The NFT market is taking over the crypto universe and with so many new projects and terminology, it can become confusing to hear things like “minting an NFT” and understand the meaning. This is why we created this NFT minting guide to explain the minting process fully.
But, what is actually the minting phase in the NFT world and why is it so important?
If you are ready to become an expert on the topic of NFT minting and want to learn more about this amazing process keep on reading. We have guides on all the popular marketplaces. And also additional tips and tricks for buying and minting NFTs you might like.
What Is Minting an NFT?
Minting of the NFT is the process of taking a digital file and turning it into a digital asset. This asset is stored on the blockchain and available for selling or buying.
Considering that most NFT projects are on the Ethereum blockchain it’s important to understand that this is a proof-of-stake (PoS) blockchain and new blocks are staked. Unlike the proof-of-work (PoW) blockchain like Bitcoin where crypto is mined.
So, the minting process is temporarily locking cryptocurrency in a wallet to activate the software and become a validator for that blockchain.
While all the term used can be confusing. But the easiest way to understand minting is by looking at it as making the NFT “live” on the blockchain. This is true if you want to create your own NFT collections or if you want to purchase NFT art pieces made by other creators and developers.
Once you mint the NFT it becomes an official commodity that can be bought and sold.
Considering the NFT can be a digital file that stores music, art, image, etc, once the NFT is minted it’s transformed into a digital asset, and once added to the blockchain it can’t be modified, deleted, or edited.
Once the NFT is a digital asset it can be put in circulation and sold through smart contracts.
How to Mint Your NFTs?
Minting is a complex process many new crypto enthusiasts don’t understand. So, if you want to make your art into an NFT and sell it for a profit you need to know everything about minting.
With so many NFT projects on the market, there are just a handful of marketplaces that offer safe and affordable ways to mint your NFTs. It’s always a good idea to go to the marketplaces that have the best price-to-offer ratio and check on the free-minting options available.
Keep in mind that the minting process has substantial gas fees, so always make sure to stay on top of your expenses and find a platform that has free or lazy minting. To help you find the best marketplace for NFT minting, we will create a guide for the most popular ones below.
Before we discover the ways to mint NFTs on various marketplaces you should:
-
Decide on the best marketplace for your needs and budget
There are many popular marketplaces that offer various minting fees and perks for new users, to draw in the audience and expand the influence of the crypto universe. However, even if you notice amazing minting offers, reduced fees, or even free options it’s always a good idea to stick to reliable marketplaces such as OpenSea, Rarible, SuperRare, Nifty Gateway, and a few others.
Considering the NFT market is new and very volatile you need to be safe and connect your wallet only to platforms you trust.
-
Buy Ethereum (or another compatible crypto)
If you want to create, mint, sell or purchase NFTs you will need some crypto in your wallet. Most of the time you will need ETH, but depending on the platform other cryptocurrencies can be involved.
To buy the crypto you will need to sign up for one of the crypto exchanges and store your currency on either the hot or cold wallet you have.
-
Connect your wallet to the chosen NFT platform
Once you have crypto in your wallet you need to connect to the NFT platform to perform transactions. This step is very easy, and if you choose popular wallets such as MetaMask you can connect it to all platforms in a couple of steps.
-
Create and mint your NFT
Once you choose the platform and connect your wallet all that you need to do is mint your NFTs. Depending on the platform this process can be slightly different and with various fees included.
Here are the most popular marketplaces and step-by-step instructions on minting your NFTs:
Mint NFTs on OpenSea
OpenSea is the most popular and secure NFT marketplace where you can choose to mint your NFT, however, there is a fee you need to pay. This is by far the easiest and most user-friendly platform you can use, and new and exciting features are added all the time.
- e “Create” option in the upper right corner
- Connect your wallet (MetaMask, Coinbase, Fortmatic and etc)
- Create a collection (name, logo, and details) and confirm with your wallet
- Add a new item to the collection (media file) and fill out all the required information
- Create your NFT
After a few days of verification checking, you will be able to sell your NFT.
Considering how popular the OpenSea marketplace is, you can make considerable profit with your collections if you manage to promote them on social media and create entire projects people are interested in.
Mint NFTs on Rarible
Rarible is one of the best places to get started with your NFT collection and experience, considering they have the popular “lazy minting” option available. This way you can skip on the minting fees and it’s paid by the buyer during the purchasing phase.
