Most information on how to buy NFT artwork is written for speculative investors. This guide is for anyone who appreciates art for art’s sake and wants to learn how to safely navigate the NFT art market.
Get Started by Using a Secure Browser
As I’ll cover in this article, NFT art collecting, blockchain, and cryptocurrency all represent a developing market. This means that in some areas, legislation and enforcement have some catching up to do to ensure buyer safety. To help you set a good baseline for protecting yourself, start by using a browser with a high safety and security profile.
Google Chrome is currently the most popular browser in the world, which makes sense considering Google pays billions of dollars each year to have its app included in devices as a default browser. This, however, doesn’t mean it’s the safest. In fact, it’s also one of the browsers often targeted by hackers due to its numerous security vulnerabilities.
Brave Browser
Brave browser is the most frequently recommended alternative to Chrome by blockchain enthusiasts concerned about user security. Launched in 2016, Brave is a privacy-focused open-source app that works across all major operating systems. It also helps that it was developed from the ground up to be cryptocurrency-friendly. As of October 2025, it’s also fully integrated Cardano into the browser’s native wallet. You can download Brave below:
| Click For Computer / Laptop | Scan For Mobile Device |
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Note: Whichever browser you choose, please do not use Internet Explorer. Microsoft officially ended support for this outdated app in 2022, but because it shipped for years with MS operating systems, it’s still out in the ecosystem. Hackers know this and actively hunt for installs to exploit.
Where to Find And Buy NFT Art
The rapid growth of the NFT market has inspired businesses across the Internet to develop strategies that allow them to participate in this emerging industry. This means more methods for creators to sell and promote their artwork and a wider range of opportunities for art collectors like you to discover them.
Below are some of the most popular ways collectors currently discover and buy new NFT art. This list will certainly grow as the NFT market matures.
According Art Basel, nearly 70% of art collectors use Instagram to discover and purchase new works of art while 39% of use it specifically for hunting down blockchain-based artwork. As a visual-centric platform, Instagram naturally caters to displaying eye catching imagery.
Hashtags are the most effective tool for searching for NFTs on Instagram, and once you begin following a specific artist, you will receive updates from them as well as recommendations to follow similar creators.
Below are recommended Instagram hashtags to use in your hunter’s toolkit:
#nftartdrop
#cryptoartgallery
#cryptoartwork
#cryptoartist
#cnftcommunity
#nftartist
#nftartwork
#nftartworks
#nftcollectibles
#nftdrop
#nftgallery
#artoftheday
#nftdrops
And, of course, you can always use #a2d or #scversillee to find social updates from this website.
With nearly 600 million monthly users, Pinterest is another another “visual-discovery engine.” Like Instagram, it naturally attracts the interest of art collectors as well as interior design and home décor aficionados. The platform’s collage feature allows account holders to create digital mood boards that buyers use for shopping inspiration.
While a Pinterst board can be private, these collections are public by default; this means you have an increased opportunity to discover more art and artists. The simplest way to do this is by conducting keyword searches that describe what you’re looking for. A few examples are below:
nft artworks
nfts digital art
nft art art collection
crypto artwork
You’ll notice that as you type in keywords, the Pinterest algorithm will give you more suggestion to choose from based on popular searches conducted by other people. Once you click on a pin that interests you, scrolling down to the bottom of the page will show more works of art that are similar or by the same creator.
Creators’ websites
While Instagram and other social media platforms like Pinterest or Facebook can be adequate for finding new NFT artwork, be aware that some artists prefer to skip the social media route choosing instead to market and sell their work directly through their websites.
The trend to ignore social media is driven by an array of reasons. One significant issue is social media platforms’ habit of artificially limiting organic reach to force creators to pay for ads. Another reason people abandon these platforms is simply wanting to avoid negative aspects of social media to preserve their mental and emotional health.
Buying directly from creators allows you to cut out fees added by third-party vendors. It also helps you have direct contact with an artist if you relish that experience as part of your collecting process.
Most artists are ethical sellers; however, purchasing directly from creators requires that you take the time to research them to know who you’re buying from. Taking this step helps to protect you from losing money or buying NFTs with questionable copyright status (more on this later).
Could you use more tips like this for vetting creators? Join the Addicted to Detail mailing list for instant access to further education.
NFT marketplaces
NFT marketplaces are the superstores of blockchain-backed art and collectibles. The marketplaces you choose to explore will be determined by a few different factors; which blockchains you use (for example, Ethereum, Polygon, or Cardano) or what type of artwork you prefer: generative art or something more unique or handmade like physical NFTs.
