@DanyEid_ is an architect and passionate NFT collector whose interests span music, film, and theatre. His love of art in all its forms prompted him to start an NFT collection and he discovered a passion for cryptocurrency and Hedera Hashgraph.
Third Act: How did you first learn about NFTs?
Dany: Although I haven’t minted nor created my own NFTs yet, I was already researching the evolution of DLT and blockchain for a few years now. Amongst the many keywords constantly popping up in the space, NFT was the keyword that gained the most traction in 2021. Being a member of the Hedera Community, I naturally was watching closely the many artists springing out of the Hedera ecosystem and was interested to learn more.
TA: What was the process like of going from first hearing/learning about NFTs, to jumping in and starting your collection? Were there any trepidations you had?
D: I have to admit beforehand I’m still not a well seasoned NFT collector, mostly still observing the space evolve. The rare NFTs that I hold have been gifted to me by generous and creative members of the community.
My first NFT buying experience was on MetaSeva.love. Suku was behind it, so I trusted the platform. It took a while for my NFTs to transfer, but I’m assuming because P2P atomic transfer wasn’t available. But mostly, it was a seamless experience and a neat user interface to navigate.
TA: Do you have any advice for someone looking to start their own collection?
D: Educate yourself first about Crypto and NFTs specifically. Twitter is a vibrant space for crypto enthusiasts to get knowledgeable fast with NFT nomenclature and developments.
Join Hedera-related TG Groups. Most of the Creators you’re interested in have Discord channels available for you to join in. Members are always ready to help and promote their NFTs.
Download a featured wallet and start with your first NFT purchase until you get acquainted with the process.
TA: What do you think the space will be like 5 years from now?
D: I see great potential for what NFTs represent: The authentication of Digital Assets and Proof of Ownership.
Art and IP provenance is only one instance of what’s possible. The spectrum could include digital art, gaming, data cookies to more elaborate instruments like financial securities and real estate. It’s the use-cases we haven’t even heard of yet that excite me the most though, and the implementations are truly endless.
TA: What would you like to see more of in the NFT space? This could be anything from a wishlist of specific collections based on a film or television property, or simply just a direction you’d like to see fans and industry leaders heading in or thinking about.
D: A more intuitive user experience to facilitate ubiquity and adoption. Gamification and smart incentives could play a role to entice more interest. I’d like to see the Hedera ecosystem mature and token functionalities evolve. This could involve the way NFTs are stored, safeguarded, atomically transferred, marketplaces made available, and the whole spectrum of utilities.
TA: We know that in this industry, things are always changing, and there’s always something going on. Is there anyone you follow for up-to-date information?
D: Twitter, your favorite accounts is a good starting point for up-to-date announcements.
The Hbar Foundation is definitely a key player. HashPack is your go-to resource for everything NFT. Hbartothemoon is your updated website resource for all emerging NFT projects on Hedera. Thehbarbull is your YouTube channel to subscribe to for Hedera news. HelloFutureBuzz connects nascent community projects weekly on her Twitter Spaces. And mostly just connect to your favorite talented NFT creators.
TA: Which piece of yours do you think is undervalued?
D: I value all of them equally, because they were mostly gifted to me by generous artists.
I personally like my hbartothemoon coins. I love the attention to detail in their elaborate design, and nothing beats a digital representation of a physical silver or gold coin.
Another one is the “Restoration” piece by Emilia Clarke and Artist Steven Sebring. I bought this NFT for the utility, knowing it was for the good cause of healing brain injury and trauma.
TA: If you could put any of your pieces in a museum, which one would you choose?
D: The NFT I purchased from the SameYou non-profit. It’s a beautiful piece of Art.
It describes the impermanence of the human mind. Very evocative.
It’s a meditative loop that draws the witness into a deep state of tranquility and calm. The way they describe it: “The auditory choices are carefully curated to illuminate neurological healing possibilities as Theta brain waves are known to promote healing, relaxation, stress reduction and a boost to the immune system”
TA: Do you ever have trouble explaining to people what it is you do? How do you go about talking to people who know nothing about NFTs?
D: It’s a nascent industry requiring basic technical know-how. The space will eventually mature, the industry will abstract away those technical layers and users will end up with a seamless Web2 like experience. Maybe the utility of NFTs should be explored further as well instead of just relying on the artistic aspect of it. This could help the average Joe relate to NFTs beyond just Art.
TA: Along those lines, do you find that most people outside of the community who you end up talking about NFTs are receptive?
D: They are open-minded but it requires due effort to convey the technicalities and the potential of DLTs in a practical fashion.
The space, once evolved, will demonstrate its utility to all, it’s just a matter of time. It could be through experiences like enhancing the digital experience to all through VR, AR, gaming, and the Metaverse or just a killer application showcasing the advantage with which digital value can be easily and cheaply transferred between peers through this technology.
TA: What other creators and collectors do you have your eye on?
D: I follow most Artists on the Hedera network.
I love the amazing pixel Art minimalism Hgraphpunks and Anftimals are doing. The color palette and gradients are just awesome.
A lot of creative artists emerging on Hedera at the moment, you barely can keep track of.
I’d love to see more 3D AR creatives. Being an architect myself, I was inspired by pixelrug and the Art Gallery showrooms. It’s only a glimpse of the intriguing metaverse that’s currently being proactively imagined.
TA: Anything else you want to share?
D: I Wish ThirdAct all the best for 2022. More diversity in their collections, more partnerships, bundling maybe different packages. Bettering their User experience to foster more engagement. Introduce more gamification and incentives to the platform. Link the NFTs to real-life events/perks etc. Maybe evolve their ecosystem to allow for open participation.
