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NFT Royalties: How They Work and Why They Matter

NFT royalties are recurring payments made to the original creator of an NFT each time the asset is sold on a secondary market. A percentage of each sale is automatically transferred to the creator’s wallet, providing a sustainable income stream that aligns with the long-term value of their work.

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Hippo says royalties are a good thing

The concept of royalties is a critical aspect for artists, creators, and collectors. While royalties have eroded in the web3 ecosystem over the past two years, Cardano and JPG Store continue to stand firmly in favor of them. Today we’ll explore how NFT royalties work on Cardano, why they matter for the ecosystem, and how they benefit creators and collectors alike. 

What Are NFT Royalties?

NFT royalties are recurring payments made to the original creator of an NFT each time the asset is sold on a secondary market. This mechanism ensures that creators continue to earn from their work, even after the initial sale. A percentage of each sale is automatically transferred to the creator’s wallet, providing a sustainable income stream that aligns with the long-term value of their work.

How NFT Royalties Work on Cardano

Cardano, with its research-driven approach and peer-reviewed protocols, offers a robust and decentralized mechanism for implementing NFT royalties. Unlike some other blockchains, Cardano’s community has enforced its commitment towards royalties through building these abilities directly into their smart contracts.  Smart contracts on Cardano are designed with the needs of the creator in mind, ensuring that royalty payments are executed reliably. 

Whenever an NFT is resold on JPG Store, our smart contract ensures a payment to the creator’s wallet as per their collection’s royalty amount. This automation ensures that creators receive their due royalties without having to manually track sales or enforce payments. The trustless nature of blockchain further enhances this process, ensuring that all parties work within the agreed terms. Creators have the flexibility to set their royalty percentages when minting the NFT collection. This means that artists can decide how much they want to earn from future sales of their work in collaboration with their communities. This flexibility is a significant advantage for creators who wish to have control over their future revenue streams. 

Why NFT Royalties on Cardano Matter

NFT royalties are essential for several reasons:

  1. Empowering Creators: By enabling automatic royalty payments, Cardano empowers artists and creators to continue earning from their work long after the initial sale. This ongoing income is vital for supporting creative endeavors and ensuring that artists are fairly compensated for their contributions to the digital art world. Cardano’s commitment to decentralization further strengthens this empowerment by removing intermediaries from the royalty distribution process.
  2. Encouraging Innovation: Royalties incentivize creators to innovate and produce high-quality content. Knowing that they will earn from secondary sales encourages artists to experiment and push creative boundaries, leading to a richer and more diverse NFT ecosystem on Cardano. This culture of innovation is crucial for the long-term success of the Cardano network as it fosters a vibrant community of creators.
  3. Supporting a Sustainable Ecosystem: Cardano’s royalty system contributes to a more sustainable NFT ecosystem. By ensuring that creators benefit from the long-term value of their work, the platform encourages the production of high-quality, valuable NFTs, which in turn attracts collectors and investors. This sustainability is also reinforced by Cardano’s energy-efficient Proof of Stake (PoS) consensus mechanism, which significantly reduces the environmental impact of blockchain transactions. 

For collectors, NFT royalties on Cardano are more than just a creator’s reward—they play a significant role in the value of the asset:

  • Support for Creators: By purchasing NFTs with embedded royalties on Cardano, collectors are directly supporting their favorite artists. This support helps sustain the creative industry and ensures that artists can continue producing high-quality work. In turn, this creates a positive feedback loop where collectors are rewarded with more valuable and unique digital assets.
  • Long-term Value: NFTs on Cardano that include royalties often hold their value better over time. The continuous flow of royalties incentivizes creators to promote and develop their work further, which can increase the visibility and desirability of the NFT in the secondary market. For collectors, this means that their investments are more likely to appreciate in value, making Cardano a smart choice for those looking to build a valuable NFT collection. Explore more about investing in NFTs.

As the NFT space continues to expand, we believe that royalties are absolutely necessary for setting a new standard of fairness and sustainability. By ensuring that creators are rewarded for their work long after the initial sale, Cardano is fostering a vibrant and innovative NFT ecosystem. Whether you’re a creator looking to mint your first NFT or a collector seeking valuable digital assets, Cardano’s NFT ecosystem is the place to be at for the long run.

New to Cardano? Check out our Beginner’s Guide for jumpstarting your journey on Cardano!

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