You can also find propriety marketplaces that sell assets by major commercial brands like Marvel Universe or the NBA. Other aspects influencing a collector’s preference are ease of use and marketplace fees.
If you’re buying art purely for personal enjoyment, you’ll have more latitude in which marketplaces you patronize. If, however, you’re buying choices are driven by speculative investing, you’ll want to make certain you pick a marketplace with a lot of liquidity to support a healthy resale market. In either case, you’ll also want to buy from marketplaces that note in the Terms of Service that take measures to ensure that people selling work on their platform are the permissioned or intellectual property owners.
Below are a few examples of popular NFT marketplaces. They range from open (anyone is free to mint and sell on the platform), closed (creators can only sell after completing an extensive vetting process), and proprietary (owned by a brand or only sells licensed brand assets).
- JPG.Store – JPG.Store is the equivalent to OpenSea but based on the Cardano blockchain. Like OpenSea, it boasts the largest collection of NFT art and collectibles within the Cardano ecosystem.
- SuperRare – SuperRare is built on the Ethereum blockchain but uses its proprietary token ($RARE) for transactions. It’s a curated marketplace featuring works with a specific fine art vibe.
- VeVe – If collectibles are your vice of choice, VeVe is a digital collector’s heaven. It’s a marketplace specifically for premium licensed assets from popular brands like DC Comics, Capcom, Disney, and Marvel, to name a few.
- Objkt.com – Objkt.com is the largest marketplace built on Tezos. Tezos promotes itself as an environmentally friendly blockchain and so Objkt artists use the #cleanNFTs hashtag to advertise this status.
- Top Shot – Top Shot is a proprietary marketplace developed to sell memorable sports “moments” as assets owned and controlled by the NBA. It’s based on the FLOW blockchain.
NFT galleries
NFT galleries are an evolving niche. Some are purely based in the virtual world, meaning you’ll have to pop on a VR headset and take a stroll in the Metaverse to explore them. Others, for now, are finding it more profitable to blend digital and real-life experiences to create physical NFT galleries.
What’s interesting is that we’re seeing art sellers from both traditional and blockchain-based art worlds explore this middle ground to discover what resonates best with the public.
Finding an NFT art gallery is as simple as running an Internet search for the term. Since quality and validity vary widely, you’ll want to conduct the same vetting process you would follow for any other seller. Depending on how far virtual/digital the NFT gallery is leaning, making a purchase will be facilitated by simply connecting your cryptocurrency wallet. If the gallery is more traditional, there may be more human involvement required to complete the purchasing process.
Blockchain and NFT conventions
If you enjoy the energy of sharing space with like-minded participants in the blockchain and NFT market, virtual and in-person conventions can be an exciting way to discover new NFT art. These events also often feature presentations and Q&A sessions given by thought leaders in the industry that can help you further your knowledge about the market. A quick search on Eventbrite will return a wealth of options in your country of choice.
Art auction houses
If you have an art collecting budget that allows for buying “blue chip” assets, you can add auction houses to your shopping list. Legacy players like Christie’s and Sotheby’s have both leapt into the NFT art pool with headline making results. Christie’s in particular has fully embraced the Web 3.0 movement by launching an exclusively blockchain-backed sales platform.
Know What You’re Buying
The NFT art market presents exciting new possibilities for artists and art collectors, but before you dive in and start making purchases, you need to know what it is you’re buying. In two previous articles, Is NFT Art Real Art? and, How Does Blockchain Power NFT Art? I described for readers what NFT artworks are and aren’t. I highly suggest you read these blogs for deeper context. For convenience, the following is a quick summary of what you’re getting when you buy an NFT artwork or collectible.
Buying an NFT means you take ownership of a unique alphanumeric string or “non-fungible token” and its associated asset. The asset a token is linked to can be anything from a digital artwork to a physical piece of real estate. The NFT serves the purpose of rendering an asset unique or providing blockchain-backed proof of authenticity for objects that are already one-of-a-kind.
Because all NFT transactions are recorded to a public unchangeable blockchain, NFTs also conveniently provide a tamperproof digital history of who created an artwork, who owns it, and who it was transferred to. In the art world this is known as provenance.
Once you have a general sense of what an NFT is, below are further details you’ll want to be familiar with to help you know exactly what you’re buying from a specific artist or creator.
