Michaela
When most people hear NFTs, their minds jump straight to flashy digital art—those eye-catching, sometimes bizarre images selling for jaw-dropping prices. And sure, digital art is where NFTs made their big splash, turning pixels into pricey collectibles. But if you think NFTs are just about buying and selling digital images, you’re only scratching the surface.
NFTs are like the Swiss Army knives of the digital world—surprising, versatile, and packed with hidden features. They’re not just collectibles; they’re keys, tickets, memberships, and even financial tools all rolled into one.
Ready to get your mind blown? This list is about to reveal 9 surprising things you didn’t know you could do with NFTs. From unlocking exclusive communities to earning passive income, NFTs are rewriting the rulebook on what digital assets can actually do. Let’s dive in and discover the hidden powers behind these digital wonders.
1. Access Exclusive Communities and Events
NFTs aren’t just eye-catching digital art—they can also be your golden ticket to exclusive online and real-world hangouts. Think of them as digital keys that unlock doors to special groups, events, and experiences.
What Does This Mean?
- VIP Memberships: Certain NFTs act like membership cards granting access to private communities, often hosted on platforms like Discord.
- Exclusive Events: Some NFTs double as tickets to invite-only virtual meetups, concerts, or even real-world parties.
- Ongoing Perks: NFT holders often get special drops, early product access, or insider info from the community or creators.
Real-World Examples
- Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC): Owning a Bored Ape isn’t just about rocking a cool cartoon monkey avatar. It’s your VIP pass to a tight-knit community with exclusive events, parties, and even collaborations with big brands.
- VeeFriends: These NFTs grant holders access to in-person conferences, Q&As with entrepreneurs, and unique experiences that blend digital art and real-life perks.
So, while digital art initially grabs attention, NFTs are quietly turning into powerful social passports—where your token in your wallet is your ticket to the coolest clubs, both online and offline.
2. Rent or Lease NFTs for Passive Income
NFTs aren’t just collectibles or pieces of digital art you admire—they can also be money-makers while you keep them. Renting or leasing NFTs is an exciting way to earn passive income without losing ownership.
Lending NFTs: How It Works
Think of it like lending out your favorite video game console to a friend who pays you for the privilege. With NFTs, this usually happens with:
- Gaming assets: Rare weapons, skins, or characters that boost gameplay
- Virtual real estate: Digital plots of land in metaverses like Decentraland or The Sandbox
- Access passes: Tickets or memberships that grant temporary entry to events or communities
The renter gains full use of the NFT during the lease period, but you still hold the title deed—the NFT comes back to you after.
Benefits for Owners and Renters
- For Owners: Earn steady income without selling your NFT or giving up control. It’s like putting your digital art or assets to work for you.
- For Renters: Get temporary access to rare or expensive NFTs without the upfront cost of buying them. Perfect for testing the waters or enjoying perks you otherwise couldn’t afford.
By renting NFTs, the digital art world steps into a new era where assets aren’t just bought or sold—they’re shared, monetized, and experienced by many.
3. Use NFTs as Collateral for Crypto Loans
Here’s a power move that might surprise you: NFTs aren’t just flashy digital art or collectibles—they can actually help you unlock cash without selling. Thanks to the magic of DeFi (decentralized finance), some platforms now accept NFTs as collateral for loans.
Imagine this: you own a rare digital art piece or a sought-after NFT, but you don’t want to sell it because you believe its value will rise. Instead of cashing out, you can use that NFT like a mortgage deed—pledging it to get a loan in crypto. This way, you get liquid funds right now, while keeping your prized NFT safely yours.
DeFi platforms handle this with smart contracts, ensuring loans are secured and automatically managed without banks or middlemen. It’s a clever way to tap into the value locked in your NFTs, letting you seize new opportunities or cover expenses without losing your digital art or assets.
So, NFTs aren’t just for showing off—they’re becoming real financial tools that blend art, tech, and money in ways the traditional world never imagined.
4. Earn Royalties Automatically as a Creator
Here’s where NFTs really shine for artists and creators: earning royalties automatically every time their digital art changes hands. Thanks to smart contracts—self-executing code on the blockchain—creators no longer have to rely on galleries or agents to get paid.
When you sell a digital art NFT, the smart contract is programmed to send a percentage of any future resale directly back to you. No invoices, no chasing payments—just automatic earnings as your work gains value.
This is revolutionary because traditional art markets rarely reward creators beyond the first sale. NFTs change the game by ensuring artists benefit from their work’s success long-term. It’s like having a built-in royalty system coded right into your digital art, giving creators more control and fairer income.
This new model is empowering artists everywhere, turning NFTs into more than collectibles—they’re a whole new way to build sustainable creative careers.
5. Gamify Your Digital Identity
NFTs aren’t just about owning cool digital art—they’re also a fun way to level up your online persona. Instead of a simple profile picture, NFTs let you customize your digital identity with avatars, wearables, and game items that you truly own.
What Can NFTs Do for Your Digital Self?
- Avatars: Unique digital characters that represent you in games or virtual worlds.
- Wearables: From flashy jackets to rare hats, NFTs let you deck out your avatar with one-of-a-kind gear.
- Game Items: Powerful swords, special skins, or exclusive tools that you own and can carry across games.