Here are the steps you need to take to mint your NFT for free on Rarible:
- Go to the official Rarible website
- Click on the “Create” button in the upper right corner
- Choose the wallet you want to use
- Select the type of listing you want (single or multiple)
- Enter all the required information about your NFT
- Select the “free minting option”
- Click on the “Create Item” and sign the free authorizations with your wallet
Keep in mind that even though the minting process is free, if you choose to burn the NFT you will need to pay all the fees. In addition, this minting process is available just for wearable default collections.
Mint NFTs on Mintable
Mintable has become one of the most reliable and popular marketplaces and platforms for people who want to try NFT minting, but don’t really have too much money to spend on minting and gas fees.
While Mintable is a less user-friendly platform than OpenSea or Rarible, it does offer a free minting process many users appreciate.
How to mint your NFT on Mintable:
- Visit and register at the official Mintable website
- Once you are logged in click on the “MINT” button
- Select between uploading an existing item or creating a new one
- In the pop-up window select the blockchain and the gasless minting process
- Connect your wallet
- Fill out the required information about your NFT
- Select the way you want to sell your token
- Click on the “List this item” button and you are done
Keep in mind that minting your NFT is important but not the only part of a successful sale. If you truly want to stand out in the NFT community you need to boost your visibility and promote your project.
Most of the time the best and most affordable way to get engagement is through social media channels such as Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and Discord. You can create a community of like-minded people and expand your brand with different promotions, engagements, and constant updates.
How to Mint NFTs You Want to Own?
If you want to purchase an NFT from another creator you should visit their official websites and follow the progress of the project. With so many great projects on the market, you need to keep up with trends and follow the social media channels for the exact minting dates.
You can visit the NFT calendar to list your event or get updates on the latest NFT projects
Visit the official website
All the amazing developers and artists in the NFT community have creative and official websites you can visit. There should be plenty of information on the roadmap, minting dates, and links to their social media.
If the site looks sketchy it’s a good idea to do a bit more research before making any investments. Considering there are so many scammers now, you can never be too safe.
Click on the “Mint” button
The best NFT projects will have the exact time and date you can mint your NFTs. So, once you follow their announcements and find the official website it’s just a matter of time before the “MINT” button appears on the landing page.
Connect your wallet
If you want to go through with the minting process you will need to connect your wallet. Depending on the blockchain you will also need the appropriate amount of required currency.
Considering you are connecting your wallet you need to be sure the site is legit and trustworthy.
Choose the number of NFTs to mint
Depending on the project you can choose the number of NFTs you want to mint. Some creators will limit the number of mints and lower the misuse of NFT purchasing bots, while others don’t have any limitations on the site.
Keep in mind that you should mint all the NFTs at once and reduce the gas fees.
Confirm with your Wallet
Once you are ready to mint your NFT you will have to confirm the transaction in your wallet (the one you previously connected). That’s why many people love to use MetaMask as it’s the easiest and safest way to buy NFTs.
The NFT is in your wallet
Once you mint the NFT and confirm the transaction your collectible will be in your wallet within seconds or in the worst case a couple of minutes. But, keep in mind that the reveal of the actual NFT you got might take a couple of weeks, so you don’t really know what you got.
This depends on your luck and you can get amazing and rare NFTs this way, and everyone has equal chances in this “game-like” experience.
The minting process can be different depending on the project and the creators behind it. Some teams love to create whitelist minting opportunities where part of the collection is only available to the few chosen users to mint, and the rest is out for public minting.
When the project is hyped and good the entire collections are sold in seconds, such as the case with the famous Degen Toonz NFTs.
To avoid scams, never click on random links in your DMs on Discord or Twitter. Especially ones saying you got NO TIME to mint an NFT. To mint an NFT you’d have to connect your wallet and this means you’re giving all the information to scammers.
So, follow the official announcements from the developers and artists you love. Plus, create a “burner” wallet to keep your assets safe.
Final Thoughts on NFT Minting
NFT minting might sound elaborate but it’s essentially making the digital file into a digital asset on the blockchain. This process takes time and money, so minting is rarely free with some great options mentioned above.
With the increased popularity of the NFTs and many projects on the market, it’s good to know that there are still ways you can become an NFT owner and creator for low or no fees at all.
As always, keep in mind that NFTs are part of the volatile crypto market and the prices fluctuate every day. So, if you want to be in the loop with the latest NFT trends, come back here for more information.