There has been a lot of buzz around NFTs like Bored Ape Yacht club/ Mutant Ape Yacht Club in the last few years. Some of them have sold for millions of dollars! But those types of NFTs are just the tip of the iceberg. The NFT space may still be in its infancy, but you might be surprised by the innovation of some of the NFT projects created in the last couple of years. From top-of-the-line RPG NFT game options to sports and art, there is something for everyone (no matter what you’re into!). We’ve put together a list of some of the best NFT projects across the spectrum in 2023 so that you can get a better feel for the options out there.
Let’s get started.
What is an NFT Project?
At its core, NFTs (non-fungible tokens) are just strings of data stored on a blockchain. Those strings of data can be anything. Artwork, access to a community, games, collectibles you can trade, new technology. The options are endless. The companies and or creators who develop and/or sell those NFTs create NFT Projects. Some projects have missions, some are trying to raise funds for other more impressive NFT projects, and others are just trying to bring happiness to people.
Every NFT project out there is usually surrounded by a devoted fan base full of people who are doing everything they can to help the NFT project be successful/lucrative. So, if you find something that piques your interest, find the NFT community for that project and reach out to them to learn more about it.
9 NFT Projects to Watch in 2023
Here’s the list of the NFT projects we will explore in this article:
- Wizardia: A turn-based battle game
- Cypto Baristas: NFT art for the coffee-lover community
- Decentraland: A free economy digital world
- The Forest: Art. Web3 Education. Reforestation.
- NBA Topshot: A new take on sports trading cards
- Moon Birds: PFPs that gain benefits the longer you hold them
- Tom Sacks Rocket Factory: Multidimensional NFT Rockets
- Art Blocks: Custom on-demand generative artwork
- REIC: Metaverse as a service
1. Wizardia
First we have an NFT project with a new take on RPG. This play-to-earn, AAA-quality, turn-based battler is the ultimate combination. It pairs an immersive gaming experience with opportunities to earn real-world money.
This metaverse game’s lore is centered around a world left in pieces after a universal calamity. As a new world order begins to take hold, wizards battle each other in PvP and PvE competitions to gain rewards.
Wizardia offers 3 different types of NFTs and a range of ways to earn money with those NFTs:
- Each player must have 3 Wizards to play. These Wizards are NFTs that can be purchased or rented from other players.
- Players can battle in arenas. These arenas are NFTs that are built by investors inside the game. Investors will receive returns for each player who enters a fight in their arena.
- Players can exchange resources for wagers to rank up their Wizard NFTs. Exchanges take place in markets. These markets are NFTs that are owned by investors inside the game. Investors will receive returns on each transaction that takes place in their market.
So, whether you are interested in gaming, investing, or combining the two, Wizardia’s NFT marketplace/NFT project is worth keeping an eye on this year.
2. Crypto Baristas
Image source: Twitter
If you are a coffee lover, this may be the perfect NFT project for you. This popular NFT project was created to bring like-minded coffee-loving people together. Crypto Baristas’ collection consists of hand-drawn characters that are depicted pouring coffee.
Characters are placed in one of three categories of rarity:
“World Barista champs” - Rarest
“Master Barista” - Mid-level Rarity
“Barista” - Least Rare
But this NFT isn’t just digital art:
- Owners get exclusive lifetime benefits at all future Crypto Barista cafes, on Coffee Bro’s website (Crypto Baristas’ coffee partner), exclusive coffees, as well as discounts on Crypto Barista merchandise.
- Crypto Barista NFT investors get voting rights that will let them be part of deciding the future of this NFT project.
- Holders of this NFT digital asset will also be part of the “Caffeine Club,” a group that gets to decide what happens with 15% of the returns from all sales of NFTs.
This NFT collection is making waves in the OpenSea NFT marketplace. It's perfect for both the traditional NFT collector and those looking to join a community of like-minded people.
3. Decentraland
Image source: CryptoPotato
Decentraland is one of the more popular NFT projects making the rounds right now. This NFT project has garnered a lot of attention thanks to its DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization) and free economy. Decentraland is a crypto game that runs on the Ethereum blockchain. You enter Decentraland as a customized digital avatar and navigate through its virtual world, buying and enjoying all that there is to offer.
