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CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Please ensure you fully understand the risks involved. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Please ensure you fully understand the risks involved.

NTF investing: how to trade or invest in NFTs

NFT investments have become a buzzword not only within the crypto community, but also among collectors and artists, leading many to wonder how NFT investments work. Discover how to trade or invest in NFTs.

Crypto currency Source: Bloomberg

What are NFTs?

Non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, are records of digital files with unique information that’s stored and linked to the blockchain technology.1 NFTs can be digital records of artwork, collectibles, domain names, sports, trading cards and virtual property that can be bought or sold on a blockchain.2

Note that NFTs are not an asset class, but blockchain technology validating ownership of the digital commodity or item. Therefore, NFTs can be seen as certificates or deeds showing digital ownership of intangible assets that can’t be replicated.

Those transactions are noted on the blockchain, which serves as a public digital ledger that records deals on the decentralised web, offering some transaparency.1

What are fungible assets?

Fungible assets are individual commodities that are interchangeable and thus cannot be distinguished from one another. In economic terms, currency is a fungible asset since it can be exchanged for other items of equal value. For instance, when a $10 is exchanged with two $5 notes, the spending power is still the same.

What are non-fungible assets?

Non-fungible assets cannot be exchanged for the same value because the item’s unique properties cannot be exchanged with that of another. An example of non-fungible assets are collectibles such as the Mona Lisa portrait painted by world renowned artist Leonardo da Vinci, sports trading cards and similar memorabilia.

Placing a monetary value on such collectible items is subjective since their individual properties make them sentimental to the owner, especially if stored and sold while in mint condition.

Graphic showing the concept of fungible assets being interchangeable and holding similar value such as two $5 notes on the left side. This is versus the right side of the graphic showing non-fungible assets that cannot be exchanged as they don’t hold the same value such a trading card of a top sports player and that of a regular player.
Graphic showing the concept of fungible assets being interchangeable and holding similar value such as two $5 notes on the left side. This is versus the right side of the graphic showing non-fungible assets that cannot be exchanged as they don’t hold the same value such a trading card of a top sports player and that of a regular player.

Why do people want to invest in NFTs?

Some people want to invest in NFTs because it’s a way to make money from the buying and selling of digital collectible items. Investors in this space can make profits from trading NFTs like they would in any cryptocurrency investment. Below are some reasons people want to invest in NFTs:

  • Increasing access to ownership. Historically, collectibles were only something that high net worth individuals could access. However, NFTs have since opened the door for anyone to invest in these tokens that can be used in the metaverse. This means these tokens can be bought and sold as well as transferred to anyone across the world without having to pay taxes.
  • Decreasing maintenance costs. Collectors of physical collectibles are often at pains trying to maintain the items in their original form as at the time of sale or in mint condition. However, this is not an issue with NFTs since they have lower maintenance costs.
  • Increasing the security of collectibles. Some traditional insurance companies don’t cover collectibles. This may mean collectors are not protected against theft or damage to the physical asset. With NFTs, while the tokens are not insured, they have increased security owing to the transparency of the public digital records of transactions that can’t be deleted.
  • Easily transferrable. NFTs can be transferred with ease to anyone in any part of the world

Graphic showing an NFT and icons showing the various benefits it holds such as being easily transferable, low maintenance costs as well as increased security, transparency, and access to ownership.
Graphic showing an NFT and icons showing the various benefits it holds such as being easily transferable, low maintenance costs as well as increased security, transparency, and access to ownership.

Ways to trade or invest in NFTs

Invest in NFT tokens directly

Investing directly in NFT tokens involves trading them on marketplaces like OpenSea and Binance. NFT tokens are unique and can’t be replicated within the blockchain. They can be used to buy and sell physical commodities available in the real world or digital assets that exist in the metaverse.

OpenSea has NFT categories such as art, collectibles, audio, videos, and domain names that are used in the metaverse and they have integrated ecosystems that are maintained by the crypto community.2 Binance is a crypto exchange used to trade hundreds of various cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Cardano and Green Metaverse Token to name a few.3

While some may believe that buying and selling NFT tokens reduces the likelihood of fraud, there are some potential risks. Unethical conduct could include people buying NFT tokens using fake accounts and inflating the price with each transaction. Thisc could then lead to a price hike of the asset due to what seems like an increased demand of the digital asset.4

Also, when looking to buy digital assets on NFT marketplaces you are more susceptible to being scammed. It’s hard to determine if what is being sold is a copy or the original asset. Unlike transactions that take place on centralised systems like traditional banks, once you buy an items on the blockchain that transaction can’t be reversed.4

Like most cryptocurrencies, the NFT market is highly volatile with high price fluctuations. An NFT token’s value may decrease and lose the value at which it was originally purchased faster than you’d hoped.4

NFTs are illiquid and can only be sold it there’s a potential buyer. In many countries NFT tokens are not regulated by government authorities or laws, which offers lesser protection for users compared to transactions done on centralised or traditional finance systems.4

Trade or invest in NFT-linked ETFs

Trade or investing in exchange traded funds (ETFs) linked to non-fungible tokens offers people who believe in the prospects of these digital assets increased access to owning NFTs, but at a reduced risk.

Trading or investing in ETFs will enable you to diversify your portfolio as your risk will be spread across a wide range of companies. If you’re looking for exposure but at reduced risk then trading or investing in NFT-linked ETFs is an alternative.5

NFT-linked ETFs are instruments that track the performance of investments in a group of companies within the NFT sector.5 An increase in the value of the clustered NFT companies being tracked by the instrument will also result in a rise in the ETF’s share price.

