getting started with NFTs!

If you’re interested in date pixels but have no experience with crypto or NFTs, I’ve written up this step-by-step guide to get you started on collecting some digital art! 

As with anything new, you should do your own research as well, to get a better understanding of the world of crypto and NFTs. The following guide is for informational purposes only.

WHAT IS AN NFT?

The first thing you may be asking is, “What even is an NFT?” The short answer is that it’s a proof of ownership of a digital item. A unique piece of code embedded into a ledger tracing straight back to the original artist, proving the authenticity of the digital piece you have acquired. So while the NFT can be represented as an image, or gif, or song, etc… the unique thing you own is this code, which nobody else can have, unless you decide to trade it or sell it. 

OVERVIEW OF THE STEPS

Here are the steps we’ll cover in more detail below:

1. Set up an account with Coinbase and buy some Ethereum

2. Download and set up the MetaMask Wallet browser extension (or smart phone app)

3. Transfer your ETH from Coinbase to MetaMask

4. Connect MetaMask to the Opensea marketplace and make your purchase!

5. A note on gas/gas prices

The first thing you’ll need in order to start collecting NFTs is some Ethereum (ETH). 

There are many ways to do this, but this is the most straightforward way I’ve figured out so far:

STEP 1:

First, make an account at coinbase.com. This is one of the biggest platforms for exchanging USD/other fiat currencies with many of the top cryptocurrencies. Think of it as your crypto bank. You will need to verify your identity and connect your debit card or bank account, and once that all goes through, you can make your first exchange.  

You don’t need to buy a full coin, just enter the amount of USD you’d like converted to ETH, and it will run the transaction and put the ETH into your account.

STEP 2:

So now you’ve set up your bank account. Next, you’ll need a crypto wallet! There are a number of crypto wallets to choose from, but I recommend MetaMask (from metamask.io), which works as a browser extension and a smartphone app. 

This works best on the Chrome browser, and I’ve found that most NFT/crypto related websites run smoothest on Chrome as well.

Head to MetaMask.io and hit “download now” to add the browser extension.

You’ll be given a 12 word seed phrase — this is in case you ever lose access to your account and need to recover it. Do not share this with anyone. Write it down on physical paper and store it in a safe place, if you can. But whatever you do, just don’t lose it. Once you’ve done this and finished setting up your account, then all we need to do is get your ETH from Coinbase into MetaMask!

STEP 3:

To do this, open up your MetaMask wallet by clicking on the browser extension — it will open as a popup. Under “Account 1” or whatever you’ve renamed your account to, there will be a long string of letters and numbers. This is your public address. Simply click on it and it will copy to your clipboard. 

Now go back to Coinbase. Click “Send/Receive”, and in the “Send” tab, select “Pay With Ethereum” and “Send All” to send all of the ETH in your Coinbase account to your MetaMask account (you can also choose to send a specific amount of ETH if you don’t want to send all of it).

Paste your MetaMask public address in the “To” box and hit Continue. You’ll be charged a small fee from Coinbase, but otherwise within 10 minutes (usually less) the ETH will show up in your MetaMask account!

STEP 4:

Next, head to the date pixels storefront: https://opensea.io/collection/datepixels

You’ll be asked to connect your MetaMask wallet to OpenSea - click “Sign” on your MetaMask wallet when it pops up, and you’re now all set to buy your first NFT!

Click “Buy Now” on the date pixel of your choosing, and you will be asked to complete the transaction in MetaMask

STEP 5 (a note on gas prices):

When you make a transaction on the Ethereum network, you’ll need to pay a “gas fee” - which at the time of writing can be pretty high depending on what time of day you are attempting to purchase the NFT. I have no control over this fee, nor does the marketplace. It’s all based on the current traffic of the Ethereum network as a whole. This fee is the same whether you’re buying something for $1 or $1,000,000 (in ETH of course!). 

I’ve tried to price date pixels fairly in order to be considerate of gas fees, but please be aware that you’ll likely end up paying around twice what the number next to Buy Now says.

date pixels are .025 ETH (roughly $45 USD), and collectors so far have paid around .02-.025 ETH in gas on top of that.

Once the transaction goes through, the NFT will show up in your wallet within the next few minutes.

Congratulations! You now own your first NFT. Will you hold onto it, and start a collection? Or maybe you want to re-list it and see if you can turn a profit on the secondary market?

This date pixel now belongs to you and you are free to do as you wish with it. Personally I’d recommend holding onto it, as I’ve got some fun ideas for datepixel hodlers coming soon!

Now hop on over to the date pixels storefront and find your perfect date! :) 

-DJD