Search

Non-fungible tokens are transferable rights to digital assets such as artwork, videos, in-game items, collectibles or music. Non-fungible tokens relate only to a specific unique item and carry information about the owner. The non-fungible token market has received widespread attention and has grown enormously since the beginning of 2021. Despite significant growth in the market, there needs to be more surveys, especially in the context of the Czech Republic. This article, therefore, aims to evaluate the level of awareness of non-fungible tokens in the Czech Republic. The paper presents the basics of the non-fungible token market, its potential and uncertainty, and the interdisciplinary nature of non-fungible token research. First, the characteristics of nonfungible tokens are described based on a literature review. The methodological part outlines an empirical analysis based on a quantitative survey in which 103 respondents in the Czech Republic took part. Based on the research results, it was found out that in the Czech Republic, there is low level of awareness of non-fungible tokens and also low level of trust in digital assets in general. In conclusion, it is possible to say that this article provides an overall understanding of the phenomenon of non-fungible tokens in the Czech Republic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the use of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) for serving legal process in cases involving internet-related injuries like cryptocurrency fraud. Topics include the evolution of legal standards for service of process in light of technological advancements, court approvals of NFT-based service methods, and the potential for expanding electronic service options to enhance access to justice for digital asset holders affected by cybercrime.

This research aims to establish the primary drivers influencing the development and consumers' decision-making process in web3 games—decentralized games that function according to the play-to-earn paradigm. We observe several types of micro-economies developed within five play-to-earn games and highlight four roles consumers play at any given time. Our study offers a different perspective on rational consumer behaviour in cryptocurrency-based games and paves the way to better understanding their dynamics and evolution. Results shed light on the construction of in-game economies and how individuals of a given type engage in different playing activities. Furthermore, we compare the key features of web3 games with those similar to classic online games and assess if the play-and-earn implementations represent an evolution from previous revenue models. Using our proposed methodology, researchers can compare and classify any P2E games. We conclude by establishing a set of actions that enable consumers to benefit from this new phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The globalization of products and markets increases the distance between the origin of products and consumers. This leads to a condition where customers don't have information about the origins of their products. Thus, traceability has become an essential sub-system of manufacturing supply chain management. However, due to globalization and complexity of supply chain interactions among the suppliers and manufacturing enterprises, it is hard to pinpoint the exact contributions of different actors in a supply chain. Integrated supply network structure with suitable visibility and usage of real time data transfer is another area of great importance. This paper focuses on how NFT (Non-Fungible Token) coupled with smart contracts could utilize blockchain to make it easier to track the products in a supply chain. Explaining how NFT's could help in tracking the contributions of different stakeholders in a supply chain by tracking the product throughout the entire process of sourcing, production, and sale by using a digital twin. In a manufacturing supply chain enabled by NFT Technology, whenever raw materials are transferred and processed through the supply chain, an NFT would be attached to its digital twin which will capture the created values. Each NFT can easily and uniquely be known by its data stored. Data would be updated based on real time information and will enable the stakeholders to trace the product information about how much each company has contributed to the produced products. The data stored in the form of a smart contract in the blockchain prevents the data being entered from being destroyed, eliminated, or changed without permission. Thus, there is a secure data flow among different stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the development of a decentralized healthcare marketplace, where patients can anonymously sell their data in the form of Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) to researchers. The platform aims to merge NFTs, decentralized finance, and patients' record management, empowering patients, expanding research opportunities, and enhancing healthcare outcomes through blockchain technology. The methodology employed for this research includes field research and discussions with professionals, ensuring credible and valuable insights. The article concludes that blockchain technology offers a transformative solution for healthcare record management, addressing issues of data security, privacy, interoperability, and transparency. Future work focuses on scalability and performance optimization, regulatory compliance, and governance, as well as interoperability and data standardization, among other areas, to unlock the platform's full potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) allow for authentication and ownership of digital assets, which are notable features in the virtual world given the infiniteness of internet content. The emergence of this novel technology, however, has raised challenges, especially regarding enforcement of the right of publicity. This Note addresses how litigators have approached right of publicity violations arising from NFTs and how courts might respond to future violations that this technology is capable of facilitating. Legal scholars and commentators argue that certain features of NFTs pose pronounced threats to the right of publicity, namely the technology’s novelty, democratized nature, anonymization of creators, transferability across platforms, and immutability. To combat these threats, this Note proposes that rights owners should enter into right of publicity license agreements; that NFT platforms should strengthen their terms of service and develop higher barriers of entry for users; and, finally, that courts should order that infringing NFTs be “burned.”. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Refugees seeking asylum in India often face numerous challenges, including a lack of legal documentation, limited access to essential services, and the risk of exploitation. In this paper, we propose a decentralized system that leverages smart contract technology to create digital identities for refugees, enabling them to access essential services such as employment and housing. Our system stores all their data, including biometrics, in a secure and decentralized manner on the Ethereum blockchain. Based on this data, we create a working permit and a temporary identification card in the form of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) that can be used to access essential services. Additionally, we create a crypto wallet linked to their digital identity, enabling them to perform regular transactions like purchasing rations, paying for their housing and electricity bills and other necessities. Furthermore, we would design a smart contract that tracks the refugees' monthly income and provides government financial aid directly to their crypto wallet. The contract also automatically adjusts the amount of financial aid based on the refugee's income, ensuring an even and non-corrupted distribution of government funds. Through our system, we aim to empower refugees with financial stability, enabling them to lead healthy and productive lives while contributing to India's economy. Our solution is transparent, secure, and easily accessible, making it a viable option for addressing the challenges faced by refugees in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, traditional payment methods such as cash, cheques, credit/debit cards, and bank transfers are commonly used for financial transactions across a wide range of industries, including healthcare, real estate, supply chain, gaming, music, finance, retail, agriculture, tourism, pharmaceuticals, and the education sector too. However, these methods often involve transaction fees, potential delays, and security concerns. These methods lack transparency and traceability features, making tracking, authenticating, and verifying payments and their associated records difficult. To overcome these issues, we propose a Non-Fungible Token (NFT) based online payment system that leverages blockchain technology (BT) features and security to revolutionize financial expenses in the education sector. We also present wallet generation, fee tokenization and NFT generation processes. These processes utilize Ethereum and an interplanetary file system (IPFS) to store metadata information associated with fee payment details securely. We use Remix IDE, MetaMask wallet, and Sepolia test network to deploy and analyze the proposed system's results. We have also used the JMeter simulation toolkit to conduct comprehensive experiments to evaluate the performance of the proposed system in terms of throughput, latency, and response time. Our assessment identifies the increase in performance parameters with the number of users. This initiative will positively contribute towards addressing the issues of financial transactions in the education sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shenzhen Golden Idea Cultural and Creative Co., Ltd. v Hangzhou Bigverse Technology Co., Ltd. is the world’s first completed case about copyright infringement of non-fungible token (NFT) works in which a final judgment has been rendered. In this case, the Chinese court explored many legal issues related to NFT works based on an in-depth investigation of NFTs’ transaction process and business model. First, it clarified the legal nature of NFT works. Second, it made explicit judgments on the rights and obligations of related parties such as users, internet platforms, NFT distributors and copyright owners. Third, it clarified the duty of care and legal responsibilities of NFT trading platforms. Lastly, it affirmed the measure of disconnecting the link and blackholing the address of the uploaded NFT information to maximize the effect of stopping the dissemination of infringing content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blockchain is a particularly promising technology that is inherently a decentralized, secure and public digital ledger that can be used to create and manage digital tokens. They are carriers of value and are stored on the blockchain. Blockchain technology ensures that tokens are secure and tamper-proof. Nontransferable tokens, also called “soulbond” tokens, are gaining popularity as a way to authenticate ownership. Originally created to convey information in the field of cryptocurrencies, they could find other use-cases as well. The purpose of the report is to examine the possibilities of using blockchain technology in education, including the benefits and problems that could arise. Specific examples are presented, as well as a proposal for the application of nonfungible tokens (NFT) for certifying the results and achievements of students during their studies in the learning system of Trakia electronic University (TreU). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This Piece examines the lack of AML regulations in the NFT space and argues that that NFTs' vulnerability to financial crime and money laundering warrants comprehensive AML regulation well-tailored to NFTs' attendant privacy risks. It analyzes NFTs as a distinct asset class in tension with unregulated traditional art and other fungible digital assets under intense regulatory scrutiny. Unlike traditional art, NFTs do not involve onerous physical delivery and are more vulnerable to fleeting transactional relationships that facilitate money laundering and criminal finance. At the same time, NFTs straddle the boundary between fungibility and non-fungibility, thus defying legal definitions of financial instruments and escaping comprehensive AML regulation. But the privacy issues arising from NFTs' location on the public blockchain necessitates AML regulation that harnesses privacy-protective zero-knowledge proof technology. This Piece proceeds in five sections. Section I introduces how NFTs work as well as their vulnerabilities to financial crime and privacy intrusions. Section II summarizes international FATF guidance and domestic regulatory regimes that fall woefully short of clearly subjecting the entire NFT market to AML requirements. Section III examines legislation-in-progress to regulate digital assets in the U.S. and E.U. and finds them lacking as they only cover a subset of NFTs at best. Section IV contends that the DOJ's proposal of simply amending the BSA to cover NFTs is insufficient because traditional know-your-customer ("KYC") requirements do not address NFTs' privacy risks. Section V will first propose legislative intervention via amending the BSA to expressly impose KYC requirements on NFT platforms. Secondly, it argues that FinCEN should incorporate technological innovations while respecting privacy interests at stake via regulatory sandboxes facilitating the use of zero-knowledge proof KYC processes in NFT platforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

saving the patient medical record electronically is done via electronic medical records (EMRs) where all the patient-related information that consider private and sensitive is usually related to the treatment process, as well as the diagnoses process of a specific patient usually this information needs to be shared and re-submit by many peers doctors with each, In this paper, propose a novel approach for electronic medical records system using a non-fungible token (NFT) based on a customized permission blockchain built with secret sharing technology to reduce the key management overhead as well as provide a readable extension of the ledger to ensure it is easy to read and easy access from any type of computer. The system that uses NFT for electronic medical records (NFT-EMR) ensures easy access and guarantees availability, privacy, and security providing authority to the patient over his data as well as proof of ownership which is done using proof of secret shares and consistency this system can be used in real-world between hospitals and medical centers and within metaverse world. The NFT-ERM system was evaluated using the main evaluation factors used to evaluate blockchain and compared to the standard ERM system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) in AAA games is a very controversial topic, which leads to negative reactions from the gamer community. The objective of this article is to relate some of these cases that presented visibility in the press and to analyze the reactions this theme generates. To achieve this, we present some cases that had more relevance in the specialized press and, in the sequence, we present a discussion about the main problems pointed out, such as the state of the art of blockchains, energy efficiency, frauds, and currency evasions. Finally, we present some hypotheses to glimpse how NFTs, and their use in games, may happen in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The public's health depends on a reliable drug supply chain. Recently, the number of drug counterfeit has increased drastically, resulting in thousands of victims suffering from poisoning and/or treatment failures, which have resulted in new expectations on drug supply chain traceability. Indeed, the drug supply chain involves many parties having heterogeneous interests and are usually reluctant to share traceability data with each other. Furthermore, existing traceability and provenance systems for drug supply chains suffer from separated data storage, lack of information sharing transparency, and trust. Decentralized blockchain-based solutions are advocated to address these limitations by realizing decentralized trustless systems. In this work, we present a fully decentralized, blockchain-based drug traceability solution, worthy of seamless integrating IoT devices throughout the chain. It uses both smart contracts and decentralized off-chain storage to remove the need for middleman and to provide trusted, secure and immutable transaction history. Moreover, to preserve the traceability of drugs, it ensures