NFT And E-commerce

Renjith KN
4 min readJan 7, 2023

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E-commerce, owing to the ever-changing technology, has transformed the way we buy and sell commodities in the 21st century. Never in history, it has been so powerful, yet simpler than today. Be it flexibility, better user experience, faster delivery, competitive pricing, or affordable advertising and market costs, e-commerce is the most preferred way of doing business and the fastest-growing channel.

What are NFTs?

NFT stands for non-fungible token. They are unique blockchain-based digital assets that represent a vast number of commodities ranging from artwork to real estate. It provides owners with a way to trade digital objects using digital currencies after showing authenticity and ownership of each product or service sold. They’re one-of-a-kind digital assets with exclusive rights of ownership. And any digital asset can become an NFT, from photos and graphics to videos and music.

How can NFTs be used in e-commerce?

NFTs, help to achieve the following functionalities.

1. They allow users to own their data

2. They support digital scarcity

3. They let users create their own valuable assets.

Although non-fungible tokens are currently being used mostly for gaming, the future of NFT in online e-commerce sites extends beyond online shopping. For example, shoppers could use their unique token to buy a limited edition T-shirt (of which only 100 were made) or an album with its very own music streaming license. That is just scratching the surface as far as possible uses go; these kinds of digital goods are virtually limitless.

We could see exclusive pieces sold at stores like Sotheby’s with its built-in certificate of authenticity and verification system, or gifts given directly to friends via a private message that arrives at their doorsteps with everything they need to redeem it. The future of NFT in the online e-commerce industry will undoubtedly be interesting! Here are some ways in which NFTs can be used in e-commerce:

1. Proof of Ownership- This is one of the most prominent applications. A physical good in real life can have a digital counterpart attached to it through blockchain technology. This means you can prove ownership over something without showing it off or worrying about theft physically.

2. Digital Collectibles- Many people love collecting things. Still, sometimes it isn’t easy to do so digitally because there’s no way to verify your items are authentic if you’re buying them from someone who doesn’t have any reputation behind them on eBay or Amazon.

3. Authentication- One major problem plaguing online retailers today is that counterfeit products are becoming more common. This has led to many customers not trusting companies anymore and going back to brick-and-mortar shops. If NFTs become mainstream, customers would have a better idea of whether or not they’re purchasing an original product.

4. Tokens as Gifts- If you give someone a gift card for an online store, it’s pretty much guaranteed that they’ll end up using it themselves instead of giving it away as intended. With NFTs, however, users can send another person their personal token for whatever item they want.

Here are some categories of businesses that can use NFTs effectively and help establish the future of NFT in the online e-commerce industry–

1. Home Decor- If you’re looking to sell home decor online, your customers will likely appreciate being able to customize their orders in unique ways. For example, if you sell custom pillows or rugs through your website, buyers will appreciate being able to select from various designs and colors when they place their order. Non-fungible tokens can help make these purchases more meaningful by providing each piece of art with its own unique identifier.

2. Digital Collectibles- If you’re selling digital collectibles like crypto kitties or rare sneakers through your website, non-fungible tokens will allow your buyers to track all of their purchases over time — even if they move between wallets and exchanges!

3. Multi-Sided Platforms- Businesses that facilitate interactions between multiple parties, such as marketplaces, crowdfunding sites, and social networks, will also see benefits from incorporating non-fungible tokens. These platforms rely on trust among community members to function correctly; however, trust is difficult to build in anonymous environments where it’s easy for scammers to get away with illegal activity. By assigning every user a unique ID number (based on their blockchain address), you can help protect against fraudulent behavior while also ensuring transparency across your platform.

4. Insurance- Insurance companies often deal with very sensitive information about individuals and property owners; unfortunately, centralized databases can be vulnerable to hacks because they contain large amounts of personal data about people across a wide range of industries.

The bottom line

NFTs are here to stay. There’s too much interest from corporations, trading communities, retailers, sports teams, and venture capitalists. And the applications for Ecommerce are promising: additional security, unique benefits, and an enhanced customer experience. With E-commerce NFTs, you can upsell value-added bundles, create multi-sensory products, and provide the instant gratification of a virtual version of a physical purchase. They’re also a smart way to future-proof your business.

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Renjith KN
Renjith KN

Written by Renjith KN

Senior technical architect with more than 15 years of experince in microservices, blockchain, J2EE technologies.

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