This NFT world uses 2 types of NFTs:
- LAND: You buy LAND and start building on it. LAND are NFTs that can have anything you imagine built on them. You can make money by selling or monetizing these NFTs, but they can’t be used as currency. There is a limited supply of LAND.
- MANA: ERC-20 fungible tokens called MANA are the currency used in Decentraland to buy land, wearables, or other in-game items.
A lot of notable names and brands (such as Samsung, Nike, Coca-Cola, Sotheby’s, and Atari) have bought LAND in this NFT world, which has caused Decentraland NFTs to skyrocket lately.
If this NFT project already feels too saturated for you, it might be worthwhile to look out for any NFT projects that may branch or spin-off from it.
4. The Forest
Image source: The Forest
This NFT project has set its sights on helping people navigate the ever-changing Web3/NFT landscape. In The Forest, you will purchase Noctua, customized owl digital assets, and gain access to educational content.
The NFT creators’ website says that the project aims to: “Empower creatives with knowledge, connections, and the tools required to become thriving independent Web3 & NFT professionals.”
This NFT project is also based on a DAO framework.
But that’s not all of the grandeur in this NFT project. To offset the project's carbon footprint, trees will be planted for every transaction that utilizes The Forest.
Art, education, and reforestation. What more could you ask for? This NFT project definitely deserves a spot on your list of the best upcoming NFT projects to watch if you want to get a good grasp on Web3. (It might be a nice resource to have in your back pocket!)
5. NBA Topshot
Image source: nbatopshot.com
This NFT project may surprise you. NBA Topshot is the virtual equivalent of traditional sports trading cards. Widely considered to be the most successful NFT collections, NBA Topshot moments are easy to buy (they recommend using credit or debit cards rather than cryptocurrency) and some have been sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Easy access and use are large factors behind the success of this NFT market and its digital collectibles trading cards.
Simply:
Buy them.
Then, trade them.
The cherries on top (yes, there are two)?
- NBA Topshot moments are officially licensed products of the NBA.
- New packs of moments are regularly dropped (frequent NFT drops like this aren’t common!).
There may be plenty of popular NFT projects in the works, but you won’t find many that already have such a large built-in fanbase. Whether you are a sports fan or not, this new NFT project deserves some attention.
6. Moonbird
Image source: CryptoPotato
At first glance, Moonbirds may not seem like anything noteworthy in the NFT space, but there are some pretty cool features around this avatar digital asset. Like other PFP (profile picture) NFTs, Moonbird NFT holders will be admitted to the private PROOF Discord and receive invitations to things like IRL events. PROOF, the company behind Moonbird, has also stated that Moonbird NFT holders will get early access to some of PROOF’s best upcoming NFT projects.
But the aspect of this NFT project that caught our attention is something called – Nesting. The longer you hold an avatar in your wallet, the more benefits you get. Like a bird… in a nest. The benefits are still pretty secretive at this point, but it seems like access to enhanced drops and exclusive communities will be a key motivator with this NFT project. Incentivizing holders to keep this NFT in their wallets is an interesting move and one we think adds a nice twist to the idea of traditional PFPs.
If you are looking to dabble around with NFTs, this NFT collection might be a good place to start.
7. Tom Sachs Rocket Factory
Image source: Tom Sachs Rocket Factory
Tom Sachs Rocket Factory is probably the most unique NFT project created (so far!), in our opinion. As far as NFT projects go, this one has an “unusual” feature. It is multidimensional (or trans-dimensional as described on their website).
NFT sales for Tom Sachs Rocket Factory work like this:
- You create your own virtual world NFT rocket by combining a nose cone, body, and tail (each of which is an NFT).
- If you want, you can mint your rocket. When minted, a physical rocket, that looks exactly like your virtual rocket, will be produced and then launched. (You can attend!)
- The launch is filmed.
- After the launch, you can choose to have the rocket shipped to you (if you decided not to attend), donated to a museum, or destroyed.
Fired rockets, their digital twin, and the launch video form a trinity and can be worth more.
