As the market evolves, there are more and more NFT marketplaces that are becoming popular, each with a niche for discovering new projects.
A number of factors need to be considered when deciding which NFT marketplace is the best for you.
The most important factor is which marketplace offers the best exchange rate for the currency you’re working with.
We’ve compiled the top NFT marketplaces for art and other collectibles, whether you’re looking to buy art or something else.
What Is An NFT?
NFT is a digital asset that represents real-world objects like art, music, in-game items and videos. They are bought and sold online, frequently with cryptocurrency, and they are generally encoded with the same underlying software as many cryptos.
Although they’ve been around since 2014, NFTs are gaining notoriety now because they are becoming an increasingly popular way to buy and sell digital artwork. A staggering $174 million has been spent on NFTs since November 2017.
What Are NFT Marketplaces?
NFT marketplaces are platforms where NFTs can be stored, displayed, traded and in some cases minted (created). These marketplaces are to NFTs what Amazon or eBay are to goods.
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25 Top NFT Marketplaces To Buy & Sell NFTs
1. OpenSea
OpenSea is the world’s first and largest NFT marketplace, the leader in NFT sales. OpenSea has all sorts of digital assets available on its platform, and it’s free to sign up and browse the extensive offerings.
It also supports artists and creators and has an easy-to-use process if you want to create your own NFT (known as “minting”).
The marketplace supports more than 150 different payment tokens, so the platform’s name is appropriate. For an introduction to the NFT world, OpenSea is a great place to start.
2. Axie Marketplace
Axie Marketplace is the online shop for the video game Axie Infinity. Axies are mythical creatures that can be bought and trained and then pitted against other players’ Axies to earn rewards. On Axie Marketplace, players can buy new Axies, as well as entire lands and other items, as NFTs for use within the game.
Axie Infinity tokens (called Axie Shards) are built on the Ethereum blockchain. As such, they can be bought and sold on a variety of other NFT marketplaces, as well as on some cryptocurrency exchanges
3. Larva Labs/CryptoPunks
Larva Labs is best known for the viral CryptoPunks NFTproject. They were originally given away for free back in 2017, but some CryptoPunks have sold for millions of dollars since then. Larva Labs has other digital art projects going such as Autoglyphs, as well as other Ethereum blockchain-based app development projects.
Larva Labs’ CryptoPunks NFTs are sold out, but they can be bid on and bought from various third-party marketplaces. Nevertheless, Larva Labs’ various projects are worth keeping tabs on — including the Meebits, which can be bid on directly from the company’s built-in marketplace.
4. NBA Top Shot Marketplace
NBA Top Shot is the National Basketball Association and Women’s National Basketball Association’s foray into the NFT world. On its marketplace, collectible moments (video clips and play highlights) and art can be purchased from the world’s premier basketball leagues.
The NBA built it as a closed marketplace (you can only buy and sell on Top Shot) using the Flow blockchain built by Dapper Labs. It’s easy to sign up and buy directly on the Top Shot marketplace website. Collectible moments can be purchased for as little as a few dollars.
5. Rarible
Rarible is another large marketplace for all sorts of NFTs, similar to OpenSea. All kinds of art, videos, collectibles, and music can be bought, sold, or created on the platform. However, unlike OpenSea, you’ll need to use the marketplace’s own token Rarible (CRYPTO:RARI) to buy and sell on the marketplace. Rarible is built on the Ethereum blockchain (although artwork can be managed on OpenSea as well using Rarible tokens).
The company has partnered with some notable companies. Yum! Brands’ (NYSE:YUM) Taco Bell has listed art on Rarible, and cloud software giant Adobe (NASDAQ:ADBE) recently partnered with Rarible to help secure NFT artists’ and creators’ work.
6. SuperRare
Similar to Rarible, SuperRare is also building a marketplace for digital creators. The site includes art, videos, and 3D images, but collectors can purchase artwork using Ethereum.
SuperRare recently announced its own token of the same name based on the Ethereum blockchain. The tokens will be used to find and curate new talent for the marketplace. Like Rarible, SuperRare NFTs can also be bought and sold on OpenSea.
7. Foundation
Foundation.app was designed as a simple, no-frills way to bid on digital art. Sales are made using Ethereum. Since the marketplace’s launch in early 2021, it has sold more than $100 million of NFTs.
