Top 10 NFT projects in 2022! 

Maciej Zieliński

26 Jul 2022
Top 10 NFT projects in 2022! 

The increasing digitization of almost every sector of the economy has made NFT tokens more popular. The technology itself can offer a lot to its participants. The benefits can start from enhancing digital currency, to copyrighting music, movies and art, and even creating a single community. Interestingly - in 2021 alone, the NFT market generated token sales of about $75,736,378. Not surprisingly, many people are thinking about buying their own NFT, but don't know what its value might be. What projects are worth exploring in 2022? Why exactly is a particular NFT attractive? We write about it below! 

nft

How to assess whether a given NFT is attractive? 

The value of a given NFT is determined by a number of factors - from the team behind it to the technology that represents a particular NFT. The most important elements that suggest that a given NFT is attractive are the following:

  • Rarity - a determination of how difficult it is to obtain an NFT token. 
  • Utility - defining the use of a particular NFT in digital and physical versions. 
  • Tangibility - linking the digitization of the NFT to the physical world. 

Each of the functions can be checked with the appropriate tools. We wrote more on this topic -> here. If you check a given project using these tools and taking into account the factors mentioned above, you will be more aware of a potential NFT purchase. 

nft

Top 10 NFT projects in 2022! 

Nevertheless, we have prepared a list of the top 10 NFT projects for 2022. We point out here that this is the subjective assessment of the author of the text and is not intended to encourage anyone to make an investment/purchase of a particular NFT. You are welcome!

LazyLions NFT

This is an NFT platform based on the Ethereum blockchain. LazyLions offers 160 different features that distinguish each lion. The features in question include clothes, mane, facial expressions and more. LazyLions is also a meeting place for the NFT community in the form of Private Island. The benefits of NFT LazyLions include additional Airdrops, individual communication channels with the community, you get voting rights regarding the project. When you purchase a Lazy Lions or Lazy Bungalows NFT image, the art is completely yours. Whether you want to print and sell the merchandise, use it in advertising, or want it to be the star of your own show! You can read more about the project itself on its website, which can be found -> here. 

Unusual whales 

Unusual whales is an NFT project that collects 6,969 whales. Each of them has individual characteristics, which makes them rare. In addition, the project has special tools to help make investments. The site tracks whale transactions in the NFT market and follows the best portfolios in the space. According to the creators, the whales are supposed to help trade cryptocurrencies through relevant tools and cut off any speculators. An interesting point is that you can buy whales at attractive prices. In the future, it is planned to implement investment solutions from the capital market into the NFT project. Details about the project can be found on this page -> click. 

Cryptopunks

This is a project that was developed on the Ethereum Blockchain in 2017. It was developed using Larva Labs studio. It has 10,000 unique collectible items with ownership in its database. The very premise of the project is punks that can be purchased, auctioned and sold. Each punk has a background color, which indicates its situation i.e. whether it is for sale or not. This design is attractive due to the fact that, realistically, the supply of NFTs has been limited invariably to 10,000 pieces, which ensures that they do not fall in value. The graphics themselves are associated with childhood games on old consoles, which also has its own appeal. The project website can be found -> here. 

Sneaky Vampire Syndicate and NFT

At a time when every young person is familiar with the Twilight film series and is aware of the existence of B. Dracula. Stoker, it didn't take long for NFTs related to vampires. According to the creators, there are 8,888 vampires, where each of them has its own specific traits and characteristics. Interestingly - the NFT itself is in a way an aftermath of the Bored Ape Yacht Club and its creators. The plot of Sneaky Vampire Syndicate is set in a vampire house fenced off from the reach of sunlight, where each vampire takes action. The project itself is interesting for several reasons:

  • first - it has been a success right from the start, 
  • second - the people behind it are those who make up the Bored Ape Yacht Club with experience in this subject matter, 
  • third - the amount of NFT supply has been limited to 8,888 vampires, 
  • fourth - an NFT purchase reservation system was created, which led to saving hundreds of thousands of dollars for Ethereum gas. 

Are you interested in the concept of vampires in NFT? Read more about it -> here. 

