Non-fungible Tokens (NFTs) have become the “it” thing due to the inevitable blockchain and crypto takeover of world finances. The only challenge is that some people think it’s a confusing world and that you have to be a coder to get involved.
The good news is that NFTs are easy to mint (create), and anyone with a bank account and minimal computer knowledge can get in on the action. I’m going to show you how to easily create NFTs without the need to know a single line of code. Let’s do this!
NFT 101
NFT assets are represented digitally as tokens. Every token is unique in its rights and thus cannot be replaced with another. The uniqueness is why they cannot be sold or bought like crypto.
For example, 1 Bitcoin equals 1 Bitcoin, whereas 1 NFT doesn’t equal the exact amount of another NFT. NFTS even have intrinsic value.
NFTs are Nifty & Super Smart
NFTs encompass a series of valuable real-world resources like logos, pictures, videos, and music, among many others. These digital arts are linked with their real asset counterparts using “smart contracts.”
Smart contracts dictate the processes for proprietorship and exchangeability. Assuming you bought an NFT, the smart contract is your proof of ownership, and it would be recorded on the blockchain you purchased the token from.
What Does Minting an NFT Mean?
When a new NFT is created, the act of transmitting it to the blockchain is referred to as “minting.” Once minted, they cannot be altered, but there are ways to destroy them, aka burning. These two articles discuss burning NFTs.
- How Much Does It Cost To Burn & Destroy An NFT? (Complete Guide)
- Is It Possible for an NFT to Be Destroyed?
Buying NFTS and minting NFTs are two different things. I discuss the differences between buying and minting NFTs here.
During the minting process, the NFT creator can program royalties for every secondary sale. The royalties are the profits they make whenever the NFT is bought and resold for the life of the NFT.
For example, you could set your royalty at 15% (a standard royalty amount), and every time your NFT is bought and resold, you would receive that 15% of the purchase price.
So, NFT minting is just a fancy way of saying “stored on the blockchain.” The token minted is a visualization of your smart contract.
What Does Coding an NFT Means?
Coding an NFT is essentially creating and minting an NFT without using an NFT platform.
NFTs can be coded to do whatever you want and still have the cryptographic genuineness like art with smart contracts. Coding an NFT is no big deal if you have the basic knowledge as a developer.
Every token has its own URI, which carries all information about the art like description, name, and other essential features. The data is stored in the metadata, which would be in a JSON file.
You can change certain aspects of the metadata after minting an NFT, which we discuss here.
A coder would need to create your decentralized application (dApp). The features you want your token to possess should be considered before deciding whether to mint using your dApp or it’s just better to use an NFT marketplace.
You Don’t Need to Code to Mint An NFT
Minting with code is not necessary and ordinary people with general knowledge of crypto and applications can easily mint a piece of digital art or media into an NFT.
Making the process of minting NFTs simple opens the market up to total newbies. This helps ensure that crypto’s steady growth continues and proper the NFT market to the moon!
There are several marketplaces where you can mint NFTs as long as you already have a wallet and Ethereum (ETH) if you intend to mint on the Ethereum blockchain.
Personally, I use a Coinbase and MetaMask wallet, but there are other wallets to choose from depending on the platform you wish to use.
Some popular and easy-to-use platforms are OpenSea, Rarible, and Mintable.
How To Mint & Create an NFT On Ethereum (No Coding)
We will use OpenSea as our case study today because it has the largest marketplace of them all and is easy to use. The complete process is highlighted and explained step-to-step below.
The belief at this point is that you have a real-world asset you want to make into an NFT like some digital art, music, or even a meme. If so, then the first thing you should do is create your crypto wallet.
Be sure your wallet is compatible with the NFT platform you want to mint and sell on. I use two wallets the most, MetaMask and Coinbase Wallet… and on occasion, Fortmatic.
Navigate to Opensea, where you can either use the “create” icon or tap on the tab with a wallet icon.
At this point, your type of wallet matters. If you use a Coinbase or MetaMask wallet, you would be directed to either link it by downloading it on your computer or use your phone to scan the QR code.
Your profile would then be created as soon as your wallet is linked. Then you need to complete your profile by filling in all the necessary data in the allocated space. You also get to select which cryptocurrency you want as a means of payment.
After becoming a qualified member, you can proceed to mint your first item. You can always generate a new item by tapping on the create tab on the OpenSea homepage.
You’ll then be provided with fields to name your NFT and upload your real-world asset (digital art or whatever you are minting.) At this point, you add how much you want to be paid in royalties when you make secondary sales.
