What to Read: Kaloh is elucidating the NFT art world
This week, we interviewed the pseudonymous writer Kaloh, who writes Kaloh’s Newsletter, a publication that delves into the artwork and opportunities of NFTs (non-fungible tokens).
This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
What’s your publication about in one sentence?
I write about NFT art, crypto artists, and NFT market-analysis insights.
What’s the most basic explanation of what an NFT is?
A non-fungible token (NFT) is a non-interchangeable unit of data stored on a blockchain—a form of digital ledger—that can be sold and traded. Think about it as a digital good where it is easy to verify its authenticity, the creator, and the owner. It could be anything containing a file, such as a jpeg, video, book, song, or even unique items with different usages and utilities. It is also possible to link digital goods to physical objects.
Your Substack feels more approachable than a lot of other writing about crypto and NFTs. Is that intentional? What are you hoping readers take away from it?
I try hard to make my newsletter straightforward by incorporating simple language, because NFTs are already a very complex space. The entry barriers are too high, as they involve learning technical concepts and new tools that are hard to grasp at the beginning.
I hope my readers can discover exciting NFT art, find new crypto artists, and get more confident about Web3 and everything it encompasses.
You’ve written about how crypto art has awakened a creative part of yourself from childhood. What is it about this new medium that’s so inspiring?
Collecting and learning from NFT artists inspired me to give it a shot. Also, I like the idea of creating something that stays forever stamped on the blockchain.
From a more general perspective, though, Web3 (smart contracts, blockchain, crypto coins, NFTs, and decentralization) forms a way to build connections between creators and collectors. It makes possible long-term rewards for creators, as NFTs have incorporated a royalty system that ensures creators receive a percentage on every future transaction. Additionally, collectors and early supporters could get benefits in the future if the artist they support encounters widespread success. Those early NFTs tend to increase in value once their audience increases and their works are more in demand.
You recently wrote about creating your first “generative art” collection. What did you learn through that process?
It was a fantastic experience. My background is in computer and data science, so I was immediately hooked when I discovered generative art (art created with code, algorithms, or autonomous systems). After writing about multiple generative artists, I wanted to try it myself.
I learned many things. The first is that when you code art, there is no right or wrong, and it is hard to say when your algorithm is ready to be published—exciting, but stressful at the same time, since you are never 100% sure if your program is done. When you code professionally, it is clear when you have achieved your task.
It is fascinating to code a system that creates unique art pieces. Once you release your collection and start to see the outputs, it isn’t under your control anymore. Looking at the different iterations and seeing other people enjoy and collect your work is very special.
Read: 6 Successful Women Leading the Generative NFT Art Revolution
What do you feel is missing from the cultural conversation about NFTs right now?
Unfortunately, there is plenty of misinformation in the media. More educational resources should be available, but this isn’t easy because NFTs have technicalities that frequently deviate from the conversation and leave people confused.
NFTs should be seen as a technology that opens the door for many interesting use cases. I would love the conversations to change in favor of use cases and applications rather than the scams (which also happen) and economic gains. Once the general public gets a better feel for NFTs, I believe they will become more natural in our daily lives and people will be less resistant to change.
What do you envision (or hope) the future of NFTs might look like?
I believe the barriers to entry will go down over time. More-intuitive applications will be available, with better resources and adequate security to protect good actors from bad actors.
Once everything becomes more user-friendly, I can see breakthroughs in use cases and applications. I think that movies and music NFTs will soon become mainstream. Global brands will be born thanks to NFTs, covering different areas like fashion, games, entertainment, sports, etc., and targeting different demographics.
I also see NFTs being adopted in different business operations, such as supply chain tracking, while also authenticating luxury items, contracts, documents, etc.
What would you say to someone who still feels confused about what NFTs are and how they work?
I think it is normal to feel confused at the beginning, especially if you don’t have a close friend to teach you how everything works. I think it is always wise to get educated by established sources. Get closer to NFT communities (like my newsletter); people love this space and are very happy to support beginners.
What’s next for your publication?
I plan to write one article per day about a different NFT artist in March and call it #30artists30days. I’ll focus primarily on generative artists, but I will also include some of my favorite artists creating other kinds of NFT art. My goal is to bring more exposure to these artists and NFTs in general.
Who’s another Substack writer you’d recommend?
Zeneca has been an inspiration. He created the concept of doing market analysis on NFTs and became very popular by showcasing his methods of discovering great NFT projects before anyone else.
Subscribe to Kaloh’s publication, and find him on Twitter.
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