NFTs have taken the art world by storm — and they’re still making news. Over the last year, the surge in their sales has created a wild, lucrative market worth more than $24 billion. Is this emerging technology just pricey digital art, or could it alter the way we live?

Thousands of artists work every day to generate visuals that will be sold on online exchanges as digital tokens (NFTs). The markets are booming, and the most popular pieces can fetch millions of dollars, but outsiders have no idea why someone would pay anything for a jpg.  There are no physical works of art involved in these transactions. Those who buy art with cryptocurrencies get NFTs in exchange for a one-of-a-kind piece of computer code related to the work that is stored on a blockchain, this is a sort of non-changeable digital ledger. The intention behind this is to create works of art that are unique and non-replicable, but really, anyone can create a flawless digital copy of a piece of art and transmit it anywhere to exhibit it anywhere.

It’s only natural to be drawn to NFTs now that they’re making headlines and practically every social media platform is riddled with messages about people making millions through NFT transactions. However, just because NFTs are trendy and are available for purchase does not imply you should. Because their future is still uncertain and there isn’t enough historical data to predict their success, NFTs come with risks. Because NFTs are so new, it’s best to play it cautious and spend a little amount.

NFTs utilize blockchain technology, which necessitates a massive amount of computing power from computers. This processing capacity costs a significant amount of electricity and energy, raising the question of whether assigning values to digital works via blockchain is ecologically appropriate.

An NFT’s worth is purely defined by how much someone else is willing to pay for it. You might be able to resale an NFT for far less than you paid for it. You might not be able to resell it at all if no one wants it. Treat NFTs the same way you would any other investment: Do your homework, be aware of the hazards (including the possibility of losing all of your investment rupees), and proceed with prudence if you decide to take the leap.

In recent times the hype about NFTs is slowing down. The cost of minting NFTs to the environment has been a heated issue of discussion in recent months. The massive amount of computational power required to keep the NFT market functioning contributes significantly to global warming. This could be one of the reasons why investors are leaving. Or it could simply be that the excitement surrounding a speculative asset like NFTs is fading after a period of anticipation for a fresh technological breakthrough.

However, this drop in interest may only be temporary, as mainstream acceptance of NFTs continues to rise as businesses and organizations figure out how to incorporate them into their operations.