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How the Pandemic Created the Perfect Storm for the Explosion of NFTs

3 min readMay 7, 2021
Photo by Petar Petkovski on Unsplash

NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, have become the latest household acronym in the last few months. But how did these unique digital assets stored on digital ledgers move from an obscure corner of blockchain Reddit threads to your parent’s kitchen table talk? Why are NFTs so hot right now?

Because of Corona, it wouldn’t be the early 2020’s if the answer to any “Why” question wasn’t “Because Corona.” But let’s break that down a bit more.

Because Corona, people are online more than ever before. As our lives moved increasingly online, we came to value our online spaces more as they become our primary method of connection, education, work, socialization, and relaxation. I have some clients, friends, and coworkers who I’ve never met in person. Their avatars aren’t just stand-ins for them — in a way, at least in terms of how I relate to them, it is them. Digital art has long been undervalued, but this new era of virtual-only connection makes it possible for a wide audience to understand and appreciate it.

Because Corona has completely upended our day-to-day lives, many people have started to ask themselves existential questions — what am I doing with my life? What really matters to me? While “expensive GIFs” may not be everyone’s answer to those questions, some workers are deprioritizing

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Gabrielle Guthrie
Gabrielle Guthrie

Written by Gabrielle Guthrie

Abstract painter based in Brooklyn

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