Artists are invited to the platform by the Foundation community, and buyers simply need a crypto wallet funded with Ethereum to start making purchases. If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to start creating your own NFTs, Foundation probably isn’t the best place to begin, but the marketplace has plenty of artwork that can be perused in a simple format.
8. Nifty Gateway
Nifty Gateway has facilitated the sale of some of the most popular digital artists such as Beeple and singer/musician Grimes. It’s an art curation platform powered by the crypto exchange Gemini (controlled by the Winklevoss twins). The NFTs, known as Nifties, are built on Ethereum.
Besides being a curated platform, Nifty Gateway also hosts any NFTs purchased — meaning the NFTs aren’t stored in your own wallet but are actually stored for you by Nifty Gateway and Gemini. While that may not work for NFT collectors who want more flexibility with their art investments, Nifty purchases and sales also can be made in fiat currency (e.g., U.S. dollars) without making a cryptocurrency purchase first.
9. Mintable
Mintable, backed by billionaire Mark Cuban, aims to be an open marketplace similar to OpenSea. To participate in buying and selling NFTs on Mintable, you’ll need Ethereum. The platform also supports minting of NFTs for creators of all types (from photographers to musicians) who want to sell their work as a digital asset.
An aspiring NFT collector or creator will need to purchase Ethereum from a crypto exchange first, then connect their wallet to Mintable to facilitate bidding and buying on the marketplace.
10. Theta Drop
Theta is a blockchain platform built for the decentralized distribution of video and TV on the internet. The NFT marketplace Theta Drop made its debut in 2021 with the World Poker Tour’s digital collectibles. The World Poker Tour was an early adopter of ThetaTV and uses the platform to stream content.
Theta utilizes its own blockchain technology. To participate in the Theta Drop NFT marketplace, you’ll need to purchase Theta Token (CRYPTO:THETA). Various crypto exchanges such as Binance support Theta, and the tokens and NFTs purchased with them can be stored in a crypto wallet, as well as in Theta’s own crypto wallet app.
11. AtomicMarket
The second-largest NFT marketplace is hosted by the NFT-powered video game Axie Infinity, which has a total trading volume of more than $2.1 billion on Dappradar. It only deals in Axies, which are adorable Pokémon-style digital pets that players can buy and trade on the Axie Marketplace.
You can also use the game’s built-in breeding mechanics to create new Axies, which you can then sell on the Marketplace. Unlike art NFTs, which are collected for the sake of collecting, Axie Infinity’s NFTs have a purpose: they can be used in-game to fight monsters and other players, earning.
12. Async Art
Async Art is an artistic movement based on the blockchain. This platform is known for its “programmable art.” It is possible to create, collect, and trade programmable art. “Masters” and “Layers” can be purchased separately. A Master is a one-of-a-kind art piece, whereas layers are the individual components that make up the Master image. Each layer’s specific abilities are determined by the artist.
Regardless of who owns the Master image, any changes you make to a Layer will be reflected in the Master image. The parameters of an artist’s work are defined by the artist, and collectors have complete control over any component. They might let you change the background, the position of a character, or the colour of the sky.
13. MakersPlace
MakersPlace is a website dedicated to digital art creation. A digital art gallery is divided into collections and creator profiles. In March, MakersPlace set a new sales record when it sold Beeple’s classic Everyday: The Very First 5000 Days for $70 million.
Each piece is signed and issued by the artist, and it is then stored and authenticated on the blockchain indefinitely.
The site is comprehensive and easy to navigate thanks to complete artist profiles, freely accessible ownership data, and searchable tags.
Work can be purchased using a regular credit card and a digital auction or a fixed-price sale.
14. KnownOrigin
KnownOrigin, an NFT Art Marketplace, is run by artists. Digital producers can easily authenticate, showcase, and sell their work using the Ethereum Blockchain. Every digital collectible on KnownOrigin is genuine and one-of-a-kind. This approach is now possible thanks to blockchain technology.
KnownOrigin, like SuperRare, aims to provide a more curated, gallery-like experience for the discerning NFT connoisseur. Its all-time trading volume is only $6.9 million. All of its artwork files are stored on IPFS, which gives the underlying assets some protection.
With a strong focus on digital art, this is a marketplace that avoids the wackier aspects of the NFT world, so no wacky avatars or cute monsters will be found here.KnownOrigin is simple to use, at the risk of sounding like a broken record. Simply connect your wallets, such as MetaMask or Formatic, and you’ll be bidding on your own coveted NFT assets in no time.