Bored Ape Yacht Club

This is an NFT project that is already known almost everywhere in the cryptocurrency and blcokchain technology community. It consists of 10,000 NFT monkeys, where each monkey has its own uniqueness. The NFT itself is popular with global celebrities such as Eminem and Snoop Dogg. People who buy monkeys get access to the vip community. Access to the club itself gives many benefits - from earning from the increase in the value of the monkey, to participation in events organized with celebrities in the US.  In our opinion, the appeal of the project lies in the limited supply of NFT tokens, access to a cool group of people and organized events. Although the project is extremely popular, it is still worth learning more about it. You can find them -> here. 

The cryptoDads

The cryptoDads is a collection of 10,000 unique, randomly generated NFTs based on Ethereum blockchain technology. The NFT color scheme itself is reminiscent of the TV series "Bobs Burgers." The collection is a satire of mid-life crises in men who have been placed in the world of cryptocurrencies and graphics. It's an interesting design that deviates in its construction and behavior from others. The cryptoDads focuses on quality in artwork, rather than the rarity of the piece. The goal of NFT's founders is for people to identify with the virtual figures and have an emotional approach to them. The approach to people owning NFT on cryptoDads is interesting - they have access to channels on a variety of topics, including sites with memes and jokes about fathers, pets, the garage, etc. A very cool aspect is that members can also ask any questions or seek help with issues they are facing. The satirical page of the NFT itself can be found here -> check it out. 

CyberKongz

This is a project that means more than just NFT. The randomly generated avatar can appear in 2D or 3D. The graphic process itself is based on the evolution of humans from monkeys. Each monkey has specific features that make them visually appealing. The project makes NFT monkeys affiliated with charities and donates about 10% of profits to them , to play their key role in improving the world. It's a cool initiative that focuses on helping others, seeing people's development and directing their thinking towards charitable actions. Do you like CybreKongs? Check out their website

VeeFriends

The creator of the NFT platform is Gary Vaynerchuk - an American entrepreneur, author of four New York Times bestsellers, motivational speaker and internationally renowned Internet personality. He created NFT aimed at developing and supporting his business and creative ideas. Each token within the Series 1 collection is based on one of 268 characters that were originally hand-drawn by Vaynerchuk as representations of human traits. Interestingly, he displays qualities that he himself uniquely values in another human being. NFT buyers get access to Gary's materials and have a real impact on the development of his ideas. It's an interesting concept, because there is a real successful man behind it, who can be supported by us. We encourage you to check out more information about the project on his website. 

uUnicorns

Uunicorns stands for Uninterested Unicorns. The project is based on the Ethereum Blockchain, and the number of unicorns is 6900. It was founded by Terence Ting, who is also the owner of esports company Team Flash, Co-founder of The Asian Mint. The creators believe that their project is the development and expansion of the Internet economy, metaverse and video games. uUnicorn is to create an online entertainment destination for every token holder. The unicorns themselves have a nice and aesthetically pleasing design in the climate of a digital fairy tale. uUnicorns has its own website, which presents more information about the NFT in question. 

Doge Pound

The NFT platform consists of attractive artworks depicting dogs in hipster outfits. This NFT is created with the help of complex algorithms that combine many individual features on the dogs, for example, clothes, fur, hat, eyes, background and more. Each Doge Pound is aesthetically pleasing and individual. A very important advantage is that  each Doge Pound NFT carries a different initial value, which is determined by considering various factors. It is not the most popular project, but it is gaining interest. Work is underway regarding the creation of tokens and accessories for the Metaverse. Early entry into the Metaverse will make Doge Pound one of the first NFTs in the new technological world.

You can read more about the project itself on its website, which can be found -> here. 

Summary 

As you can see, the NFT token market is becoming more and more popular. However, we should remember to check each platform with the right tools. An important aspect is to check the history of the project, team members and token supply. Tokenomics, is an essential element that should be analyzed before buying NFT. The above list is our subjective discussion of projects and should not be taken as an offer or investment proposal. 

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Aethir Tokenomics – Case Study

Kajetan Olas

22 Nov 2024
Aethir Tokenomics – Case Study

Authors of the contents are not affiliated to the reviewed project in any way and none of the information presented should be taken as financial advice.