and enforces data provenance and data integrity in the proposed IoT environment by using blockchain Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs). We give a test and validation of the approach's effectiveness in enhancing drug traceability supply chains, as well as an analysis of the approach's costs and security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Comunicação, Mídia e Consumo is the property of Escola Superior de Propaganda e Marketing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista Fronteiras is the property of Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Filosofia UNISINOS is the property of Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) have gathered worldwide attention over the past several years. NFTs Marketplace Like a traditional marketplace, an NFT marketplace is a platform where the trade of NFTs takes place, often taking a percentage from the transaction for its services. NFT Interoperability (Cross-Chain) Issue Users certainly would like to exchange and trade NFTs across different NFT marketplaces and systems. Utility NFTs Utility NFTs are those NFTs with actual use cases which grant their owner privileges, rights, or rewards to access. [Extracted from the article]

Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) can be a good device to provide fair payment and distribution to artists in the music industry and/or film producers who license their products to service providers (streaming and sharing platforms) to be paid and distributed fairly. For this reason, intellectual property (IP) owners need to reconsider their IP protection and licensing strategies according to new technologies. NFTs enable buying and selling ownership of unique digital items and monitoring the complete history of ownership records using blockchain technologies. However, this method is not just restricted to transfer and keeping track of the ownership but also supports preventing reproduction. An NFT can only have one owner, and smart contracts manage the ownership and transferability of NFTs using unique identifiers and metadata. When streaming providers enter into licensing agreements with film producers using NFTs, customers who purchase a film can transfer ownership by retransferring the NFTs. Furthermore, it is also possible to see how many transfers of ownership have taken place so that the film company or/and the filmmakers can track their recurring royalties in a more transparent transfer ledger. Moreover, streaming companies can also eliminate one of their serious problems: the menace of the reproduction of their digital assets maliciously. NFTs can help solve a core problem of digital ownership by answering the question of what ownership means when you cannot sell or trade digital assets. NFTs will shape the future of the entertainment industry by offering different perspectives on blockchain technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work investigates customer responses to the tokenization of hotel loyalty programs. Drawing on self-enhancement theory, Study 1 investigates the effect of reward type (i.e. control vs tokenized reward) on customers' perceptions of the reward (i.e. economic value, program attractiveness) and their behavioral intentions towards the hotel (i.e. switching intentions, recommendation intentions). Findings highlight reward novelty and psychological ownership as two mediators of the above relationships. Study 2 replicates these effects in a cryptocurrency owner context. Study 3 examines the effect of the hotel's type (i.e. luxury vs budget) on the reward type-customer responses relationship. We showcase that tokenized rewards generate a more favourable attitude towards loyalty programs and that they remain an effective customer acquisition strategy for high-end hotels. • Tokenized rewards enable hotels to upgrade their loyalty programs. • Offering tokenized rewards increases booking intentions to the hotel. • Tokenized rewards increase the perceived economic value of a discount. • Tokenized rewards enhance the attractiveness of reward schemes for customers. • We advise budget hotels against introducing tokenized rewards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study delves into an exploration of quantile connectedness across the domains of digital and traditional financial assets with the renewable energy prices index. The daily frequency dataset, spanning from January 02, 2018, to December 04, 2023, encapsulates diverse economic crises. Our inquiry elucidates distinctive patterns by employing empirical analyses utilizing quantile connectedness and Time-Varying Parameter Vector Autoregressive (TVP-VAR) methodologies. In this context, DeFi assets (Chain-link) emerge as the primary recipient of information shocks, while Bitcoin distinguishes itself as the preeminent transmitter of such shocks within the network. Notably, digital assets manifest heightened volatility in contrast to traditional and energy indices. Furthermore, our findings underscore that the gaming industry, specifically focusing on Non-Fungible Tokens (NFT), presents itself as the most fitting asset for portfolio inclusion. This assertion gains credence from its comparatively lower degree of connectedness with other underlying assets. These findings have significant implications for investors and portfolio managers, furnishing valuable insights into the dynamics of asset interdependencies. Consequently, this aids in cultivating a more discerning approach to investment decision-making. • Bitcoin is a significant transmitter of shocks, whereas DeFi assets like Chain-link predominantly receive