15. Decentraland
The digital marketplace was launched in 2020 with the primary objective of providing full rights to the NFT artists and creators. The marketplace is constantly increasing users’ voices, especially on land auctions, policy updates, and NFT contracts on the builder and the marketplace.
One can get an extensive range of digital collectibles on this platform, including wearable, names, parcels, and estates. In addition, this platform also provides an opportunity for the users to own digital lands and customize the creations by building infrastructure or any other form of architecture.
Decentraland is considered one of the most secure and best NFT marketplaces because all assets are stored within a smart contract, based on Ethereum (2nd largest and reliable crypto digital asset after Bitcoin).
16. Axie Infinity
Axie Nifty is a well-famed NFT marketplace that captivated the attention of NFT admirers soon after its launch. It is a magnificent digital game allowing users to raise, go on battles, and gather animated creatures, known as Axies.
Users can own the farms and kingdoms in the game and strengthen their power to collect the Axies. These axies can be sold later whenever the users think they are getting a good price for them.
Axie Nifty is ranked to be the best Ethereum game. The digital game is now handling 15000+ monthly active users and strives to be a great platform for NFT and game lovers.
17. NFT Showroom
The digital platform is built on one of the fastest and free blockchain technology making all creations accessible to buyers. The marketplace is built on Hive.
The best part about NFT Showroom is that it features all art styles and levels of expertise/experience. Every artist is entitled to receive a 5% commission on every secondary sale. However, the platform charges a 10% commission whenever a creator sells their art for the first time.
It serves as an affordable alternative for digital creators and collectors. The only thing a user needs to do is register their account on Hive. The platform uses a pegged token, SWAP.HIVE if you want to buy art. Furthermore, the creators are also offered 2 options, including Limited and Private Reproduction Rights.
18. Crypto Punks
Crypto Punks are digital miniatures generated algorithmically, using Ethereum blockchain technology. The marketplace possesses exquisite featuring miniatures that have even been sold for millions of dollars. Therefore, the platform is known to hold the most expensive NFTs in the crypto market.
All the NFTs powers digital art and collectibles, as all of them are inspired by the ERC-721 standard (modern crypto movement).
The massive marketplace comprises 10,000+ uniquely generated characters that can be easily purchased once you create and register your account on this platform
Moreover, it offers 3 types of punks. The punks with red backgrounds are available for sale by their owner; the punks with a blue background have no bids and are not available for sale. In contrast, punks with purple backgrounds have an active bid on them.
19. BakerySwap
BakerySwap is a decentralized exchange (DEX) and automated market maker (AMM) on Binance Smart Chain.
The marketplace offers a wide array of NFT cards to trade, buy, and sell. Along with NFT cards, it hosts digital exhibitions, NFT games, and meme competitions. Users can access any of these things once they pay for these services in BAKE tokens.
You can easily earn BAKE tokens through this platform. All you need to do is use NFT in ‘combo meals.’ At the same time, you can also mint and sell your own artwork for a handsome price. Plus, using the ‘Bread’ pool feature on this marketplace is also one of the efficient ways of earning BAKE tokens.
20. Enjin Marketplace
The marketplace offers Enjin-powered blockchain projects from its massive game collection such as The Six Dragons, the Multiverse, the Age of Rust, etc. In addition, some games also offer reward programs such as community-created collectibles, Microsoft’s Azure Heroes, and Non-Fungible Tokens hosted by Binance and Swissborg.
Enjin Marketplace is considered one of the top NFT marketplaces for creators to sell Non-Fungible Tokens. Unlike other platforms, it helps you discover and trade several types of digital assets, amongst which you can choose any. You might be glad to know that this platform has enabled 43 million Enjin Coin to be spent on digital assets, and 2+ billion NFTs have been traded.
Another captivating aspect of Enjin Marketplace is that it facilitates the listing and purchasing of collectibles and gaming items.
21. Portion
The portion is a global community of decentralized artists and creators enabling individuals to purchase, sell, store, and trade their own art and collectibles with utmost transparency.
One of the reasons Portion is listed in the best NFT marketplaces is that it allows all users to be a collector. The platform enables you to manage digital and physical collections of different arts and collectibles effortlessly in one place. This makes it easy to exchange crypto for collectibles and digital art.
The digital platform released new tokens for artist grants, liquidity mining, future partnerships, and team members. Moreover, these tokens are also distributed when digital artists create new Non Fungible Tokens. Currently, the price of each NFT is more than 500 PRT.
