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25 May, 2022  •  10 min read

How to Mint NFTs: Step-by-Step Guide

Most of us already know what NFTs are and how they work – that’s not surprising since nowadays, these digital tokens are even more popular than cryptocurrency. Non-fungible tokens have made the market simply explode over the past several years: digital artworks have been sold for millions of dollars, and their authors became famous around the world and created a perfect source of income.

However, to be successful in the crypto world, you should know the key process: how to mint NFTs on the NFT market. That’s why HateRace.com prepared this detailed guide for newcomers to help them avoid all the possible difficulties and mistakes. So read carefully, and perhaps your own works will soon succeed. Let’s get started!

Table of contents

What Does Minting an NFT Mean?

Before moving on to the process itself, let’s take a closer look at the basics – what does NFT minting actually mean?Minting is a process that helps a creator to convert their uploaded content into a crypto asset on a blockchain protocol. In the future, it can be put up for sale. So, in other words, once you’ve created your own NFT, thanks to minting, you’ll be able to publish it on different NFT marketplaces.

Who Can Mint NFTs?

What’s great about non-fungible tokens, just as with ordinary art, is that absolutely anyone can create, sell, buy, and mint them as well. In fact, it’s possibly even better:  you don’t need any messy art supplies to get started – just desire and some simple skills. So, even if you aren’t a professional artist, don’t give up – nowadays, there are multiple examples of how ordinary people have become famous by creating their own NFTs, even though they didn’t know any professional tricks.

How to Mint NFTs

Now, let’s see what you need to mint NFTs successfully – below you’ll find a full guide on how to mint non-fungible tokens in 7 simple steps. Just be attentive and follow all the instructions carefully, and you’ll avoid every possible difficulty. Good luck!

1. Create an account on a crypto exchange

First of all, you need to create an account on a crypto exchange if you don’t have your own yet. Since most NFT marketplaces are currently based on the Ethereum blockchain, it’s quite important to have ETH in your wallet to be allowed to mint your artwork. Otherwise, you won’t be able to pay the one-time fee to complete the process successfully. The crypto exchange will help you liquidate the crypto as well if you want to convert it into traditional fiat.

2. Get a crypto wallet

The next thing you have to do is get a crypto wallet if you’re planning to buy or sell NFTs on any NFT marketplace. It’s often recommended to choose MetaMask – it’s the most reliable wallet, used with the majority of popular platforms, such as OpenSea. You can easily download MetaMasks’s plugin from its official website. What’s so great about this crypto wallet is that you’re able to buy ETH directly from it. However, keep in mind that the commission fee for a transaction is much higher than on the exchanges.

3. Send Ether (ETH) to your crypto wallet

After you’ve set up your wallet, you need to send ETH from your exchange to your wallet. Actually, all exchanges allow their users to transfer crypto with a public address – if you open your wallet plugin on the browser, you’ll see your own public address there.

4. Sign up to an NFT marketplace and link your wallet

Once you’ve opened your wallet, visit the platform of your choice and go to your user profile. There, you’ll be able to connect your wallet with the NFT marketplace. However, you’ll also notice that your profile is still unnamed – just enter your email address and a username to verify your account. After that, you’ll be totally ready to mint your NFT.

5. Verify your marketplace account by email

What key details should you know about verifying your account?

  • As we’ve noted above, first, you need to provide your email address and a username.
  • Also, don’t forget to agree to the terms and conditions.
  • If you did everything correctly, you’ll receive a verification email – click the link provided, and the process will be completed successfully.

6. Create your NFT

Before minting an NFT, you need to create it. So first, let’s take a closer look at all the crucial steps to take.

  1. First of all, you need to set up an Ethereum wallet – for example, MetaMask or Rainbow.
  2. Then, buy a small amount of ETH.
  3. Once you’ve purchased Ethereum, connect your wallet to the NFT marketplace of your choice where you’ll create your first NFT. That’s it!

Here’s a key thing you should always bear in mind: your digital token must be creative and unique. Otherwise, nobody will be ready to pay real money for such artwork. So don’t be lazy – take your time and come up with a great idea of what your own NFT will look like.

You can find a full step-by-step guide on how to create your own non-fungible token on our website – HateRace.com.

7. Mint your NFT on the selected NFT marketplace

Finally, we’re ready to mint our NFT! Below you’ll find small step-by-step instructions on how to convert your uploaded content into a digital asset on a blockchain protocol.

