OpenSea holds the coveted title of being the first ever NFT marketplace in the cryptocurrency industry. Whether you’re shopping for a creative boring monkey or popular digital art from an unknown creator, OpenSea.io is likely to have exactly what you’re looking for.
JPEG files are not the only digital assets available on OpenSea. Anyone with a crypto wallet can dig deep into the blockchain and find it Ethereum Domain names and game items are among OpenSea’s treasure trove (or trash, depending on your point of view).
What’s the story behind the cryptocurrency collectibles mother ship? Why has OpenSea become the peer-to-peer marketplace of choice for NFT traders and digital artists?
With the rise of competitors like Blur, OpenSea appears to have set a course for troubled waters.
What is OpenSea?
OpenSea is an online marketplace for NFT collections and digital art. With OpenSea, collectors and merchants can buy and sell non-fungible tokens on the blockchain. Aspiring digital artists can make their creations as NFTs on the platform and sell them at auctions, or at a fixed price.
The platform offers more than just JPEG files. Collectors can also find music, virtual real estate, blockchain game items, and even memes right from the OpenSea homepage. After connecting a crypto wallet, such as MetaMask, users can browse NFT pools and even buy ETH from within OpenSea’s simple website.
Originally, OpenSea only supported NFTs and smart contracts on the Ethereum blockchain. The growth of unexpected competitors such as Blur meant that OpenSea had to integrate more networks, such as Solana and ribbedin its ecosystem.
History of OpenSea and its founders
The blockchain startup was launched in December 2017 by co-founders Devin Finzer and Alex Atallah. From their humble beginnings as a team of five in New York struggling to make ends meet, OpenSea catapulted into the spotlight during the NFT craze of 2021.
source: Dune
Within a year, OpenSea went from handling $800,000 trading volume per month to more than $4 billion. Its explosive growth has attracted investment partnerships from industry heavyweights such as Andreessen Horowitz and Paradigm. As of March 2023, OpenSea is valued at over $13 billion.
But what made OpenSea the first hotspot for NFT trading?
OpenSea’s unique features
What sets OpenSea apart from other NFT marketplaces is its simplicity. OpenSea’s beginner-friendly site and friendly guides make it the easiest place online to collect non-fungible tokens. In the same way that Brian Armstrong wanted to make Coinbase as frictionless as possible, OpenSea helped introduce digital assets to the masses.
OpenSea has made it easy for creators to sell NFTs and share their digital artwork. The platform’s ‘lazy minting’ feature means artists can create a listing of their artwork, without having to pay ETH gas fees to write it into the blockchain. This smart contract helped connect artists with collectors.
Unfortunately, the NFT scene is riddled with scams and fraudulent behavior. While OpenSea is far from perfect, it was one of the first NFT marketplaces to force “tagged” items. NFTs that are reported as stolen or that have a suspicious trading history can be flagged to protect collectors from buying stolen goods.
It can be said that OpenSea’s success made them satisfied. This only put wind of sales on their competitors.
Blur: The New Captain of the NFT Market?
The NFT ecosystem has evolved significantly since the launch of OpenSea. NFTs have shifted away from being fun crypto collectibles and becoming a full competitive trading market. As a result, the streamlined and accessible OpenSea platform loses its title as the largest market for NFTs.
source: Dune
According to Dune, Blur handled more than double OpenSea’s trading volume in February 2023. However, it’s important to realize that much of Blur’s trading volume may have occurred in anticipation of the platform’s debut. Symbolic airdrop.
source: DappRadar
source: DappRadar
When comparing NFT markets, we also need to analyze how many users each site supports. OpenSea has also maintained its position as the most user-friendly NFT marketplace. The platform still has more unique active wallets (UAW).
on the flip side
- If OpenSea continues to be the most beginner-friendly NFT marketplace available, it will continue to be the main hub for the NFT market.
Why should you bother
NFT technology is advancing at a rapid rate across the industry. Internationally recognized brands such as Starbucks and Meta are integrating NFTs into their business models. Whether you are a fan of NFTs or not, they play an important role in the blockchain industry and are here to stay for the long term.
questions and answers
Is creating and selling NFTs on OpenSea free?
Yes, Opensea’s “lazy minting” feature allows creators to list their digital artwork on OpenSea for free. Minting costs are borne by the buyer when the transaction is signed.
How much does it cost to get an NFT on OpenSea?
Prices for each NFT may be different, so there are no limits to how much or how much an NFT can cost on OpenSea. When you buy an NFT, you will need to pay network gas fees.
Why are OpenSea fees so high?
There are two types of fees payable on OpenSea. The platform fee is collected by the market and used to cover OpenSea’s operating costs. On the other hand, the validators of the blockchain are paid gas fees to secure the network. During times of high network congestion, gas charges can be very expensive.
Can I sell my digital art on OpenSea?
Yes, whether your digital art is a photo, music or video, you can sell it as an NFT on OpenSea.
How long does it take to mint an NFT?
Depending on the blockchain you choose for your NFT implementation and the network congestion at the time, minting an NFT can take between a few seconds and two hours.
