How to create NFTs on the Cardano blockchain

Cardano is a proof-of-stake (PoS) platform launched in September 2017 by Ethereum co-founder Charles Hoskinson. In September 2021, Cardano added support for smart contracts, which paved the way for developing decentralized finance (DeFi) and nonfungible token (NFT) applications. NFTs landed on Cardano’s blockchain in 2022, with Cardano’s native cryptocurrency ADA (ADA) utilized to buy and sell them.

The deployment of smart contracts on Cardano allowed the creation of NFT marketplaces, including CNFT.IO and Jpg.store. These marketplaces facilitate NFT projects on Cardano in a cost-effective and scalable way, attracting many enthusiasts seeking a user-friendly platform for creators and traders with low-cost transaction fees. 

How to mint Cardano NFTs? 

Minting and creating collections are no longer intimidating hurdles for the non-techie NFT enthusiast, as minting on Cardano is similar to doing it on Ethereum or Solana. The platform offers a lot of help with guidelines to take the creators through the process.

An original NFT can be anything from a single artwork to a collection of unique items, such as the famous Bored Ape Yacht Club and CryptoPunks collectibles created on the Ethereum blockchain.

Once the artwork is produced, it is then minted into an NFT. The next steps are finding the right platform to mint the NFT and the proper marketplace to sell it.  

Here’s how to create NFTs on the Cardano blockchain:

• Set up a wallet; secure your seed (recovery) phrase.
• Deposit some ADA into the wallet to cover minting and transaction fees.
• To mint Cardano NFTs, choose a compatible user-friendly NFT maker platform, like the NFT-maker.io platform.
• Click on the “Mint NFT” button, and you will be asked to upload an image.
• Select the music or image file you want to upload.
• On the next page, you can add metadata such as the title, author, etc.
• You can use the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) for better and more secure storage capability.
• Then you need to send some ADA to the payment address shown on the next page.
• Your NFT should now be on its way and arrive at the wallet to which you deposited ADA.

Cardano NFT wallets

Cardano wallet enables participants to use the ADA ecosystem by sending, receiving, storing and staking ADA and Cardano fungible and nonfungible tokens. Cardano NFT wallets allow users to access blockchain-based decentralized applications (DApps) like decentralized exchanges (DEXs), DeFi apps and NFT marketplaces. Before choosing the right wallet, it’s best to investigate its security and reputation to avoid risk.

Nami wallet is a browser extension wallet that can be used on browsers such as Brave, Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge. Its straightforward interface makes it a user-friendly wallet to manage all Cardano tokens, including Cardano NFTs, and create multiple accounts without many problems. 

The wallet can connect to all Cardano DApps and NFT marketplaces and is compatible with major hardware wallets like Trezor and Ledger. Users can stake ADA with the Nami wallet, but they can only delegate the cryptocurrency to one developer’s stake pool, the Berry Pool.

Daedalus is an open-source cryptocurrency desktop wallet developed by blockchain infrastructure research and engineering company IOG (formerly IOHK). It is considered a highly secure wallet compatible with Windows, Mac and Linux, with straightforward backup and recovery features. 

Users can manage all Cardano blockchain tokens, including native assets and Cardano NFTs. Unlike the Nami wallet, Daedalus allows users to stake and delegate their ADA to multiple pools. It is compatible with all the major hardware wallets, including Ledger and Trezor.

Flint Wallet is a Cardano native browser extension wallet. Like most Cardano NFT wallets, users can connect to Cardano DApps like Cardano DEXs and Cardano NFT marketplaces. It is also compatible with Ledger, Trezor and most popular hardware wallets.

How to buy NFTs on Cardano?

There are several ways and places to buy Cardano NFTs. Users can trade NFTs on specific Cardano NFT marketplaces, but they can also mint them during NFT collection launches and drops or receive them as rewards. All that is needed to buy and sell Cardano NFTs is a native wallet compatible with ADA NFT marketplaces and websites.

Minting cryptocurrency nowadays provides straightforward tools to facilitate the process. Minting  simply means creating the NFT by turning an image or a music file into a nonfungible token on the Cardano blockchain.

Users should be aware of the policyID that every Cardano NFT collection item must display to verify its identity and authenticity. This safeguards people from malicious activities and scams that populate the crypto space.

Cardano NFT marketplaces

As Cardano is a fast-growing platform for creating and trading NFTs, new marketplaces emerge regularly. Here are some popular and longstanding platforms to buy and sell Cardano NFTs.

Jpg.store 

Jpg.store is a user-friendly, smart contract-enabled NFT…