What's in an NFT? 5 of the Top Modern NFT Use Cases in 2022
Monday,24/01/2022|08:58GMTby
The Sandbox
Find out some of the most creative ways that companies are leveraging NFTs.
NFTs
Over the past couple of years, Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) have exploded in popularity. Throughout 2021, the number of NFTs sold ranged from 15,000 to 50,000 each week. This is a drastic increase from the beginning of 2017, when sales often struggled to reach 100 per week.
In this article, we will discuss some of the top modern use cases of NFTs right now, and the creative ways that companies are leveraging them.
1. Taking out loans
Long gone are the days when you’d have to turn up to your bank and slog through a painstaking credit check to take out a loan. Now you can use your NFTs and Decentralized Finance (DeFi) assets to take out loans through platforms like Drops.
Drops enables users to leverage their idle DeFi tokens and NFTs in order to obtain loans and earn extra yield. The protocol features lending pools that give people the opportunity to use any type of asset as collateral. This includes NFT collectibles, metaverse items, financial NFTs, and DeFi tokens.
Ultimately, this allows users to obtain instant liquidity, and reduce the opportunity cost of money invested into NFTs.
2. Buying digital real estate
The Sandbox is a virtual metaverse. It gives users the opportunity to build, own, and monetize gaming experiences on the Ethereum blockchain.
The platform gives users the opportunity to create NFTs, upload them to the marketplace, and integrate them into games, using the platform’s utility token, known as SAND.
Users can also buy LAND, which is essentially a digital piece of real estate in The Sandbox metaverse. Users can populate the LAND they own with games and assets. They can also combine multiple LANDs to create an ESTATE. They can also rent them out to others.
3. Creating unique fashion collections
In September 2021, Dolce & Gabbana sold its first NFT collection for $5.7 million. The NFT sale was launched on UNXD, a luxury marketplace that is built on Ethereum layer 2 Polygon. The buyer of each item received an NFT, along with the physical version of the item, and exclusive access to Dolce and Gabbana events.
Luxury fashion brand Jimmy Choo launched its own NFT collaboration with New York artist Eric Haze only a month later in October 2021. The collection consisted of 8,888 ‘mystery boxes’ that were available for purchase.
NFTs can also be used in the fashion industry to track original collections, and prevent the creation of counterfeits. If a piece has been tagged for tracking through NFTs, it could help to reassure buyers that the piece is original. This would be especially useful for physical pieces sold through auction houses.
4. Identity verification
NFT ledgers can be used to store sensitive personal records without compromising confidentiality.
Given that NFT transactions must be validated by multiple nodes before they are added to the blockchain, this ensures that every record is protected from malicious intervention. This is particularly useful in the medical industry.
For instance, it can be used for storing an individual’s medical records in order to grant medical professionals quick and secure access. It can even be used as a way for a healthcare provider to issue a birth certificate to a newborn, in order to create a lifelong identity on the blockchain.
5. Storing academic credentials
NFTs are a convenient and secure way of storing academic credentials and providing proof of attendance, qualifications earned, and other important, sensitive information. This could ultimately make paper certificates unnecessary.
Given that storing this data on the blockchain creates an immutable record, it can also ultimately help to prevent people from claiming that they have false qualifications through presenting fraudulent certificates.
As you can see, there are way more use cases for NFTs than buying and selling artwork online (although this is certainly a very popular one!).
As NFTs continue to become more mainstream over the next few years, there is very little doubt that we will continue to see more of these use cases going mainstream.
Over the past couple of years, Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) have exploded in popularity. Throughout 2021, the number of NFTs sold ranged from 15,000 to 50,000 each week. This is a drastic increase from the beginning of 2017, when sales often struggled to reach 100 per week.
In this article, we will discuss some of the top modern use cases of NFTs right now, and the creative ways that companies are leveraging them.
1. Taking out loans
Long gone are the days when you’d have to turn up to your bank and slog through a painstaking credit check to take out a loan. Now you can use your NFTs and Decentralized Finance (DeFi) assets to take out loans through platforms like Drops.