In this article we analyze tokenomics of Aethir - a project providing on-demand cloud compute resources for the AI, Gaming, and virtualized compute sectors.
Aethir aims to aggregate enterprise-grade GPUs from multiple providers into a DePIN (Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Network). Its competitive edge comes from utlizing the GPUs for very specific use-cases, such as low-latency rendering for online games.
Due to decentralized nature of its infrastructure Aethir can meet the demands of online-gaming in any region. This is especially important for some gamer-abundant regions in Asia with underdeveloped cloud infrastructure that causes high latency ("lags").
We will analyze Aethir's tokenomics, give our opinion on what was done well, and provide specific recommendations on how to improve it.

Evaluation Summary

Aethir Tokenomics Structure

The total supply of ATH tokens is capped at 42 billion ATH. This fixed cap provides a predictable supply environment, and the complete emissions schedule is listed here. As of November 2024 there are approximately 5.2 Billion ATH in circulation. In a year from now (November 2025), the circulating supply will almost triple, and will amount to approximately 15 Billion ATH. By November 2028, today's circulating supply will be diluted by around 86%.

From an investor standpoint the rational decision would be to stake their tokens and hope for rewards that will balance the inflation. Currently the estimated APR for 3-year staking is 195% and for 4-year staking APR is 261%. The rewards are paid out weekly. Furthermore, stakers can expect to get additional rewards from partnered AI projects.

Staking Incentives

Rewards are calculated based on the staking duration and staked amount. These factors are equally important and they linearly influence weekly rewards. This means that someone who stakes 100 ATH for 2 weeks will have the same weekly rewards as someone who stakes 200 ATH for 1 week. This mechanism greatly emphasizes long-term holding. That's because holding a token makes sense only if you go for long-term staking. E.g. a whale staking $200k with 1 week lockup. will have the same weekly rewards as person staking $1k with 4 year lockup. Furthermore the ATH staking rewards are fixed and divided among stakers. Therefore Increase of user base is likely to come with decrease in rewards.
We believe the main weak-point of Aethirs staking is the lack of equivalency between rewards paid out to the users and value generated for the protocol as a result of staking.

Token Distribution

The token distribution of $ATH is well designed and comes with long vesting time-frames. 18-month cliff and 36-moths subsequent linear vesting is applied to team's allocation. This is higher than industry standard and is a sign of long-term commitment.

  • Checkers and Compute Providers: 50%
  • Ecosystem: 15%
  • Team: 12.5%
  • Investors: 11.5%
  • Airdrop: 6%
  • Advisors: 5%

Aethir's airdrop is divided into 3 phases to ensure that only loyal users get rewarded. This mechanism is very-well thought and we rate it highly. It fosters high community engagement within the first months of the project and sets the ground for potentially giving more-control to the DAO.

Governance and Community-Led Development

Aethir’s governance model promotes community-led decision-making in a very practical way. Instead of rushing with creation of a DAO for PR and marketing purposes Aethir is trying to make it the right way. They support projects building on their infrastructure and regularly share updates with their community in the most professional manner.

We believe Aethir would benefit from implementing reputation boosted voting. An example of such system is described here. The core assumption is to abandon the simplistic: 1 token = 1 vote and go towards: Votes = tokens * reputation_based_multiplication_factor.

In the attached example, reputation_based_multiplication_factor rises exponentially with the number of standard deviations above norm, with regard to user's rating. For compute compute providers at Aethir, user's rating could be replaced by provider's uptime.

Perspectives for the future

While it's important to analyze aspects such as supply-side tokenomics, or governance, we must keep in mind that 95% of project's success depends on demand-side. In this regard the outlook for Aethir may be very bright. The project declares $36M annual reccuring revenue. Revenue like this is very rare in the web3 space. Many projects are not able to generate any revenue after succesfull ICO event, due to lack fo product-market-fit.

If you're looking to create a robust tokenomics model and go through institutional-grade testing please reach out to contact@nextrope.com. Our team is ready to help you with the token engineering process and ensure your project’s resilience in the long term.

Quadratic Voting in Web3

Kajetan Olas

04 Dec 2024
Quadratic Voting in Web3

Decentralized systems are reshaping how we interact, conduct transactions, and govern online communities. As Web3 continues to advance, the necessity for effective and fair voting mechanisms becomes apparent. Traditional voting systems, such as the one-token-one-vote model, often fall short in capturing the intensity of individual preferences, which can result in centralization. Quadratic Voting (QV) addresses this challenge by enabling individuals to express not only their choices but also the strength of their preferences.

