What remains of NFTs
We still remember the period when NFTs dominated the global technological and cultural debate. In just a few months, digital artworks, GIFs, virtual objects and even screenshots were being sold for astronomical prices. It seemed like the beginning of a new era for digital art, in which blockchain technology would redefine the very concept of ownership. NFTs were everywhere: in the media, in marketplaces, on social platforms, at the center of a feverish enthusiasm that promised to radically transform the way we consume and exchange digital content.
Then, just as quickly, the phenomenon collapsed. The art market tied to NFTs lost value, many projects disappeared and sales volumes dropped dramatically. In hindsight, it is clear that much of the boom was driven by speculation and hype. But that does not mean NFTs have vanished or that the underlying technology is useless. On the contrary, many of the most solid and technically relevant applications emerged precisely after the media frenzy faded.
The technology behind NFTs
To understand what remains of NFTs, it is essential to start with their technical nature. An NFT is not an image, a file or a multimedia object. It is a cryptographic token recorded on a blockchain, identified by a unique hash that certifies its authenticity and ownership. The blockchain ensures that this token cannot be duplicated, altered or destroyed without leaving a trace.
From an engineering standpoint, an NFT is a smart contract that manages metadata and transfer rules. The quality of an NFT therefore depends on the robustness of the smart contract and the blockchain hosting it. The collapse of the art market did not stem from a technological limitation, but from a distorted and speculative use of the mechanism.
The failure in the art world
The art world was considered the natural home for NFTs, but the experiment did not produce the expected results. The reasons are both technical and cultural. On the technical side, most NFT content did not actually reside on the blockchain but on external servers that could disappear or change, undermining the very idea of eternal authenticity. Culturally, artistic value was often confused with speculation, and many buyers realized too late that the digital artwork was not protected in a fundamentally different way from any other file.
Digital art continues to exist, but the promise of a revolutionary NFT-based art market remained unfulfilled. What survived instead is the technical infrastructure.
NFTs as digital ownership certificates
Beyond art, NFTs have found a second life in digital certification. Their ability to represent unique ownership is useful in contexts where unambiguous identification is essential. The most promising applications involve digital assets that require a verifiable chain of custody.
Technically, the NFT becomes an immutable, publicly accessible registry. This makes it possible to guarantee integrity and provenance without relying on centralized systems. It solves many trust-related issues among multiple actors in a process.
NFTs in the supply chain
Supply chain management is one of the sectors where NFTs are showing the greatest potential. Each token can represent a product or specific component tracked throughout its lifecycle. Blockchain ensures that each step, transformation and verification is recorded transparently.
From a technical perspective, this application overcomes many limitations of traditional tools. Blockchain immutability provides a level of trust that centralized databases cannot guarantee. Furthermore, smart contracts enable the automation of complex validations, reducing errors and manipulation.
NFTs for digital identity and credentials
NFTs are also useful as verified digital identities. Certificates, badges, software licenses and premium-access passes can be represented using non-fungible tokens, ensuring they cannot be duplicated or falsified.
A technical example is the use of NFTs as advanced cryptographic keys, where the token contains validation information or permissions assigned to a specific wallet. In this context, the NFT is no longer a collectible item but an authentic component of digital infrastructure.
NFTs in gaming and virtual assets
Although often associated with speculative projects, the gaming industry continues to explore NFTs as a method for representing virtual assets. Unlike traditional digital items, which are owned by the companies operating the game, NFTs allow players to truly own a unique element.
Technologically, this opens the door to potential interoperability between platforms and ensures greater security in asset management. Even if the sector has not yet exploded, it remains one of the most active technically.
What truly remains of NFTs
Ultimately, what remains of NFTs is not the speculative market but the underlying technology. The boom was temporary, whereas the tokenized infrastructure continues to evolve and mature, taking on roles that are less glamorous but far more concrete.
NFTs are not dead. They have simply moved from the media spotlight to sectors where their function has real, technical and verifiable value. This is where the technology continues to live, away from the hype but at the core of digital processes that require immutability, authenticity and traceability.