Drops enables users to leverage their idle DeFi tokens and NFTs in order to obtain loans and earn extra yield. The protocol features lending pools that give people the opportunity to use any type of asset as collateral. This includes NFT collectibles, metaverse items, financial NFTs, and DeFi tokens.
Ultimately, this allows users to obtain instant liquidity, and reduce the opportunity cost of money invested into NFTs.
2. Buying digital real estate
The Sandbox is a virtual metaverse. It gives users the opportunity to build, own, and monetize gaming experiences on the Ethereum blockchain.
The platform gives users the opportunity to create NFTs, upload them to the marketplace, and integrate them into games, using the platform’s utility token, known as SAND.
Users can also buy LAND, which is essentially a digital piece of real estate in The Sandbox metaverse. Users can populate the LAND they own with games and assets. They can also combine multiple LANDs to create an ESTATE. They can also rent them out to others.
3. Creating unique fashion collections
In September 2021, Dolce & Gabbana sold its first NFT collection for $5.7 million. The NFT sale was launched on UNXD, a luxury marketplace that is built on Ethereum layer 2 Polygon. The buyer of each item received an NFT, along with the physical version of the item, and exclusive access to Dolce and Gabbana events.
Luxury fashion brand Jimmy Choo launched its own NFT collaboration with New York artist Eric Haze only a month later in October 2021. The collection consisted of 8,888 ‘mystery boxes’ that were available for purchase.
NFTs can also be used in the fashion industry to track original collections, and prevent the creation of counterfeits. If a piece has been tagged for tracking through NFTs, it could help to reassure buyers that the piece is original. This would be especially useful for physical pieces sold through auction houses.
4. Identity verification
NFT ledgers can be used to store sensitive personal records without compromising confidentiality.
Given that NFT transactions must be validated by multiple nodes before they are added to the blockchain, this ensures that every record is protected from malicious intervention. This is particularly useful in the medical industry.
For instance, it can be used for storing an individual’s medical records in order to grant medical professionals quick and secure access. It can even be used as a way for a healthcare provider to issue a birth certificate to a newborn, in order to create a lifelong identity on the blockchain.
5. Storing academic credentials
NFTs are a convenient and secure way of storing academic credentials and providing proof of attendance, qualifications earned, and other important, sensitive information. This could ultimately make paper certificates unnecessary.
Given that storing this data on the blockchain creates an immutable record, it can also ultimately help to prevent people from claiming that they have false qualifications through presenting fraudulent certificates.
As you can see, there are way more use cases for NFTs than buying and selling artwork online (although this is certainly a very popular one!).
As NFTs continue to become more mainstream over the next few years, there is very little doubt that we will continue to see more of these use cases going mainstream.
IronFX Celebrates 15 Years of Creating Strong Partnerships
Marketing in 2026 Audiences, Costs, and Smarter AI
Marketing in 2026 Audiences, Costs, and Smarter AI
As brokers eye B2B business and compete with fintechs and crypto exchanges alike, marketers need to act wisely with often limited budgets. AI can offer scalable solutions, but only if used properly.
Join seasoned marketing executives and specialists as they discuss the main challenges they identify in financial services in 2026 and how they address them.
Attendees of this session will walk away with:
- A nuts-and-bolts account of acquisition costs across platforms and geos
- Analysis of today’s multi-layered audience segments and differences in behaviour
- First-hand account of how global brokers balance consistency and local flavour
- Notes from the field about intelligently using AI and automation in marketing
Speakers:
-Yam Yehoshua, Editor-In-Chief at Finance Magnates
-Federico Paderni, Managing Director for Growth Markets in Europe at X
-Jo Benton, Chief Marketing Officer, Consulting | Fractional CMO
-Itai Levitan, Head of Strategy at investingLive
-Roberto Napolitano, CMO at Innovate Finance
-Tony Cross, Director at Monk Communications
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #FintechMarketing #AI #DigitalStrategy #Fintech #Innovation
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
As brokers eye B2B business and compete with fintechs and crypto exchanges alike, marketers need to act wisely with often limited budgets. AI can offer scalable solutions, but only if used properly.