On most platforms, you’ll be presented with options between 5 to 35% as the standard fee paid in royalties. Generally, each NFT platform has different amounts and even sometimes restrictions.
We need to ensure you have funds in your wallet because you need to pay a gas fee to mint your token on the Ethereum blockchain. The gas fee is paid to miners, who record your transaction on the blockchain.
You can exchange a fiat currency like dollars for Ethereum on an exchange like Coinbase and send the Ethereum to your crypto wallet.
Depending on where you live, you may be able to add Ethereum to your wallet on OpenSea by using their credit card option. (There may be additional fees associated with using a credit card.)
In the next step, you need to select the final specifics of your sale type. You can choose between a timed auction or a fixed-price kind of sale. There are strategies for each type which are reviewed here:
All fees associated with the sales will be disclosed at this point. OpenSea’s service fee is 2.5% of the token’s sale price (subject to change.)
After confirming all your selections, tap on the complete listing button. A gas fee cost will be prompted, and the fees will be debited from your crypto wallet account.
Be aware that the gas fee is not a certain amount and fluctuates day-to-day because it changes based on the platform’s traffic level. When the Ethereum blockchain is busy with transactions, it costs a lot more to mint your NFTs and even transfer them.
Now agree to the final terms and wait for your NFT to be minted. It can take a few minutes.
A word of caution, minting NFTs on Ethereum isn’t cheap, and I have paid up to $140 to mint a few of my NFTs. But there are ways to do it more affordable, which I discuss here:
- What is the Average Cost to Mint and Sell an NFT? (Top Marketplace Examples)
- The 3 Cheapest Ways to Mint an NFT: Full Breakdown
Now that you just spent some significant money minting your NFT, it’s time to sell it and recoup your costs. I drop some juicy suggestions in these two articles:
How To Mint/Create an NFT On an Alternative Blockchain That Doesn’t Cost Money
It’s good to know that aside from the Ethereum blockchain, there are a series of popular blockchains to mint NFTs. Some of them are Solana, Polygon, Fantom, and many more. Continue reading to get the full details on minting NFTs on these tokens.
Solana
The Solana blockchain is just behind Ethereum in terms of market size and potential. Solana features some of the best projects in the NFT sphere.
Many have tipped Solana to become more significant than Ethereum quickly because of its ability to undertake more transactions per second. It’s also a lot cheaper.
Generally speaking, the standard price for minting NFTs on Solana is $0.015, while Ethereum charges over $75-140 at times.
A lot of people like to use the Phantom Wallet for Solana. Plus, you can directly stake SOL from your wallet and earn rewards.
After creating your wallet, you must fund it with SOL. You should transfer at least 0.1 SOL to your wallet to cover all the necessary fees. The steps to minting on Solana are a bit easier.
Once you have successfully linked your wallet to the compatible NFT platform, tap on the mint button on your page. Now, just follow directions like uploading your artwork or whatever you plan on minting. Enter your royalties amounts and proceed to the minting button.
Solana is a fast blockchain, and the minting process takes seconds.
Polygon
Another blockchain to look into to mint tokens is Polygon. The minting process is very similar to minting on Ethereum, yet the gas fees are minimal, and usually, the NFT platform you are using will cover the costs.
Just head to either Rarible or OpenSea and follow the minting instructions.
Fantom
Fantom is a blockchain built similarly to Solana but with additional functions that help it work with Ethereum dApps (decentralized apps.)
One of the marketplaces on the blockchain is Artion, and it operates similarly to OpenSea. You can use Coinbase and Metamask wallets on the marketplace and also make payments with the ERC-721 coin.
Fee payments are also different from Ethereum’s as Artion is a lot cheaper.
Conclusion
You can mint an NFTs in two main ways; the first is with coding but minting with codes is not an option for a layman.
The other option is to use a crypto wallet, sign up to a popular NFT platform, create an account, upload what you want to mint, and follow the instructions.
Ethereum is the most popular blockchain to mint NFTs on, but it’s not cheap and costs between $75 and $140. These high fees have led people to seek other options like Solana, Polygon, and Fantom, amongst many others.
The process for minting on all Ethereum-based platforms is basically the same, while the other blockchains also share similar procedures for minting tokens on their platforms. The bottom line is that it doesn’t take a Ph.D. in computer science to get involved with NFTs!
If you are new to the scene and want to increase your knowledge, I highly suggest these viral articles:
- This is Where NFT Metadata is Stored | Everything You Need to Know
- How to Transfer Your NFTs Without Paying Gas Fees
- Why Do Artists Hate NFTs? 6 Common Reasons