Understand the difference between pre-sale and public sale
When an asset is linked to a unique token on a blockchain, this action is called ‘minting’. The two most common sales methods for offering NFTs for purchase are pre-sale (or pre-mint) and public sale (or public mint). Before you buy an NFT artwork, you want to be clear on which method a creator is using to distribute their work.
- Pre-sales are an early-access method of selling NFTs before they are actually minted. Typically, collectors interested in participating in a pre-sale join a whitelist by connecting their cryptocurrency wallet to a creator’s site and buying what’s essentially an IOU for the NFT. Later, the artwork is dropped to the buyer’s wallet on a specified date. Pre-sales benefit creators by allowing them to raise funds required to develop or complete a project.
- Public sales allow collectors to mint or acquire their selected NFT artwork at the same time it’s purchased. Between pre-sale and public sale, public sale exposes an art collector to the least amount of risk. When you buy into a pre-sale you are betting that an artist or development team will deliver what you’ve purchased. Fake pre-sales (or rug pulls) have been a frequent factor in NFT scams where fraudsters raised funds from buyers and disappeared. You can mitigate this risk by opting not to participate in pre-sales and by following best DYOR practices (covered further down this article).
Artwork offered for sale through the Addicted to Detail mailing list is sold through a public sale model where NFTs are minted at sale or already exist on a blockchain.
Know what rights you receive at purchase
Even in the traditional art market, buyers sometimes assume that a purchase of an artwork grants them certain rights that they don’t actually have. In a previous article, I provide in depth detail about copyright law and rights transferred to NFT art buyers at purchase. In summary, creators retain all copyright to their work unless otherwise explicitly stated in writing.
You want to be crystal clear about what you can and can’t do with an NFT asset once you’ve paid for it. For instance, creating prints, mugs, or t-shirts of an NFT image you bought and/or selling them would violate most creators’ copyrights.
Note: Be aware that some cryptocurrency wallets come equipped with a link to buy prints of NFTs you own. These prints are usually not authorized by the creator and therefore may be in violation of their copyright or fall outside the of any quality guarantee made by the artist.
Look for ‘Terms of Service’, ‘Terms of Use’, or ‘Copyright’ links on artists’ websites to clearly understand what rights are passed to you as a buyer. Such links are usually found in the footer (bottom) of a website. You also want to be certain that the work you are purchasing is authentically the creator’s own and does not violate any other creator’s rights.
Are you finding these tips for knowing what you’re buying helpful? Receive several more tips like this when you join the Addicted to Detail mailing list.
Know Who You’re Buying From (DYOR)
Blockchain, cryptocurrency, and the NFT art and collectibles market are all industries still in their infancy. As such, regulation, enforcement, and trade standards are under development, leaving room for unethical actors to try to take advantage of people.
In cryptocurrency, there’s a commonly used acronym, DYOR or “do your own research,” that implores anyone playing in the space to pause and conduct thorough research on a company, team, or project before investing in their offering. Similarly, you’ll want to take the same tact before buying NFT art. This will help reduce your chances of falling prey to a scam.
What do scams look like in the NFT art world? Well, some of the most common schemes are rug pulls. In a rug pull scenario, a person or persons launch what looks like a legitimate project. Next, they encourage people to buy into a pre-sale with a promise to deliver specific merchandise, benefits, or exaggerated profit, but instead, disappear with the money.
Other common scams include selling counterfeit NFTs based on stolen artwork or other people’s copyright-protected intellectual property and “pump-and-dump” arrangements where inside players artificially pump up the price of speculative NFTs and then sell them at top price, after which the artificial value completely collapses.
The following is a list of suggested actions you can take to vet NFT artists or teams to ensure you’re buying from legitimate, ethical creators. While there is no guarantee using these methods will completely shield you from becoming the victim of a scam, they can go a long way toward making sure you don’t.
Use as many of these tactics as possible, and take your time. Be prepared to spend at least two or three days completing the research process before you decide to buy.
Only buy from “doxxed” creators
The term “doxxing” or “doxxed” was initially associated with a form of cyber harassment that involved someone’s private identifiable information being dispersed online without consent. In the context of buying blockchain-backed art, it refers to NFT creators who voluntarily provide identifying information to the public for transparency.
NFT creators who intend to build a long-lasting brand are usually doxxed, though some may opt to remain entirely or partially anonymous due to security concerns. Also, in NFT and crypto culture, there is a strong bent toward staying anonymous that ties into attaining and maintaining digital freedom. As a result, it’s also a common practice for NFT creators to use PFPs or illustrated profile pictures instead of professional headshots.
