Digital artists and developers exploring the booming sector of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) can now get funding and technical support through a brand new $250 million fund launched by Ripple, the company behind the XRP token.
NFTs are units of data stored on a blockchain, with each token acting as a digital receipt for assets ranging from paintings, videos, and songs to collectibles and concert tickets.
Sam Bankman-Fried's 'Test' NFT on Sale as FTX Eyes Marketplace LaunchAnnounced today, Rippleâs Creator Fund is the latest initiative launched by the San Francisco-based company with the aim of enabling new use cases for tokenization of assetsâfor creators and developers alike.
The world of NFTs is still largely uncharted territory with creators facing entry barriers, âincluding the fear their NFTs wonât sell and a lack of understanding when it comes to navigating NFT concepts,â according to marketing materials seen by Decrypt.
Developers, on the other hand, âare often burdened with high gas fees and clunky user experiences on NFT marketplaces or platforms.â
A natural fit for NFTsRipple believes that its XRP Ledger is well-suited to deliver a better NFT experience as it not only reduces transaction costs but is also environmentally friendly by design.
The launch of Rippleâs Creator Fund follows the companyâs participation in a $13 million funding round in Mintable, an NFT marketplace that enables users to create, buy, and sell digital items.
In an interview with Decrypt in July, Rippleâs executive Monica Long described XRP Ledger as âa green alternativeâ to Ethereum, the latter of which is currently the most popular blockchain for creating NFTs.
XRP Ledger also comes with a built-in decentralized exchange (DEX) which can be used to facilitate NFT trading activity, added Long.
Currently, the company is in talks with NFT marketplaces and creative agencies who will have first access to Rippleâs Creative Fund.