In QV, voters are allocated a budget of credits that they can spend to cast votes on various issues. The cost of casting multiple votes on a single issue increases quadratically, meaning that each additional vote costs more than the last. This system allows for a more precise expression of preferences, as individuals can invest more heavily in issues they care deeply about while conserving credits on matters of lesser importance.

Understanding Quadratic Voting

Quadratic Voting (QV) is a voting system designed to capture not only the choices of individuals but also the strength of their preferences. In most DAO voting mechanisms, each person typically has one vote per token, which limits the ability to express how strongly they feel about a particular matter. Furthermore, QV limits the power of whales and founding team who typically have large token allocations. These problems are adressed by making the cost of each additional vote increase quadratically.

In QV, each voter is given a budget of credits or tokens that they can spend to cast votes on various issues. The key principle is that the cost to cast n votes on a single issue is proportional to the square of n. This quadratic cost function ensures that while voters can express stronger preferences, doing so requires a disproportionately higher expenditure of their voting credits. This mechanism discourages voters from concentrating all their influence on a single issue unless they feel very strongly about it. In the context of DAOs, it means that large holders will have a hard-time pushing through with a proposal if they'll try to do it on their own.

Practical Example

Consider a voter who has been allocated 25 voting credits to spend on several proposals. The voter has varying degrees of interest in three proposals: Proposal A, Proposal B, and Proposal C.

  • Proposal A: High interest.
  • Proposal B: Moderate interest.
  • Proposal C: Low interest.

The voter might allocate their credits as follows:

Proposal A:

  • Votes cast: 3
  • Cost: 9 delegated tokens

Proposal B:

  • Votes cast: 2
  • Cost: 4 delegated tokens

Proposal C:

  • Votes cast: 1
  • Cost: 1 delegated token

Total delegated tokens: 14
Remaining tokens: 11

With the remaining tokens, the voter can choose to allocate additional votes to the proposals based on their preferences or save for future proposals. If they feel particularly strong about Proposal A, they might decide to cast one more vote:

Additional vote on Proposal A:

  • New total votes: 4
  • New cost: 16 delegated tokens
  • Additional cost: 16−9 = 7 delegated tokens

Updated total delegated tokens: 14+7 = 21

Updated remaining tokens: 25−21 = 425 - 21 = 4

This additional vote on Proposal A costs 7 credits, significantly more than the previous vote, illustrating how the quadratic cost discourages excessive influence on a single issue without strong conviction.

Benefits of Implementing Quadratic Voting

Key Characteristics of the Quadratic Cost Function

  • Marginal Cost Increases Linearly: The marginal cost of each additional vote increases linearly. The cost difference between casting n and n−1 votes is 2n−1.
  • Total Cost Increases Quadratically: The total cost to cast multiple votes rises steeply, discouraging voters from concentrating too many votes on a single issue without significant reason.
  • Promotes Egalitarian Voting: Small voters are encouraged to participate, because relatively they have a much higher impact.

Advantages Over Traditional Voting Systems

Quadratic Voting offers several benefits compared to traditional one-person-one-vote systems:

  • Captures Preference Intensity: By allowing voters to express how strongly they feel about an issue, QV leads to outcomes that better reflect the collective welfare.
  • Reduces Majority Domination: The quadratic cost makes it costly for majority groups to overpower minority interests on every issue.
  • Encourages Honest Voting: Voters are incentivized to allocate votes in proportion to their true preferences, reducing manipulation.

By understanding the foundation of Quadratic Voting, stakeholders in Web3 communities can appreciate how this system supports more representative governance.

Conclusion

Quadratic voting is a novel voting system that may be used within DAOs to foster decentralization. The key idea is to make the cost of voting on a certain issue increase quadratically. The leading player that makes use of this mechanism is Optimism. If you're pondering about the design of your DAO, we highly recommend taking a look at their research on quadratic funding.

If you're looking to create a robust governance model and go through institutional-grade testing please reach out to contact@nextrope.com. Our team is ready to help you with the token engineering process and ensure that your DAO will stand out as a beacon of innovation and resilience in the long term.