Realistically, as the crypto and NFT market is forced to comply with developing legislation, it’s likely that remaining an anonymous seller will become less prevalent. In the meantime, as a buyer, you have to weigh the risks of buying from a non-doxxed creator. To increase your safety while making an online purchase, you should consider it a red flag if you can’t easily find any identifying information that shows who you are purchasing from.
Review the creator’s “About” page
A responsible creator will recognize the importance of providing at least basic bio information to help gain the trust of potential buyers. Nearly all online-based businesses across industries have an “About” page that outlines a founder’s and team members’ backgrounds, qualifications, and contributions for transparency. Exercise caution if you buy from an NFT creator unwilling to follow this established business standard.
A well-constructed About Us or bio page should give you a good sense of what inspired an artist or team to create the art they are selling. It can also provide some verifiable details about how long they’ve worked in their craft, any education they’ve received that supports what they do, and any past accomplishments relevant to the NFT artwork.
Review the creator’s website
With all of the website building tools available on the market, you should expect a creator to have a website that is clean, viewable on mobile and desktop, and easy to navigate. It should, at minimum, have information about the NFT artwork, details about the artwork’s maker, and when, how, and where you can expect to buy it.
Other content to check for that signals you are viewing a professional-level website:
- How to contact the creator if you have a question or concern
- Well-written copy that’s easy to read and free of gross grammatical errors
- A privacy policy that explains what information is collected from you and how it’s used
- Terms and conditions for using the website
Contact the creator
The quality of an interaction can tell you a lot about what you can expect from a buying experience. Reach out with a reasonable question or comment (don’t use this as an excuse to waste a creator’s time with something unrelated to their work) and evaluate the following:
- How long did it take for the artist to respond? Within 72 hours, pretty good. More than a week or two, be cautious.
- Did they respond at all? No response? Make sure you are using their preferred method of contact.
- Was the response reasonably written? Not looking for a Nobel laureate here, but the reply should be intelligible.
- Was your actual question or comment addressed?
Check a seller’s community/social media following
Evaluating the size and activity level of an NFT creator’s online following is a quick and dirty way to determine if an NFT art collection is valid. By reading feedback from other collectors and supporters and examining how an artist responds to both positive and negative feedback, you can get a feel for the level of professionalism to expect in your customer experience.
Note: the size of a creator’s following doesn’t necessarily tell the whole tale. What’s more critical is the quality of follower interactions. It’s obviously better to have an artist followed by 500 active and engaged supporters versus a social media account followed by 500,000 bots.
Here are a few ways you can tell if a social media account is mainly made up of bots:
- An account has a high follower count but very little engagement on social posts
- The majority of posts on an account have generic or duplicate comments like “This is great!” or emojis with no comments or context
- Followers have no profile pictures, or the pictures are completely random with no relationship to the followers’ names
- Followers have no followers of their own
- Follower’s bios are generic and lack detail
Are you finding these tips for vetting a selling artist helpful? Receive several more tips like this when you join the Addicted to Detail mailing list.
Making Your Purchase
Once you fully understand what you’re buying and you’re comfortable that you are purchasing from a trustworthy creator, the next step is to buy your new artwork! Purchasing NFT art normally requires having some cryptocurrency on hand and a cryptocurrency wallet (you can read this article to learn about cryptocurrency wallets and how they work.)
Note: there are sometimes options available to buy NFT art using credit or debit cards, but be aware that this will increase the total cost that you pay. As a best practice, having a cryptocurrency wallet and cryptocurrency on hand generally makes transactions cheaper and easier to complete.
Once you’ve secured a cryptocurrency wallet, you will use fiat currency (for example, USD) to purchase crypto from an exchange. The following centralized exchanges represent some of the most the most popular and user-friendly options for acquiring cryptocurrency:
- Binance.com – International
- Kraken.com – U.S. & International
- Crypto.com – U.S. & International
- Coinbase.com – U.S & International
- OKX.com – International
Next, depending on the construction of the marketplace or artist’s website you’re buying from, you will click a “connect wallet” button, usually located at the top of a site’s header. Once connected, navigate to the item you wish to buy and tap the “buy” button. Purchasing is not automatic—you will be prompted to authorize the purchase before it can actually be completed.
Once your transaction is finished, your ownership status of the artwork will have been recorded to the blockchain. You will now be able to view your digital artwork in your cryptocurrency wallet and/or follow next steps provided by the seller for acquiring your purchased art if it happens to be a physical NFT.
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