So, if you have ever dreamed of creating and launching your own rocket, but didn’t have the technical skills or money to fund it, now may be your chance to make a dream come true. Plus, you’ll get a cool digital asset AND a real-world asset (if you want).
8. Art Blocks
Image source: NFT Morning
Art Blocks’ NFT art utilizes blockchain technology in all the best ways. Really admire an artist’s work? Great. Now, you can own a piece of their artwork that is 100% unique and created just for you.
This is how it works:
- An artist uploads the algorithm they create to Art Blocks.
- Buyers browse styles of artwork and pick one they like to “mint.”
- Once they press mint, a 100% unique NFT is created using that artist’s algorithm. The algorithm and all that it took to create the digital asset are recorded on the blockchain.
There are different categories of art available: Curated, Playground, and Factory.
Curated is top-tier. A team at Art Block carefully selects each project. Each digital piece usually focuses on innovation and aesthetic beauty.
Playground is middle-tier. Selected artists are allowed to explore and try out new things here.
Factory is bottom-tier. This section is for creators who haven’t been selected for the other two tiers.
Commissioned artwork from Art Blocks can be sold on NFT marketplaces like OpenSea.
If you are into the art scene, Art Blocks is one of the new NFT projects you will want to keep an eye on. This NFT project could easily end up being the most expensive NFT project if it continues on its current projection.
9. REIC (Real Estate Investment Club)
Image source: Real Estate Investment Club
Maas. Metaverse as a service. REIC (Real Estate Investment Club) is a Maas with some notable names behind it. And it could be one of the NFT projects that revolutionize the way we think about work, education, and social meetings. This NFT project isn’t just another NFT collection where NFT holders simply buy and trade digital assets (such as Bored Ape Yacht Club). REIC imagines a world in which the metaverse operates alongside the real world. A world where you can integrate all kinds of monetization opportunities and cater to things like meet-ups, education, advice, and consultations.
REIC is built on UE5 (unreal engine 5) and will live on the ERC-721 blockchain. The artwork and graphics behind the collection are a team of highly talented designers and developers, some of whom worked on GTA and Red Dead Redemption. Like other NFT projects in the early stages, REIC is upping the stakes by providing access to exclusive communities and early access passes.
If you are looking to get in early on the next big tech, REIC is something you should watch.
Tips for Finding and Buying the Best NFT Projects
Now that we have walked through a few different NFT projects, we want to mention a few important things to remember when seriously considering projects.
1. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Like any industry that moves quickly, web3 is full of people looking to take advantage of anyone that doesn’t fully grasp how things work. Make sure you do your due diligence before making purchases.
2. Understand gas fees before you start buying.
These fees go up and down pretty frequently, so you will want to keep an eye out for this when you are ready to make a purchase. Knowing when to buy is just as important as knowing what to buy.
3. Follow the data. (Look up the artist, company, floor pricing, scarcity, etc.)
Before you decide to jump in, make sure you fully understand all the complexities around an NFT project and the NFTs they are selling.
4. Get to know the tools.
Knowing how to use tools to evaluate NFT projects and NFTs can help you make less risky data-based decisions.
5. Analyze the project's tokenomics
Tokenomics will help you understand if a token is appealing to investors. It will give you insight into token functionality, incentives for token holders, token distribution and allocation, and other important factors. You can usually find this information in the project's whitepaper.
Takeaways on the NFT Space
This article is lengthy, but we haven’t even begun to show you all the options. If you have a passion, there is likely some NFT art or NFT community at the very least that feels the same as you. You just have to find it. New NFT projects are going to pop up every day. If you are interested in getting in on the ground floor for exclusive communities or investment opportunities, keep an eye on the latest developments.
And we may be a bit biased, but if you want to invest in an NFT but don’t have millions to spend, check out Wizardia’s Arena Genesis NFTs. These unique assets have value not only in the game but also outside the virtual kingdom!
Have fun and be smart!
Heather Budrevičienė
Heather is an American writer and editor based in Lithuania. She is obsessed with learning and loves to dabble with new tech in her free time. Heather started her career in Fintech and has only fallen more in love with blockchain through the years. She also loves to unplug and spend time outdoors. When she isn’t working, you are likely her with her family hiking in a forest or kayaking down a river.
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