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The Type of Properties and Metadata That Gets Stored on Top of NFTs

Ryan Lenett

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Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) have played a major role in blockchain.

Just about anyone interested in cryptocurrencies has come across the term “NFT” and seen NFT art.

Each NFT is unique, which means that each one features a unique identifier through which it can differentiate itself when compared to the other ones across the ecosystem.

NFT art is created like other digital art with the main difference being is that the actual art is tokenized through a process called minting and lives on the blockchain.

Within each NFT, there are specific properties and metadata that adds value and uniqueness. Today, we will be exploring what kind of metadata gets stored within them and how all of it works.

What is the Metadata in NFTs?

The metadata is information that is utilized as a means of describing other data. The metadata within NFTs can describe properties, such as the name, total supply, and even transactional history.

Note that a non-fungible token (NFT) is a cryptographic token that gets hosted on a blockchain and can represent a digital asset that is in the form of a JPEG, GIF, or even an MP4 file. 

NFT metadata makes up the content of an NFT and is specified within a JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) format.

Where Is the NFT Metadata Stored?

The data which makes up an NFT has to be kept somewhere, and this is typically either done on-chain or off-chain.

To keep an NFT on-chain, the asset, as well as the metadata, needs to live on the blockchain. For example, user can store their NFT data on chain via Pastel Network’s Cascade protocol – which is a permanent distributed storage solutions that ensures your NFTs can never be lost. 

This method of storage can ensure that users can, at any point in time, verify all of the different aspects of the digital asset and access it without any problems. 

However, creators that are just starting out tend to keep the NFT data off nchain because it is easier and requires no understanding of blockchain. 

Storing an NFT off chain means that just parts of the whole NFT can exist outside of the blockchain. For example, users can utilize Google Drive or Amazon Web Services (AWS) to do so, or decentralized servers such as the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS), but these solutions have numerous drawbacks and are unreliable – i.e., assets can be lost. 

How Does the NFT Metadata Operate? 

There are numerous blockchain networks that support the creation of non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Each network will feature its own token standard that needs to be followed. For example, Ethereum features the ERC-721 token standard, which is by far one of the most popular standards due to its ubiquity and also that it was one of the first.

The standard requires all tokens to be non-fungible and feature unique token IDs.

There’s also the ERC-1155 standard, which enables a single contract to contain fungible as well as non-fungible tokens.

Other blockchains, such as Solana, have different token standards.

In terms of the underlying functionality of NFTs, the NFT metadata needs to be stored somewhere as a means of preserving the overall multimedia files. 

The metadata, when stored, is returned to the smart contract as a hash and pinned to the protocol. The resulting URL gets recorded within the self-executing contract’s storage and gets linked to the ID of the relevant token.

The same URL resolves to a JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) format object on the web, with a clear structure and specific properties. It needs a specific field, such as a name, description, as well as an image, to show the content properly when it is integrated with the most commonly utilized marketplaces, such as OpenSea or Rarible.

Some of the properties of an NFT can include its uniqueness, indivisibility, portability, and even its programmability. There are specific NFT collections that have been created, which feature properties such as characters with different hairstyles, eyes, mouths, noses, ears, fur color, and so on – all of which needs to get stored.

How To Create NFTs WIth Custom Metadata?

There are numerous ways through which anyone can create NFTs that feature custom metadata. For example, they can utilize the blockchain’s native programming languages, such as Ethereum’s Solidity, to code them and then store them in solutions that are either centralized or decentralized.

However, not all people specialize in creating artworks, music, or other works, want to commit the time or sidetrack their career to learn a programming language and how all of these underlying systems work.

This is where solutions such as SmartMint by Pastel Network can aid creators in minting, listing, and managing their NFTs.

SmartMint is a platform that makes minting NFTs – and creating drops and collections -as simple as possible through its no-code solution that anyone can utilize and easily understand.

Each mint sends data to the Pastel Network and determines its relative rareness score through the Sense protocol, which is a near-duplicate NFT detection protocol.

Moreover, the NFTs can be stored safely and securely, with the data and metadata from every mint stored on Cascade, which is a distributed, permanent storage system purpose-built for the storage of NFT data.

SmartMint also supports numerous blockchains, including Ethereum, Polygon and Solana.

Moving Forward with SmartMint

We have gone over just about everything new NFT creators need to know about the metadata that gets stored within NFTs, as well as the various properties they have. All that’s left for creators to do is to pick the route through which they will mint or create their NFTs and which blockchain they will utilize to accomplish the goal.

Try out SmartMint today

At his core, Ryan’s true passion is helping others achieve their own independent goals in life. His skill sets consist of Scientific research, Gadget Reviews and Technical testing. Year over year, Ryan has consistently amassed revenue streams that exceed seven figures in value.

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NASA Grants Funding to Advance Research and Technology Development

Cam Speck

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NASA Grants Funding to Advance Research and Technology Development

NASA recently announced that it has awarded more than $10.8 million over a three-year period to 15 institutions through its Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) grants. Aimed at helping fund research and development projects across the United States that are vital to NASA missions, this program is designed to support 25 states and three territories, with each jurisdiction eligible to submit one proposal per year.

The scope of these funded research projects is vast and aims to further deep space exploration, develop sustainable manufacturing in space, and utilize technology and science for the benefit of humanity. As part of this initiative, Oklahoma State University (OSU) is working on developing solar panel technology for space applications, while University of Wyoming (UWy) has been granted funding to explore the global climate impact on regional water availability. Additionally, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology has received funding for creating a new lithium-sulfur battery technology.

