Powerful ideas from top nonfiction
Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 7,500+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.
Get started
Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
Listen to the Intro
The NFT Handbook summary
Matt Fortnow
QuHarrison Terry
How to Create, Sell and Buy Non-Fungible Tokens
26 mins
Brief summary
"The NFT Handbook" by Matt Fortnow and QuHarrison Terry is a comprehensive guide to understanding and navigating the world of non-fungible tokens. From the history of NFTs to creating and selling your own, this book covers it all.
Table of Contents
The NFT Handbook
Summary of 7 key ideas
Audio & text in the Blinkist app
Key idea 1 of 7
A Question of Ownership
Our journey begins in Paris, in the Louvre – the most-visited museum on the planet.
The main attraction for lots of those visitors is an enigmatic portrait in oil on white poplar wood finished around 1500: Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa.
Currently, insurers value the work at over $800 million.
Where does that number come from – why is this 30-by-20-inch painting so valuable? It’s a deceptively simple question, so let’s break it down.
The first point we can make is that there’s only one Mona Lisa. Sure, we can reproduce the painting as a poster, but even the best reproduction lacks something important.
In the art world, people call that something “aura.” There’s something special about a one-off work. It has a unique existence in the place it happens to be; it’s the only one of its kind. When we hang reproductions of famous paintings on our walls, it just doesn’t feel the same as looking at the originals in museums.
One reason for that is that reproductions don’t have the same provenance. A long line of documentation about ownership lets us trace the Mona Lisa all the way back to the early sixteenth century. We know it’s the work of Leonardo da Vinci, one of the most important figures in the history of Western art. That knowledge gives the original painting great cultural significance.
The tech world uses a different word to describe one-offs. That word is non-fungible.
“Fungible” means that something is mutually interchangeable. A dollar bill is a great example. If you and I have dollar bills and we decide to trade them, nothing really happens. Both bills have the same spending power; no one who accepts dollars for things they sell cares which bill they receive.
The Mona Lisa sits at the other end of the spectrum: it’s extremely non-fungible. If you happen to own the painting, you’re not going to trade it for a poster. Even a high-end forgery isn’t worth much because it doesn’t have the original’s provenance – its well-documented and storied history.
The key point here is that provenance establishes uniqueness. Unique things are, by their nature, rare or scarce. And basic economics tells us that high demand plus scarcity drives value up.
So that’s how we get to that $800 million valuation. Everyone wants to own a culturally significant work that’s literally changed the way we see the world, but there’s only one Mona Lisa. If you can prove that you own the real thing, you’ve got it made. It’s a seller’s market.
But what’s all that got to do with NFTs? Well, it’s a lot easier to establish ownership and provenance – to trace what belongs to whom and who made what – in the analogue world than it is in the digital world. That’s the problem NFTs solve.
Want to see all full key ideas from The NFT Handbook?
Key ideas in The NFT Handbook
More knowledge in less time
Read or listen
Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
Find your next read
Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
Shortcasts New
We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.
What is The NFT Handbook about?
The NFT Handbook (2022) is your go-to guide to “non-fungible tokens” – a new kind of digital asset that’s changing the way we think about ownership in the internet age. Written by two leading experts on NFTs, this explainer covers everything from how NFTs work to how you can enter this booming global market.
The NFT Handbook Review
The NFT Handbook (2021) is an essential guide that demystifies the world of Non-Fungible Tokens and their potential impact on various industries. Here's what sets this book apart:
- With practical examples and case studies, it provides a clear understanding of how NFTs can revolutionize art, gaming, and collectibles.
- The book gives insights from industry experts and explores the current landscape of NFTs, making it valuable for both beginners and enthusiasts.
- It offers actionable tips and strategies for creators, investors, and collectors, making it a comprehensive resource for navigating the world of NFTs.
Who should read The NFT Handbook?
- Crypto enthusiasts
- Self-starters and entrepreneurs
- Anyone wondering what the NFT hype is all about
Categories with The NFT Handbook
Book summaries like The NFT Handbook
People ❤️ Blinkist
Sven O.
It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.
Thi Viet Quynh N.
Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.
Jonathan A.
Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.
Renee D.
Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.
People also liked these summaries
4.7 Stars
Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
37 Million
Downloads on all platforms
10+ years
Experience igniting personal growth
The NFT Handbook FAQs
What is the main message of The NFT Handbook?
The NFT Handbook provides a comprehensive guide to understanding and navigating the world of Non-Fungible Tokens.
How long does it take to read The NFT Handbook?
The reading time for The NFT Handbook can vary. However, the Blinkist summary can be read in just a few minutes.
Is The NFT Handbook a good book? Is it worth reading?
The NFT Handbook is a valuable read for anyone interested in NFTs. It offers insights and practical tips for navigating this emerging field.
Who is the author of The NFT Handbook?
The authors of The NFT Handbook are Matt Fortnow and QuHarrison Terry.
What to read after The NFT Handbook?
If you're wondering what to read next after The NFT Handbook, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- The Gap and the Gain by Dan Sullivan with Benjamin Hardy
- The Love Prescription by John Gottman & Julie Schwartz Gottman
- Who Not How by Dan Sullivan with Benjamin Hardy
- Digital Gold by Nathaniel Popper
- 10x Is Easier Than 2x by Dan Sullivan with Benjamin Hardy
- House of Huawei by Eva Dou
- Ethereum by Henning Diedrich
- Start Making Sense by Steven J Heine
- Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari
- Psychological Types by Carl Jung