SECTION 1 THE BASICS
1 SO WHAT ARE NFTs, ANYWAY?
In essence, an NFT, or nonfungible token, is just a record that someone owns something. That record lives on the Ethereum blockchain-an ongoing, impossible-to-fake public ledger that shows everyone who's ever owned the thing in question. (So even if someone can copy and paste your cartoon of an ape, the real one-the only real one is clearly and incontrovertibly yours.) Of course, NFTs aren't just small artworks-they can serve as contracts or tickets to events or memberships in clubs. And, in some cases, they're shockingly valuable: It's not unheard of for certain NFTs to run to six figures. And, uh, people spent around $20 billion buying and selling these things last year. But that's getting ahead of ourselves. What NFTs are, fundamentally, is that record of ownership the thing that's owned is almost secondary. -DUNCAN COOPER
2 GOT IT. BUT WHY DO THEY MATTER, AGAIN?
Some people who are bullish on NFTs think that this sort of radical transparency can save art, liberate the internet, and restore democracy. Others think NFTs will accelerate societal collapse through grift and greed and melt the polar ice caps thanks to the insane energy demands required to store all the data required to keep the blockchain running.
That's a pretty wide range of outcomes: total triumph or total disaster. How terrifying! How fun! Predicting what comes next in a space that moves as fast as NFTs is a futile exercise, but it's hard to imagine that all of this energy adds up to nothing. -D.C.
3 OKAY, SO WHERE DID THEY COME FROM?
Denne historien er fra June - July 2022-utgaven av GQ India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra June - July 2022-utgaven av GQ India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
The 30 Best Watches Of 2024
Rounding up the best shapes, materials, complications and sizes from this year's horological novelty treasure chest.
Wes Lang's Heroes of Love...
Last month, LA-based artist Wes Lang unveiled The Black Paintings, a monumental series of works that play like storyboards to a raucous midnight horror movieand a spiritual quest. Here, GQ collaborates with the artist on a fashion story that brings his stylish characters off the canvas.
The Miraculous Resurrection of Notre Dame
In 2019, a fire nearly destroyed the crown jewel of France-and the nation set a breakneck five-year deadline to bring it back from the ashes. This is the story of how an army of artisans turned back centuries to restore Notre-Dame by hand, and wound up reviving something even greater than the cathedral itself.
"IT'S NOT ABOUT BEING PERFECT. IT'S ABOUT BEING REVOLUTIONARY."
Beyoncé Knowles-Carter talks business, legacy, art, and family
The Wedding Singers
Madboy Mink's dynamic duo, Saba Azad and Imaad Shah, redefine festive style.
A Watch Is More Than Just a Pretty Face
As collectors look to make their grail watches stand out, they're turning to unique vintage bracelets and paying thousands on thousands for straps on the secondary market.
The Fluidity of Cartier
Why Gen Z stars are obsessed with this historic maison.
A Princess with Passion
From restoring monuments to reviving hereditary crafts, Bhavnagar's Brijeshwari Kumari Gohil has her sights on the future.
THE FUTURE SOUNDS LIKE AT EEZ
The Coachella-slaying, multi-language-singing, genre-obliterating members of Ateez are quickly becoming load-bearing stars of our global pop universe.
DEMNA UNMASKED
He's the most influential designer of the past decade. He's also the most controversial. Now the creative director of Balenciaga is exploring a surprising source of inspiration: happiness. GQ's Samuel Hine witnesses the dawn of Demna's new era, in Paris, New York, and Shanghai. Photographs by Jason Nocito.