Join seasoned marketing executives and specialists as they discuss the main challenges they identify in financial services in 2026 and how they address them.
Attendees of this session will walk away with:
- A nuts-and-bolts account of acquisition costs across platforms and geos
- Analysis of today’s multi-layered audience segments and differences in behaviour
- First-hand account of how global brokers balance consistency and local flavour
- Notes from the field about intelligently using AI and automation in marketing
Speakers:
-Yam Yehoshua, Editor-In-Chief at Finance Magnates
-Federico Paderni, Managing Director for Growth Markets in Europe at X
-Jo Benton, Chief Marketing Officer, Consulting | Fractional CMO
-Itai Levitan, Head of Strategy at investingLive
-Roberto Napolitano, CMO at Innovate Finance
-Tony Cross, Director at Monk Communications
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #FintechMarketing #AI #DigitalStrategy #Fintech #Innovation
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
Much like their traders in the market, brokers must diversify to manage risk and stay resilient. But that can get costly, clunky, and lengthy.
This candid panel brings together builders across the trading infrastructure space to uncover the shifting dynamics behind tools, interfaces, and full-stack ambitions.
Attendees will hear:
-Why platform dependency has become one of the most overlooked risks in the trading business?
-Buy vs. build: What do hybrid models look like, and why are industry graveyards filled with failed ‘killer apps’?
-How AI is already changing execution, risk, and reporting—and what’s next?
-Which features, assets, and tools gain the most traction, and where brokers should look for tech-driven retention?
Speakers:
-Stephen Miles, Chief Revenue Officer at FYNXT
-John Morris, Co-Founder at FXBlue
-Matthew Smith, Group Chair & CEO at EC Markets
-Tom Higgins, Founder & CEO at Gold-i
-Gil Ben Hur, Founder at 5% Group
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #Brokers #Trading #Fintech #FintechInnovation #TradingTechnology #Innovation
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
Much like their traders in the market, brokers must diversify to manage risk and stay resilient. But that can get costly, clunky, and lengthy.
This candid panel brings together builders across the trading infrastructure space to uncover the shifting dynamics behind tools, interfaces, and full-stack ambitions.
Attendees will hear:
-Why platform dependency has become one of the most overlooked risks in the trading business?
-Buy vs. build: What do hybrid models look like, and why are industry graveyards filled with failed ‘killer apps’?
-How AI is already changing execution, risk, and reporting—and what’s next?
-Which features, assets, and tools gain the most traction, and where brokers should look for tech-driven retention?
Speakers:
-Stephen Miles, Chief Revenue Officer at FYNXT
-John Morris, Co-Founder at FXBlue
-Matthew Smith, Group Chair & CEO at EC Markets
-Tom Higgins, Founder & CEO at Gold-i
-Gil Ben Hur, Founder at 5% Group
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #Brokers #Trading #Fintech #FintechInnovation #TradingTechnology #Innovation
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
Educators, IBs, And Other Regional Growth Drivers
Educators, IBs, And Other Regional Growth Drivers
When acquisition costs rise and AI generated reviews are exactly as useful as they sound, performing and fair partners can make or break brokers.
This session looks at how these players are shaping access, trust and user engagement, and what the most effective partnership models look like in 2025.
Key Themes:
- Building trader communities through education and local expertise
- Aligning broker incentives with long-term regional strategies
- Regional regulation and the realities of compliant acquisition
- What’s next for performance-driven partnerships in online trading
Speakers:
-Adam Button, Chief Currency Analyst at investingLive
-Zander Van Der Merwe, Key Individual & Head of Sales at TD Markets
-Brunno Huertas, Regional Manager – Latin America at Tickmill
-Paul Chalmers, CEO at UK Trading Academy
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #Brokers #FinanceLeadership #Trading #Fintech #BrokerGrowth #FintechPartnerships #RegionalMarkets
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
When acquisition costs rise and AI generated reviews are exactly as useful as they sound, performing and fair partners can make or break brokers.
This session looks at how these players are shaping access, trust and user engagement, and what the most effective partnership models look like in 2025.