them, highlighting their central roles in financial networks. • Digital assets exhibit higher volatility than traditional and energy assets. The gaming industry, notably through Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs), offers potential for portfolio diversification due to their minimal connectedness with other asset classes. • The study provides critical insights into the interconnectedness of various assets, crucial for investors and portfolio managers to refine investment strategies and enhance decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Metaverse, 3D modeling techniques and autoencoders offer a novel approach for handling 2D portraits of Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs). These techniques have significant applications in the metaverse, a virtual, shared, and persistently online space that combines the real world, virtual reality, and augmented reality. Within the metaverse, NFTs can represent virtual items and assets, and 3D modeling techniques can be used to create three-dimensional models of these virtual items and assets. In this paper, we propose a novel method of inferring 3D structure and texture from 2D Non-Fungible Token (NFT) portraits using image-decoupled autoencoders. By implementing 3D facial modeling, depth values are associated with each pixel in the canonical view, thereby modeling 3D faces with fine textures and accurate structures from 2D NFT portraits. The input image is decomposed into four elements: depth map, albedo image, light direction, and viewpoint, all of which are used in the 3D reconstruction process. Asymmetry in NFT portraits is also addressed, and a symmetry confidence map is used to record the symmetry prediction probability for each pixel. In the experimental section, datasets including human faces and anime faces are used to better adapt to the diverse styles of NFT images. The Adam optimizer is used for training, and a set of new evaluation metrics, including cosine similarity, PSNR, SSIM, and LPIPS, are used to assess the quality of texture reconstruction. The proposed method achieves state-of-the-art performance in 3D facial reconstruction and performs exceptionally well in 3D facial reconstruction of anime faces compared to other methods. • We proposed an autoencoder method for 3D reconstruction of 2D NFT portraits in the metaverse, inferring 3D structure and texture. • We designed techniques for consistent 3D NFT portraits under various lighting conditions, enhancing their visual quality. • Additionally, we introduced a novel approach to model facial symmetry, improving both quality and realism of 3D NFTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the activities and achievements of the Institute of Transportation Engineers Nevada section, including hosting diverse meetings, technical tours, and the Fall Transportation Conference. Topics discussed include drive-thru queue management, bitcoin and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) in engineering, and NDOT Freeway Service Operations, among others.

In 2021, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) exploded in popularity. Representing over sixty million dollars in sales, NFTs are currently being bought and sold in almost every industry, in the form of exclusive videos in the sports industry and digital paintings in the art industry. NFTs are digital certificates that use blockchain technology to verify authenticity and proof of ownership. Through NFTs' non-fungible and immutable characteristics, owners are able to create scarcity for and authenticity in digital copies of their works, replicating the tangible experience of owning a physical, limited-edition item. NFTs have also been able to promote a unique secondary marketplace, in which blockchain capabilities ensure that only the first consumer of an NFT has ownership and access to a particular copy and is able to show a record of any previous owners. Copyright law and the first sale doctrine have unique implications for the evolving NFT market. Under the first sale doctrine, a lawful owner of a copy of a good has the right to sell or dispose of the copy. Once a copy is bought, the buyer no longer requires the copyright owner's permission to do whatever they want to do with the copy (i.e., sell it, lend it, destroy it, etc.). Thus, the first sale doctrine effectively limits the copyright owner's exclusive right to distribute copies. However, the first sale doctrine has yet to be applied to digital transfers. For that reason, many copyright owners use contractual licenses to control subsequent digital transfers. Congress and the courts have remained hesitant in applying the first sale doctrine to digital copies, mainly due to the copies' intangibility and their behavior in the marketplace as compared to physical copies. Most importantly, a digital transfer requires an owner to reproduce a copy before sending the copy to someone else, thereby disturbing the copyright owner's reproduction right, to which the first sale doctrine does not apply. Over the years, scholars and commentators have proposed several solutions, ranging from forward-and-delete technology to proposed legislation to simply deferring to the courts to decide as issues arise. The decades-long question of the types of technology that should fall within the scope of the first sale doctrine is intensifying as the digital marketplace grows. At time of writing, this is the first piece of legal scholarship on NFTs that examines their interaction with the first sale doctrine. This Note examines the rise of the NFT phenomenon and the historical articulation of the first sale doctrine