NRC-721 - NFTs 2.0 for Nervos Blockchain
Rather Labs developed the NRC-721, an implementation standard for non-fungible tokens for the Nervos Blockchain
What Is an NFT?
A Non-Fungible Token (NFT) is a certificate on a blockchain used to identify a particular asset in a unique way where the ownership of such NFT is recorded in the blockchain and can be transferred or sold. An NFT is often used on platforms that offer collectible items, digital representation of physical assets, or any other unique assets.
What Is the Nervos Network?
Nervos is a layered blockchain network designed for security and flexibility. Its Layer 1, the Common Knowledge Base (CKB), is built around a UTXO-based model and supports smart contracts written primarily in Rust — allowing for efficient, compact code while maintaining strong security guarantees. This low-level design offers high flexibility but can substantially increase the onboarding time for developers entering the ecosystem.
What Is the NRC-721 Then?
Having a standardized token implementation is a key part of making applications within an ecosystem interoperable. To help speed up the onboarding of new developers and simplify the work for the experienced ones, Rather Labs proposed a standard structure and implementation that leverages metaprogramming to build modular scripts adaptable to specific use cases while maintaining efficiency and security.
NRC-721 is an implementation proposal inspired by OpenZeppelin's ERC-721, providing a standardized structure so developers, users, and stakeholders have a common understanding of how things are done — making it easier to achieve integration between different dApps and projects.
Who Is Using NRC-721?
Celebrity Smackdown (CSD) is the first web3 game on the Nervos Blockchain. Inspired by the MTV show "Celebrity Deathmatch," this strategic NFT card game puts celebrities in a battle to cancel each other. Developed using Cocos3D, connecting with MetaMask and Unipass wallets.
Vanimals — Rather Labs created an NFT marketplace and a collection of NFT pets modeled after real-life animals. The platform runs on the Nervos blockchain using the NRC-721 standard and uses augmented reality technology to provide an interactive experience, allowing users to visualize their pets in 3D on their phones. The Nervos blockchain has allowed users to create, send, or receive NFTs with barely any fees.
Kollect — Following the release of the NRC-721 token standard, Rather Labs partnered with the Kollect team to create a 2.0 version of the platform that delivers a gamified experience.