How to buy NFTs

Essentially, any digital image can be purchased as an NFT. But there are a few things to consider when buying one, especially if you’re a newbie. You’ll need to decide what marketplace to buy from, what type of digital wallet is required to store it and what kind of cryptocurrency you’ll need to complete the sale.

Some of the most common NFT marketplaces include OpenSea, Mintable, Nifty Gateway and Rarible. There are also niche marketplaces for more specific types of NFTs, too, such as NBA Top Shot for basketball video highlights or Valuables for auctioning tweets such as Dorsey’s currently up for bid.

But be wary of fees. Some marketplaces charge a “gas” fee, which is the energy required to complete the transaction on the blockchain. Other fees can include the costs for converting dollars into ethereum (the currency most commonly used to buy NFTs) and closing expenses.

If you’re curious and want to know more about what it’s like to purchase an NFT, we went ahead and bought one. (And yes, it is a cat.)