  1. First, press “Create” – you’ll be automatically redirected to a page where you can upload your NFT. Make sure your artwork meets the format allowed on your marketplace.
  2. It’s time to name your NFT and upload it. Then, scroll down and click on “Create”.
  3. That’s it! If you did everything correctly, your digital token will appear on the NFT marketplace. However, don’t forget you still need to list it for sale.

How to Sell Your NFT

We’ve shown you how to create and mint NFTs, but what about selling? Let’s have a look at the process.

On your NFT page, there is a special “Sell” option. Press the required button, and you’ll be automatically redirected to a page where you’ll have an opportunity to auction your NFT or sell it for a fixed price. If you’re going the fixed price route, select the amount to sell it at and complete the listing to finish the process.

Before your artwork is available on the NFT marketplace, the platform will require you to initialize your wallet. Finally, confirm the selling price through the wallet. Congratulations!

Top 5 Marketplaces to Mint NFTs

Where is it possible to mint and sell NFTs? Here are the top 5 marketplaces to do that:

1. OpenSea

OpenSea is currently considered one of the most popular and reliable platforms in the digital world. It was launched in 2017 by Devin Finzer and Alex Atallah and is based on the Ethereum blockchain. Users can considerably benefit from choosing OpenSea – there, they’re able to mint their NFTs for free, almost with no gas fees. However, the platform can charge a one-time fee for account registration, as well as require you to pay a small amount of money if the NFT you’d like to list on OpenSea was minted somewhere else.

2. Rarible

Another great option for those who want to mint NFTs is Rarible. This platform is also built on the Ethereum blockchain and works similarly as well. However, unfortunately, Rarible doesn’t offer free minting like OpenSea or Mintable – there, you’ll be required to pay fees for the process, and they’re actually a bit higher than competitors charge.

3. SuperRare

Everything you need to know about SuperRare is that this platform is powered by the Ethereum blockchain like OpenSea and Rarible, and was created with the idea that collecting is a social activity – there, collectors join and collect in a social environment with each other. So, if you like working in a team and communicating with people, you’ll definitely love this place.

4. Foundation

The Foundation platform also works on the basis of the Ethereum blockchain but is considered unique in the sense that it makes live auctions easier for digital artwork. So, if you’re thinking of buying or selling NFTs at a set price, it doesn’t work like that – Foundation chooses an auction process similar to leading auction sites such as Christies. In addition, before moving on to all the operations on the platform, you need to join the Foundation community.

5. Binance

Last but not least is Binance, an attractive platform, as well as a true giant on the crypto market. One of the key advantages of Binance is its convenience. There, you don’t need to transfer ETH to a wallet like Metamask – all the operations can be completed directly from the exchange itself. Thanks to that, you’re also able to save some money on gas fees. Actually, Binance can be considered the most secure and convenient platform on our list, so pay special attention to it while choosing a place to mint your NFTs.

The Bottom Line

In recent years, the NFT world turned out to be an easy way to show your artwork to the entire world and earn money. However, remember that this movement is still in its infancy. Minting NFTs isn’t a get-rich-quick scheme – it requires some upfront fees to sell your non-fungible tokens anyway, and there is no guarantee that somebody will wish to buy them.

Bear in mind one golden rule: keep your wits about you. It’s better to learn everything in advance to avoid unpleasant consequences in the future. We sincerely hope our step-by-step guide helped you to get a full understanding of the NFT minting process. If you missed something essential, just come back to our article and refresh your memory together with HateRace.com. Thank you for reading!

FAQs

Still have some questions about NFT minting? Don’t worry – we suggest you have a look at our FAQs list where we’ve put together the most popular questions among the users from the digital world. We’re sure you’ll find the answers to all of your outstanding issues.

How much does it cost to mint NFTs?

On average, NFT minting will cost you $1 to $1,000, depending on the wallet you’re using. However, there are also some free options you can explore.

How long does it take to mint an NFT?

It depends on many key factors, such as the number of tokens being minted and the complexity of the algorithm. Sometimes, it takes about 10 minutes, but in more complicated cases, NFT minting can last several hours, days, or even years.

Can you mint an NFT by yourself?

Of course! As we’ve mentioned above, absolutely anyone can mint NFTs, even if you aren’t a professional artist. All you need to do is carefully follow all the instructions provided by our guide, and your digital art will be minted successfully.

Can I mint an NFT for free?

Yes, there are some free options for NFT minting. For example, if you choose to mint your tokens via the Polygon blockchain, you aren’t required to pay for the process.