What are the common application scenarios for NFTs?

Hello there, friend! When we talk about NFT use cases, many people's first thought is "small pictures," but its applications go far beyond that. I've been playing around with it for a while, and I'd like to share some common scenarios I've seen and understood, trying to explain them in simple terms.

You can first imagine an NFT as a "digital property deed" in the digital world. It uses blockchain technology to give you a unique, unstealable, and unchangeable proof of ownership. Proof of what? Proof that a certain digital item (or a "digital certificate" of a real-world item) belongs to you.

With that in mind, let's look at where this "property deed" can be used:

## 1. Digital Art and Collectibles (The Hottest Field)

This is where NFTs first gained widespread attention and is the most familiar scenario for most people.

Unique Digital Art: Just like it's easy to buy a replica of the Mona Lisa, but there's only one original. Digital artists can mint their works (paintings, GIFs, videos) as NFTs, so buyers acquire a unique "digital original" with the artist's "digital signature." Take Beeple's work, for example, which sold for hundreds of millions.
PFP (Profile Picture) Collectibles: PFP stands for Profile Picture. Projects like Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) and CryptoPunks issued thousands of avatars with a consistent style but varying details. Owning such an NFT is not just owning an image; it's more like a status symbol, a "membership card" to access specific communities. You see many people changing their Twitter profile pictures to these for this very reason.

Simply put: It's like collecting stamps or baseball cards in the past, except now you're collecting digital images online, and your ownership is publicly recorded and immutable.

## 2. Blockchain Gaming (GameFi)

This area is also very popular, making "Play-to-Earn" a reality.

Game Items/Characters are Yours: In traditional games, the skins and weapons you bought with money essentially still belonged to the game company; they could ban your account at any time. But in blockchain games (GameFi), your equipment, pets, and characters are NFTs. This means these assets truly belong to you. You can take them to external marketplaces and sell them to other players for real money.
Game Land and Assets: For example, the Axies in Axie Infinity, or virtual land in The Sandbox, are all NFTs. You can build houses, create games on your land, and then charge visitors for access.

Simply put: It completely changes the game. The time and money you invest in games can be converted into truly yours, tradable digital assets.

## 3. Metaverse

The Metaverse can be seen as a vast 3D virtual world, and NFTs serve as your "ID" and "asset certificate" within it.

Virtual Land and Property: As mentioned in the gaming section above, you can buy a plot of land (an NFT) in a metaverse platform like Decentraland, and then build your virtual mansion, art gallery, or even open a virtual store on it.
Avatars & Wearables: Your avatar's clothes, shoes, and accessories in the Metaverse can all be NFTs. For example, Nike and Adidas have both released NFT virtual sneakers. After purchasing them, you can "wear" them in the Metaverse and show off your limited editions to others.

Simply put: NFTs are the proof of all your "private property" in the Metaverse.

## 4. Membership and Access Passes

NFTs don't necessarily have to be art; they can also be "credentials" or "passes."

Membership Cards/Tickets: Many projects issue NFTs as membership credentials. Owning such an NFT grants you access to their exclusive communities (e.g., Discord channels), offline events, or priority purchasing rights for products. This is much cooler than traditional membership cards, and you can even transfer your membership on the secondary market.
Event Tickets: Some concerts and sports events are starting to experiment with NFTs as tickets. The benefits include anti-counterfeiting, easy record-keeping, and the NFT ticket itself becomes a commemorative digital collectible after the event.

Simply put: Think of an NFT as an unforgeable, verifiable, and resalable VIP card or ticket.

## 5. Digital Identity and Domains

This one is a bit more hardcore, but very important.

Decentralized Domains: Currently, we use domains like .com and .cn, which are managed by centralized authorities. However, domains like .eth provided by ENS (Ethereum Name Service) are NFTs. For example, you can register yourname.eth and link it to your long, scrambled Ethereum wallet address. In the future, when others send you funds, they won't need to copy that complex address; they can just enter yourname.eth. This domain is completely under your control.
Digital Identity Credentials: In the future, your academic degrees, professional qualifications, or even medical records might be issued to you as NFTs. They are secure, private, easy to verify, and will always belong to you.

Simply put: NFTs can become your "universal username" and "digital ID card" in the Web3 world.

In summary

Overall, the core value of NFTs lies in confirming ownership in the digital world.

It's more than just a small picture; it's a technology. From art and game items to membership cards, tickets, and even your personal domain and identity, anything that needs to prove "this is mine" can theoretically be achieved with NFTs.

Of course, this field is still very new, with significant bubbles and risks. However, the possibilities it presents are truly exciting. I hope my explanation gives you a more comprehensive understanding of NFTs!