There’s no doubt that blockchain is a powerful technology with the potential to change the world. But what many people don’t know is that blockchain is also specifically empowering women in the digital world. Through initiatives like Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs), women are gaining control over their online identities and creating new opportunities for themselves and other women around the globe.
I first joined OpenSea last July to start dipping my toes in the NFT industry. At first, like many, it seemed overly complicated and I just didn’t “get it.” Once I made my first purchase, everything changed. If you aren’t familiar with NFTs, they are digital assets that don’t have a physical representation. They are unique, meaning there can only be one of each NFT. And because they are on the blockchain, they are (generally) secure.
One of the reasons I’ve fallen so deeply into this rabbit hole is because I can see how it’s creating new opportunities for women all over the world. For example: Last year, the first-ever NFT art sale by an African woman was held at Christie’s auction house. It was a huge success and brought in over $600K! The artist behind that historic event is Njideka Akunyili Crosby, who also created one of my favorite pieces of all time: “Under the Bridge II.”
But these projects are so much more than just art and investing, they’re empowering women in a way that’s never been done before. “Under the Bridge II” is all about female empowerment and creating opportunities for women to flourish. And because it’s an NFT, every time someone buys or sells one of these pieces, Akunyili Crosby will earn royalties on each transaction. This means she not only has control over her art, but she’s also able to earn a living from it.
This is just one example of how NFTs are empowering women and creating new opportunities for them. There are countless other projects out there that are doing the same thing, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds. With blockchain technology, we’re entering an exciting time where women have control over their own identities and are able to create new opportunities for themselves.
There’s still a long way to go, but I truly believe the future of NFTs is female. As more and more women enter the metaverse, they’ll continue to create new opportunities for themselves and other women in the process. Some of the current top trending projects are female led, and i’ve had the great pleasure of buying into several of these communities. The following ones are a few of my favourites, and ones to watch:
Sacred Skulls
Sacred Skulls is a women led NFT project inspired by two close friends that share a passion for art, community, and empowering women through financial independence. Both founders have been silently supporting their husbands since April in the NFT space and are excited to start their own public journey.
The collection of Skulls are hand drawn by an incredibly talented, female artist, @HelenaEliasArt.
Jade and Kayla built Sacred Skulls with an ultimate vision to build a community that provides mentorship and development for all who desire to be a part of this web3 phenomenon. They are well-positioned to gain significant market share and help fill in the gender gap by empowering more women to join the NFT world.
2. The Flower Girls
A favourite of female celebrities, including Reese Witherspoon, The Flower Girls are a labour of love of Varvara Alay. Varvara is an award-winning graphic designer and illustrator, whose NFT journey began in June 2021.
Carefully handcrafted over four months, and algorithmically generated by bespoke software, the Flower Girls celebrate natural beauty, purity and diversity, raising the standards for Fine Art NFT Collectibles.
3. Women Rise
A collection of 10,000 randomly generated and unique NFT art pieces created by the internationally acclaimed visual artist Maliha Abidi. The Women Rise collection represents women from around the world and the traits go beyond the diversity of just skin colors. Women activists, artists, scientists, coders and many others rising to make the world a better place!
Women Rise allows art lovers to own a unique art piece while also making the NFT space more diverse and inclusive.
4. Girlies
Girlies is an incredible project by 14 year old (yes, 14) digital artist Valeria, in collaboration with her father!
“The idea for “Girlies” came to us when my dad mentioned an article about women in the NFT space and how only a small percentage of NFTs come from women artists. After learning more about what other women were doing in this space, I was inspired to create my own NFT. However, we quickly found out that generative art isn’t easy; I put in hundreds of hours of work to create over 300 traits, and my dad spent weeks learning about the tech stuff.
I hope my NFT project can bring more inclusivity and diversity into the NFT space while also inspiring women and young girls from all over the world to pursue art and anything they set their mind to. “
5. BFF Friendship Bracelets
A celebrity packed project, BFF helps women and non-binary friends get educated, connected and rewarded in all things crypto. Every BFF Friendship Bracelet grants access to a mint from our upcoming 10k PFP collection. Join a community of friends in the new world of web3 while supporting independent artists.
The number of women entering and leading the blockchain space is growing every day, and with good reason: blockchain offers unparalleled opportunities for empowerment and financial independence. Through projects like those listed above, more and more women are finding success in the digital world.