in the digital era. As NFTs present challenges for the copyright owner's reproduction right, this Note recommends legislative intervention to clarify the doctrine's applicability within the digital marketplace. This Note proposes an addition to the Copyright Act of 1976 that expressly allows for a first sale to be effective upon a digital transfer, albeit under certain conditions. Amending the act in this manner promotes the Copyright Act's purpose of balancing the interests of copyright owners and consumers in a dynamic digital marketplace, and serves as a guide that will be necessary to avoid legal ambiguities and increased litigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a foundational technology of the information age, blockchain is an important technology pushing society towards using decentralized systems and peer-to-peer interactions. The emergence of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) is a prominent phenomenon of this era, which aims to revolutionize the ownership and trading of certain assets regarding their characteristics, such as being unique, devoted to special collections, and so on. The development of NFTs as a new asset class is accelerating, and they are expected to become an integral part of the human digital life experience. Throughout the paper, we introduce Dynamic Non-Fungible Tokens (dNFTs) as a new type of NFTs, which could be a paradigm-shifting experience for digital asset ownership. We establish a framework to lighten the future of using dynamic NFTs in different areas and a better understanding of the challenges and prospects in the journey of evolving this technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growth of the popularization of blockchain technology has caused new concepts to emerge. Non-Fungible Token (NFT) is one of these concepts introduced based on blockchain technology in 2017. As newly-emerged concepts, NFTs have rapidly become a popular technology in industry and academic research. NFTs currently have various applications in the industry, which are reviewed in the present study. They have also attracted a broad spectrum of research. Metaverse is another exciting blockchain-based technology that enables people to connect with digital avatars in a virtual universe. The importance of this study is to identify new applications of NFTs in the Metaverse making NFTs more applicable. Assisting with identity management and ownership right of digital assets are examples of NFT applications in the Metaverse that are explained in this study in detail. Ultimately, this study presents some future directions of NFT applications in industry and academic research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gartner's Technology Hype Cycle has Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) at the peak of the hype cycle in 2021 while not even having appeared on the hype cycle in 2020. This exploratory study looks at the spread of the hype from a social media context by examining all tweets related to #NFT. We find evidence that the communities are highly dynamic in nature which is indicative of a decentralized social movement with no strong leaders. Sentiment regarding NFTs was strongly positive across all communities with no indication of any growing negative sentiment. The community expanded at exponential rates throughout the period of study with the communities becoming more interlinked and sharing more content over time. This analysis provides a foundation on which future NFT studies, or alternative emergent technology studies could build upon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on emergence of the Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) as digital tokens that are minted on blockchain applications and play an important role in evolution of Web3; and discusses the First Amendment gap in understanding the NFT.

The metaverse is a controversial concept, hyped by some but viewed as a marketing strategy by others. Although the first mentioning of the metaverse dates back to 1992, it has gained attention in the last years, especially after Facebook changed its name to "Meta" in 2021. Based on immersive technologies such as AR and VR, digital interactions and commerce within the virtual world, the metaverse is expected to grow along with its enabling technologies. This article aims to discover the status of the adoption of the metaverse concepts in Romania, among people with digital skills. The analysis was performed based on an online questionnaire, posted on public social media accounts. The results of the study have shown that few people have tried applications within the metaverse, and even fewer have invested in metaverse tokens. People who played RPG or virtual world games seem to have used metaverse applications more than those who have not, thus, this could be a good driver for metaverse adoption. Awareness of the metaverse concept was not a driver of metaverse adoption. However, results show that people who purchase cryptocurrencies and NFTs would also be interested in the metaverse, more than people who have not transacted these digital assets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Dinbilimleri Journal is the property of Dinbilimleri Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article provides information on developments in law and regulation pertaining to non-fungible token of interest to digital artists who wish to enter the market. Topics mentioned include the legal definition of non-fungible token, the lifecycle framework of a non-fungible token, and the issue concerning the creation of an asset and trading on the blockchain.

