NFTs - Blockchain-Powered Art, Trading Cards, Music, and More with Aftab Hossain

Aftab Hossain (Twitter: @iamDCinvestor) is a strategic advisor and private investor to projects in the cryptocurrency and blockchain space, with special focus on decentralized finance ("DeFi"). He specializes in technologies related to the Ethereum public blockchain -- the world's largest decentralized blockchain for programmable financial activity. SHOW NOTES What is an NFT (non-fungible token)? For that matter, what is a fungible token? [02:20] We've been able to freely download copyrighted material from the Internet for decades, so what makes NFTs valuable? How does something like a piece of art become a uniquely accountable asset when it's tied to the blockchain? [04:22] Why might a collector (of art, baseball cards, comic books, or any scarce asset) find the NFT market so appealing? [07:44] Why an NFT has better provenance than a mint copy of Marvel's Wolverine #1 or a rare Magic: The Gathering card. [11:44] What is DeFi? [15:26] What were the first NFTs, and how valuable are they today? [15:48] How NFTs have infiltrated the mainstream, and what any collector should keep in mind about investing in anything that wildly fluctuates in value. [20:19] How can someone "burn" an NFT? [26:49] Where can someone check out curated NFTs for sale? [30:27] What is generative art, and how is it represented in the NFT world? [32:11] What is the first instance of generative art being tied to the Etherium blockchain? [38:04] There are multiple new NFTs launching every day. What's caught our attention of late, and how does a potential collector discern between NFT-based art created by a legitimate artist that is likely to go up in value and junk churned out by some Photoshop-savvy teenager trying to cash in on the NFT gold rush? [40:32] As the owner of two EulerBeats NFTs, what can Aftab do with those assets? What are the potential benefits of an NFT to an established artist? [42:21] To someone asking if NFT collectibles are a bit like a Ponzi scheme, Aftab asks: aren't all collectibles a Ponzi scheme if you extend the analogy far enough? [45:02] What are Unisocks, and how can they be used? Why, from a practical standpoint, is this whole NFT phenomenon something worth trying to wrap your mind around? [48:10] Other projects in this space Aftab finds worthwhile. [53:43] Will NBA Top Shot live up to its hype? [56:46] Where can people learn more about NFTs? [1:01:12]