Trade or invest in NFT stocks

Trading or investing NFT ETFs enables you to reduce your risk through portfolio diversification. Some trading strategies to perform before embarking on this exercise include fundamental and technical analysis. Some of the stocks exposed to the NFT industry are:

Discover the Best NFT stocks to watch

How to start trading or investing in NFTs in 3 steps

Open an account to trade or invest in NFTs

Buying NFTs directly

Trading NFTs directly will require you to make a payment using cryptocurrency. The NFT marketplace OpenSea is where most transactions take place with Ethereum.2 Another NFT marketplace ins Binance that enables users to buy, sell and trade in-game assets, digital art and digital collectibles.3

It’s important to note some of the risks involved such as investments that disappear without a trace, so to speak, or artworks containing trojans that can potentially pose a threat by exposing your IP address.

Buying NFT ETFs or shares

To trade or invest in NFT ETFs or stocks, the process has been simplified. With us, you can open an account and deposit funds easily. You can buy or sell with 0.014 second execution, deep liquidity, and withdrawals are always free and fast.6

Choose whether to trade or invest

When buying NFTs directly, you’ll be investing and owning the digital asset outright. When taking a position on NFT shares or ETFs, you’ve got the choice to either invest or trade. When investing you’ll buy and own the NFT shares or ETFs outright. You’ll also make a profit if the asset appreciates or lose money it the price falls.

Trading NFTs, on the other hand, tends to be risky and is best suited to experienced traders.

Trading NFT stocks and ETFs Investing in NFT stocks and ETFs
Speculate on the rise and fall of NFT stocks and ETFs Buy and sell underlying NFT stocks and ETFs
Use leverage to increase your exposure to the full value of your position size by paying only a 20-25% deposit You’ll be expected to pay the full value of the NFT stocks or ETFs you buy upfront
Leverage means both profit and loss will still be magnified to the value of the full trade, meaning your gains and losses may be faster than anticipated You may get back less than your initial investment due to the rise and fall of the value of the NFT stocks and ETFs
Take shorter-term positions Focus on longer-term growth
You can look to hedge your portfolio when trading Build a diversified portfolio
Trade without owning the underlying NFT stocks and ETFs Take ownership of the underlying NFT stocks and ETFs
No shareholder privileges Gain voting rights and dividends (provided the company pays them)
Trade in our CFD account Invest in our share trading account

*Note that both trading and investing have associated risks. Always use our risk management tools before opening a position.

Pick your NFT asset and open your first position

Once you’ve made your choice on the NFT asset you want to invest in or trade, you can use our award-winning platform to do this.7 With us, you’ll have over 18,000 shares and ETFs to choose from.

You can get exposure to NFT stocks and ETFS by investing through our share trading platform and then you’ll own the shares outright. Alternatively, you can trade NFTs using CFDs, which will enable you to speculate on their price movement, however you won’t own the stock outright.

Here’s how to open you position with us:

  1. Create a share trading account to invest in NFT stocks and ETFs
  2. Alternatively, if you choose to trade NFT stocks and ETFs with us, open a CFD trading account
  3. Open the trading platform and type ‘NFT stocks’ or ‘NFT ETFs’ into the search bar
  4. Select ‘buy’ or ‘sell’ on the deal ticket
  5. Set your position size, as well as your stops and limits
  6. Click ‘place deal’ to confirm the position and open the trade

Should you invest in NFTs?

Before you decide to invest in NFTs consider the following pros and cons below.

Pros:

  • Providing increased access of non-fungible asset ownership to anyone and not only high net worth individuals
  • Offers increased transferability to anyone around the world who seeks to buy sand sells digital assets
  • Surpassing the tax man. There’s no requirement to pay tax when buying non-fungible collectible items as compared to buying them through traditional centralised systems
  • Improves the transparency of transactions since anything that’s been recorded on the blockchain technology cannot be altered or deleted

Cons:

  • Lack of regulation, which may often leave users vulnerable to scams on NFT marketplaces
  • Verifying NFT authenticity can prove challenging. If you don’t perform your due diligence, you can buy a copy of a digital asset instead of minted or original content
  • Use of fake accounts by the seller to try and inflate the price of each transaction may give a false impression of increased demand for the NFT
  • Requiring a potential buyer before you can sell an NFT

Trading or investing in NFTs summed up

  • Non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, are records of digital files with unique information that’s stored and linked to blockchain technology.
  • NFTs provide increased access of non-fungible asset ownership to anyone and not only high net worth individuals
  • They offer increased transferability to anyone around the world who seeks to buy and sells digital assets
  • Trading NFTs directly will require you to make a payment using cryptocurrency.
  • When buying NFTs directly, you’ll be investing and owning the digital asset outright.
  • You can trade or invest in NFT stocks and ETFs by opening an account with us

Footnotes

1 The Verge, 2021
2 OpenSea, 2022
3 Binance, 2022
4 Forbes, 2022
5 Capital.com, 2021
6 Based on IG Group's OTC data for October 2019
7 Awarded ‘best finance app’ and ‘best multi-platform provider’ at the ADVFN International Financial Awards 2022

This information has been prepared by IG, a trading name of IG Australia Pty Ltd. In addition to the disclaimer below, the material on this page does not contain a record of our trading prices, or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instrument. IG accepts no responsibility for any use that may be made of these comments and for any consequences that result. No representation or warranty is given as to the accuracy or completeness of this information. Consequently any person acting on it does so entirely at their own risk. Any research provided does not have regard to the specific investment objectives, financial situation and needs of any specific person who may receive it. It has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such is considered to be a marketing communication. Although we are not specifically constrained from dealing ahead of our recommendations we do not seek to take advantage of them before they are provided to our clients.

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