Key Themes:
- Building trader communities through education and local expertise
- Aligning broker incentives with long-term regional strategies
- Regional regulation and the realities of compliant acquisition
- What’s next for performance-driven partnerships in online trading
Speakers:
-Adam Button, Chief Currency Analyst at investingLive
-Zander Van Der Merwe, Key Individual & Head of Sales at TD Markets
-Brunno Huertas, Regional Manager – Latin America at Tickmill
-Paul Chalmers, CEO at UK Trading Academy
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #Brokers #FinanceLeadership #Trading #Fintech #BrokerGrowth #FintechPartnerships #RegionalMarkets
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
The Leap to Everything App: Are Brokers There Yet?
The Leap to Everything App: Are Brokers There Yet?
As the arms race to bundle investing, personal finance, and wallets under super apps grows fiercer, brokers are caught between a rock and a hard place.
This session explores unexpected ways for industry players to collaborate as consumer habits evolve, competitors eye the traffic, and regulation becomes more nuanced.
Speakers:
-Laura McCracken,CEO | Advisory Board Member at Blackheath Advisors | The Payments Association
-Slobodan Manojlović,Vice President | Lead Software Engineer at JP Morgan Chase & Co.
-Jordan Sinclair, President at Robinhood UK
-Simon Pelletier, Head of Product at Yuh
Gerald Perez, CEO at Interactive Brokers UK
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #Brokers #FinanceLeadership #Trading #Fintech #Innovation
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
As the arms race to bundle investing, personal finance, and wallets under super apps grows fiercer, brokers are caught between a rock and a hard place.
This session explores unexpected ways for industry players to collaborate as consumer habits evolve, competitors eye the traffic, and regulation becomes more nuanced.
Speakers:
-Laura McCracken,CEO | Advisory Board Member at Blackheath Advisors | The Payments Association
-Slobodan Manojlović,Vice President | Lead Software Engineer at JP Morgan Chase & Co.
-Jordan Sinclair, President at Robinhood UK
-Simon Pelletier, Head of Product at Yuh
Gerald Perez, CEO at Interactive Brokers UK
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #Brokers #FinanceLeadership #Trading #Fintech #Innovation
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
Mind The Gap: Can Retail Investors Save the UK Stock Market?
Mind The Gap: Can Retail Investors Save the UK Stock Market?
As the dire state of listing and investment in the UK goes from a financial services problem to a national challenge, the retail investing industry is taken to task.
Join a host of executives and experts for a candid conversation about the future of millions of Brits, as seen from a financial services standpoint:
-Are they happy with the Leeds Reform, in principle and in practice?
-Is it the government’s job to affect the ‘saver’ mentality? Is it doing well?
-What can brokers and fintechs do to spur UK investment?
-How can the FCA balance greater flexibility with consumer protection?
Speakers:
-Adam Button, Chief Currency Analyst at investingLive
-Nicola Higgs, Partner at Latham & Watkins
-Dan Lane, Investment Content Lead at Robinhood UK
-Jack Crone, PR & Public Affairs Lead at IG
-David Belle, Founder at Fink Money
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #Brokers #FinanceLeadership #Trading #Fintech #RetailInvesting #UKFinance
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
As the dire state of listing and investment in the UK goes from a financial services problem to a national challenge, the retail investing industry is taken to task.
Join a host of executives and experts for a candid conversation about the future of millions of Brits, as seen from a financial services standpoint:
-Are they happy with the Leeds Reform, in principle and in practice?
-Is it the government’s job to affect the ‘saver’ mentality? Is it doing well?
-What can brokers and fintechs do to spur UK investment?
-How can the FCA balance greater flexibility with consumer protection?
Speakers:
-Adam Button, Chief Currency Analyst at investingLive
-Nicola Higgs, Partner at Latham & Watkins
-Dan Lane, Investment Content Lead at Robinhood UK
-Jack Crone, PR & Public Affairs Lead at IG
-David Belle, Founder at Fink Money
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #Brokers #FinanceLeadership #Trading #Fintech #RetailInvesting #UKFinance
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
