It’s no secret that the DFINITY Foundation is supporting blockchain innovators, including NFT projects that are pushing the limits of what the Internet Computer can do. One of the most exciting initiatives that have come out of this is Toniq Labs’ think tank and innovation hub.
They call it EPIC NFTs. DFINITY quickly saw this project as an effort to break free from the idea that all NFT projects are 10,000 profile pictures to flex on social media, and that led to a $25,000 grant in 2021 that is already being put to good use.
What Is the Mission of EPIC NFTs?
EPIC NFTs take advantage of the advanced technology used on the Internet Computer to offer NFTs as a complete experience. These tokens are full of utility rather than solely being art. Here are a few examples that are in the works or already available:
· Proof of Humanity – We’re all sick of the endless captchas and having to prove to a bot that you’re not a bot. Proof of humanity (PoH) is about a one-time login with a small contribution that confirms your humanity. An NFT is minted to prove you are, in fact, a real person and that you can be trusted without having to jump through hoops every time you want to do something.
· Fully Programmatic DAO – The Spider DAO is the first of its kind. Software that allows a person to mint NFTs, upload images, and cast votes creates a new way to govern a community online. Then the revenue is used to fund the growth of the community by paying developers, artists, and the like. Why spiders, though? You can thank Liz Yang for that.
· Event Ticketing – Proof of attendance is nothing new in the NFT world, but what if you could also use your NFT as a ticket to an event instead of just being proof after you attended the event? After all, some people save ticket stubs to prove they went to events. This is just reversing the process. NFTs should grant you access to gated communities and special events to meet up with like-minded attendees, and we’re already starting to see this happen.
· Build a Creator Community that Exists Across Any Platform – This is a big ask, but it’s possible on the Internet Computer. EPIC NFTs found an elegant solution. Create a website that allows a person to mint content using a link to that content anywhere on the web along with a snippet they produce. The user can pull content from any platform (e.g., Nuance, DSCVR, Medium, Twitter), and the creator can provide value through offering utility for possessing the NFT in your wallet.
It’s no wonder Toniq received a $25,000 grant for the open-source work they are doing to make the Internet Computer the greatest community for NFTs that really show off what is possible and push the limits of what we thought an NFT could be.
What Are BobNFTs?
Here’s where things get complicated for just a second. We all know and love Bob Bodily, Ph.D. (can’t leave that out – he worked hard for it) from Toniq Labs. However, BobNFTs are not associated with Toniq Labs. They do, though, use the open-source creator tech we just discussed regarding cross-platform communities. So while this is a separate project for Bob, he’s using the tech that Toniq developed. Got it? Okay, let’s talk about what BobNFTs are then.
If you haven’t minted any BobNFTs yet, the process is pretty straightforward. You just go to the minting site – BobNFTs.com – connect your wallet (they’re not free, but they are affordable), and fill out the form. You’ll get a price quote, and then you can decide if you want to mint your NFT. Here’s an example of one I minted. This one commemorates the first interaction between Bob and me on Twitter. I asked how NRI works, and this was his response:
Another thing noted earlier in this article is that the creator gets to set the utility for minters. In this case, Bob decided that the NFTs would be created as blockchain artworks, include the content license for using Bob’s content from anywhere on the Internet, act as access keys (gated site access based on the number of NFTs you own), function as voting tokens, become resalable tokens on the secondary market (soon), and have a secret function.
What’s the secret function? I asked Bob, and he wasn’t ready to spill the beans quite yet, but he did offer an enticing teaser:
“I love puzzles and challenges, and if you look closely at the BobNFT borders, you may start to pick up on something….”
Okay, folks! That’s all I could get out of him. You’re going to have to puzzle out what that means on your own. In the meantime, don’t forget to mint yourself some BobNFTs, and check out everything Toniq is doing with their EPIC NFTs initiative to make the Internet Computer the home of the best blockchain technology for NFT fans.
Graphic Designer - Jay Damani : Twitter | Instagram
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