Can You Use Any NFT as a Profile Picture?

Profile pictures are sometimes the first image a person has of you. Because of this, it is essential to have a picture that reflects your personality. With so much pressure on providing an image of yourself that others are drawn to, it may lead you to use an NFT for your profile picture.

Using an NFT for your profile picture can be tricky when it comes to copyright laws and fair use. Because of these laws, you cannot use just any NFT for your profile picture.

In this article, you will learn about the rules surrounding the use of NFTs for profile pictures. However, I need to disclose that I am not an attorney and that the information in this article is for entertainment purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice! If you need legal advice, get an attorney.

Using NFTs for Profile Pictures

You have likely found an image that reflects your personality and want to showcase it as your portfolio picture. It may seem like a simple and great idea to use an NFT as your profile picture. Before you set the photo as your profile image, you need to understand the legalities.

Copyrights: Just because you purchase an NFT does not necessarily mean you have full rights to the image. The only way you have full ownership and rights to the image is if the creator or owner signs rights over to you. To explore this further, please check out: Is NFT Art Protected by Copyright Law? (How To Get Sued)

Ownership: If you use an NFT as your profile picture, you are essentially taking the right of the image and saying it is yours. Although you have purchased one or a copy of the NFT, you cannot in any way claim that it belongs to you personally.

If you want to use an NFT as a profile picture, you can always reach out to the owner and see if you can purchase the copyright. This is not typically a popular option because the creator likely made the NFT with hopes of making a profit.

The cool thing with NFTs is that the creator of the NFT is stored within the blockchain. If you are curious to find the creator, you will need to follow the steps outlined in this article: How to Check the Ownership of an NFT (7 Methods).

What Happens if You Use an NFT as a Profile Picture?

It is important to remember that claiming the work of anyone as your own is plagiarism and can result in consequences. Perhaps you decide you want to take the risk and use an NFT as your profile picture. While you may be able to get away with this for a short time, it is likely the owner will eventually find out.

Fines: If the owner of an NFT discovers that you are using their work without permission, they may be able to sue you and gather any money you may have made with their NFT.

You need to consider the consequences before you choose to use an NFT for your profile that you don’t have exclusive ownership of.

(Source: Reuters)

Why Do People Use NFTs as Profile Pictures?

You may wonder why people choose to use NFTs for their profile pictures instead of their own photos. A profile photo is a way to show your identity to the world without using your own photo. Many people prefer using NFTs because it makes them blend in with others. If all profile pictures are avatars, there isn’t really a separation between everyone, like when a photo is used.

Plus, you will see a sort of social status being shown. For example, someone may want to flaunt their ego by displaying they own a particularly high-value Crypto Punk. Putting it in their profile insinuates their ownership.

(Source: Dgen)

Can I Make My Own NFT for a Profile Picture?

NFTs can be fantastic options for profile pictures, but if you want to avoid the risk of plagiarism or breaking copyright laws, it would be best to make your own. While making an NFT is not difficult, there are some steps you need to follow to make your own.

Crypto Wallet

Creating a crypto wallet is the first thing you need to do before you begin making an NFT. Even if you aren’t planning to mint or sell the NFT you create, you will need to have a crypto wallet. You will use the crypto wallet to store funds and your NFTs.

I use a few different wallets but Coinbase and MetaMask get the most use. Also, if you use MetaMask and want to show off your NFT collection, this new article will show you how: Why Can’t You See Your NFTs in Metamask?

(Source: Coinbase)

Software

If you are serious about creating NFTs, you may want to invest in quality software. The software’s most popular option for creating quality NFTs is the Adobe studio. There are also several other options for software you may wish to use.

When choosing the software, you will want to know the fees that may be associated with the use of the software. If you don’t want to purchase software, many different free options are available. For all the digital artists out there, I wrote this article which shows off the top free and subscription-based software for creating art.

(Source: Medium)

Pick an NFT Patform

There are many NFT platforms where you buy and mint (create) NFTs, and they all have their own set of pros and cons. The two most popular and easy-to-use ones are Rarible and OpenSea. I suggest starting there first.

Mint Your Artwork and Turn It Into an NFT

Now that you have your wallet and artwork, you can begin the minting process. In simple terms, this means your work will be recorded on a blockchain. When completed, you can sell it or keep it attached to your wallet. To really understand the process, I highly advise you to read these articles. Oh yeah, minting an NFT is not cheap, but there are ways to reduce the costs and make it almost free.

I almost forgot to mention one of the best things about NFTs, royalties. That’s correct; you can set your own royalty percentage so that every time your NFT sells to different owners in the future, you end up getting a commission.

Post Your NFT

Once you have created your NFT, you will need to load it into your crypto wallet. From here, you can choose to post it on any of the NFT sale sites, or you can choose to keep it for your own use.

How Can You Sell Your NFT?

Perhaps you have posted your personal NFT as your profile picture and noticed it is gaining the interest of your followers. Maybe you want to now sell it and perhaps make a profit.

Set Price

You can choose to list your NFT for sale at any price you would like. Obviously, you need to take into account how much demand you have created for your NFT. Huge demand equals big profit. If you are struggling with coming up with a list price, this article may help: How Much Should You Sell Your NFT Art For? Pricing Guide.

Auction

You will need to set up an auction for your NFT if you plan to sell it. This will allow potential buyers to search for your NFT and potentially buy it. When you choose to auction off an NFT, you will want to set the price at an appropriate level because there are fees that you will incur. If you set the price too low, you will likely not see a profit.

Listing fee: You will also need to pay a listing fee when you choose to put your NFT in an auction. The platform will charge this fee each time your NFT is transferred if you choose to make it an image that has duplicate sales. The fees can be between 1%-7.5%.

It is essential to know that just listing an NFT does not guarantee a sale will take place. There are many different NFT creators and images available.

Not sure if an auction or list price is better for you? We show the pros and cons of auctions and straight-up list prices here.

Final Thoughts

Using an NFT for your profile picture is something you can do, but you need to make sure you go about it properly. Using an NFT that does not belong to you for a profile picture could place you under copyright violation, so either make your own or obtain full rights to the NFT you choose to use.

It’s a simple as that. As you can tell, the future is bright, and NFTs are just getting started. This cool little article explains what we expect to see in the future. If you are as excited as I am I highly suggest furthering your education with these top articles: