If you’re looking to jump into the world of NFTs, you’ve found the right place! In this guide we’ll explain what NFTs are, we’ll talk about the Zora protocol, and we’ll mint our very own NFT.

In this article, you’ll learn:

1. What is an NFT?

2. What does minting an NFT mean?

3. What is Zora?

4. How to mint your own NFTs on Zora.

What You’ll Need to Complete this Task

In order to complete this task, you’ll need the following:

• An Ethereum wallet, such as MetaMask or Rainbow

• ETH in that wallet for gas fees

• Something to mint! This could be anything from a .jpeg to a .wav or even a basic .txt file

If you need help getting your gear in order, head over to our Learn Hub. There, you’ll find guides for creating your own wallet, how they work and how you can purchase some ETH; plus some useful guides on creating your own NFT

Before we Start

An NFT, or non-fungible token, is a proof of ownership written on a blockchain. This proof of ownership represents an asset, digital or physical, and links it to an individual's blockchain address. The result is a publicly verifiable file showing a certain asset owned by a certain person.

While other forms of establishing and proving ownership certainly exist today, doing so on a public blockchain removes middlemen and centralized institutions from the equation. This reduces friction as well as the possibility of this info being lost, tampered with, or used for ulterior motives. And due to blockchain’s public nature, anyone is able to verify these proofs of ownership at any time.

When it comes to NFT marketplaces, Zora has all the features with the creator in mind. Using Zora to mint and purchase NFTs across a number of mediums is effortless. Plus, it’s not just a storefront but a protocol from which other platforms can be created. In their own words, “Zora is built to be built on.” The permissionless nature of Zora, along with their commitment to collective creation, reflects the goals of blockchain itself.

It is for these reasons that we will be using Zora to mint our NFT today. Let’s do it!

How To Mint an NFT on Zora

Step 1

First, head to zora.co and connect your wallet with the button in the top-right corner.

Step 2

Then, click the “+” button and “Create Edition”.

Step 3

Now on the Create Media page, enter a name and description for your NFT, as well as a symbol to represent your new edition.

It’s important to note that once you mint your NFT, you will not be able to further edit any of its information. So give this a good double-check before proceeding.

Step 4

Now, it’s time to upload the content that you’d like to mint! Look for the “File” field and upload your JPG, PNG, MP3 or whichever file type you want to mint.

Once minted, this NFT will be associated with your wallet forever! Even if you sell it, your wallet address will be shown as the original creator. So be sure to mint an original, quality NFT that you are happy to be associated with.

Step 5

Pick your edition price and quantity. You can choose to mint as many editions as you’d like, even having the option to create an “Open Edition” with unlimited mints.

Make sure to pick a price that you feel is reasonable, some would even say offering a free mint could help you reach a wider audience of collectors.

Step 6

Time to set your resale royalty. This is a percentage of all future secondary sales which will come directly back to you. While this can be any percentage from 0% to 100%, 10% is the most common for art NFTs.

You can also select a different payout address as your royalties recipient, if you’d like the funds to go straight to your wallet, or even a multisig!

Step 7

Finally, we encourage you to review all of your NFT’s information. Ensure that everything is correct, and then click “Create”. Zora will be minting your NFT on the blockchain, so there is a gas fee associated with this transaction.

Confirm this transaction in your wallet to pay the gas fee and mint your NFT!

You’re all Done!

This transaction will take a few minutes, but once it is confirmed, you’ll have officially minted an NFT on Zora!

You will now be able to view your NFT on your Zora profile and have the option to create allowlists, airdrops, and even set up a maximum amount of mints per wallet. You can even transfer ownership of the NFT to someone else. Minting NFTs is just one part of your NFT journey. To go deeper down the NFT rabbit hole, come join a party on PartyBid and mint an entry on Mirror!