In addition to providing support for research and development projects at all levels that are vital for NASA’s missions, these grants also contribute to higher education infrastructure in all jurisdictions receiving funding. They form an important part of helping improve science and technology capabilities in the regions covered by the EPSCoR program. Moreover, they give scientists from all over the nation direct access to support from NASA so they can focus their efforts on setting up effective strategies for utilizing advanced technologies in these fields.

NASA’s EPSCoR program plays a key role in helping raise awareness about the need for more specialized research into space exploration as well as encouraging academics across different disciplines within universities and colleges across 25 states within America to work together towards achieving shared goals that benefit humanity as a whole.

The funds granted will help accelerate progress in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), green energy production & management systems, renewable resources utilization & management systems etc., while also providing opportunities for those who receive them with growth prospects both inside their home states as well as internationally.

In conclusion, the EPSCoR program is a great opportunity for universities and colleges across the States to further their research and development efforts while also contributing to the achievement of NASA’s primary objectives. It is a significant step towards inspiring the next generation of scientists and engineers throughout America, ensuring that they are well-equipped with the skills, knowledge and resources they need to contribute towards the advancement of our global space exploration efforts.

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Exploring How AI is Transforming Technology

Cam Speck

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Exploring How AI is Transforming Technology

The rapid advances being made in Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities are transforming the way software is developed. By automating mundane tasks, businesses of all sizes can reap the rewards associated with faster and more efficient development processes.

Take for instance an AI-powered assembly line. This type of automation offers a number of benefits, but most notably it simplifies the development process by reusing code and cutting costs. Similarly, AI can predict what developers might write as code, as well as identify redundancies in existing code. Significantly, AI testing has enabled developers to catch errors before software goes to the test phase by running more variable tests.

Utilizing user behaviors and needs in real-time provides yet another advantage for developers that integrates AI/ML solutions into their workflow; they can create with greater efficiency and accuracy, which frees them up from tedious workflows. Additionally, this allows them to focus on tasks that require creativity such as problem-solving or innovation.

The success stories tied to introducing automated machine learning solutions into software development have been known to yield increased productivity and cost savings over traditional methods. This gives companies a distinct edge when competing in dynamic markets where technological advances are increasingly shaping product delivery timelines and user expectations alike.

For organizations looking to incorporate AI/ML solutions into their development processes there is no better time than now – taking advantage of these emerging technologies could provide a strategic long-term benefit that helps companies stay ahead of the competition while driving innovation across all facets of their organization’s product ecosystems.

AI is transforming the way technology is developed, and it can offer enormous advantages to businesses of all sizes. From increased productivity and cost savings to greater accuracy in development processes, AI offers a unique opportunity for tech companies to stay ahead of the curve and maximize their potential.

Companies that are embracing these advances are sure to reap the rewards associated with faster and more efficient development processes. It is an exciting time for technology, and AI has the potential to revolutionize the way software is developed.

As more organizations incorporate AI into their development processes, understanding its implications and potential solutions becomes increasingly important. With this in mind, it’s essential for developers to stay informed on the latest AI advancements and their implications for software development. Doing so will allow developers to take advantage of AI’s transformative potential, unlocking new opportunities that help maximize their organization’s success.

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Microsoft Enhancing Word and Excel with AI Technology

Cam Speck

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Microsoft Enhancing Word and Excel with AI Technology

Microsoft has recently announced the addition of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to its Microsoft 365 suite of programs, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint. The feature, which they are calling Copilot, promises to unlock creativity and productivity with the help of large language models (LLMs) and business data.

Microsoft Teams Premium is being powered by OpenAI’s ChatGPT messaging service and OpenAI have unveiled GPT-4, a multimodal model that can generate content using text prompts or images. This adds an exciting dimension to office productivity as well as providing teachers and students with unprecedented tools for learning.

However, some concerns have been raised over the potential misuse of these powerful tools in an educational setting leading New York City and Seattle to ban their use on school assignments. Despite these measures it is possible for unscrupulous users to take advantage of the technology for illicit activities such as plagiarism.

In order to address these issues Microsoft is taking action to ensure that these new features are not abused but are used responsibly instead. They have implemented safeguards such as limiting access permissions so that only authorized personnel can view sensitive documents. In addition they will be introducing new methods for verifying the accuracy of submitted assignments using AI technologies such as machine learning algorithms.

This move signals a major shift in how businesses use technology to increase efficiency within their organizations and how educational institutions are keeping ahead of technological advancements in order to create secure learning environments for their students. We can expect many more technological advances from Microsoft in the future which will no doubt expand upon current capabilities while also providing a variety of ethical safeguards against potential misuse.

Microsoft is continuing to lead the way in adapting its products and services to make sure they are as secure and productive as possible. This move is just the first of many steps to come as Microsoft continues to enhance their software with AI technology. We look forward to seeing what new tasks and opportunities this opens up for businesses and educational institutions alike. With careful implementation and ethical use, we can expect a productive future ahead for both users and developers of Microsoft’s products.

Microsoft’s commitment to providing innovative solutions for their users is quite evident and it looks like AI technology could be a major step in the right direction. We can all look forward to seeing what other exciting developments come from this partnership between Microsoft and OpenAI! It will be interesting to watch as Microsoft continues to leverage AI technology in order to create more efficient and secure software solutions.

The addition of AI technology is certainly welcome news for business users as well as educational institutions, but it is important that the proper safeguards are implemented so that these powerful new features are not abused. The ethical implications of AI technology should not be overlooked and it is our responsibility to make sure that these powerful tools are used responsibly. With this in mind, we can look forward to a future of enhanced productivity and creativity with the help of Microsoft’s AI-enhanced software solutions.

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