreplaceable or impossible to swap.

One physical example of a non-fungible asset could be a plane ticket. Sure, they look the same as other tickets, but each one has different passenger names, destinations, departure times and seat numbers. Exchanging yours with someone could have serious consequences � not only could you end up thousands of miles away from where you wanted to be, airport security might not be too impressed either.

2.Why are non-fungible tokens different from other tokens?
Because they can offer unique characteristics which make them different and digitally scarce.

Many tokens � and indeed cryptocurrencies � are fungible. If you send someone a Bitcoin, and get one back, you wouldn�t notice any difference.

A lot of the time, fungible tokens are built using a standard called ERC-20. For the sake of simplicity, let�s imagine each of these tokens is a $10 bill. If you sent a token to someone, and got another one back a week later, they would be identical. (That said, there might be some fluctuation in price.)

This all changes with non-fungible tokens, many of which are ERC-721 compliant. These can be compared to baseball cards, as each has unique information and varying levels of rarity. If you were to accidentally send one of these tokens to someone, and get a different ERC-721 token back, you might be very upset.

There�s one more crucial difference you need to bear in mind. Fungible tokens are divisible � meaning you can send a fraction of one ERC-20 token. (Like cash, where you can pay with a $10 bill and get change.) On the other hand, non-fungible ERC-721 tokens cannot be divided and must be bought or sold whole. (Like baseball cards, where no one in their right mind would want to buy half.)

3.What can non-fungible tokens be used for?
Collectibles are a common use for non-fungible tokens.

One early pioneer of non-fungible tokens was CryptoKitties, a blockchain-driven platform where players have the chance to collect and breed digital cats.

If you�ve ever owned a cat, you�ll know that they are not easy to replace, as their appearance and personality make them unique. In this case, CryptoKitties replicated this concept in the crypto world � with each cat�s digital genetic material being stored on the blockchain. They can be bought and sold using Ethereum, and some are rarer than others. Indeed, as reported by Cointelegraph, sales hit $12 million last year � with the most expensive CryptoKitty reportedly going for $120,000.

Other games have promptly followed, such as fantasy titles where fighters are collected for battles. And in another apt development (almost like we planned it,) Major League Baseball in the US is planning to launch a game where baseball cards can be exchanged on blockchain.

4.What are their advantages and disadvantages?
Although the non-fungible ERC-721 token has offered improvements on ERC-20, there are a few setbacks.

As we recently explained in an article looking at alternatives to ERC-20, advocates of this token protocol believe it could become �the ultimate vehicle for putting every significant asset on a public or hybrid blockchain with 100 percent immutability and security.�

Non-fungible tokens allow you to detail more of the attributes that make them special � far beyond the name, balance, token supply and symbol. This is because you can include rich metadata about an asset and include information about ownership � and these authenticated details can ultimately add value because investors can be confident about its provenance.

That said, there are downsides. Non-fungible tokens have not been embraced as speedily as some advocates hoped, in part because the ERC-721 protocol is so new. It can also be tricky and time consuming to develop decentralized applications for non-fungible tokens properly.

5.So why not carry on using real world solutions?
The world is moving on from paper � and supporters believe there are many use cases for non-fungible tokens beyond collectibles.

For example, it could become a secure and immutable way of storing birth certificates, academic credentials, warranties and identities � even artwork and property ownership.

These real world assets can then be properly digitized and stored in a wallet, keeping them safe and ensuring that they cannot be altered or counterfeited by a third party.

6.But how are non-fungible tokens created?
There are concerns that the use of non-fungible tokens could end up becoming fragmented, with different standards and varying degrees of certification.

At the moment, as we mentioned a little earlier, it can be an expensive and complicated thing to achieve. It can sometimes take months to develop a DApp, and in the fast-moving blockchain world, that could cost an entrepreneur their competitive advantage.

Instead of every outlet interested in non-fungible tokens creating their own framework (which would result in a breeding ground for inconsistency,) some platforms are trying to create a technological layer which unifies and standardizes these tokens.

One of them is 0xcert, which offers a �plug and play� framework which means that a non-fungible token can be developed and verified quicker � and the platform claims it is achievable in days. The company says it eliminates the need for in-depth blockchain knowledge, while stopping precious data from being siloed and preventing developers from having a lengthy, expensive and insecure process.