Exploring NFT Mystery Boxes: From Digital Art to Virtual Real Estate

Who doesn't love a good surprise? NFT creators and marketplaces are looking to explore the "good feeling" people experience when they get something they least expect or that exceeds their expectations through mystery boxes — but this time, embedding NFTs with different rarities.

NFTs (non-fungible tokens) got a boost in their journey from being a plausible concept to mainstream media and people's wallets in 2021. This boost expanded the NFT ecosystem as it found adoption in different industries. Since it's still in its early phases, NFTs powered by smart contracts need healthy use cases to remain relevant and establish themselves in the unfolding digital economy.

This article looks at NFT technology’s application in engaging its customer base and increasing adoption across different age levels.

1. NFT mystery boxes contain surprise NFTs waiting to be discovered and offer a thrilling way to acquire unique digital assets.

2. Purchase a mystery box, open it, and reveal the hidden NFTs, ranging from art to collectibles.

3. NFT mystery boxes can hold various digital items, such as digital artwork, virtual goods, in-game assets, or even rare tokens with high value.

4. Explore popular NFT marketplaces and platforms to find and purchase NFT mystery boxes.

5. Participate in auctions to bid on exclusive and limited-edition NFT mystery boxes for a chance to own rare digital treasures.

Do you recall moments during childhood when you got a fun treat from which you picked chocolate eggs without prior knowledge of what could be inside the eggs? You spend minutes or hours guessing and imagining what could be in the mystery box.

Even though you have no idea what is in the plastic capsule within the eggs, the eager feeling that comes with surprises excites you about the whole arrangement. NFT Mystery Boxes also work this way. 

NFT Mystery Boxes are a type of Non-Fungible Token (NFT) product that has gained popularity in the blockchain and digital art community. The concept resembles traditional mystery boxes, where you purchase a box without knowing exactly what's inside. These mystery boxes are usually sold on various NFT marketplaces; artists or developers typically create the contents.

Digital assets, collectibles, or NFTs, have made their big debut in different industries and have found many use cases. Old sectors are now renovating themselves to make room for the various applications of NFTs.

Curiosity has always attracted buyers, and NFT mystery boxes are random NFT collections that surprise buyers like regular physical mystery boxes. The excitement comes from the surprise and potential value of the contents. NFT mystery boxes could contain any type of digital asset, including digital art, music, virtual real estate, and virtual goods, possessing different rarities. 

The value of the NFT inside the mystery box could vary greatly, with some potentially being worth a lot of money. This introduces an element of luck and gambling, as buyers hope to "unbox" a valuable NFT.

An NFT mystery box works on the concept of surprise and curiosity instead of rarity levels like other collections of non-fungible tokens, which are expensive. NFT mystery box series hold varieties of common and rare NFTs but ultimately work similarly to physical mystery box series.

Like your physical mystery box, your digital NFT mystery box does not always contain super-rare assets. Often, a super rare NFT mystery box is created in limited editions, which lowers the chances of stumbling upon them and makes it even more valuable for those that find it.

Many NFT marketplaces now give out limited edition mystery boxes with random NFT rarity levels that would make for good surprises.

Additionally, many of these NFT mystery boxes are game themed or work well in the virtual worlds. For example, Blind Boxes is the world's first gamified curation platform for NFTs.

By giving away NFT mystery boxes on different NFT marketplaces, a broad awareness and promotional campaign convinces people to buy NFT mystery boxes and relate with fellow mystery box owners in the community.

Due to collaborations and the intentionality of NFT creators fully participating in promoting NFT mystery boxes, the number of people that can boast ownership of NFT mystery boxes has steadily increased.

NFT mystery boxes hold different scarce NFT assets such as pet images, gamified items, artworks, pictures, objects, surprise chocolate eggs, yummy chocolate shells, or any randomized image. 

The content of a mystery box depends on the specific NFT collection releasing the box or the NFT marketplace anchoring the initial sale. Sometimes you can get an idea from the description note, but the NFTs will often come from a specific collection and can find applications where that collection naturally exists. For example, if Axie Infinity created a mystery box, you know to expect rare in-game assets like virtual lands, Axies, weapons, avatars, etc., with different rarities.

