Are you interested in the world of non-fungible tokens and wondering where to buy your NFTs? In this article, we take a look at the NFT marketplaces that exist and the different types found in the field. You will know the best NFT marketplaces based on your research.
Mis à jour le 11/27/2023 à 15:58
You’ve probably heard of NFT before. Indeed, these 2.0 images/videos have been in the news for many months now. If they have been around for a few years, it was not until 2021 that they began to be known to the general public.
NFTs, literally “Non Fungible Tokens”, are virtual objects placed on blockchain and which can benefit from the advantages that blockchain and smart contract technology can bring them.
The virtual world as we knew it before blockchains had a major drawback: it was impossible to authenticate a virtual object, to make it unique. NFTs are a direct response to this observation.
An NFT can have several formats : image, sound, video, text, etc. and its particularity is that it has a traceability worthy of a piece of steak bought from the butcher.
Thanks to the smart contract system, we know who is the author of an object, who bought it, at what price, when, etc. These NFTs are the future of virtual art and works.
If cryptocurrencies have their own platforms that allow their purchases and sales, this is also the case for NFTs. Some sites have developed to become NFT marketplaces.
Today, there are also some crypto exchanges that offer the purchase and sale of NFTs, but the largest NFT exchanges are done on dedicated marketplaces.
There are mainly 3 types of marketplaces on which it is possible to buy and sell NFTs :
The first type is the one that is most common in the world of NFTs, these are the specialized platforms. Their main purpose is the exchange of NFTs. There are several main platforms known in the field such as OpenSea, Rarible or SuperRare.
On these NFT marketplaces, anyone can connect with a crypto wallet like Metamask and buy or sell NFTs in a few clicks. In most cases, the platforms offer collections present on certain blockchains, the best known of which has started to host NFTs and Ethereum.
The second type of marketplace represents platforms that are dedicated to a particular Play to Earn game. Indeed, these games that are part of Web3 interact with NFTs and cryptocurrencies.
It is not uncommon for the game to have its own marketplace to offer the purchase and sale of in-game items directly.
The last type includes crypto exchanges. Indeed, for several months, some crypto exchange platforms have started to offer the possibility of buying and selling NFTs directly.
This desire is part of a desire to make life easier for the user and centralizing all exchanges related to blockchains and with the aim of acquiring a certain monopoly.
There are many NFT marketplaces today and we will introduce you to the 3 main ones :
OpenSea is simply the most well-known platform in the world of NFTs. It is very optimized for the user experience and is therefore very easy to use.
On OpenSea, it is possible to connect in one click thanks to your wallet. The main ones offered are Metamask, Coinbase Wallet and Phantom.
The platform offers all the most famous collections in the world such as the famous Bored Ape or the CryptoPunks.
It is possible that collections are offered on several different marketplaces but generally, creators offer them on only one.
OpenSea is compatible with the Ethereum, Solana and more recently Polygon blockchain.
SuperRare is one of the three main NFT marketplaces. The platform is artist-oriented and offers collections from the greatest designers.
The SuperRare Marketplace is like an actual exhibition in NFT form and will suit you if you are looking for the creations of great artists.
SuperRare is based on Ethereum and allows you to connect with a Metamask, Fortmatic wallet or through Wallet Connect.
The third dedicated NFT marketplace presented in this article is Rarible. It is now one of the largest NFT trading platforms.
Rarible is a complete platform that supports many blockchains like Ethereum, Polygon, Solana, Flow and Tezos.
The platform offers access to its marketplace via a mobile app that can be downloaded from Apple or Android.
This marketplace notably offers NFTs from the game Immutable X, Play to Earn of a certain notoriety.
To connect to Rare, many wallets are available. In particular the well-known Metamask, or XDEFI, Coinbase Wallet, Phantom, etc.
Today, many Play to Earn games from the Web3 world are very popular. Their particularity is that they interact directly with cryptocurrencies and NFTs.
The character you play with, the weapon you fight with, the virtual pet you have, are all elements that are actually NFTs.
We can therefore export them from the platform, sell them or buy others.
Some games have therefore developed their own marketplace on which players can exchange all these elements of the game.
Here are some platforms that are exclusive to one or more Play to Earn (P2E) games :
Axie Infinity is a Play to Earn game that you might think inspired by Pokemon. The player must collect small fictitious animals that he must fight against each other.
We can therefore evolve our Axie by winning fights, etc.
The game is very popular and brings together many players. Within the game, several NFTs are at work. First, the animals used in combat are all NFTs.
Then there are the lands, accessories, etc.
The game features its own marketplace where players can buy and sell in-game items to collect.
In terms of notoriety, The Sandbox is probably the big winner in the world of Play to Earn. When someone talks about “metaverse“, they often think of The Sandbox without knowing it.
The Sandbox is a game developed around a gigantic open world, like Minecraft, in which players evolve and must carry out various quests and activities.
This open world is a metaverse in which plots (pixels) sell for gold. Many investors have already acquired their virtual property. Between Snoop Dogg, Slipknot, Ubisoft, Binance or Atari, the map divided into lands that anyone can buy and use as they see fit.
To sell its properties, The Sandbox also offers an internal marketplace. You can also buy avatars that serve as characters in the game.
ImmutableX is different from the other two presented in this section since it is not an internal Play to Earn marketplace.
The ImmutableX marketplace is Play to Earn oriented and serves as trading platforms for several games such as Gods Unchained, Illuvium Land and Guild of Guardians Heroes.
Some crypto exchange platforms have now opened up to NFTs and several of them offer access to NFT collections.
This feature can democratize access to NFTs for crypto investors who would still be reluctant to purchase non-fungible tokens.
Today, most of the main exchanges have started to offer NFTs, we are talking in particular about :
⚠️ This article is published for informational purposes and should not be considered as investment advice. Crypto-currency trading involves risk and it is important not to invest more than you can afford to lose.
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Web editor for many years and SEO specialist, Thomas became an editor for InvestX when the site was launched. Passionate about the field of crypto and Web3, Thomas has made it his mission to deliver maximum value and introduce readers to the world of blockchains, considered for him as the world of tomorrow.
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