From animals to humanoid species, common avatars and NFT avatars have become the typical representation of an identity on the digital. Avatars in their primitive conception, although by no means new, have nevertheless been made popular again by the great strategic shift of the Facebook group renamed Meta. But when it comes to NFT avatars, the definition tends to change somewhat.
Avatar and NFT Avatar – Definitions
An avatar in its raw form is simply a user digital representation, on web or in a local game. In 80s, the need to bring more lifelikeness into games arose. Players wanted characters they could relate to faster. An avatar therefore meets the need to make interactions between the user and the game interfaces more immersive so that the user feels more invested in their gaming experience. Having an avatar on social networks or in the metaverse means the same thing: making the perception of the living and the virtual become one, avatar and user ultimately being the same person but in parallel dimensions. But the avatar in this context is more imagined in 3D ultimately, as the metaverse would have it.
An NFT avatar design, however, refers more to a head shot reproduction of a digital character. Each avatar resulting from an algorithm has unique characteristics punctuated by different variations in terms of style, clothing, hairstyle, facial expression, etc. The nature of these avatars is built on the cross between animal species, humans and even creatures from fantasy or science fiction universes. Having reinvented NFT as it is today, we can count the collection of CryptoPunks, cryptoKitties, Bored Apes Yatch Club, etc. The NFT avatars market being very lucrative (the collection of cryptopunks is estimated at millions of dollars), this sector has created buzz and is currently very popular in the crypto scene in general.
NFT avatars in the metaverse
In the metaverse, an avatar is essential. Avatars in the metaverse create interoperability between all of metaverse constituents. An avatar will incorporate the link between the real user and their virtual presence. With their avatar, the user can enjoy all the features available to him in the metaverse such as playing online games, winning challenges, earning tokens, investing by granting himself assets for its crypto wallet, and more.
CloneX avatars by Nike brand featuring RTFKT studio
While the avatar will first and foremost be an element of digital identification, the NFT avatar will also act as a social marker. The rarity and uniqueness of NFT avatars has made them incredibly popular and these digital goods are usually for an opulent target. Holders of NFT avatars will often post their NFT avatar as profile pictures on social media to draw attention within communities accustomed to NFTs. These communities can be found on Twitter, Reddit, Discord, where NFT worshipers and investors can meet.
Advantages of NFT avatars
The value of NFT avatars, apart from their nature as a unique dematerialized good, rests on these few aspects:
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Status
NFT avatars, because they are generally expensive, will mirror the social rank of their owner into the digital world. Within the NFT and crypto community, owning NFT avatars like Bored Ape Yatch Club or CryptoPunks inspires respect.
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Uniqueness
An NFT avatar is inherently unique, and whoever owns it is the only one on Earth who has it. The NFT which is a digital property certificate will certify that the NFT avatar belongs to its sole holder. An NFT avatar with the most singular characteristics will see its price on the market rise. And when in a collection one of the avatars is really desired, the rest of the collection becomes much more valuable in the process, as happened with the CryptoPunks. Very often, collectors buy NFT avatars in the hope of reselling them for a much higher price years later.
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Community
NFT avatars are things that build communities of NFT enthusiasts. Users are very often driven by the need to be part of a community. It’s the same principle as with Messenger groups or on WhatsApp. The exchanges on the social networks of the communities in question will strengthen the feeling of belonging to a group of people, this time, individuals who have the need to have an NFT avatar. Seeking to buy an NFT or even own one allows you to join exclusive circles. Having an NFT will therefore no longer come down to just owning a digital asset. This NFT can also provide access to many benefits in real life, such as participating in the animation of the social network of the NFT avatar or in privileged events and bonuses.
The fusion of metaverse and NFT avatars
The metaverse paves the way for harnessing the interactive potential of NFT avatars. The project of The Sandbox platform is for example to give the possibility to the owners of NFT avatars to use them in different metaverses. The advantage of NFT is that it can run on a variety of existing systems, which will ultimately allow owners of 2D NFT avatars to achieve playable and animated 3D avatars within The Sandbox metaverse.
NFTs, especially NFT avatars with the metaverse, have a promising future that must be exploited. METAV.RS is the way for brands to creations NFT and metaverse experiences, as well as NFT avatars for use on various metaverse platforms. The point is that the NFT avatar remains the starting point for a multitude of interactions and the identity benchmark of each user.
To learn more about NFTs and why 3D is their ideal format, read 3D NFT – WHY IT MAKES SENSE TO MAKE IT?
