NFTs provide unique, irreplaceable ownership of digital assets like art, music, among other things. With artists earning millions from music, collectibles, and designs, it seems the NFT train is going full steam ahead. The cryptocurrency mania has propelled the non-fungible tokens (NFTs) or digital collectibles market to new heights in 2021. Total NFT sales volume is expected to have topped $17 billion by the end of the year, per reports.

But how are these NFTs minted and can you mint one? Yes, anyone can mint NFTs. There are multiple NFT marketplaces to choose from if you want to sell your art online. Some of the most prominent are OpenSea, Rarible, SuperRare, and Foundation. Currently, many of these marketplaces are only on the Ethereum network, so you must have its native currency Ether and a wallet compatible with the Ethereum network. Here's a guide to minting your own NFTs.

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A step-by-step guide to mint NFTs

Each marketplace has a different process to mint NFTs. However, most of the steps mentioned below will be applicable in some form to all marketplaces. The only major difference in various platforms available for minting NFTs is the fees they charge.

Get a crypto exchange account

If you already don’t have an account with a crypto exchange, then you will need to make one. As mentioned above, most NFT marketplaces are currently based on Ethereum platform, and therefore, you will need to have ether in your wallet to pay for the one-time fee for minting your NFT. The use of a crypto exchange will help you liquidate the crypto if you want to convert it into traditional fiat.

Get a crypto wallet

A crypto wallet is essential if you want to buy/sell NFTs in any NFT marketplace. The most popular crypto wallet used with OpenSea, for example, is metamask. It is a browser plugin, and it is easy to set up. You can download the wallet plugin from the metamask website. With the metamask wallet, you also have the option to directly buy ether from it, but you should know that the commission fee for it is higher than exchanges.

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Send Ether from your exchange to your wallet

Once you have set up your wallet and exchange, you need to send Ether from your exchange to your wallet. All exchanges have the option to send crypto to a wallet with a public address. You will be able to see your wallet's public address when you open your wallet plugin on the browser.

Signup on the platform using your wallet

Once you have opened your wallet, go to the website of the platform and click on the profile option. You will see an option to connect your wallet with the marketplace.

After connecting your wallet, you will have an unnamed profile. Enter your email address and a username to verify your account. After verifying, you will be set to mint an NFT.

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Minting an NFT

To mint an NFT, look for the create button. You will be redirected to a page where you need to upload your NFT (Ensure that the NFT you are minting is in a format allowed on the marketplace site). After naming your NFT and uploading it, scroll down and click on the create option. Your NFT will then be on the marketplace, but you still need to list it for selling.

Selling your NFT

On your NFT page, you will see the option to sell. Click on it. You will be redirected to a page where you will have the option to auction your NFT or sell it for a fixed price. If you are going the fixed price route, choose the price you want to sell it. Complete listing to finish the process.

Before the NFT is listed for sale, the platform will ask you to initialise your wallet. Finally, you need to confirm the selling price through the wallet.

Your first NFT would have been minted now.

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(Edited by : Yashi Gupta)