NFT mystery boxes are a popular way of driving engagement within the crypto community. Here are some popular use cases for NFT mystery boxes: 

Element of Surprise 

One of the primary use cases of NFT mystery boxes is the element of surprise and discovery they bring to users. Much like opening a gift, buyers are intrigued by the unknown contents of the box and the possibility of finding rare and valuable NFTs. The anticipation of uncovering valuable digital assets enhances the overall experience and excitement for collectors and users who enjoy the thrill of surprise. 

Gamification of the NFT Market

NFT mystery boxes gamify the NFT market, making the buying process akin to a gaming experience. Users are motivated by the chance to obtain rare or limited-edition NFTs, creating an engaging and competitive atmosphere within the community. This gamification aspect appeals to users who enjoy the gaming elements of chance and luck in their digital asset acquisition. Wizardia and the Biswap launchpad have previously offered such gamified experiences using NFT mystery boxes. 

Access to Limited Edition NFTs 

NFT mystery boxes often contain limited-edition NFTs unavailable for direct purchase in the open market. Participating in mystery box sales allows users to acquire exclusive digital assets that may have a higher perceived value due to their rarity and scarcity. This exclusivity can be an attractive proposition for collectors and investors. Leading sports brand NIKE took the NFT mystery box during its maiden foray into the world of NFTs, an initiative for which it had collaborated with RTFKT for a collection called MNLTH. 

Drive Engagement in Blockchain Games 

Some NFT mystery boxes are associated with blockchain games, allowing players to obtain rare in-game items or collectibles. These items can enhance the gaming experience and provide players with exclusive features that may not be available to others. This use case attracts gaming enthusiasts and players looking to elevate their in-game presence and achievements. Axie Infinity and Legend of Fantasy War are popular games that offer rare in-game assets to collectors by selling NFT mystery boxes. 

Explore NFT Ecosystems 

Purchasing and opening NFT mystery boxes allow users to explore different NFT collections and ecosystems. Buyers can diversify their digital asset holdings by acquiring NFTs from various creators and platforms. This exploration aspect encourages users to engage with different projects, artists, and communities within the NFT space.

Let's feed your curiosity with what it needs — how to get the mystery boxes. Like buying NFTs, you can also get NFT mystery boxes on various marketplaces.

There are numerous NFT collections that you can get from different marketplaces, depending on the ones you wish to go for. But with the release of the new and rare NFTs series happening drastically, to get your mystery box safely, it's best to go on popular NFT marketplaces like KuCoin NFT marketplace, SuperRare, Rarible, etc.

Some of these NFT platforms, such as KuCoin’s NFT marketplace Windvane and OpenSea marketplace, often release mystery boxes by partnering with renowned brands to showcase unique or rare products from the NFT world. For example, Vogue Singapore partnered with a crypto exchange to launch NFT mystery boxes that contain just artworks of sunrises across the globe. 

If you're new to the NFT marketplaces, you must create an account, but if you already have one, you can buy a mystery box from a creator or collection of your choice.

A crypto wallet is a must-have to store your purchase. Your choice of crypto wallets will depend on the collection’s underlying blockchain platform, like Ethereum or BNB Chain (BSC). There are different great wallets that you can make use of, like, Trust Wallet, Halo Wallet, MetaMask, etc.

However, buying NFT mystery boxes requires having ETH, USDT, or base cryptocurrency on that specific blockchain, which you can use to purchase NFTs, list NFTs, mint NFTs, or even buy at an auction sale. The most trusted marketplace for this is the KuCoin NFT marketplace. Take note that you will need a verified KuCoin account to participate there.

Apart from buying NFT mystery boxes at a fixed price, there is an auction sale option. In an auction sale, you will bid for the mystery box while the user with the highest bid wins, just like in traditional auction houses.

Additionally, if you have enough NFT, you can buy it directly from the auction sale with a buy-out price option. The buyout price allows you to buy it instantly instead of competing with other users.

NFT mystery boxes are a new, developing, and exciting innovation for the NFT community. You can now gift yourself or your loved ones digital assets with the actual value and the surprise element mashed up.

Asides from the gifting attribute, it provides an opportunity to explore unique and rare NFT arts at reduced costs while onboarding newcomers into the NFT and cryptocurrency space.

The cryptocurrency world is only getting started with astounding innovations and entries into different industries. In the years to come, it might change humanity and our current scope of interaction.