NFTs have exploded beyond our wildest imagination this year. Unlike cryptocurrency, it seems to have crossed the chasm from novelty to mainstream items, at least in Singapore. For one, some of my Facebook contacts are posting about how they employ NFTs to raise funds for their cause. For another, as a teacher, I receive this online magazine about NFTs from the Ministry of Education that is replete with tips and insights on how to arm students with information on NFTs. It’s the in thing now!
So, if you are like me, you are undoubtedly anxious to jump on the bandwagon. But how to do so when gas fees are notoriously and prohibitively expensive for the ETH network? Fret not. I discovered a free way to mint my first NFT and gleefully took advantage of it.
First and foremost, I found out that Rarible provides an avenue for budding creators to mint their NFTs for free because it empowers them with the option to pass the burden of paying the gas fee over to the buyer. Needless to say, I opened an account with Rarible and connected my Coinbase Wallet to it.
I was then all ready to mint my first creation. I zeroed in on the Create tab. Remember to choose the ‘Multiple’ option because it will subsequently reveal the free minting option.
Here’s the free minting option for your reference.
Next, I filled in the required information about my NFT. I decided to go ahead with photos of my wife’s home-cooked meals. I love eating her food, so in the event that my NFT doesn’t sell, I get to immortalise her love for the family anyway. I think that’s the crucial thing to note about minting NFTs. Mint stuff that you like so that the process of creation is a reward in itself.
I signed authorisations using my Coinbase Wallet. Voila! What do you see? Yes, my first NFT ever! Remember not to get so ecstatic at this stage that you forget to check your email. The last step is to click on a confirmation tab to verify that you are the one who minted your NFT. So I did that and so should you!
I hope this provides clarity on how you can mint your very own NFTs!