Cross-Platform Customization in the Metaverse
The metaverse—a network of interconnected virtual spaces—is where your NFT-powered identity really shines. Instead of being stuck in one game or app, your NFT avatar and items can travel with you across multiple platforms, giving you consistent style and status everywhere you go online.
This means your digital art collection isn’t just for show; it becomes part of your personal brand and expression in the virtual world. Why settle for a boring avatar when you can flaunt unique digital swag that’s truly yours?
6. Get Paid Simply for Holding NFTs
What if owning digital art could actually pay you back? Sounds like a dream, but with NFTs, it’s becoming reality. Some projects reward holders just for sitting tight—kind of like earning interest on your savings, but way cooler.
One popular way is staking NFTs. Think of it like locking up your NFT for a while to help support the project or network. In return, you earn rewards—often in the form of tokens or exclusive perks. It’s like putting your digital art to work while you chill.
Then there are airdrops, where projects send free tokens, collectibles, or bonuses directly to NFT holders’ wallets—surprise gifts for being part of the community.
And some NFTs come with built-in holder rewards, like access to special content, early product drops, or even voting power on project decisions. So, just by holding your NFT, you might unlock new benefits over time.
Owning NFTs isn’t just about collecting digital art—it can be a way to build ongoing value and tap into a community that rewards loyalty. Not bad for a pixel, right?
7. Bundle Multiple Assets into One NFT Pack
Imagine buying a single NFT that’s actually a whole treasure chest of goodies—digital art, music tracks, event tickets, and more—all wrapped up together. Welcome to the world of NFT bundles or wrapped NFTs, where one token can represent multiple assets at once.
This clever idea lets creators package different types of content into a single, easy-to-manage NFT. Instead of juggling separate tokens for your favorite digital art, concert pass, and exclusive song download, you get them all in one neat bundle.
For example, an artist might release an NFT pack that includes a limited-edition digital art piece, exclusive music, and a VIP ticket to a live event. Holders get a full experience, all connected by one NFT.
This bundling not only makes ownership simpler but also opens up creative ways to mix and match digital art with real-world perks, turning NFTs into powerful all-in-one passes for fans and collectors.
So next time you think of NFTs, remember—they can be much more than just a single image. They’re evolving into rich, multi-layered experiences wrapped into one.
8. Verify Real-World Product Authenticity
NFTs aren’t just about flashy digital art or virtual worlds—they’re also stepping into the real world as powerful tools to prove authenticity. Think of NFTs as blockchain-backed certificates that come with your luxury handbag, limited-edition sneaker, or collectible watch.
Counterfeiting has always been a headache for high-end brands and collectors. But with NFTs, each genuine product can be linked to a unique digital token that acts like a tamper-proof receipt. Because blockchain records are permanent and transparent, it’s nearly impossible to fake or duplicate these NFT certificates.
So when you buy something pricey, instead of worrying if it’s the real deal, you can check its NFT certificate to confirm authenticity instantly. This means your favorite luxury goods get the same kind of digital art-style protection that NFTs provide for online assets—but now for physical stuff, too.
It’s a smart blend of old-school collecting and new-school tech, giving buyers and sellers extra peace of mind in a world full of fakes.
9. Pass NFTs on Through Digital Inheritance
What happens to your prized digital art and NFTs when you’re ready to pass the torch? Unlike physical heirlooms, NFTs need a fresh approach to inheritance—and that’s where digital inheritance tools come in.
How Digital Inheritance Works
- Smart Contracts as Digital Wills: These can automatically transfer your NFTs to chosen heirs when certain conditions are met.
- Secure Transfer: Ensures your NFTs don’t get locked in your wallet or lost forever.
- Access Control: Keeps your digital assets safe until the right person claims them.
Planning ahead means your rare digital art, collectibles, and memberships won’t vanish into the blockchain abyss after you’re gone. Instead, your legacy stays alive, passing smoothly to your heirs.
Taking care of digital inheritance is like updating your will for the 21st century—making sure your digital treasures keep shining for generations to come.
The NFT Takeaway
So, what’s the real deal with NFTs? Sure, they started as flashy digital art grabbing headlines and breaking records, but as you’ve seen, they’ve evolved into much more. NFTs are functional digital assets—tools reshaping industries from gaming and finance to luxury goods and inheritance planning. They’re opening doors to new ways of owning, sharing, and interacting with digital and real-world stuff.
If you’re just dipping your toes into the NFT pool, now’s the perfect time to explore these surprising uses. Try out a community NFT, stake one for rewards, or simply collect digital art that speaks to you. The NFT world is constantly evolving, with fresh innovations popping up all the time.
So stay curious, keep experimenting, and don’t be afraid to dive deeper—because the NFT revolution is only getting started, and who knows where it’ll take us next? Your next favorite NFT experience might be just around the corner.
Read More
- The Origin of NFTs: How Crypto Culture Created a New Art Movement
- SHEboshis: Shiba Inu NFTs with Unique Utility and Design
- Investing in NFTs: Identifying Promising NFT Projects
Michaela has no crypto positions and does not hold any crypto assets. This article is provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial advice. The Shib Magazine and The Shib Daily are the official media and publications of the Shiba Inu cryptocurrency project. Readers are encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial adviser before making any investment decisions.
