NFT: What They Are, How They Work, and Why Most Fail

When you hear NFT, a unique digital token on a blockchain that proves ownership of something like art, music, or a virtual item. Also known as non-fungible token, it’s not just a picture—it’s a verified claim on something digital that can’t be copied or replaced. But here’s the truth: 95% of NFTs are worthless. They’re not art. They’re not collectibles. They’re often just JPEGs with a blockchain stamp and zero real utility.

Real NFTs aren’t about buying a monkey picture. They’re about access. Like the IGU airdrop, a project that gave away tokens tied to AI-powered digital pets that evolved based on user actions. Or the TopGoal x CoinMarketCap NFT airdrop, which handed out 10,000 football-themed NFTs with actual game-related perks. These weren’t just images—they were keys to experiences. Most NFTs fail because they skip the experience and just sell the image. No game. No utility. No reason to come back.

And then there’s the hype cycle. People chase fake NFT airdrops, thinking they’re getting free value. But look at the SMAK X CoinMarketCap airdrop, which gave out $20,000 in tokens, but the underlying platform never gained users. Today, those tokens are worth pennies. NFTs only have value if they’re tied to something real—like a game, a community, or a service that keeps growing. If it’s just a static image with no future, it’s digital trash.

What you’ll find below are real stories. Not the ones sold on Twitter. The ones that actually happened: the NFTs that worked, the ones that vanished, and the ones that turned social activity into digital assets. No fluff. No promises. Just what worked, what didn’t, and why.