22. Cargo
If you are looking to create, display, manage, buy, or sell NFT cards, blockchain gaming items, secure tickets, and other valuable items for your business or project, Cargo will strive to be a one-stop solution for NFTs.
One of the best NFT marketplaces, Cargo offers an API to interact through your own application. It is an advanced, user-friendly platform also accomodating split payments for up to 15 accounts.
Just like the other digital marketplaces, Cargo featured a governance token called Cargo Gems.
23. Melon
Melon is considered one of the best NFT marketplaces to buy or sell various types of viral content. It is mostly used by influencers who wish to turn their social media content into expensive, unique, and collectible NFTs. This primarily concerns content from the most admired platforms, such as Twitch, TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram.
Melon positions itself as a marketplace with the most exclusive content that can never be replicated, unlike other NFT objects. That is why the platform is largely focused on creating digital NFTs.
Melon is based on an ERC-20 fungible token, which is well-matched with the ETH blockchain. Placing an NFT on Melon is free of charge for all clients. A customer is charged a fee ranging from 2.2% to 4.5% for each sold NFT.
24. Sorare
Sorare is a quite well-known football fantasy game. It provides players with an opportunity to purchase, sell, and manage a football team using digital cards. The game has become very popular recently. At the end of 2021, this NFT marketplace raised almost $700 million. The weekly trade volume of the Sorare blockchain platform exceeds $2.25 million.
Sorare offers players to become managers of virtual teams. They should use five footballers to compose a team using blockchain cards on this NFT platform. Each Sorare card is a unique NFT object. A player is allowed to exchange it any time he/she wishes. Teams get points based on the results of all matches played by real football teams. The more points a team receives, the more powerful it becomes (and more expensive, correspondingly). This is one of the best variants of marketplaces for NFT that operates as a classic fantasy football game.
There are four types of virtual football cards. All the virtual cards are classified by rarity level. These are Limited cards (only 1,000 copies per season), Rare cards (only 100 copies), Super rare virtual cards (only ten copies), and only one Unique card. A player can earn a huge amount of cash by selling cards for cryptocurrency or fiat money.
25. Aavegotchi (Bazaar)
As a popular NFT marketplace, Aavegotchi offers to purchase avatars in the form of digital pets having different bodies, personalities, or colors. The platform clients are allowed to use Aavegotchi Bazaar to trade avatars and their badges.
The platform operates on the Polygon blockchain. Each Aavegotchi is an exclusive NFT, which can be upgraded at any time with various accessories. All the avatars can be resold as many times as the customer wishes. You can buy and sell Aavegotchi using cryptocurrency on the official Gotchi Bazaar. A link to it can be found on the official website of Aavegotchi.
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Frequently Asked Questions On NFT Marketplaces
NFT vs Cryptocurrency: How Is an NFT Different from Cryptocurrency?
NFT stands for non-fungible token. It’s generally built using the same kind of programming as cryptocurrency, like Bitcoin or Ethereum, but that’s where the similarity ends.
Physical money and cryptocurrencies are “fungible,” meaning they can be traded or exchanged for one another. They’re also equal in value—one dollar is always worth another dollar; one Bitcoin is always equal to another Bitcoin. Crypto’s fungibility makes it a trusted means of conducting transactions on the blockchain.
How Does An NFT Work?
NFTs exist on a blockchain, which is a distributed public ledger that records transactions. You’re probably most familiar with blockchain as the underlying process that makes cryptocurrencies possible.
Specifically, NFTs are typically held on the Ethereum blockchain, although other blockchains support them as well.
An NFT is created, or “minted” from digital objects that represent both tangible and intangible items, including:
- Art
- GIFs
- Videos and sports highlights
- Collectibles
- Virtual avatars and video game skins
- Designer sneakers
- Music
FUN FACT: Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey sold his first-ever tweet as an NFT for more than $2.9 million.
CONCLUSION
It is easy to invest in digital assets, collectibles, and art via NFT marketplaces, but there are many options out there.
Make sure to choose one that suits your buying and storing needs based on the type of NFT you’re interested in, along with the crypto you want to use.
It’s important to remember that this is a new industry and highly speculative. While some NFTs may skyrocket in value, this is never guaranteed.
The value of digital art and collectibles works similarly to the value of physical art and collectibles: It is subjective and dependent upon factors such as the artist’s reputation and the uniqueness of the piece.
Make a purchase — if any — with your overall investment strategy, net worth, and investment time horizon in mind.