The blockchain social movement led to the emergence of Web3, a new, token-orchestrated iteration of the World Wide Web comprised of decentralized applications. With Web3, users can adopt a unique digital identity, known as a self-sovereign identity, that allows them to have access to their data and be central administrators of their transportable and interoperable identity. An inherent feature of digital identity in Web3 is that, in some cases, it can live forever. Web3 users, therefore, may accumulate digital assets, such as non-fungible tokens, in an attempt to leave a digital legacy behind. Terror-management theory, a social and evolutionary psychology theory, was theoretically applied to the act of digital asset accumulation as a potential mechanism of escaping death-related fears. In contrast, the current uses of non-fungible tokens (i.e., proof-of-ownership) and soulbound tokens (i.e., proof-of-character) were evaluated from a Logotherapy perspective to inform how Web3 could evolve toward a Decentralized Society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines return and volatility connectedness among Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) and (un)conventional financial assets across various market conditions using a Quantile-VAR connectedness technique. It also explores the predictive powers of major global macroeconomic and geopolitical indicators on both connectedness across these market conditions. First, we find that return and volatility connectedness vary across market conditions, with higher levels during extreme events. Except during bullish periods, return connectedness dominates volatility connectedness. Second, NFTs are decoupled from both (un)conventional assets during normal market condition but it is a net return shocks receiver except under bullish market period, where it is a net transmitter. However, it is a net volatility shocks receiver irrespective of the market situation. Lastly, geopolitical risks, business condition and economic policy uncertainty are important predictors of return and volatility connectedness, although the strength and direction are heterogeneous. We discuss the policy implications of these findings. [Display omitted] • Quantile returns and volatility connectedness among NFTs and other assets are analysed. • The predictive powers of major global macroeconomic and geopolitical indicators on quantile connectedness are examined. • Except during bullish market situation, return connectedness is higher than those of total volatility connectedness. • NFTs are decoupled from all the assets during normal times but receives significant return risks under extreme market events. • Geopolitical risks, business conditions, and economic policy uncertainty are important predictors of connectedness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many indigenous communities have a variety of folk-art forms that are part and parcel of their identity and daily lives. These art forms have been responsible for the propagation of their histories that have usually not been documented otherwise due to various factors. However, the covid pandemic has forced these practitioners to seek alternate methods to showcase these art forms. In this regard, many performers have taken on the world of the Internet with their performances. Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are digital assets that are representative of physical or digital creative works. These tokens are unique and cannot be interchanged with another token and contain the digital information of the artwork. One of the critical advantages that NFTs offer is that the artists can include their signatures in digital tokens and provides numerous other novel avenues to ensure ownership and royalty. Furthermore, in 2021, the sales in the NFT market were valued at US $41 billion (Chainalysis, 2022), almost equal to the global sales of art and antiques in the year 2020, which was worth US $50.1 billion (Art Basel, 2021). This clearly shows the traction that NFTs are gaining in today's marketplace. By leveraging NFTs, folk artists can directly offer their artwork to their audience while also keeping royalty. This record is publicly available and can be accessed anywhere and at any time, thereby ensuring that the ownership rights of the community can remain in the public domain. The minting of NFTs creates a permanent public record of the origin of the work of art and thereby guarantees that the ownership rights stay within the community. This would ensure that the community can get the chance to monetise their intellectual property while also keeping hold of their ownership rights. In this light, this paper aims to understand the new avenues that NFTs can provide the community concerning their indigenous intellectual property while also providing streams of sustainable revenue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As Bitcoin continued to make headlines in 2021, additional digital assets such as non-fungible tokens brought more users into the blockchain ecosystem. As more individuals and entities took a closer look at the use cases for blockchain technology, the term metaverse began to emerge across news outlets and social media platforms. With Mark Zuckerberg, the Chief Executive Officer of Facebook, announcing that the organization would become a metaverse company and change the organization’s name to Meta, this announcement came with some criticism in that the Meta metaverse would be centralized. In this case study, the current state of nation-states was viewed through the lens of Hobbes’ The Leviathan to assess