State of Digital Canvas and NFT Display

2021 Recap and Looking Ahead  

February 10, 2022

DAFCO Blog 

NFTs have brought web3 into the mainstream. While the general public is asking themselves how pictures of squiggly lines, pixelated punks, or gorilla heads are worth so much; trying to learn and catch up with opportunities created by decentralization is no small feat.

Early adopters are increasingly looking to celebrate their newly found tribes and show off their collections to friends and family, cementing the need to connect the decentralized to real life. Interest in digital canvases and NFT displays may have been a slow burn through 2021, but there is every expectation that it will boil over through 2022 in a race to become the most trusted device as millions of people flock to the space.  

Digital canvases and NFT displays became an inevitable and natural bridge from users wallets to their homes and workspaces. The joy of collecting is sharing that passion with others, creating rapid demand by those excited to display their art. Not to mention communities built around art that became instantly recognizable overnight, celebrated by people who have rallied around the BAYCs and CyberKongz of the world. All of this buzz and the itch to stay ahead of trends has created a brand new art world in the process.

So what makes these displays something more than a monitor on your wall? Why not just use an app and your smart TV, when services such as Blackdove have already shown themselves to be reliable? 

New display companies have been racing to market to answer those questions. With each passing month, another canvas and NFT display is launched. Each fighting to ship as quickly as possible with many accepting pre-orders to help build themselves up as they vie to become the frontrunner in the space.

Manufacturers such as Tokenframe and BlockFrameNFT have embraced a simplicity of style and setup (and in Tokenframe’s case, a variety of screen sizes) in hopes of fitting into people’s homes and budgets while enabling audio for NFTs where applicable. BlockframeNFT was the only true web3 digital wall canvas to ship to customers.

Digital Canvas and NFT Display makers such as BlockFrameNFT are rushing to provide options to consumers.

Danvas is promising to be the first luxury display on the market while MyMoMint has geared itself towards the sports world by delivering a device that is meant to have the feel of a trading card.

These companies see and are embracing the many ways in which the public has already embraced NFTs, hoping to gain an edge in an increasingly competitive market. One danger a few of these companies may run across is having too similar of looks to one another and may want to step away from the wood finishes in order to really stand out.

Where does that leave us, the consumers? With many companies choosing design elements and options that can easily enmesh themselves to existing decor, users will have no problem finding the right look for their space with plenty of options available.

Most if not all of the displays currently on the way have included support for the blockchains that have emerged over the past few years such as Ethereum and Solana. Some are already preparing for future updates to include even more blockchains as necessary.

So with strong design aesthetics and blockchain support already entrenched in digital canvases and NFT displays from the beginning, what are the key pieces we, as consumers, are looking for under the hood? Undoubtedly, the most important aspect most companies have embraced is wallet verification.

Requiring display owners to verify their wallets and only allowing them to display NFTs they own is vital in separating contenders from pretenders in the canvass space. This also provides a major advantage over app-based services that can license art without web3 provenance, which one could argue circumvents the intentions behind on-chain purchases and blockchain activity.

What of displays that seek to do more than just protect creators and owners through verification. One project, Danvas, is actively seeking to partner with creators to involve them not only in the design process but also create further opportunities for artists through collaborations. Another, Infinite Objects, allows artists the ability to set the price point and receive royalties from sales of prints of their NFTs. 

Manufacturers who embrace the idea of working directly with artists might be able to gain traction against competitors and may create opportunities for manufacturers to grow brand loyalty. Of course, it could turn out that this idea is not widely adopted but if the fervor around the biggest NFT projects serve as any indication, it would seem likely that owners would also react similarly to display makers whose values align with their own.

And what about features as straightforward as audio capabilities? Will this become a standard or will a company latch on to music NFT holders as their core audience and seek to cater to them directly? Who will prove to have the easiest setup and the friendliest user experience? With the NFTs intended to be the centerpiece, users will shy away from devices that are difficult to install or become cumbersome to use over time. Easily being able to shuffle NFTs in and out of your display in as few steps as possible will give an edge to canvases that deliver on this feature.

Resolution and scaling will also be key to any of these brands trying to pull away from the pack. Any screen that is able to boast the highest resolution while also ensuring that NFTs scale perfectly without distortion will put themselves head and shoulders above everyone else. It seems like a no-brainer but this is where execution may matter the most as these products launch.

The state of digital canvases and NFT displays is the same as web3. In its infancy but poised to make massive strides into the mainstream over the next year. There is no clear frontrunner in the space, with each producer capable of snatching their share of the market simply by existing and providing quality, both in product and support.

Time will tell which features become standard and which were simply early experiments, but a few things are clear from the outset. Wallet verification is already a key selling point for many and will likely become an industry standard, especially if it becomes a question of earning consumers trust.

Designs will likely remain understated so as to not distract from the art, though it would be nice to see some departure from the ‘suburban-chic’ aesthetics some manufacturers have employed so far. The race to market will place a premium on executing on high quality resolutions, proper scaling for NFTs, and ease of installation and set up.

NFT’s and Crypto Art collecting took off in 2021, with display solutions launching quickly in response. While some brands promoted “ability to show NFT’s” the user experience was awful to set-up, picture quality average at best and more cumbersome aesthetically.

The landscape is truly a scattershot of varying products and successes. Some hit the mark out of the gate such as Infinite Objects. Others, including BlockframeNFT, Tokenframe and Blackdove each show promise but have issues to address. Nearly all of these manufacturers are in danger of stifling their own hype after generating interest through pre-orders. These brands must ship as quickly as possible as all eyes are on heavy hitters Samsung and LG as they set their sights on the space in 2022.

It is the Wild West days for digital canvases and NFT displays. Brands understand the need to bring their products to market as quickly. None are cutting corners and each are taking aim at their own segments of the market. That said, by the end of 2022 we may well have one display that sets the standard for the market.

Our next State of Digital Canvas and NFT Display will include a deeper look at bookshelf and smaller devices including Infinite Objects and Nifted as well as web3 app and smartTV integrations and subscriptions. Spring 2022.

Digital Art and Frame Co is the authority for digital art canvas and NFT displays, providing expert reviews and analysis on the market and its relationship to web3. We are building a network of Learn-Discover-Enjoy Hotspots nationwide to share the amazing potential of blockchain technology while celebrating stunning artwork. You can contact us at hello@dafco.io. Please note, some links may be affiliated with DAFCO or a Hotspot.