whether decentralized metaverses will transition to a Digital Leviathan using Bit.Country - a metaverse within the Polkadot blockchain ecosystem. The case study was conducted through interviews and uncovered that the quadruple bottom line implemented in conventional business could be transferrable to a digital world built on various blockchains, non-fungible tokens, and governance in a Digital Leviathan governed by the people. As Bitcoin continued to make headlines in 2021, additional digital assets such as non-fungible tokens brought more users into the blockchain ecosystem. As more individuals and entities took a closer look at the use cases for blockchain technology, the term metaverse began to emerge across news outlets and social media platforms. With Mark Zuckerberg, the Chief Executive Officer of Facebook, announcing that the organization would become a metaverse company and change the organization’s name to Meta, this announcement came with some criticism in that the Meta metaverse would be centralized. In this case study, the current state of nation-states was viewed through the lens of Hobbes’ The Leviathan to assess whether decentralized metaverses will transition to a Digital Leviathan using Bit.Country - a metaverse within the Polkadot blockchain ecosystem. The case study was conducted through interviews and uncovered that the quadruple bottom line implemented in conventional business could be transferrable to a digital world built on various blockchains, non-fungible tokens, and governance in a Digital Leviathan governed by the people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Romanian Journal of Intellectual Property Law / Revista Română de Dreptul Proprietăţii Intelectuale is the property of Universul Juridic Publishing House and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Romanian Journal of Intellectual Property Law / Revista Română de Dreptul Proprietăţii Intelectuale is the property of Universul Juridic Publishing House and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The proliferation of blockchain technology has resulted in diverse token standards, posing challenges for compatibility, security, and performance in existing cross-chain bridges. This paper introduces a novel framework capable of concurrently facilitating fungible token exchange, as well as the processing of both individual and batch non-fungible tokens (NFTs). We deploy token bridges that meet different token standards to support cross-chain staking and unlocking of ERC20, ERC721, and ERC1155. To minimize both waiting times and handling fees, we relocate processes necessitating frequent transactions and verifications to the sidechain. Additionally, we adopt a batch-processing approach for tokens necessitating cross-chain transfers, leveraging payment channels to facilitate efficiency. The system's reliability is upheld through the validator group. Validators acquire an initial reputation value by making deposits and enhance both their rewards and reputation by successfully completing NFT auction tasks on the sidechain. We use OpenZeppelin's security library functions to standardize token operations, and carefully design the validator's reward, punishment, and reputation mechanisms. Our comprehensive contract security audit and system analysis validate our solution's effectiveness in mitigating common vulnerabilities and internal threats. Implementation and testing with Ethereum and its test network demonstrate substantial reductions in transmission time for key cross-chain token steps by nearly half. Moreover, our framework showcases efficiency and cost-effectiveness with an average gas cost of 693,379. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of blockchain technology, the security of non-fungible tokens (NFT) in the transaction process has attracted much attention. In the transaction process, the commoditized NFT images will inevitably involve display and leakage problems, which is likely to lead to economic losses drink copyright disputes between the trading parties. To protect transaction security, a chaotic color multi-image compression encryption/LSB data-type steganography scheme is proposed in the paper. A series of chaotic sequences are obtained by iterating the chaotic map, while compression sensing (CS) is introduced to compress multiple secret images and fuse the compressed secret images into one large secret image. Then this image is encrypted, and the encrypted large secret image is hidden on multiple cover images by steganography. This encryption can hide the change in the statistical properties caused by steganography. Finally, the cover image is combined with the 3D object model by using it as a texture for the 3D object model to realize the type steganography of the image data. The simulation and performance test results of the scheme illustrate that the scheme has a large enough key space and steganography capacity, as well as good resistance to differential attacks, statistical attacks, compression reconstruction quality, and robustness. This scheme can well protect the transaction security of NFT images, and at the same time open a channel connecting 2D images and 3D obj textured models, which provides a new idea for steganography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article delves into the creative utilization of blockchain technology, non-fungible tokens, and smart contracts as innovative mediums by visual artists. It illuminates how these artists harness these digital tools to bridge the realms of magic, technology, and metamodernism within the ever-evolving digital landscape.